Vladimir Putin unexpectedly canceled the visa regime for Georgian citizens and lifted the ban on flights from Russia to this country.
With the start of a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv does not really like the position of the official Georgian authority. No, the Georgian people fully support Ukraine, but the Georgian authorities are taking an increasingly loyal position towards the aggressor who has occupied part of Georgia for several years now.
Georgia did not join the sanctions against Moscow, declaring the risk of opening a “second front”. Today Russia has completely canceled visas for Georgians and banned flights to this country. What’s this for?
Without explaining the reason
The visa regime between Georgia and Russia was introduced in 2000 by the decision of the Russian government, Georgia also introduced a visa regime for Russian citizens. After the war in 2008, Georgia announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia. The text of Putin’s order does not answer the question of why the Kremlin decided to cancel visas for Georgian citizens. From May 15, 2023, citizens of Georgia enter and leave the Russian Federation without issuing visas based on valid identity documents.
In addition, Russia decided to continue direct flights to Georgia.
On June 21, 2019, Putin signed a decree banning passenger flights from Georgia. By a new order, he canceled this decision.
The ban was introduced after protests in Tbilisi sparked by the visit of State Duma deputy Sergei Gavrilov, who arrived in the Georgian capital as head of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. The meeting was held in the Georgian Parliament, Gavrilov took the speaker’s chair, which caused a wave of protests.
Moreover, the Russian Foreign Ministry canceled the recommendation to stop traveling to Georgia. And the Russian Ministry of Transport announced that Russian airlines will operate seven direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi and back on domestic aircraft every week. Now the Russians are flying to Tbilisi via Yerevan.
Reaction
The Georgian government, including the country’s Foreign Ministry, has yet to comment on the decision to cancel visas and resume flights. And President Salome Zurabishvili, who has limited powers and the position does not yet mean the official Tbilisi position, condemned Putin’s decision.
“Another provocation to Russia!” he wrote. “The resumption of direct flights and the lifting of the visa regime to Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues to invade Ukraine and occupy our territory.”
Zurabishvili urged Georgia’s Security Council to convene to discuss the visa regime for Russians, as there is now none. It is necessary to introduce a three-month visa for Russian citizens to come and stay in the country, he said.
“Once again, it became clear that Georgia has the government of Russia and Putin as an ally. This decision can be considered an assessment of what the ruling Georgian Dream party has been doing for 11 years and especially recently, to destroy the European course and the process of obtaining EU candidate status,” said Ana Tsitlidze, MP from the United National Movement opposition faction.
“How to read Russia’s decision in political language? – writes political analyst Gia Khukhashvili. – Russia considered that the basis for the reunification of Georgia with the empire was sufficiently prepared, and made a corresponding strategic decision.”
“For Russia, against the backdrop of the lost war in Ukraine, it is especially important to show a successful example of the return of a post-Soviet country to its orbit with the help of soft power,” Khukhashvili added.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.