Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee in the Georgian Parliament,on Wednesday responded to the allegations by domestic opposition groups that the Georgian government’s “loyalty” to Russia had pushed the Kremlin to lift visa regime and flight restrictions with Georgia earlier that day. 

“It is unimaginable to say that the Georgian government is responsible for [Russian president Vladimir] Putin’s decisions”, Botchorishvili said, and stressed the opposition had been engaged in taking “harmful steps for national interests”, amid a “very complicated geopolitical situation”. 

“The opposition is either doing so deliberately, or they can not realize the complicated situation and the challenges the country faces at this moment”, she said. 

Botchorishvili highlighted Moscow’s steps had always been directed “against Georgia’s European integration”, and the latest decision was “part of it”. 

Russia canceled direct flights with Georgia in June 2019, following mass protests in Tbilisi sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the domestic parliament, while Moscow had had a visa regime with Georgia since 2000.