Georgia speaker accuses Brussels of using visa rules as political weapon

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said that Brussels was, in his view, using visa-free travel as a political tool against Georgia’s government, as tensions continued over EU-Georgia relations ahead of a technical meeting in Brussels.

Speaking on the “Imedi Live” programme, Papuashvili alleged that any potential restrictions on visa-free travel for Georgian citizens could be intended to “pressure” the government and influence domestic politics, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

He also suggested that such measures would be designed to “annoy the population” in order to shift political power in Georgia.

The parliament speaker said the European Union — which he described as a “peace project” — was increasingly being used as a “tool” against certain countries, adding that this reflected what he called a widening “civilisational gap” between Brussels and Tbilisi.

Papuashvili also criticised past EU decisions on travel rules for diplomatic passport holders, arguing they were inconsistent with international agreements. He further questioned differences in the EU’s visa policies toward various countries and raised concerns about alignment on sanctions policy regarding Russia.

The European Union has not publicly responded to Papuashvili’s remarks. Relations between Tbilisi and Brussels have been strained in recent months amid disputes over governance, democratic standards and foreign policy alignment.

By Aghakazim Guliyev