Georgian PM says suggestion of visa liberalisation suspension in European Parliament resolution “not worth a dime”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said the inclusion of an entry suggesting suspension of the European Union’s visa liberalisation with Georgia in a resolution of the European Parliament adopted on Thursday was “not worth a dime”.

Kobakhidze’s comments followed the resolution that was adopted by the European Parliament against the Georgian bill on transparency of foreign influence on Thursday, with the document calling on the European Commission to assess the impact of the bill on the country’s continuous fulfilment of benchmarks of the visa agreement, in particular the marker on fundamental rights - a crucial component of the visa policy.

In his remarks over the matter, Kobakhidze said the visa liberalisation was an “achievement of the Government and the Georgian citizens”.

The PM also rejected “speaking to the Government and Georgian citizens using language of blackmail”.

Visa liberalisation is an achievement of the Government and the Georgian citizens, and instead of speaking to the Government and Georgian citizens using language of blackmail, on the contrary - they should be making efforts to, for example, [also] introduce visa-free travel [for Georgia] with the United States”, Kobakhidze said.

“A friend's demand referring to a lack of transparency, meaning a failure to ensure the main European value in our country, a demand to greenlight LGBT propaganda [in the country], to release [the imprisoned former President] Saakashvili, to sanction Bidzina Ivanishvili [the founder of the ruling party], of course, has no value”, he continued.

The PM stressed “demands like this” were “coming not from a friend but rather from odious MEPs and their supporters”, which “we cannot take into account, as they are based on completely un-European values”.

The patrons of these odious MEPs are driven by one goal - to somehow artificially cause agitation in the Georgian public in order to manage to artificially change the Government”, Kobakhidze claimed.

He further stressed the Government in Georgia was “enjoying popular legitimacy”.

“Today, our approval rating exceeds 60 percent. Therefore, everyone should get used to it. Among them, these odious MEPs have to get used to all this”, he continued.

“The European parliamentarians urge us not to take care of the protection of values, the interests of minors, not to adopt a law against LGBT propaganda, not to adopt a law regarding the transparency of NGOs - they declare criminals as people who, on the contrary, should be taken care of, they tell us to sanction Bidzina Ivanishvili, who, beyond charity, has taken such political steps that brought a qualitative change to the country”, Kobakhidze said.

He further added the domestic public “cannot be misled” and the “odious MEPs” would “not succeed in this blackmail”.