Salome Zurabishvili, the Georgian president, has urged the Georgian government to adopt "fair regulation" and monitor "activities" by Russian citizens following the resumed visa-free direct air travel between Georgia and Russia.
"The independence that we celebrate today means also protecting our own citizens against the state, "Zurabishvili said that a country is considered a state when it is governed by laws and rules. He made this statement to gather crowds on Friday during an Independence Day speech in Tbilisi's Liberty Square. The public holiday is observed annually on May 26 to mark the day Georgia claimed its sovereignty during the chaotic period between the collapse of the Russian Empire, and the creation of the Soviet Union.
"It is therefore not clear why no fair regulations and measures have been adopted to deal with the mass arrivals of Russians and their activities in areas such as healthcare and education. She said that this could include buying real estate without paying taxes.
Zurabishvili dismissed accusations of "xenophobia", claiming that "we accepted the occupier without a word, and we will live alongside about 80,000 immigrants."
Vladimir Putin lifted the ban on air travel and visas to Georgia earlier this month. Both were imposed by him in 2019 following anti-Russian protests in Tbilisi. Zurabishvili called the move "another provocation" and "unacceptable, as long as Russia continues to occupy our territory and invade Ukraine." She even declared a personal boycott against Georgian Airways and encouraged her fellow citizens to do the same.
"It's incomprehensible and offensive when we count how many millions this 'gift of flight' will bring us today. Is our dignity worth 200 or 300 million?"The president said this in her Friday speech."The government has the responsibility of protecting the territory and managing its border. You must know who enters and leaves the country.
Many high-ranking Georgians do not agree with Zurabishvili about the return of flights to Russia. Ilia Darchiashvili said that the decision would be welcomed by "any responsible government," pointing out that a large number of Georgians reside in Russia.
Georgia is a democratic republic where the prime minister, government, and president are all in charge of the executive. The president is only a ceremonial figure. Zurabishvili may have a pro-Ukrainian position, but the government of Georgia has so far refused to join Western sanctions against Russia and has rejected Kyiv's attempts to make it more hostile to Moscow.
"Today, our society and government are at a crossroads... Georgia has to continue on the path towards strengthening independence, establishing European Democracy, and joining the European Family," said the President.
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