Lead EU Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano said during a press briefing the day before that Georgia's latest decision raises concerns in terms of its path to the EU and its alignment with EU foreign policy decisions, as provided for in the EU-Georgia agreement.
According to According to the official, Georgia's compliance with EU foreign and security policy decisions has already dropped from 44% last year to 31% this year.
Moreover, Stano stressed that the decision to resume flights with Russia raises security concerns , as the Russian planes “have already been classified by ICAO as unsafe.”
In addition to the above, Stano stressed that EU member states and a number of other countries have imposed sanctions against Russia in relation to air travel, suggesting that EU partners do not and should not allow flights from Russia, to Russia, and over Russia.
Last week, Russia decided to lift the ban on air travel with Georgia and restore visa-free travel. The Russian Ministry of Transport said that these decisions were made to facilitate “conditions for communication and contacts.”
While Georgia's Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili welcomed Russia's steps towards meeting, the country's President Salome Zurabishvili did not support them.