Ruling party MP laments “low status” in US visa policy for Georgian citizens

Davit Matikashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the First Deputy Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Legal Issues, on Thursday said Georgian citizens were being placed by the United States on par with counterparts from countries that were not considered partner states of the US in the matter of the latter's visa policy.

Matikashvili said the Georgian Government “does not welcome the double standards”, and was instead looking for “open and healthy” relations.

Statistics show that Georgian citizens are at a low status - they do not have the opportunity to receive a visa to the United States, and they are on par to [nationals of] countries that are not partner countries of the United States. This is a fact”, the lawmaker said.

“We welcome partnerships based on equality. What is good for Europe cannot be bad for Georgia. We welcome not double standards, but open and healthy relationships. If transparency is good in America and Europe, it cannot be bad in Georgia”, he noted in reference to the domestic law on transparency of foreign influence, criticised by the country’s western partners following its adoption.

The 2023 data of the US Department of State showed a visa refusal rate for Georgian citizens stood at 49.23 percent, while for Belarus the indicator was 32.80 percent and for Russia - 39.49 percent.