Georgia PM: peace and stability take priority over EU visa-free travel

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said his government will prioritise “peace and stability” over visa-free travel to the European Union, as tensions mount between Tbilisi and Brussels over controversial legislation and “democratic backsliding.”

Speaking to reporters following an event in Tbilisi on Thursday, Kobakhidze responded to an EU request that Georgia implement a set of recommendations by the end of August to avoid the possible suspension of its visa-free regime with the bloc. Among the recommendations is the repeal of the recently adopted Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, as well as a legislative package on so-called family values and the protection of minors.

“If the issue arises like this - peace and stability or visa liberalisation - of course, we will give priority to peace and stability. This is the choice of the Georgian people,” Kobakhidze said.

The prime minister defended the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, widely criticised by Western governments and rights groups as a tool for suppressing civil society. Kobakhidze insisted the legislation targeted foreign-driven revolutionary activity and not legitimate NGOs or media.

“This is a law about the transparency of revolutions,” he said, accusing the EU of previously funding extremism and unrest in Georgia. “The European bureaucracy should worry about that - not about preventing us from adopting laws to ensure transparency.”

Kobakhidze rejected the idea of repealing the laws in question, stating that the recommendations from Brussels resembled ultimatums rather than proposals for constructive dialogue. “The EU must not behave like the Soviet Union,” he added. “In Soviet times, directives came from Moscow - if you didn’t follow them, you were punished. How is Brussels any different?”

He also called on Brussels to provide explanations regarding alleged funding of “violence and extremism” in Georgia before further dialogue can continue.

Asked whether the ruling Georgian Dream party would bear responsibility if the EU revokes visa-free access, Kobakhidze replied: “We are responsible for peace, stability, and development. When Brussels tells you to give up peace and stability, we cannot accept that.”

He warned that blocking the transparency law would amount to undermining Georgia’s sovereignty and security. “They want to take away our peace and stability,” he said. “If the choice is between peace and visa liberalisation, we choose peace. That is not an existential issue - peace is.”

Kobakhidze also dismissed the prospect of EU action as irrational and politically motivated. “The European bureaucracy will not take a counterproductive step,” he said. “It is wrong to blackmail the Georgian people because they did not bring back a bloody political force - the collective United National Movement.”

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs recently sent a letter to Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili, requesting a status update on the implementation of the eight recommendations. These include the protection of civil liberties such as freedom of expression and assembly, privacy, political participation, and non-discrimination.

Specifically, the Commission has urged Georgia to repeal laws it said undermined fundamental rights and contradict European values - including the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and legislation seen as discriminatory towards LGBTQ+ communities.

Chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s European Integration Committee, Levan Makhashvili, said the government would review the letter and assess what steps to take. However, Georgian Dream leaders have largely dismissed the EU’s warnings as “blackmail” and “threats.”