Russia cancels the visa regime with Georgia and lifts the ban on direct flights

From May 15, Russia will cancel the visa regime for citizens of Georgia, with the exception of those who go to work. The decree was signed by President Vladimir Putin. By another decree, he lifted the ban on flights to Georgia, reports with the BBC.

Photo: IStock

“I decide: 1. To establish that from May 15, 2023: a) citizens of Georgia enter the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation without issuing visas on the basis of valid documents proving their identity (passport of a citizen of Georgia, diplomatic passport, service passport, sailor's book , a travel document for returning to Georgia), with the exception of citizens entering the Russian Federation for the purpose of carrying out labor activities or for a period of more than 90 days for a temporary stay in the Russian Federation, including for the purpose of obtaining education,” the document says. The text of Putin's decree does not answer the question why the Kremlin decided to abolish visas for Georgian citizens.

Russia introduced a visa regime with Georgia back in 2000. At the same time, according to the decision of Mikhail Saakashvili, then the President of Georgia, Tbilisi unilaterally canceled the visa regime for citizens of the Russian Federation in 2012. At the same time, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year and the subsequent mass flight of Russians to Georgia, part of the Georgian public came out in favor of tightening entry rules for Russians, reports “Voice of America".

Flights to Georgia

In addition, Russia decided to restore direct flights to Georgia.

On June 21, 2019, Putin signed a decree banning passenger flights from Georgia. By a new decree, he abolished this decision.

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The ban was introduced after protests in Tbilisi provoked by the visit of State Duma deputy Sergei Gavrilov, who arrived in the capital of Georgia as head of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy. The meeting of the assembly was held in the Georgian parliament, Gavrilov took the chair of the speaker, which led to a wave of protests.

After the flight ban was lifted, the Russian Foreign Ministry lifted the recommendation to refrain from traveling to Georgia. The Russian Ministry of Transport stated that Russian airlines “will operate seven direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi and back weekly” on domestically produced aircraft; now “carriers are preparing to resume flights.”

Before the cessation of air traffic, Russian Aeroflot, Pobeda, S7, Utair, Ural Airlines and Red Wings, as well as Georgian Georgian Airways and MyWay Airlines, flew to Georgia. Now Russians fly to Tbilisi via Yerevan.

The Georgian authorities have already announced that they will accept flights from airlines that are not subject to international sanctions. Aeroflot and a number of other airlines are subject to these sanctions.

public opinion

The Georgian government has been the target of domestic and international criticism for a year over its stance on Russia, which launched a war against Ukraine last February.

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Georgia did not join the sanctions against Moscow, declaring the danger of opening a second front. Many Russian citizens who decided to leave their country because of the invasion of Ukraine were denied entry by Georgian border guards.

According to the results of a study conducted in Georgia from December 3 to December 20, 2022 by an American non-governmental organization - the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the majority of Georgian citizens were dissatisfied with the policy of the Georgian authorities regarding Russians entering the country and believed that a visa regime should be established with Russia .

In particular, 69% of NDI respondents then supported the introduction of entry visas for citizens of the Russian Federation, 21% were against it, and 10% said they had no answer.

At the same time, 57% of those surveyed by NDI in December said they did not approve of the policy of the Georgian government regarding migrants from Russia; 29% consider the approach of the authorities acceptable; 14% do not know or refuse to answer.

At the same time, according to the results of a study conducted in Georgia from March 4 to March 23 this year by the International Republican Institute (IRI) (an American non-governmental organization that supports the development of political parties, civil society, free and fair elections), 79% (78% - autumn 2022) of IRI respondents expressed a negative attitude towards the visa-free regime in Georgia for citizens of the Russian Federation, the purchase of real estate by Russians and the registration of enterprises in Georgia.

Recall that according to the official data of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, published in October last year, 1 citizens of the Russian Federation moved to Georgia from January 30 to September 2022, 112, which accounted for about three percent of the total population of Georgia (as of January 733, 1, the population of Georgia was 2022 million 3 thousand people, not counting the occupied parts of the country - Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region).

Power reaction

The Georgian government supported Putin's decision to cancel visas and resume air traffic. This was stated by Foreign Minister Ilya Darchiashvili and Speaker of Parliament, member of the ruling Georgian Dream party Shalva Papuashvili.

At the same time, President Salome Zurabishvili, who has limited powers and whose position does not mean the position of official Tbilisi, condemned Putin's decision.

“This is another Russian provocation! I consider unacceptable the restoration of direct air traffic and the abolition of visa restrictions for Georgia as long as Russia continues its aggression in Ukraine and the occupation of our territories,” Zurabishvili wrote on Twitter.

Zurabishvili urged to convene the Security Council of Georgia to discuss the visa regime for Russians. It is necessary to introduce three-month visas for Russian citizens who come and stay in the country, she said.

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The opposition regarded Putin's decision to abolish entry visas to the Russian Federation and ban air travel with Georgia as a "reward" issued to the Georgian authorities "for treason", implying the anti-Western rhetoric of the "Georgian Dream" and a deviation from the pro-Western course, which Tbilisi has repeatedly pointed out Western partners of the country.

In turn, the Georgian Dream say that they see nothing tragic in the decision of the President of Russia.

It should be noted that 48% of the participants in the March IRI poll supported the restoration of direct flights between Georgia and the Russian Federation, while 46% were against it.

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