“Georgia is fighting to protect its national interests, and we have the right to do so. If they suspend visa-free travel, they will lose the last lever of blackmail,” said Irakli Kadagishvili, Chair of the Parliament’s Self-Government Committee.

According to him, the European Union is using the issue of visa-free travel as a lever of influence.

“The European Union must decide whether it will continue to turn a blind eye to Georgia, or open its eyes and look at reality, or remain in a mode where Armenia is seen as the link between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Slogans aimed at destabilizing the situation in the country are counterproductive; on the contrary, they damage the idea of Europe. Regarding Georgia, they must take into account that the country is not fighting anyone—Georgia is fighting to protect its national interests. We have the right to do so, and the path to joining the European Union does not contradict this right.

If they suspend visa-free travel, they will lose the last lever of blackmail. In other words, they are using it as a lever of influence, not as a tool of objective assessment. What do they want to achieve by using this lever? The goal is to escalate the situation in the country. The opposition is also constantly calling for sanctions to somehow halt the country’s economic progress. If they can shift from a subjective to an objective approach, then there can be no talk of suspending the visa regime,” said Irakli Kadagishvili.