Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has warned that the EU may consider a ban on visa-free travel for Georgia if its government continues to act against the interests of its people. Speaking ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, Tsahkna criticized the Georgian authorities, stating that he does not recognize the recent elections in Georgia as they were neither transparent nor democratic.
“Estonia put as well extra 14 persons, high-level persons to the ban list and sanction list, including the Prime Minister. So, we do hope that today we can reach on the level that we can ban diplomatic and service passports as well. But also the discussion must be much longer because of what is happening now in Georgia, we can say that this is not democratic. The violence against human rights, it’s criminal.
I’m not going to recognize the election results as elections were not transparent, honest and democratic.
We have a list of different measures that the EU can take in the future as well. If the Georgian authorities do not change the course against its own people, there is an opportunity as well about the visa liberation ban in the future. Georgian people must understand that we are together with them, but there will be as well the consequences for the Georgian authorities,” the Estonian FM said.
He added that despite the EU’s support, including visa liberalization and funding for Georgia’s EU ambitions, all funding has now ceased and the country’s path to Europe is at a halt.
“Georgian Dream leaders have lied to their people and to us, and there are consequences for this. Georgian people have a right to stand up and in peaceful ways to fight for their own rights,” Tsahkna concluded.
