I do not expect any negative decision regarding the suspension of the visa-free regime - is visa-free travel godsend manna? We also have visa-free travel for Germans, so what?! - said the Chairman of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili.
According to him, visa-free travel means that Georgian tourists can go to Germany, France, spend money there and give money to their economies.
Papuashvili says that today the growth of the EU economy is 1% and in Georgia it is 10%, this is also because Georgia "thinks economically correctly", and if they close visas and do not allow tourists, they will not have even that growth.
"I do not expect any negative decision regarding the suspension of the visa-free regime. However, this is a very correct accent for us to understand where the European bureaucracy is looking. This concerns 61 countries and this is a tool for political pressure and blackmail. It seems that today a part of the Brussels bureaucracy wants to have leverage to influence other countries. People who talk to us about European values and like the word “value” very much, so cold-bloodedly, pragmatically, by putting pressure on people, they think that they have a tool in their hands to influence the policies of other countries. We should also look at this with a very rational eye.
As for Georgia, there is no basis for this. Today I was listening to an interview with the German ambassador, who said that a visa is a privilege, we should appreciate it. To be honest, this arrogance unfortunately characterizes the German ambassador. Is visa-free travel godsend manna? We also have visa-free travel for Germans, and what?! I apologize to everyone, but this visa-free travel means that Georgian tourists go to Germany, France, spend money there and give this money to their economy. Today, the growth of the EU economy is 1% and in Georgia it is 10%, this is because we think economically correctly. If they close visas, do not allow tourists who spend money in that country, they will not have even that growth. Georgian people should think about this too. There is an attempt to play on people's emotions. Is this worthy of 21st century politics?! These are methods from a hundred years ago, when they tried to influence other countries," - Papuashvili noted, whose comment was broadcast by Imedi.
