Georgia receives green light for EU visa-free travel
On October 5th, the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) agreed upon (on behalf of the European Council) a negotiating position on visa liberalization for Georgia. It confirmed the Commission’s proposal to provide visa-free travel for EU citizens when travelling to the territory of Georgia and for Georgian citizens when travelling to the EU for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period.
With the European Council’s green light, the European Parliament is expected to vote on Georgia’s visa liberalization as the final step before the country is granted the right to visa-free travel. The European Council takes the view that the entry into force of visa liberalization for Georgia should be at the same time as the entry into force of the new “suspension mechanism.” Details of the mechanism are currently subject to EU states’ negotiations with MEPs. Those talks are expected to conclude by the end of the year, after which Georgian citizens will be able to visit the 25 Schengen states (22 EU states plus Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland) without permits by the beginning of 2017.
“Our relations with Georgia is constructive and I think this is recognized and acknowledged in Georgia,” noted Foreign Minister of Germany Frank Walter Steinmeier regarding Georgians’ visa-free travel to the EU, during his visit to Tbilisi in October this year.
The European Union has been negotiating to ease travel restrictions for Georgian citizens as a recognition of democratic advances.
“The Council has today demonstrated its strong commitment to visa-free travel for Georgian citizens, taking into account Georgia’s reforms,” said Peter Javorčík, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the EU and the President of the Permanent Representatives Committee. “The Presidency believes that the path of credible reforms is the right one and should be encouraged. We count on the European Parliament’s support in finalizing the related process so that the citizens of Georgia can enjoy visa-free travel as soon as possible.”
Reacting to this decision, Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze said he was delighted by the “timely” announcement.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili highlighted that the positive message from the EU, recognizing reforms and progress made by Georgia, had been crucial — especially with the parliamentary elections resulting in the mobilization of the pro-Western political force. “I wish to congratulate our citizens with yet another significant success and international recognition,” he said. “Final political agreement has been reached among the EU Member States today on granting the visa-free movement to the citizens of Georgia within the EU. Support of various institutions and Member States of the European Union towards Georgia is an acknowledgement of the explicit European aspirations of our people and reforms implemented by our country.”
The proposal for visa liberalization for Georgia was published by the Commission on 9 March 2016. The Commission concluded that the country had met all the benchmarks for the exemption of the visa requirement. Once the new visa regime for Georgia is agreed on by the Parliament and formally adopted, it will move the country from Annex I of Regulation 539/2001 (countries whose nationals need a visa to enter the Schengen area) to Annex II of the same regulation (visa-free countries), thus providing for visa-free travel for EU citizens when travelling to the territory of Georgia and for citizens of Georgia when travelling to the EU.
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