Georgia accuses EU of blackmail, intimidation over visa-free regime suspension

Georgia has accused the European Union of blackmail and intimidation following the potential suspension of the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens.

The country’s authorities have expressed hope that EU member states will refrain from implementing any punitive measures, Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili criticized the EU's stance, calling it an effort to "blackmail" Georgian citizens.

The EU has threatened to suspend the visa-free regime for certain categories of Georgian nationals amid concerns over recent developments in the country and a lack of progress in fulfilling visa liberalization commitments. The warning was outlined in a report by the European Commission published last week.

Botchorishvili condemned the EU's approach, stating, "Georgian citizens are being intimidated by the possibility that certain measures may be applied to them, which, in a way, is an instrumentalization of EU policy."

Despite these tensions, the Georgian Foreign Minister expressed strong confidence that EU member states would not support such actions.  "I am almost certain that no EU member state will support this stance, and it is extremely unlikely that Georgian citizens will face any punitive actions," Bochorishvili stated.

By Vafa Guliyeva