FM on Travel Restrictions Caused by COVID-19

Georgia’s Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani announced that the travel ban imposed by the Georgian authorities will not affect official representatives of countries or diplomatic missions of international organizations.

“All foreign citizens are prohibited to enter Georgia. But there will, of course, be some exceptions. The ban will not apply to diplomatic missions accredited in Georgia and to members of the International Organization and their families as well as to those families where one of the spouses or a minor child is a citizen of Georgia. At the same time, the representatives of the humanitarian missions, if the need for such a mission emerges - doctors, volunteers, as well as those with a status-neutral document and the people with refugee status in Georgia. Of course, the issue of official delegations will be resolved individually for each case,” Zalkaliani stated.

Additionally, according to the FM, Georgian citizens living abroad, especially students, are being registered and recorded in order to place them on an inbound flight to Georgia. The Minister said that Polish airlines will conduct a special flight on March 17 for Georgian citizens returning home.   

“Our diplomatic sector is working tirelessly and on full alert, to contact every consulate and embassy to be in direct communication with our citizens and to calculate where they are precisely. Especially students are of concern. Our recommendation is that these students must use Georgian airline services. Our airlines are flying to and from different locations, which include, Amsterdam, Paris and Vienna. We are trying to locate the students and send them to these locations as soon as possible,” states the Foreign Minister.

By B.Alexishvili