The first flight from Russia at Tbilisi airport will be greeted by a “column of protesting citizens”. This was stated by the leaders of the Georgian opposition, who have been protesting for several days against the restoration of direct flights between Russia and Georgia (a decree on this subject was issued by the President of the Russian Federation May 10).
“It is important that the Georgian public, on the first day of the flight, show Russia, Ukraine and the whole world (…) what they believe in and what they think is right. This plane does not will not be able to land here comfortably and calmly … we have no complaints about the passengers, everyone decides for themselves where to fly, it does not concern us, but we will show Russia and the whole world that no one no one else meets Georgia, except for the ruling party Georgian Dream that flight to applause,” said Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition Droa party.
The opposition stresses that Georgian leaders are trying to isolate Georgia from the EU and NATO and that the Russian President’s decision to abolish the visa regime with Georgia and restore air traffic, which ended in 2019, is a kind of “award” issued to the “Georgian Dream” for “loyalty”, i.e. for moving away from Western values ​​and planting Kremlin propaganda in Georgia.
“It is an attempt to come even closer to the policy of the Kremlin, to Putin’s Russia, which has been declared a terrorist state by the entire civilized community, and at the same time it is also an attempt to ‘steer Georgia away from the European choice made by its people,’ said representatives of UNM, the party of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Earlier, the EU urged Georgia to join EU air sanctions against Russia, saying a country awaiting EU candidate status should “be vigilant” against any possible Russian attempt to circumvent the sanctions imposed after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine .
A similar statement was made by the State Department, noting that “now is not the time to intensify engagement with Russia.” US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan advised us to reflect on why Vladimir Putin chose this moment to announce the lifting of the restrictions he imposed.
On May 16, European Union representative Peter Stano again expressed regret over Georgia’s decision, which he said “raises concerns in relation to the issue of Georgia’s European path and its obligations to act in accordance with policies (recall that the association agreement with the EU signed in Tbilisi in 2013).
“Due to Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine, the EU and a number of other states have imposed sanctions on the Russian aviation sector. We and our partners do not allow flights from (Russia), to (Russia) and over Russia,” Stano told a press conference.
However, the Georgian authorities claim to act in the interest of the “million Georgian citizens” who live in the Russian Federation and intend, like Israel and Turkey, to allow entry into Georgia only to companies Russian airlines which are not subject to international sanctions.
So far, the Georgian side has granted permission for flights between the two countries to two airlines: Georgian Georgian Airways, which will start operating flights on the Tbilisi-Moscow-Tbilisi route from May 20, and Russian airline Azimuth, which will carry the first flight from Moscow to Tbilisi on May 19. Opponents of the restoration of air traffic between the Russian Federation and Georgia plan to meet the passengers of this particular flight with a demonstration at Tbilisi airport.
The two airlines will fly seven times a week.
At the same time, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said that in addition to direct flights, bus tours to Georgia may also resume.
The association’s vice president, Artur Muradyan, told Russian media that after Russia lifts restrictions, the number of Russian tourists to Georgia could reach one million a year.
At the same time, the chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sergei Katyrin, announced the need to restore rail communication through Abkhazia, which ceased after the Russian occupation of the region in the early 1990s.
In particular, Katyrin offered to establish rail transit to the Russian Federation as part of the Silk Road, that is, from China through Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, including understood through the territory of occupied Abkhazia.
“This will, among other things, allow for the conclusion of long-term contracts for the supply of gas and oil at stable and predictable prices … will unload the Upper Lars border crossing and reduce the cost of goods delivered in increasing their volume,” said the head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Georgian authorities have not yet commented on this. So far, Tbilisi has opposed restoring rail communication through Abkhazia, which is under Russian occupation.
At the same time, the Georgian opposition does not accept any manifestation of “positive dynamics” in relations with Russia. On the evening of May 16, two actions organized by opposition parties will take place in Tbilisi, under the names “One-way ticket to Moscow for the Ivanishvili regime” and “We will not be able to enter the EU on a Russian ship. ”
Recall that the founder of the ruling party Georgian Dream, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, is accused by opponents of the fact that, having officially retired from politics two years ago, he continues to exercise “control of the shadow” over the country, and that, fighting for rapprochement with Russia, he is trying to change the country’s foreign policy and stop Georgia’s progress towards the EU and NATO.
Civil activists said that on the evening of May 19, the action “The Russian plane does not fly to the European Union” will take place. It is reported that the action will unite all opponents of Tbilisi’s rapprochement with Moscow.
Read the Ukraine War News Latest Today on The Eastern Herald.
