Foreign Minister hopes visa-free travel to Europe will be available by 2016
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A top Georgian diplomat assumes but cannot guarantee Georgians will enjoy visa-free travel to countries in the Schengen area by 2016.
Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said Georgia was currently closing the first stage of the visa liberalization process.
"This is a legislative stage. We are now moving forward to the second stage,” Panjikidze said in an interview with Radio Liberty.
She claimed in the first half of April, a European Union mission would arrive in Georgia to learn about the work undertaken so far.
"I am sure their assessment will be very positive and we will be able to move to the second phase before the summer holidays start,” the Minister said. She assumed the second phase will last for about 18 months.
"And then, by the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016, I assume but I cannot give any guarantees, that for Georgian citizens with ordinary passports it will be possible to travel to Europe visa-free,” Panjikidze said.
Travelling to many European nations is set to get easier as Georgia looks to enter the second phase of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
Georgian travellers are set to enjoy an increase in freedom after authorities announced citizens would travel visa-free to Shengen countries no later than 2016.
Georgia is moving one step closer to Europe as it looks to enter the second phase of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
Easing visa regulations for Georgians and European Union (EU) countries is on the agenda for a meeting between Georgian and EU officials in Brussels.
The Georgian Government is continuing to issue new identity documents to make it easier for Georgians to travel to EU countries.
Georgian residents could travel to Schengen countries visa free with ordinary passports by late 2015 or early 2016, announced Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze after a briefing with British Foreign Secretary William Hague today.
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.