Georgia: One step closer to visa free travel to the EU
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Georgian citizens are one step closer to travelling visa free to European Union (EU) states as the country has successfully completed the first phase of the visa liberalisation process and moved onto the next step.
The European Commission, which was the EU’s executive body, today adopted its second progress report on Georgia’s implementation of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
The document concluded that Georgia had met the phase one requirements and the second phase, where the Commission will check the implementation of all required benchmarks, could therefore be launched.
"I am pleased with the results of our assessment and would like to congratulate the Georgian authorities for their efforts,” Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia Malmstrom said.
"They have shown remarkable commitment by putting in place the required legislative changes. This is a significant achievement, an important step in the process that will bring Georgia closer to its goal of visa free regime with the EU.”
Since the Commission’s last report in November 2013, Georgia has adopted laws in the fields of document security, asylum, anti-corruption and money-laundering, as well as other measures in order to address identified gaps.
"Important changes made to the legal framework for the protection of personal data during the summer of 2014 and the adoption and entry into force of an Anti-Discrimination Law in spring 2014 are also testimony to Georgia's commitment to the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue,” the Commission declared.
Georgian authorities were now expected to continue working on these areas and the implementation of new provisions will be further monitored as part of the second-phase benchmarks.
The Commission said it was ready to provide assistance to Georgia as it implemented the legislative, policy and institutional framework of phase two of the VLAP.
"Impressive” is how a European Commission official is describing Georgia’s judicial reforms and noted she was welcoming Georgia's implementation of phase two of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
Georgia is moving one step closer to Europe as it looks to enter the second phase of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
The Georgian Government is continuing to issue new identity documents to make it easier for Georgians to travel to EU countries.
Easing visa regulations for Georgians and European Union (EU) countries is on the agenda for a meeting between Georgian and EU officials in Brussels.
Georgia’s State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Alex Petriashvili believes the Georgian side expects it could be possible for Georgian citizens to travel to European Union (EU) member countries visa free after the Eastern Partnership Summit (EaP) in Riga next spring.
The European Union’s Foreign Affairs Ministers have reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to the shared objective of visa free travel for Georgian citizens and welcomed the country’s progress as it implements the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
The sustainable implementation of the second stage of Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP), a set of detailed requirements that Georgia should meet in order to be granted by the EU short-term visa-free regime has been discussed at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.