Donald Tusk: Visa liberalisation is possible for Georgia in 2016
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European Council President Donald Tusk thinks it is possible for Georgians to travel without visas to European Union (EU) countries in 2016.
One day before the Easter Partnership (EaP) Summit is held in Riga, Tusk expressed hope in an exclusive interview with Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty that "both Ukrainian and Georgian citizens would enjoy visa free travel to the EU's passport free Schengen zone as early as next year.”
Everything depends on their effort and commitment. Of course, it is possible, but is not an official promise. We are in the middle of the process. But the progress in both countries, in Georgia and Ukraine, is really promising,” Tusk said.
He added the EU's next assessment of visa free travel for Ukrainians and Georgians could be conducted in November, and that "if the progress is as promising as it is today, I think that [visa frree travel to the Ethe2016 is quite possible."
While speaking about the potential of full EU membership for former Soviet republics – Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine - European Council President Tusk said these countries had the right to aspire to EU membership but that he will not deliver an "empty promise” about the prospects of such integration.
In the interview he underlined that a partnership program was never a guarantee of EU membership, even in the future, but that Kiev, Tbilisi, and Chisinau "have their right to have a dream, also the European dream.”
He emphasized that his role as European Council president was to manage these countries’ expectations in the coming years.
"Our duty -- I feel it is also my personal responsibility -- is to deliver not an empty promise that it is possible tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but the way to Europe," he said.
"I mean not membership in a predictable future, but to European standards, to our cultural and political community."
Meanwhile the European Commission published a report on Georgia's implementation of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP) on May 9, stressing that Georgia’s "significant progress” reached in a short period of time "is broadly in line with the second-phase benchmarks.”
In addition, on May 8 Georgia’s President, Prime Minister and Parliament Speaker addressed EU high officials with a joint statement, expressing their hope that Georgia would gain a visa free regime with the EU at the EaP Summit.
A similar request was voiced by more than 400 civil society organisations from EaP countries one week ago.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) statement read that visa free travel to the Schengen area, which citizens of Moldova had been enjoying since April 2014, was one of the most tangible EaP achievements and should be extended to Georgia and Ukraine - the countries who signed Association Agreements with the EU last year.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili has called on European Union (EU) leaders to distinctly express their readiness for the Eastern Partnership (EaP) states’ European future at next week's EaP Summit in Riga, Latvia.
The upcoming Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Riga aims to support Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, says the Foreign Minister of Latvia, the country currently holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
More than 400 civil society organisations from Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries, including Georgia, are calling on the European Union (EU) to stay true to its values regarding EaP policies and communicate the benefits of EU integration more effectively.
Georgia’s implementation of the Association Agreement (AA) and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) was the main topic discussed at today’s meeting between the country’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili and European Union (EU) Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.
"Georgia's progress has been significant in a short period of time" but the country "still needs to address the remaining recommendations” says the European Commission in its latest report on Georgia's implementation of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
Georgia’s three top officials have voiced their expectations of what they hope the country will achieve at the upcoming Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit.
About a hundred members of European Parliament (MEPs) are addressing heads of government of EU member states to support the European perspective of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine at this week’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Riga, Latvia.
In several hours’ time Georgia will have a clear message of what is ahead for the country’s European perspective once the 4th Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit opens in Riga today.
Join the global conversation about the Eastern Partnership 4th Summit in Riga on Twitter with Agenda.ge’s live Twitter feed.
Below you can see the live Twitter feed with hashtags #RigaSummit, #EaP and #Georgia.
Ahead of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit taking place in Riga today and tomorrow, members of the European People's Party (EPP) Group have addressed EU leaders to offer a concrete date for visa facilitation agreements with Ukraine and Georgia.
Latvia supports Georgia’s European integration. This was the message Latvian President Andris Berzins told Georgian Prime Minister Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili today in Riga.
A political decision has been made on the visa free regime between Georgia and the European Union (EU), and only technical procedures need to be finished, said Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili at the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Riga today.
Today is a big day for Georgia. By the end of the day the country will know whether or not the European Union (EU) has decided to grant Georgian citizens visa free travel to the Schengen area.
Georgia’s efforts to achieve visa free travel to European Union (EU) states appears to be resonating with EU leaders, particularly Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The Prime Minister of Georgia is holding high-level meetings with European leaders at the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Riga.
The main and final document of the meeting consists of 30 points and includes several important messages on how Georgia can develop its relationship with the European Union (EU).
The Prime Minister of Georgia had a busy day today attending several meetings with top European officials at the Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit in Riga.
The European Council president’s much-anticipated visit to Georgia has been postponed due to ongoing unrest in Greece.
European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk has rescheduled his visit to Georgia.
Georgia is "definitely a front-runner” in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) but the country has many reforms ahead before it receives visa free travel to the European Union (EU).
European Council (EC) President Donald Tusk has visited the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgian territory, where new demarcation signposts have been installed recently by Russian forces.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP) believes Georgia should be granted a visa free regime in 2016, once the country fulfils its obligations and commitments.
Georgia is stepping up its efforts as it works towards visa free travel with the European Union (EU) by launching a large-scale media campaign in the country.
The European migrant crisis will not hamper Georgia’s visa liberalisation pace, says a European Union (EU) envoy in Georgia.
In Lithuania today Georgia's Justice Minister met several high-ranking Lithuanian officials including the country’s Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and head of the Seimas (Parliament of Lithuania).
Parliamentarians from Georgia, Armenia, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as from other Council of Europe member states, were due to discuss about the compatibility of each country’s draft laws with the European Convention on Human Rights.
The idea to create a Georgia branch of the Development Agency of France (AFD) was discussed in the context of developing Georgian-French economic ties, stated Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has met High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini today in Brussels, Belgium.
Belgium will be Georgia’s partner in the process of Georgia’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration.
Latvia is supporting Georgia's goal to be granted a visa-free regime with the European Union (EU).
"It can be said with almost 99 percent certainty that a visa free regime will be introduced for Georgia next year,” believes Andrejs Mamikins, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Georgia.