“We consider these statements of mentoring from Washington as interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states and in their relations with third countries and undisguised pressure,” Zakharova said. According to her, the statements of the State Department, which threatened to impose sanctions on companies operating at Georgian airports in the event of the maintenance of Russian aircraft, cannot be considered otherwise.
The Russian diplomat expressed bewilderment as to why the United States considers it possible to comment on what the two sovereign states agree on. As Zakharova said, there is no “sensible explanation” for this.
“If the United States puts human rights at the forefront of its policy everywhere and everywhere, then maybe it should start from human rights in this particular humanitarian situation. There is nothing more difficult than crossing the border of two countries with which they were so close”. ties, including related, humanitarian, for a long time without direct flights, ”noted the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Recall that the Russian authorities have decided to cancel the visa regime with Georgia and restore direct flights. The corresponding decrees were signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 10. Georgia, for its part, issued a permit for flights on the Moscow-Tbilisi route to the Russian airline Azimuth. Additionally, Georgian Airways launched direct flights.
Moscow’s decision was welcomed by many Georgian politicians. The exception was the country’s president, Salome Zurabishvili. She even announced a boycott of Georgian Airways. In response, the carrier declared her “persona non grata” on its flights.