The European Union (EU) reminded Georgia of the sanctions imposed against Russian aviation due to plans to resume flights with the Russian Federation and called on them to adhere to these restrictions.
This was stated at the briefing by the spokesperson of the European Commission Peter Stano.
"The European Union calls on Georgia, which aspires to become a candidate for accession, to follow the current European sanctions, as other EU partners do. And we emphasize the need to carefully monitor any attempts to circumvent sanctions, especially in the aviation sector," he noted.
The spokesman also emphasized that Georgia should not allow Russian planes to arrive in the country due to security issues. He reminded that due to sanctions, the vast majority of the Russian air fleet cannot be modernized or repaired. This violates international safety standards.
- On May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree and canceled the visa regime for Georgian citizens from May 15, 2023, and also canceled the ban on air transportation from Russia to Georgia, which had been in effect since June 2019. The Ministry of Transport of Russia has already announced that the carriers are preparing to resume flights and plan to operate seven direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi and back every week.
- Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili called it a provocation and even convened the countryʼs Security Council. On the other hand, the Georgian government sees nothing wrong with resuming air traffic. They believe that this should be done for humanitarian reasons.