Calls by the opposition Lelo for Georgia party to impose visa requirements for Russian and Belarusian citizens serve the goal of dragging Georgia into Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to ruling Georgian Dream party MP Anri Okhanashvili, who also reminded the opposition that the visa requirement with Russia was lifted by former President Mikhail Saakashvili while he was in office.
In remarks to local media outlets, Okhanashvili suggested that Georgian state bodies were working “around the clock” to ensure peace and stability in the country amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, emphasizing that requiring visas for Russian citizens “was against the interests of the Georgian people.”
Also: Brittney Griner Gets 9 years in prison
Okhanashvili said of the “radical opposition” that “their [the opposition’s] earlier moves and proposals had also served their own goals to draw Georgia into the war.”
The Lelo for Georgia party said earlier this week that the “uncontrolled influx” of Russian and Belarusian citizens to Georgia, against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, posed a “serious security challenge to Georgia” amid Russia’s continuous occupation of Georgian territories.
Transparency International Georgia stated in a report released on Wednesday that 240,000 Russian tourists have entered Georgia in the last seven months, which is 2.5 times more than in the same period last year.
Transparency International Georgia stated in a report released on Wednesday that 240,000 Russian tourists have entered Georgia in the last seven months, which is 2.5 times more than in the same period last year.
Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili dismissed reports of increased Russian tourist inflows, saying that “comparing this year’s figures with those in the pandemic, when state borders were closed or other restrictions were imposed, is wrong and misleading.”
Also: Stephen Curry costs Under Armour $600 Million in loss due to a massive shoe issue
Russia unilaterally implemented the visa regime with Georgia in December 2000 to “prevent terrorism threats,” claiming that during the second Chechen war, thousands of refugees and fighters fled to Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge (1999-2000).
Following the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, Georgia suspended diplomatic relations with Russia and cancelled visa-free travel with the neighboring country. Tbilisi, however, lifted the restriction on March 1, 2012, while Georgians still require a visa to visit Russia.
Leave a Reply