Kobakhidze Says Possible EU Visa Suspension Issue is 'Exaggerated'
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
The Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has dismissed growing concerns about a possible suspension of Georgia's visa-free regime with the European Union, arguing that the issue is being exaggerated and only affects a limited portion of the population.
Speaking during a televised interview on Rustavi 2 on July 21, Kobakhidze said that the potential suspension would merely mean "standing in line for visas again," something he insisted would not lead to widespread public discontent.
"There is a part of the population for whom not having to stand in visa lines is the highest value and the highest priority," Kobakhidze said. "But the majority of the population has other priorities - they know very well what the real national priorities are."
He named peace, stability, and economic development as those priorities, and added that the "vast majority" of Georgians would not protest the suspension of visa-free travel. "These are the values people stand for," he said, while claiming that visa-free travel encourages migration, which he described as a drawback.
"In the absence of visa liberalization, many more of our citizens would remain in the country, which would correspondingly lead to a growth in the workforce," he argued. "This would, of course, further contribute to faster economic development."
Kobakhidze also criticized the European Union's recent warnings, which give Georgia until the end of August to meet eight key recommendations - including repealing controversial legislation seen as restricting civil society and LGBT rights. Failure to comply may lead to the suspension of visa-free access to the Schengen Area, a policy that has been in place since 2017.
"This process is extremely unfair towards the Georgian people," he said, calling the EU's approach "non-productive" and "counterproductive."
Kobakhidze compared the EU to the Soviet Union in the 1990s, calling the bloc "very unpredictable" in its decision-making. Still, he expressed hope that Brussels would ultimately make what he called a "pragmatic" decision.
"There is no connection between visa liberalization and economic growth," he claimed. "It's only about one thing: whether you have to stand in line for a visa or not."
The European Commission has previously described the visa-free regime as a "key milestone" in EU-Georgia relations, noting that it has provided "tangible benefits" for Georgian citizens.
