Former President of the National Bank (NBG) Giorgi Kadagidze has published a Facebook post, in which he says that Georgia should join the economic sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine, and names the reasons:

"Why is joining the sanctions and standing by the civilized world the only chance for Georgia to survive in this situation?

In just a few months after the continuation of the pro-Russian policy:

1. Georgian business and economy will no longer cost anything;
2. The Georgian tourism industry will no longer exist, no normal person will come here;
3. There will be no media, non-governmental and international organizations;
4. No one will buy any wine, apples or herbs;
5. Western capital can be forgotten for a long time;

We will just be a very poor Russian military base on the southern border.

The only right way is to join all sanctions and be a full-fledged part of the Western coalition (that is our obligation historically, morally and pragmatically).

- We do not have direct flights, the sky must be officially closed
- The financial sector is de facto connected already and if someone takes sanctioned capital, there should be an immediate response
- Introduce a visa regime, as we have with many other countries
- Stop all propaganda broadcasting
- Establish a separate special regime for political asylum seekers from Russia
- Immediately start replacing any Russian products

Even with the best-case scenario, we are getting a huge North Korea as a neighbor !!!
It is time for unity, a lot of work and a struggle to save the Georgian state," Giorgi Kadagidze wrote on his Facebook page.