The European Union calls on the Georgian authorities to comply with the sanctions against the Russian aviation industry, which were introduced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This was stated by the representative of the European Commission, Peter Stano, at a briefing in Brussels.
"The European Union calls on Georgia, which aspires to become a candidate for joining the Union, to follow the current European sanctions, as other EU partners do. And we emphasize the need to carefully monitor any attempts to circumvent sanctions, especially in the aviation sector," Stano said.
He also noted that Georgia should not allow Russian planes to enter the country for security reasons.
"Because of the sanctions, 95% of the Russian aircraft fleet cannot be modernized or repaired, which must be done in accordance with international safety standards," Stano added.
When asked about the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens, introduced by Moscow, Stano noted that Georgians themselves should decide whether to use the new regime and the EU will not make any statements on this matter.
It will be recalled that on May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled the visa regime for citizens of Georgia and at the same time lifted the ban on flights of Russian airlines to Georgia.
Representatives of the official Tbilisi welcomed Moscow's decision and explained it by the interests of Georgian citizens who live in the territory and who had difficulties coming to their homeland.
In particular, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ilya Darchiashvili noted that any "responsible" government should welcome a decision that will ease the "living conditions" of its citizens.
A protest was held near the building of the Georgian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday evening due to the reaction of the Georgian authorities.
