GD Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili has addressed the issue of visa-free travel, emphasising that topics related to the European Union have recently been exploited as political tools.
“Imagine now that the elections are over. We observe that European integration and all matters related to the European Union are being exploited as political tools. This was the case with the candidate status; we observed it continue further, and now it’s about visa-free travel,” the Foreign Minister stated.
She explained that the aim of such tactics in the past was to influence public sentiment.
“All of this was intended to sway election results and shape public opinion towards the government. One election has concluded, and another as well, yet no new elections are planned in Georgia in the near future. In essence, the question is how significant the use of this weapon is, so to speak, in altering public sentiment or organising a new revolution,” Botchorishvili remarked.
The Foreign Minister further suggested that these processes are part of an attempt to incite unrest within the country.
“Let’s not pretend otherwise; all of this appears to be aimed at creating unrest in Georgia. No one has hidden that the refusal to grant candidate status was deliberately intended to stir unrest and to shift blame onto the government,” she explained.
Regarding the visa-free travel issue, Maka Botchorishvili warned that a difficult decision may be forthcoming from the European Union.
“At present, this remains the issue of visa-free travel. If Brussels chooses to make this decision as a form of punishment for Georgia’s democratic choices, it will be up to Brussels to determine how willing they are to make such a tough call. I sincerely hope this course of action does not prevail in Brussels,” Botchorishvili concluded.
