Ruling party leader Kirtskhalia: visa liberalisation is ‘last bullet’ opponents can fire, but it lacks basis

The leader of Georgia’s parliamentary majority, Irakli Kirtskhalia, on Monday said that attempts to use the issue of visa liberalisation as leverage against Georgia amounted to the last “bullet” political opponents could fire, but insisted such pressure had “no moral, legal or political foundation”.

Speaking in response to questions about a possible suspension of Georgia’s visa-free regime, Kirtskhalia accused certain actors of trying to turn every Georgian achievement into a tool of blackmail.

“They have one last bullet of blackmail left to fire against Georgia - visa liberalisation, but there is no moral, legal, or political basis for that”, he said, arguing that neither the Georgian public nor his political camp would yield to such pressure.

Kirtskhalia alleged that from the start these actors sought to block Georgia’s progress by lobbying in Brussels to prevent benefits for Georgian citizens, motivated by what he described as “agent-type interests” rather than loyalty to the country. He dismissed calls for sanctions as ineffective and politically driven.

“As our society will not be subjected to blackmail, neither will our team. This is their last bullet of blackmail, and there is no reason to fire it”, Kirtskhalia said.