Opinion on flights between Sukhumi and Russia: "Any self-respecting government in Georgia’s place would respond with countermeasures"
Opinion on direct flights between Sukhumi and Russia
“Any self-respecting government would have already taken countermeasures and passed a law to suspend direct flights from Russia to Georgia,” said Tina Khidasheli, founder of the organisation Civic Idea, in response to the launch of flights between Sukhumi and Russia.
The first regular commercial flight in 32 years from Moscow to Sukhumi has taken place. A plane operated by the airline UVT Aero departed from Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport and landed at the airport in Sukhumi, named after Vladislav Ardzinba — the first de facto president of the occupied region of Abkhazia.
The plane was met by the so-called president of Abkhazia, Badr Gunba, Vice President Beslan Bighvava, Prime Minister Vladimir Delba, and First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration, SergeyKiriyenko.
Tina Khidasheli:
“If Georgian Dream had even a shred of self-respect in this context and after what happened, they would have cancelled all direct flights with Russia. But they have no sense of national pride — what matters most to them is that their cronies make money, and it seems they’re making a great deal of it off Georgian-Russian relations.”
Any self-respecting government would have taken countermeasures and cancelled direct flights with Russia.
If this country had a prime minister — and it doesn’t, it only has a self-proclaimed figure from Georgian Dream calling himself one — he would have already issued a decree to suspend direct air travel. That would be the only appropriate response at a time like this. After that, let Russia decide what it prefers: seven people flying to Sukhumi or seven thousand using Georgia’s other airports as intended. What’s happening at our airports with Russian airlines is a complete disaster.”
