The President of Georgia urged the Government to publicly convene the National Security Council and debate the imposition of 3-month visas with Russia.

“This is a direct provocation to society, and it poses a significant challenge to our government. This will surely induce some form of strain between the parties, but I am confident that it will not cause conflict in society.

It will, however, cause a reaction from society, which realizes that when Russia takes similar moves, it is doing so to advance its own interests. It is unfortunate that our government has not yet fully grasped and did not consider our history and present examples, that Russia never responds to the government’s concessions with concessions.

I urge the government to make its stance clear. It is time, as I have consistently demanded, for the Security Council to convene in public and address the imposition of three-month visas for Russian citizens, which is important for us owing to domestic challenges. Greater official supervision over Russians who arrive and stay in the country is required, as are certain steps to ensure that everything fits into a legitimate, civilized framework”, - said Salome Zourabichvili.