Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili said that topics linked to the country’s European integration—among them visa-free travel—are increasingly being used as a form of pressure on Georgia.

“This is a very difficult decision for Brussels. We see that issues related to European integration, including visa-free travel, are very often used as a tool—sometimes even a tool of blackmail—against Georgia,” she noted.

Botchorishvili added that whether Brussels will use visa liberalisation to “punish” Georgian citizens ultimately depends on the EU, expressing hope that this will not happen.

She stressed that current discussions resemble a pressure mechanism but said she still hopes they will not become an instrument of punishment against the Georgian people.