PM: EU "blackmailing" Georgian people with visa-free travel suspension threat

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has strongly criticised the European Union, accusing it of using the possible suspension of visa-free travel as a tool to pressure the Georgian people—a move he described as “counterproductive.”

“This is wrong. Blackmailing the Georgian people is absolutely unacceptable. The only tangible benefit the Georgian people have received from the EU to this day is the visa-free regime,” Kobakhidze added, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

The EU Council and the European Parliament have reached an agreement to enhance the mechanism that allows the EU to temporarily suspend visa-free travel for citizens of third countries who are eligible to enter the Schengen Area without a visa. 

The EU Council and the Parliament propose to extend the initial duration of the temporary suspension from 9 to 12 months, with a possible extension to 24 months instead of the previous 18.

In the past, even the EU Ambassador Pavel Herczynski allowed himself to interfere by publicly calling on citizens to actively participate in the vote in order to change the current government, the Prime Minister recalled. Such actions, according to the head of government, are unacceptable and counterproductive.

“He directly called for voting against Georgian Dream. It was a direct and blatant interference by the EU ambassador… This is a wrong and unhealthy approach,” Kobakhidze noted.

Therefore, in the case of such “unreasonable behavior, these people will receive an appropriate response from the Georgian people,” the Prime Minister added.

By Khagan Isayev