The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, in connection with the latest decisions of Moscow, calls for the convening of the National Security Council and to review the conditions of entry of Russians into the territory of Georgia.
After Russia's decision to resume air traffic with Georgia and cancel visas for Georgians, Zurabishvili held a briefing where she noted that Tbilisi "doesn't need gifts from Moscow" and all this looks like a provocation that will exacerbate political tension in Georgia.
Salome Zurabishvili said that Georgia should convene the National Security Council and review the conditions for entry of Russians into the country. She offered to consider "the introduction of 3-month visas for Russia".
Journalists assume that the president could not mean the introduction of a visa regime, but the reduction of the permitted period of visa-free stay of Russian citizens in Georgia from 1 year, as it is now, to 3 months.
We will remind, on May 10 it became known that Russia is canceling the visa requirement for Georgian citizens traveling to Russia on short trips - which was in effect since 2000, and also canceled the ban on flights from Russia to Georgia, which was in effect since the summer of 2019 - after the events, known as "Gavrilov night".
In recent months, representatives of Russia have repeatedly announced the possibility of resuming direct flights with Georgia. Georgia's ruling party welcomed such signals, while the opposition harshly criticized the potential resumption of flights at a time when the world, on the contrary, is limiting contacts and cooperation with Moscow due to its aggressive war against Ukraine.
The Georgian authorities have warned the EU and the USA against resuming air traffic with Russia.
