Kobakhidze Says Visa-Free Travel “Not Existential” as Brussels Warns of Suspension

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said visa-free travel with the EU is not “existential” and that Georgia would prioritize “peace and stability”, in remarks coming days after Brussels warned of suspension amid Georgia’s “democratic backsliding.”

“If it comes to a choice between peace and stability or visa liberalization, of course, we will prioritize peace and stability,” Kobakhidze told reporters on July 17 as he commented on a letter from the European Commission warning about the possibility of suspending visa-free travel. Kobakhidze, however, expressed confidence that it won’t come to suspension, calling the EU move “counterproductive.”

The letter, which followed a Foreign Affairs Council meeting, outlined recommendations for the Georgian Dream government to follow if Tbilisi wishes to retain visa-free travel with the EU, a hard-won privilege Georgians have enjoyed since 2017. The eight recommendations, largely mirroring those listed in the European Commission’s Seventh Report on the Visa Suspension Mechanism issued in December, called on Tbilisi to uphold fundamental rights and repeal controversial laws, including the 2024 foreign agents law and anti-LGBT legislation. Tbilisi is reportedly expected to provide an update on its progress by the end of August.

Kobakhidze dismissed the letter as an “ultimatum” and reiterated GD’s stance that the country must not compromise on “existential” issues such as peace, national stability, and family values.

“Visa liberalization means that the Georgian citizen will need a visa to travel in Europe,” he said. “As for the rest, peace, stability, and family values— these are existential issues. Whether you go to Europe with a visa or without a visa is not an existential issue.”

Kobakhidze defended the foreign agents law and anti-LGBT laws as essential for safeguarding national values and preventing foreign interference, arguing they are of “principal importance” for “protecting values and preventing revolutionary processes in Georgia.”

“These laws about transparency are laws about the transparency of revolution,” he said, repeating GD claims about four externally-funded revolution attempts in Georgia. “If someone wants to finance revolutionary processes in Georgia, they should do it transparently.”

He went on to compare EU politics with that of the Soviet Union, drawing parallels between EU directives and those once sent from Moscow, where, Kobakhidze said, non-compliance meant punishment. “How is Brussels different from Moscow?” – he asked.

Kobakhidze’s remarks follow Tbilisi’s repeated accusations that Brussels is using the visa-free travel issue as a tool of “pressure” and “blackmail” against the Georgian Dream government. “Peace and stability” remarks also follow a longtime conspiracy theory circulated by Georgia’s ruling circles about the West trying to drag Georgia into the war with Russia.

While the EU has struggled to reach a consensus among member countries on targeted sanctions against Georgian officials, visa-free suspension only requires a qualified majority, or the consent of at least 15 out of 27 member countries, with 65% of the population.

The EU has already suspended visa-free travel for diplomatic travel holders. In June, Kobakhidze admitted he had to use a visa to travel to one of the European countries, but did not specify which country.

Observers have noted that visa-free travel has been one of Georgia’s key achievements, with its benefits extending far beyond tourism, boosting economic and labor exchange, improving access to healthcare for Georgians, and strengthening ties among families separated by economic migration. 42 Georgian CSOs said in a July 16 statement that the full responsibility for possible visa suspension “lies with the [Bidzina] Ivanishvili government.”

Also Read:

• 11/07/2025 – EU’s Kallas, 17 European FMs ‘Disturbed, Deeply Concerned’ Over Georgia’s ‘Deteriorating Situation’
• 11/06/2025 – Polish PM Tusk Says His Government Pushes EU to Suspend or Limit Georgia’s Visa-Free Travel
• 29/04/2025 – EU Weighs Suspending Georgia’s Visa-Free Travel, Reviewing DCFTA and Candidate Status