Putin lifted the ban on flights of Russian airlines to Georgia

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that lifts the ban on Russian airlines flying to Georgia and allows tour operators to sell tours to this country. Document published on the official Internet portal of legal information.

It is specified that the decree comes into force from the day of its official publication, that is, from May 10. By a separate decree, Putin also canceled visa regime for citizens of Georgia since May 15.

Later in the Russian Foreign Ministry canceled a recommendation to Russian citizens to refrain from traveling to Georgia. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained that the measures taken “are in line with our principled approach to consistently facilitate communication and contacts between citizens of Russia and Georgia, despite the absence of diplomatic relations.”

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) reportedthat the first flights to Georgia can be launched before the end of May.

The ban on flights by Russian airlines and the implementation of tours to Georgia by Russian tour operators has been in effect since June 21, 2019. The reason for this decision was the protests near the building of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi against the backdrop of the behavior of State Duma deputy Sergei Gavrilov, who took the chair of the speaker of parliament during the International Assembly of Orthodoxy. Gavrilov claimed that he was invited to take this place.

In January 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov expressed hope for a speedy resumption of direct flights between Russia and Georgia. He noted that in 2022 Georgia’s GDP grew by 10% “largely due to tourism and trade relations with the Russian Federation.”