No Need to Establish Visa Regime with Russia, Says Tbilisi Mayor

The Secretary General of Georgia's ruling "Georgian Dream" party and Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, stated that there is no need to establish a visa regime with Russia. The government welcomes as many tourists and business companies as possible to come to Georgia that are not on the sanctions list.

The mayor mentioned that the opposition, which is currently demanding the establishment of a visa regime with Russia, had welcomed Russian tourists visiting Georgia during their time in power.

“I believe there is no need to impose any visa regime. Business companies that are not subject to sanctions should come. We welcome this; there is no problem,” Kaladze said, as reported by aliq.ge.

Georgia's Parliamentary Chairman Shalva Papuashvili stated that Georgia cannot impose sanctions against Russia, as this would create risks of war and economic crisis.

On May 19, the first flight from Moscow to Tbilisi took place, which was followed by protests at Tbilisi International Airport and in front of the parliament building demanding the ban of flights.

It is noteworthy that on May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees to restore direct air communication with Georgia, which had been banned since 2019, and to cancel the visa regime that had been in place since 2000.

In addition, diplomatic relations between Georgia and Russia have been severed since the August war in 2008.