Kobakhidze Downplays Importance of EU Visa-Free Travel Amid Tensions with Brussels
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, July 18, 2025
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on July 17 that visa-free travel with the European Union is not an "existential" issue for Georgia, stressing that the government will prioritize "peace and stability" amid growing pressure from Brussels.
His comments came days after the European Commission warned that Georgia could lose its visa-free travel privileges due to concerns over democratic backsliding.
"If it comes to a choice between peace and stability or visa liberalization, of course, we will prioritize peace and stability," Kobakhidze told reporters.
The statement was made in response to a letter from the European Commission outlining possible steps toward suspending visa-free travel. The letter followed a recent Foreign Affairs Council meeting and included a list of eight recommendations for the Georgian government. These recommendations urge Tbilisi to uphold fundamental rights and repeal controversial laws, including the foreign agents law passed in 2024 and recently adopted anti-LGBT legislation.
Visa-free travel with the EU, granted to Georgia in 2017, has long been considered one of the country's major diplomatic achievements. The European Commission has asked the Georgian government to provide an update on its progress in meeting the recommendations by the end of August.
Kobakhidze dismissed the EU's letter as an "ultimatum" and doubled down on Georgian Dream's commitment to policies he described as crucial for national sovereignty.
"Visa liberalization means that the Georgian citizen will need a visa to travel in Europe," he said. "As for the rest, peace, stability, and family values, these are existential issues. Whether you go to Europe with a visa or without a visa is not an existential issue."
He defended the foreign agents law and anti-LGBT measures as necessary to protect national values and prevent foreign interference.
"These laws about transparency are laws about the transparency of revolution," he said. "If someone wants to finance revolutionary processes in Georgia, they should do it transparently."
Kobakhidze also drew comparisons between EU institutions and the Soviet Union, questioning the EU's methods of enforcing compliance.
"How is Brussels different from Moscow?" he asked, referring to directives from the EU. "In Soviet times, if you didn't obey, you would be punished. Now, we are hearing similar rhetoric from the EU."
