Georgia’s ruling party official: no political or legal basis for suspending Georgia’s visa-free travel with EU

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Wednesday said there were no grounds - political, legal, or otherwise - to justify the possible suspension of Georgia’s visa-free travel with the European Union.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kirtchkhalia was asked whether the current stance would continue and if any decision would be made regarding Georgian citizens, or if the issue would remain a tool of political pressure as before.

He responded that “it depends on who makes the assessment”.

“When we talk about rankings, it is known to everyone - not only in Georgia but also internationally - where our country stands today in every direction: human rights, democratic values, judicial independence, freedom of speech, media freedom, business freedom, and economic growth. These are objective figures, statistics that no one can escape”, he said.

“Now, speaking about the political component, Brussels has created all the levers to act with the best dictatorial features, to possess every instrument of political pressure against those countries that have not become its proxy states and with whom it has specific interests. We are among those countries”, the official continued.

He further added that their interest in seeing the Georgian Government in a “subordinate, vassal-like” relationship had not faded, but the praiseworthy Georgian society and the country had firmly rejected it.

“Of course, all this is a tool of blackmail”, Kirtskhalia stressed.

“There is no basis - neither political nor legal, not a single point of justification - for this mechanism to be applied to us”, he concluded.