Georgian Parliament Speaker slams EU: visa suspension for diplomats violates international law

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday sharply criticised 11 countries for suspending visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic and service passports, calling their actions a violation of international law and a “shame” for the European Union.

Papuashvili reiterated that the agreement on visa-free travel for diplomats was signed in 2010 and was “enacted for Saakashvili's political elite”, while ordinary citizens had to wait until 2017 for similar benefits.

He emphasised that there was no legal basis for suspending this agreement.

“Everything is stipulated in the international agreement, including the circumstances under which the operation of this agreement may be suspended. None of these points are present today. There is no legal basis whatsoever for any country to suspend the operation of this agreement”, the Speaker said.

He stressed that the European Commission's recommendation or decision to suspend visa-free travel for diplomatic and service passports was a violation of international law, and all countries that followed this decision are also in breach of international law.

“This means the European Union is violating international law. This is a great shame for an entity that presents itself as a defender of international law, when in reality it is grossly violating international law itself”, he concluded.