Georgia’s visa liberalisation progress in ‘tweets’

As the European Parliament (EP) has given the decisive green light to visa-free travel for Georgia at today’s plenary session, European leaders congratulated Georgia with tweets.

Linas Linkevicius Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania was among the first.

Almost there! Congrats, #Georgia on #EP 's vote for #visafree! @JanelidzeMkh@GeoEmbassyLThttps://t.co/oV09twCXcq

— Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) 2 February 2017

EP member Mariya Gabriel, a rapporteur on Georgia’s visa liberalisation, had concsistently urged her colleagues to vote in Georgia’s favor:

Great news for #Georgia: #EP has adopted w/ overwhelming majority #visafree travel for citizens of #Georgia@EPPGroup@Avramopoulospic.twitter.com/OT6VHH7QXe

— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) 2 February 2017

She further thanked all her colleagues for supporting Georgia’s European aspirations.

Thanks to my colleagues @ManfredWeber@RobertaMetsola@MichalBoni for the great support on the #VisaLiberalisation for #Georgia@EPPGroup

— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) 2 February 2017

And

Thanks to @AnaGomesMEP@andrejsmamikins@Halla_aho@Nat_GRIESBECK@MCVergiat@bodilvalero 4 the constructive coop/ on #visawaiver 4 #Georgia

— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) 2 February 2017

Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, welcomed today’s "overwhelming majority vote” for Georgia’s visa liberalisation.

Welcome today's overwhelming majority in @Europarl_EN for #Georgia visa liberalisation #EPlenaryhttps://t.co/zPJfEbKAO0pic.twitter.com/mcoCjRYN8F

— DimitrisAvramopoulos (@Avramopoulos) 2 February 2017

MEP Ana Gomes called it "an achievement” for Georgia.

#EPlenary approved EU #Georgia visa liberalisation - 553 in favour, 66 against, 28 abstentions - achievement for EU and Georgian citizens!

— (((Ana Gomes, MEP))) (@AnaGomesMEP) 2 February 2017

Her colleague Andrejs Mamikins tweeted as he voted in favour of Georgia.

Vote on free-visa regime between EU& #Georgia. Just now in @Europarl_ENpic.twitter.com/J00zk2aaqP

— Andrejs Mamikins (@andrejsmamikins) 2 February 2017

Labour MEP for London. Chair, European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee believes this is a positive step in the right direction for Georgia.

Key #EPlenary vote on EU #Georgia visa liberalisation - A positive achievement for the EU and Georgian citizens @EP_Justice@GabrielMariya

— Claude Moraes MEP (@Claude_Moraes) 2 February 2017

Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Johannes Hahn is confident that Georgian citizens will "enjoy [the] well-deserved benefits of visa-free travel soon!”

Good news f. #Georgian citizens: today's adoption of @GabrielMariya's #visalibreport by #EPlenary shows that #EU delivers! 1/2

— Johannes Hahn (@JHahnEU) 2 February 2017

And

Confident that @EUCouncil will follow suit, so that #Georgian citizens can enjoy well-deserved benefits of #visafree travel soon! 2/2

— Johannes Hahn (@JHahnEU) 2 February 2017

European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs also tweeted the developments of voting.

#Visa waiver for #Georgia approved by #EPlenary 553/66/28 Next step, formal adoption by @EUCouncil | @GabrielMariyapic.twitter.com/z2xOK3Tfmn

— LIBE Committee Press (@EP_Justice) 2 February 2017

At today’s plenary session the majority of EP members agreed that the Government of Georgia had done an "excellent job” in implementing various democratic and economic reforms. Those who were less inclined to wave the visa requirements for Georgia pointed at immigration, corruption and organised crime as "threats” to the EU.

Several EP members mentioned in response that Georgia was "the only pro-Western country in the region”, and that it is politically expedient to support allied countries.