Parliament Speaker: Georgian Gov’t “expects to see friendship” steps from US with visa-free travel, direct flights, free trade

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said the Georgian Government was “expecting to see friendship” from the United States with steps involving launch of visa-free travel, direct flights and a free trade deal.

Papuashvili stressed Georgia had been showing the United States “for decades what partnership and friendship means in a Georgian way”.

We have removed visa requirements for American citizens, we have created all conditions for American citizens to do business in Georgia. We fought alongside American soldiers in various hotspots. We had more contingents than 23 NATO member countries in Afghanistan. We lost our soldiers [there]. Therefore, this is friendship in a Georgian way”, he said.

“In response to this friendship, we expect to see also friendship that involves the lifting of visa requirements for Georgian citizens, direct flights and free trade with [US]”, he continued.

Papuashvili further noted the Chinese Government had reciprocated the Georgian Government's lifting of visa requirements for Chinese citizens after the recent establishment of a strategic partnership between the countries.