Georgian ruling party MP says peace more important than visa liberalization

Irakli Zarkua, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Diaspora and Caucasus Issues, has said that maintaining peace and avoiding involvement in regional conflict was a greater priority for the country than preserving visa-free travel with the European Union.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, Zarkua dismissed the possibility of losing visa liberalization as “blackmail,” stating that Georgia’s top concern should be national stability.

“No matter how much they blackmail us by threatening to take away visa liberalization, this is not our number one task,” Zarkua said. “Our number one task is to ensure peace in Georgia and prevent the country from being drawn into war.”

Zarkua accused Western actors, including what he described as the Global War Party - a term frequently used by government officials to criticize perceived foreign pressure - of attempting to destabilize Georgia and involve it in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

He claimed that efforts to pressure the government, including sanctions imposed on Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, were part of a broader plan to undermine the country's sovereignty.

“Despite sanctions, our government did not collapse, because it protects the interests of the Georgian people and the state,” he said.

Zarkua also alleged that foreign-backed groups were using issues such as transparency legislation and LGBTQ+ rights to create unrest in Georgia, drawing comparisons to Ukraine.

“In Ukraine, even during war, they organized pride parades. Now they want the same in Georgia, using these topics to fight the church and Orthodoxy,” he said. “This is not about rights - it’s about destabilization.”

He further accused the EU of pressuring member states to increase military spending, arguing that such policies were part of an effort to widen the war in the region and draw Georgia into the conflict.

“They are preparing for war and want Georgia to be sacrificed, just as Ukraine has become a testing ground,” Zarkua claimed.

Zarkua reiterated that Georgia would resist pressure to reverse its domestic policies or shift its foreign policy orientation, saying the ruling party would continue to prioritize peace, sovereignty, and traditional values.