EU top official Johannes Hahn announces Georgia visit

One of the European Union’s (EU) top officials has voiced his intention to visit Georgia to locally observe the efforts Georgia is taking to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic space.

EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn announced he would come to Georgia in the near future and meet with local officials.

The proposed visit was announced after yesterday’s second Association Council meeting in Brussels, where top Georgian and EU officials discussed Georgia’s European future.

Hahn said he would visit Georgia in the framework of a non-official dialogue of the Eastern Partnership. He did not name an exact date of his visit but said it would take place "soon”. While in Georgia he planned to hold meetings with Georgian top officials. 

I will have an opportunity to once again see the progress Georgia achieved on its path towards Euro-Atlantic integration,” said Hahn, adding he recognised all the intention and reforms Georgia had carried out to ensure the country met European standards. 

At yesterday’s Association Council meeting, the EU side congratulated Georgia and recognised the progress the country has made to implement its Association Agreement  (AA) obligations and towards visa liberalisation.

Vice President of the European Commission and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said she could not give a definite answer whether Georgia would be offered a visa free regime with EU states by the end of the year but conceded she could see "very positive signs” of Georgia fulfilling its obligations in the visa liberalisation process.