European bureaucracy is irritated by the choice of the Georgian people and their struggle for peace. This was stated by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, commenting on the threat of canceling the visa-free regime with the EU, reports UNN with reference to "News Georgia".
When the press secretary of the European Union openly supports the coup attempt announced by Paata Burchuladze, you yourself see what absurdity the European bureaucracy has reached. Against this background, nothing is surprising anymore. However, despite the irritation, and they are really irritated by the Georgian people, their choice, their struggle for peace and freedom, I still doubt that they will take such an ill-conceived step – try to punish the Georgian people by canceling the visa-free regime
According to his assessment, the Georgian authorities "do everything for European integration", carrying out all necessary reforms. Kobakhidze believes that Georgia is a leader among candidate countries for EU membership "by all objective criteria" — from democratic development to business freedom.
The rest depends on how pragmatic the EU's approach turns out to be. If they are pragmatic, then in 2030 we will become an EU member. We are fighting for freedom, and when you fight for freedom, standing in line for a visa is a secondary issue
In July, the European Commission warned Tbilisi about the risk of losing the visa-free regime if eight conditions were not met. These included the repeal of laws on foreign agents and "LGBT propaganda", as well as the protection of freedom of assembly and expression. The deadline for implementation was August 31. In response, Tbilisi assured Brussels of its "commitment to European integration", while also pointing to the "guarantee of the sovereign right to regulate internal affairs".
Kobakhidze earlier called the threat of suspending the visa-free regime with the EU a "shameful attempt at blackmail", while ruling out the repeal of the controversial laws.
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Context
On Tuesday, the European Parliament gave the "green light" to a bill that will simplify the suspension of visa-free travel for Georgia and other countries.
According to the changes, the EU will be able to suspend privileges if a country violates human rights or conducts hostile actions. New risks have also been added: non-compliance with the EU's visa policy and "golden passports" for investments, which turn countries into hubs for illegal immigrants. The bill also allows for a partial cancellation of visa-free travel for countries where international law is violated – for high-ranking officials and security forces.