“Another Russian Provocation!” – President on Russia’s Abolition of Visa Regime to Georgia
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has criticized Russia’s recent decision to resume direct flights and abolish visa restrictions with Georgia, calling it “another Russian provocation.”
- 10/05/2023 – Russia Abolishes Visa Regime and Lifts Ban on Airline Flights with Georgia Starting May 15, 2023
In a tweet, President Zurabishvili stated: “Resuming direct flights and lifting visa ban with Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine and occupies our territory!”
Another Russian provocation!
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) May 10, 2023
Resuming direct flights and lifting visa ban with Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine and occupies our territory!
After expressing her position on Twitter, the President of Georgia held a press briefing, where she reiterated her position that Moscow’s recent decision. “I find this decision completely unacceptable, inappropriate, and untimely,” stated Salome Zurabishvili. “As long as Russia is an aggressor for the whole world and occupies our territories.”
Zurabishvili stated, “Yet another Russian provocative statement! What is the purpose of this provocation? On the one hand, it might serve to cover up their failure in Bakhmut, I don’t know how to describe it, but this might have served to cover up where they are unable to demonstrate strength.”
She also suggested that the move could be a response to the new eleventh package of sanctions announced by the European Union on Russia the previous day. Zurabishvili said, “It can be many things, but most importantly for us, this is a provocation to challenge our society directly and it puts our government in front of a very big challenge.”
The President expressed her concern that the Russian move would cause tension between political parties, but she was confident that the society would respond with a big reaction. Zurabishvili called on the government to make its position clear, stating that “the National Security Council should meet publicly and discuss the three-month long visa imposition that we need, even given the internal challenges.”
“We do not need gifts from Russia, masked as some kind of concession,” said Zurabishvili. “In today’s situation, we are on the same side as all our European friends. This is to protect the honor of Georgia by avoiding starting some kind of relationship with Russia, unlike everyone else in the world, that will make everything difficult for us, even in terms of our country’s accusations on circumventing sanctions.”
“This goes against Georgia’s interests and its honor. We must know where our country, with its occupied territories and its solidarity with the friendly Ukraine, stands. This is our position and we must remain loyal to the end. This is the request of our society,” she concluded.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
