Ruling party head: we won’t impose sanctions on Russia, won’t punish our citizens

We will not impose sanctions on Russia, we will not punish our own country and people, therefore, we will not make a decision either, – Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party told Imedi TV on Thursday, in comments on Russia’s decision on Wednesday to lift visa restrictions and travel ban with Georgia. 

 

The president and the opposition representatives have encouraged the government to impose visa requirements for Russian nationals in response. 

 

Kobakhidze stressed it was the Kremlin’s decision in 2019 to cancel direct flights with Georgia and to maintain a visa regime with the country (since 2000). 

 

“It was Russia’s decision to reverse the decisions and we can not do anything”, Kobakhidze claimed. 

He added if Georgia had imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine last year, the country would have had a 10 to 18 percent economic decline, despite the “10 percent growth”.