00:44Georgia: Fight breaks out in parliament over resumption of direct flights with Russia
A brawl erupted between lawmakers in the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi on Friday, during a debate on the resumption of direct flights from Russia.
Footage shows members of the opposition Strategy Agmashenebeli party Giorgi Vashadze and People's power group Irakli (Dachi) Beraya arguing and then fighting at a plenary session while their colleagues attempt to separate them.
According to media reports, the incident occurred during a meeting with the head of the Georgian Interior Ministry Vakhtang Gomelauri.
Vashadze criticised the authorities for resuming direct flights with Russia. After that, he entered into a verbal row with Berai. The conflict escalated into a physical fight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree, published on May 10, which lifts the ban on flights by Russian airlines and the sale of tours to Georgia, which had been in place since 2019.
According to another decree Moscow will abolish visa restrictions with Georgia as of May 15, allowing its citizens to stay in Russia for up to 90 days without applying for a visa.
The only exception is 'citizens who enter the Russian Federation for the purpose of employment or for a period of more than 90 days, including for the purpose of education'.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili tweeted on Friday that 'despite the resistance of the Georgian people, Russia has carried out an unwanted flight to Tbilisi.' Earlier she claimed that 'resuming direct flights and lifting visa ban with Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine and occupies our territory'.
In turn, the chairperson of the ruling Dream-Democratic Georgia party Irakli Kobakhidze said on TV channel Imedi on May 10 that abolition of visas and resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi is a result of Georgian government’s 'pragmatic policies' made for the 'benefit of our citizens,' who now have to travel to Georgia 'bypassing' and it costs 'three times as much.'
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told reporters on Thursday that the abolition of the visa regime for Georgian citizens was a 'humanitarian decision'.
00:44A brawl erupted between lawmakers in the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi on Friday, during a debate on the resumption of direct flights from Russia.
Footage shows members of the opposition Strategy Agmashenebeli party Giorgi Vashadze and People's power group Irakli (Dachi) Beraya arguing and then fighting at a plenary session while their colleagues attempt to separate them.
According to media reports, the incident occurred during a meeting with the head of the Georgian Interior Ministry Vakhtang Gomelauri.
Vashadze criticised the authorities for resuming direct flights with Russia. After that, he entered into a verbal row with Berai. The conflict escalated into a physical fight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree, published on May 10, which lifts the ban on flights by Russian airlines and the sale of tours to Georgia, which had been in place since 2019.
According to another decree Moscow will abolish visa restrictions with Georgia as of May 15, allowing its citizens to stay in Russia for up to 90 days without applying for a visa.
The only exception is 'citizens who enter the Russian Federation for the purpose of employment or for a period of more than 90 days, including for the purpose of education'.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili tweeted on Friday that 'despite the resistance of the Georgian people, Russia has carried out an unwanted flight to Tbilisi.' Earlier she claimed that 'resuming direct flights and lifting visa ban with Georgia is unacceptable as long as Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine and occupies our territory'.
In turn, the chairperson of the ruling Dream-Democratic Georgia party Irakli Kobakhidze said on TV channel Imedi on May 10 that abolition of visas and resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi is a result of Georgian government’s 'pragmatic policies' made for the 'benefit of our citizens,' who now have to travel to Georgia 'bypassing' and it costs 'three times as much.'
Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitri Peskov told reporters on Thursday that the abolition of the visa regime for Georgian citizens was a 'humanitarian decision'.