Moscow has imposed a ban on direct flights between Georgia and Russia, and Tbilisi will support the decision to lift the ban, Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, told reporters on February 3.
The journalists asked him to comment on the position of the authorities in relation to the statement by the US State Department, released by the Georgian media the day before, that “This is not the time to intensify engagement with Russia”. The US Department has threatened sanctions against companies that will service Russian planes if they start flying to Georgia.
Kobakhidze noted that the Georgian leadership supports everything that alleviates the situation of fellow citizens.
“Our position is simple: it was a sanction, at one time, in 2019, imposed by Russia on Georgia, which, of course, aggravated the situation of our citizens”Kobakhidze said.
According to him, about 800,000 Georgians live in Russia, so Tbilisi is in favor of lifting the flight ban, as this will improve their situation. The party leader stressed that no action is needed from Georgia to lift the restriction.
Remember that the flight ban between the Russian Federation and Georgia has been in force since July 2019 and was introduced after the Russophobic protests in Tbilisi. Another wave of discussions on this topic was sparked by the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavov that air traffic could be restored.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.