“Not only would the loss of visa-free travel to the European Union turn the lives of Georgian citizens into a nightmare, but it is also an insult to our national dignity. Time is running out—on August 31, the summer holidays will end, and the European Union will begin discussing how the conditions they set for us have been met,” said Salome Samadashvili, one of the leaders of “Lelo for Strong Georgia,” during a briefing held today.

According to her, Georgian citizens must not allow the government to jeopardize the visa-free regime with the European Union.

“Visa-free travel is the greatest and most tangible benefit that Georgia and its citizens have gained from relations with the European Union in recent years. Work began in 2006 to secure visa-free travel to EU countries by 2017, which is a significant privilege. Out of 195 countries in the world, only about 60 have citizens who can travel to Schengen countries without a visa. On August 31, the deadline set by the European Union for Georgia’s illegitimate government to meet the conditions necessary to maintain visa-free travel expires. Visa-free travel is not just about the privilege of traveling; it also involves issues such as the right to temporary work, study, medical treatment, and more. We consider it fundamentally important to preserve this opportunity for Georgian citizens. This requires meeting the relevant conditions, which include protecting human rights and political rights in our country, areas where the EU has serious concerns. We know this, and it has been confirmed by the U.S. Department of State’s report, which highlights the dire situation in our country. It is essential that the illegitimate government repeal all the ‘Russian laws’ passed over the past year that restrict political and human rights in Georgia. I want to ask the representatives of this illegitimate government: what steps have been taken in this direction?

Additionally, it is necessary to combat corruption in the country, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau must fulfill its functions. The legislation must be amended in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. I also want to ask the illegitimate government, which has gathered and once again deceived the Georgian people by claiming to be discussing the implementation of the Association Agenda: out of the eight specific conditions that must be met to preserve the visa-free regime, what has been done to fulfill them? I believe that Georgian citizens must not allow this illegitimate regime to take away this right. Time is running out—on August 31, the summer holidays will end, and the EU will begin discussing how the conditions they set for us have been met and what has been done in recent months to ensure compliance.

We all understand that losing the opportunity for visa-free travel to the EU would not only practically turn the lives of every Georgian citizen into a nightmare and return us to a situation where, like citizens of Russia, Belarus, or Central Asian countries, obtaining a study or travel visa to the EU becomes a dream, but it is also a direct insult to our national dignity. It would mean being excluded from the group of countries that have the privilege and right to travel visa-free to the civilized, democratic world. They will tell us, ‘You are no longer part of this world and will not be for a long time.’

Therefore, we must ask the current illegitimate ruling regime in Georgia, which is itself engaged in corruption and has sent its families to Western countries with stolen money while constantly criticizing them, every day from now until August 31: what steps have been taken to ensure that we do not face the enormous challenge in September of losing visa-free travel to the EU?” Samadashvili stated.