Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili has criticized the politicization of European Union-related issues, warning that visa-free travel is being used as a tool for political influence. She noted that EU matters have repeatedly been leveraged for political purposes.

“Now that the elections are over, we see European integration and all EU-related topics being exploited as political tools. This was true with the candidate status, it continued further, and now the focus is on visa-free travel,” Botchorishvili said.

She explained that these tactics were historically intended to sway public opinion.

“All of this was meant to influence election results and shape public sentiment toward the government. One election has passed, another as well, and no new elections are planned soon. The real question is how effective this tactic is in changing public opinion or provoking unrest,” she added.

Botchorishvili further suggested that such measures appear aimed at stirring instability within Georgia.

“Let’s not pretend otherwise — this seems designed to create unrest. The refusal to grant candidate status was deliberately intended to incite tension and shift blame onto the government,” she explained.

Addressing the visa-free travel issue specifically, the Foreign Minister warned that the EU may be preparing a difficult decision.

“At present, this concerns visa-free travel. If Brussels decides to use this as a form of punishment for Georgia’s democratic choices, it will be up to them to make that tough decision. I sincerely hope this path does not prevail,” Botchorishvili concluded.