Visa liberalisation: Mogherini hopes for “good news” for Georgia
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European Union (EU) top official Federica Mogherini hopes Georgia will soon receive "good news” about its visa liberaliation ambitions.
Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, spoke at a press briefing after meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili during her first-ever South Caucasian visit in Tbilisi today.
She assessed Georgia’s progress in implementing its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP) and said: "The steps taken are actually positive. We can’t predict the results but we absolutely see the progress that has been reached through your hard work and high political will”.
In #Georgia meeting Pres Margvelashvili, PM Garibashvili, FM Kvirikashvili, Parliament speaker Usupashvili and NGOs pic.twitter.com/aLnXQLGhnN
— Federica Mogherini (@FedericaMog) November 10, 2015
The EU official also praised the dynamic development of Georgia-EU bilateral relations and Georgia’s implementation of its Association Agreement (AA).
Mogherini noted during her meeting with PM Garibashvili the pair discussed Georgia’s domestic political situation too. She stressed the importance of peace and stability as the country prepared for elections next year.
"I am confident that Georgia can hold democratic elections,” she said.
Mogherini added Georgians and Italians perfectly understood what emotions in politics meant but she stressed there were frames that needed to be respected, including media pluralism, rule of law and independence of the court.
Garibashvili and Mogherini used an air gondola to get to the top of Mtatsminda, the mountain overlooking capital Tbilisi. Photo by the PM's Press Office.
This afternoon Garibashvili hosted Mogherini at a working dinner at the top of Mtatsminda hill, where the pair enjoyed the Tbilisi views while discussing high politics.
Later this evening the EU official will travel to the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia before leaving the country tonight.
How to empower women and ensure gender equality in the world – hundreds of international delegates have gathered to discuss this important issue in Tbilisi today.
"Georgia has fulfilled many significant obligations and should keep following the same path in order to get positive recommendation at the end of the year in terms of visa liberalisation,” believes European Union (EU) top official Federica Mogherini.
The European Union (EU) supports Georgia’s territorial integrity and as a clear sign of this support the EU’s top official has travelled to the area where Russia violates Georgian borders.
"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.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili is in Brussels to discuss his country’s European future.
European Union (EU) top officials have recognised the progress Georgia has made to implement its Association Agreement (AA) and towards visa liberalisation.
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.
Visa free travel is the "logical next step” in Georgia’s European Union (EU) integration journey, says Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili.
The Prime Minister of Georgia is confident the country will be offered a visa free regime with European Union (EU) countries by the end of the year.
The European Union (EU) is planning to introduce visa free travel with Georgia and Ukraine by mid of 2016, reports German newspaper Die Welt citing an unidentified EU diplomat.
Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has high expectations of an upcoming Council of Europe (CoE) report because the Ministry has fulfilled all its obligations necessary to gain a visa-free regime.
Parliament of Georgia today adopted a statement that will be sent to relevant structures of the EU prior to the December 15 release of a Council of Europe (CoE) report whether Georgia had met all its obligations towards visa liberalisation with the EU.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini named the Frankfurt Book Fair, where Georgia had been participated with the status of honourable guest, among the major events of 2018.