A thaw between Tbilisi and Moscow?

How Moscow’s easing of visa and flight restrictions affects relations with Tbilisi — and Russians living in Georgia

On May 10, Vladimir Putin signed a decree canceling Russia’s visa requirements for Georgian citizens and lifting a ban on direct flights from Russia to Georgia. The executive order came into force on May 15. Georgia’s ruling party welcomed the decision. Georgia’s President, Salome Zourabichvili, who represents the opposition and those in Georgia who are against improving ties with Russia, responded with outrage and concern. It’s unclear exactly why Putin lifted the ban on direct flights to Georgia, but many believe the move is part of a coordinated attempt by the Kremlin to prevent Georgia from joining the European Union. Meduza explains whether there has indeed been a thaw in relations between Moscow and Tbilisi and how the new rules affect Russian citizens who moved to Georgia after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia and Georgia introduced visa requirements for each other’s citizens 23 years ago. First, Russia required visas for Georgians traveling to Russia in order to “combat terrorism.” Georgia soon followed suit (though the authorities were initially against it). After the 2008 Russo–Georgian War, the two countries completely severed diplomatic relations. However, in 2012, Georgia lifted the ban on visa-free travel for Russian citizens. Now, according to Putin’s new executive order, Georgian citizens can also travel to Russia without a visa (for up to 90 days), with the exception of those who enter the country “in order to carry out business activities.”

In his executive order, Putin also lifted a ban on Russian airlines flying directly to Georgia. The ban was introduced in 2019, in response to the “Gavrilov Nights” — protests that flared up in Tbilisi following State Duma Deputy Sergey Gavrilov’s visit to the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. The Kremlin called these protests “Russophobic provocations.”

What’s more, Russia’s Foreign Ministry canceled an advisory warning against travel to Georgia, which was issued in response to protests in Tbilisi against the adoption of the “foreign agents” law in March 2023.

In response to these developments, the Deputy Minister of Economy Mariam Kvrivishvili stressed that Georgia would only allow entry to Russian airlines not subject to Western sanctions — though the statement didn’t specify sanctions by which countries.

Russia’s Transport Ministry reported that Russian airlines would fly roundtrip from Moscow to Tbilisi seven times per week. Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development said there has not yet been talk of Georgian airlines flying directly to Russia.

The Kremlin appears eager for a rapprochement

Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, praised the ruling Georgian Dream party for their position on the war in Ukraine and for not supporting the sanctions against Russia. Lavrov said that the Kremlin sees “the way Georgia — like many other countries — is pressured by the West.” In January, Lavrov said, “I hope that we can soon restore direct flights.”

Like Lavrov, Grigory Karasin, head of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, also expressed his appreciation for Georgia’s refusal to impose sanctions on Russia and promised that “it wouldn’t go unnoticed.”

In February, Karasin said that Russia was ready to resume direct air travel, but Georgia would also have to agree:

Of course, we’re discussing the matter. […] It takes two to tango, and if one partner is uncertain, then it’s not worth wasting effort. While the possibility exists, the final decision is not only up to us.

Direct flights with Georgia would also benefit Russia economically. The news outlet the Bell, citing Kommersant, writes that traditional tourism alone could grow by 30% if Tbilisi becomes a transit hub.

A politically divisive issue for Tbilisi

Putin’s executive order received a range of responses in Tbilisi. Georgia’s ruling party, on the one hand, was in favour of easing visa and flight restrictions.

The head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said: “The decision made in 2019 [to ban direct flights] really complicated the situation for [Georgian citizens in Russia]. If flights resume, this would, of course, be important for our fellow citizens, and we would welcome it.”

Georgia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ilia Darchiashvili stated that any “responsible” government must welcome a decision that “makes life easier” for its citizens living in Russia. According to Ilia Darchiashvili, there are more than one million Georgian citizens in Russia.

Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili, on the other hand, condemned Putin’s decision and called it a “provocation”:

Resuming direct flights and lifting visa ban with Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine and occupies our territory!

In another statement, Zourabichvili expressed further concern:

At a time when all our partners are showing total solidarity with Ukraine’s dedicated struggle, I’m sure that, for a large portion of Georgian society, the government and ruling party’s decision is incomprehensible, to put it mildly. […] If we remember Russia’s outdated tricks, then we must remember that the Kremlin says these things when it seeks to divide us from our Western partners. We cannot allow this!

Anna Tsilitdze, the deputy of the opposition bloc United National Movement — United Opposition “Strength is in Unity” said that the ruling party’s response showed that “Georgia’s government sees Russia and Putin as partners.”

This decision can be considered Russia’s approval for what the Georgian Dream party has done over the past 11 years, and especially what it has done recently, to damage [Georgia’s] European path and the process for receiving EU candidate status.

The head of the opposition party Droa, Elene Khoshtaria, considers Putin’s executive order to be an attempt to damage Georgia’s reputation in the eyes of the EU and the US. The Georgian political scientist Gia Nodia agrees. In conversation with BBC News Russian, Nodia called it “shameful” to “be friendly with Russia and receive privileges from Russia,” at a time when it’s waging a full-scale war in Ukraine.

According to Nodia, the Kremlin’s main goal is to strengthen pro-Russian sentiment in Georgia — which the ruling party has been accused of doing by the opposition. Khoshtaria referred to the Georgia Dream party as “Russian Dream” due to what she considers to be its pro-Kremlin stance. However, Nodia doubts that the new policies will have an effect on the attitudes of Georgian society:

I don’t think there will be a spike in pro-Russian sentiment. Those who already feel [positively about Russia] will be satisfied, but I don’t think those who hold negative views of the Russian authorities will become more sympathetic toward Russia.

Concerns about sanctions and denied EU candidacy

In conversation with Meduza, David Darchiashvili, director at the Tbilisi Center for Russian Studies, warned that the resumption of direct flights between Georgia and Russia could spark concern in Brussels. The EU has urged Georgia to comply with sanctions against Russian airlines, deny Russian airlines entry into Georgia, and “not service ‘unsafe’ Russian planes, in accordance with sanctions imposed by the US and the EU.”

For its part, Washington emphasized that “now is not the time to deepen relations with Russia” and warned Tbilisi of possible sanctions:

Several Western states, including the US, prohibit Russian planes from entering their airspace. If direct flights between Russia and Georgia resume, this would raise concerns and would result in sanctions against any Georgian airlines that service Russian aircraft subject to existing sanctions.

The EU and the US did not mention the visa-free regime between Russia and Georgia. Darchiashvili tells Meduza that this issue doesn’t interest Brussels and Washington:

I don’t think there will be any special discussions [about the visa issue]. The future of Georgia’s relationship with Europe is tied to whether it fulfils the twelve points [that Georgia needs to address in order to gain EU candidacy status]. This is much more important than the visa issue.

How restoring direct flights impacts Russians living in Georgia

David Darchiashvili tells Meduza that the “thaw” in relations with Moscow could cause “certain challenges” for the Russian opposition, journalists, and activists living in Georgia:

On several occasions, Georgia has denied specific people entry. The last such incident that I can recall was when the writer Filipp Dzyadko, who is the brother of TV Rain’s editor-in-chief, was denied entry to Georgia. This indicates that some kind of blacklists do exist. Where could [the blacklists] have come from? Only from Moscow.

Egor Kuroptev, the director of the Free Russia Foundation office in the South Caucasus, has worked in the region since 2019. He helps Russian and Belarusian opposition members, journalists, and activists who have fled political persecution. After the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Free Russia Foundation has also helped Ukrainian refugees.

In conversation with Meduza, Kuroptev said that restored air travel wouldn’t threaten the safety of Russians who have been outspoken against the war and the Putin regime:

The only new consideration for political activists is that it would be better not to fly directly [to Georgia]. In case you’re denied entry [into Georgia], you’ll be deported back to where you flew from. That would mean back to Russia, where Russia’s security officials [siloviki] could be waiting for you. It’s better to have a layover in a third country. Then, if you’re denied entry, you’ll be sent back to the country where you had your layover.

The activist added that “if there are some sort of signals [that Tbilisi and Moscow are growing closer], the Free Russia Foundation would immediately tell Russian citizens living in Georgia, especially prioritizing political migrants. “But I don’t think that any new risks or threats will appear in the near future,” clarified Kuroptev.

Story by Diana Shanava

Abridged translation by Sasha Slobodov