Georgian PM says resumption of flights to, from Russia is the right step
TBILISI. May 19 (Interfax) - The resumption of direct flights to and from Russia is the right step, but no Russian airlines under sanctions will be able to fly to Georgia, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said.
"Not a single company or plane under sanctions will fly to Georgia. That's it," Garibashvili told reporters on Friday when answering a question about the resumption of air traffic with Russia from May 19.
Georgia has not shut down its trade and economic relations with Russia because "that would have harmed the interests of the Georgian people," he said.
"We are taking the right steps which do no harm to Georgia's relations with Europe. We have repeatedly explained our arguments and motivation to our European friends in light of the resumption of air traffic with Russia. Georgia is not an EU member just yet, it has to be a member to pursue EU policy, and that would take years," Garibashvili said.
The first flight of Russia's Azimut airline is due to arrive in Tbilisi from Moscow within hours.
Members of the Georgian radical opposition said they would stage a protest at Tbilisi International Airport.
Garibashvili called the protest provocative.
"The completely bankrupt opposition operates on double standards. When the opposition led by Saakashvili was in office, it wished to resume economic relations with Russia immediately after the war of 2008 and made statements to this effect, but now they claim it is inadmissible to have any contacts with Russia," he said.
On May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin scrapped the visa system for Georgian citizens, except for labor migrants, starting from May 15, 2023. He also lifted restrictions on flights to and from Georgia that were imposed in July 2019.
The Russian Transport Ministry said that, after the restrictions were lifted, Russian airlines would perform seven direct return flights between Moscow and Tbilisi a week using Russian-made aircraft.
The United States and the European Union have warned Tbilisi of the risk of sanctions in the event of the resumption of air services with Russia.