During a meeting with members of Delovaya Rossiya on Friday, May 26, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: surprised Georgia’s reaction to Moscow’s abolition of visas DEA News.
“For me the ensuing reaction was a complete surprise. I thought everyone would say, well, thank you, nice.
No, there is a kind of storm that is completely incomprehensible about it. Very interesting. And frankly, unexpected. Looking from the side, I think: are they completely insane or what? It is not clear what happened there,” he said.
Putin announced that he wants to support people in Georgia who want to have normal relations with Russia, Russian businesses and citizens who love the neighboring country. According to her, she made such a decision, including the upcoming holiday season.
“We are ready to do our part, as I said before, we are taking and will continue to take steps depending on how our partners will react to it,” the head of state said.
Putin added that Georgia must decide for himself how it will develop and which path it will take.
Cancellation of visas and resumption of flights
May 10 President of Russia It is cancelled He lifted the visa regime with Georgia and the ban on direct flights to the republic.
In response, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili described Moscow’s decision as a “provocation”. His statement, however, was criticized by Irakli Kobakhidze, head of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
On May 19, a plane belonging to the Russian airline company Azimuth took off from Vnukovo Airport in Tbilisi, making its first flight from Moscow in four years.
That day, about 200 opposition activists came to the airport building in the Georgian capital with posters in their hands. They protested the resumption of direct flights with Russia. Journalists asked provocative questions to travelers on vacation in Georgia, and Zurabishvili judicial Flight “undesirable” from the capital of the Russian Federation.
20 May flights to Russia continued Georgian carrier Georgian Airways.
In addition, the Georgian Civil Aviation Authority has given permission for Red Wings flights – this airline will fly on the routes Sochi-Tbilisi and Moscow-Kutaisi and return three times a week.
It was later learned that Georgian Airways had. will begin Transit flights to five European cities via Tbilisi.
According to the airline’s founder, Tamaz Gaiashvili, the planes will fly to Italy, France, Austria, Greece and Cyprus.
According to him, the demand on these routes will be “sufficient”, but very few Russians fly directly to Georgia. This is confirmed by the participants of the tourist market.
“The resumption of flights with Georgia has so far disappointed Russian tourists: transport prices are quite high, which does not allow the direction to compete with other countries,” he writes. Prof.Travel.
However, with the return of flights, the ban on tour promotion and sales was lifted. And this has already resulted in a 20% increase in sales, the portal said in host companies in Georgia.
Within this framework, tour operators receive requests from tourists for beach tours in Batumi. However, there is no direct flight connection with the resort yet and tours with or with a connecting flight to Tbilisi are inconvenient and expensive, notes TourDom.ru.
Source: Gazeta
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.