No plans to review visa regime with Russia – ruling party MP

The ruling Georgian Dream party MP, Irakli Zarkua, said on Monday that there were no plans to review existing visa free regime with Russia, in comments on President Salome Zourabichvili’s recent statement that there could be a need to make changes to the regime on the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine and increased influx of Russian nationals to Georgia. 

“In relation to Russia, we have a filtering system that excludes the entry of ill-wishers into our country. A clear confirmation of this is that a number of Russians had crossed into Georgia, but nothing alarming has happened so far. This means that relevant state agencies are working properly”, Zarkua said. 

The opposition has made several calls to the authorities to impose visa requirements on Russians, with the government responding that the “radical part of the opposition” wished for provocations and “dragging Georgia” into Russia war in Ukraine.