EU top official: “Georgia fulfilled many key obligations to get visa liberalisation”

Georgia has fulfilled many significant obligations and should keep following the same path in order to get positive recommendation at the end of the year in terms of visa liberalisation,” believes European Union (EU) top official Federica Mogherini.

The EU high official, who has come to Georgia after visiting Ukraine, spoke her words of encouragement while meeting Georgia’s Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili in Tbilisi today.

Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said despite the fact the EU was facing a great deal of challenges "these problems would not hinder the importance of the EU’s relationship with Eastern European countries”.

She stressed she was optimistic about Georgia gaining visa liberalisation with the EU at the end of the year,” Georgian Parliament’s press service announced. 

From the Georgian side, Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili told Mogherini that all political forces in the country had been working shoulder-to-shoulder to provide better prospects for Georgia’s European assimilation intentions. 

Georgia's Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili told the EU High Representative that visa-liberalisation is very important for Georgia. Photo by Parliament's webpage. 

It is the most important topic for us. The Parliament of Georgia has been working hard on the issue during the summer period,” Usupashvili said. 

On another note, the Georgian official also mentioned the importance of the existence of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) at Georgia’s Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) with de facto Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region. 

Usupashvili stressed despite the fact the EUMM could not completely fulfill its mandate it was an important security tool in Georgia.

Today Mogherini also took part in a high-level international conference dedicated to gender equality in capital Tbilisi. 

The EU official is due to leave Georgia later this evening.