Ruling party Sec Gen: blackmailing Georgia over visa liberalisation absolutely unacceptable

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday criticised what he described as attempts by European institutions to use visa-free travel as a form of political pressure against Georgia, calling such approaches unacceptable and unfair toward the Georgian population.

In his remarks, Kaladze noted that it was unacceptable for the European bureaucracy to repeatedly raise the issue of visa liberalisation in a way that could be perceived as pressure or “blackmail” against Georgian society.

“It is absolutely unacceptable for the European bureaucracy to continually blackmail the people of Georgia through visa liberalisation and the issue of visa-free travel. There are many nations and countries in the world that are larger than us and have stronger economies. Georgia, with a population of approximately four million people, is truly unique and exceptional in its character, something that, unfortunately, no European has fully understood”, he said.

The official further added that external criticism, in his view, stems from the inability of some European actors to accept Georgia’s independent policy choices and refusal to allow external interests to shape its domestic decisions.

“The explanation is simple: they cannot forgive the Georgian people for making our own decisions, for doing what is most important and beneficial for our country, and for refusing to allow anyone to use Georgia to advance their own interests”, Kaladze concluded.