Georgia’s EU visa progress report published tomorrow, confirms EU Delegation to Georgia
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A top European Union official accredited in Georgia has this afternoon revealed Georgia’s progress report on visa liberalisation with the European Union (EU) will be released tomorrow.
A short time ago the Delegation of the EU to Georgia announced the European Commission "will issue its progress report on Georgia's implementation of the action plan on visa liberalisation on 18 December”.
The statement also said Ambassador of the EU to Georgia Janos Herman will hold a press conference in Tbilisi tomorrow, coinciding with the publication of the report.
The release of visa liberalisation progress reports for Georgia and Ukraine was supposed to be released on December 15 but was postponed. At the time EU officials said the important document would be published before the end of the year.
On december 15 High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said work was still going on in the European Commission and the reports would be out "in the coming days”.
Meanwhile Ambassador of Georgia to the EU Natalie Sabanadze said on December 15 that the release of the documents was postponed because of Ukraine and the delay had nothing to do with Georgia. She added the progress reports were now expected to be published no later than December 25 this year.
Georgia implemented a number of changes in the past year to fulfill obligations necessary for a visa-free regime to the EU. The country amended 70 laws and also joined several international conventions.
The much-anticipated report will assess Georgia’s progress of implementing its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP) and will determine whether or not the country is technically ready to be granted a visa-free regime with the EU.
If the report says Georgia is ready, the European Commission will ask the European Council and European Parliament to launch procedures to offer Georgia a visa-free regime to the Schengen zone.
This process will take about six or seven months, so if Georgia receives positive news in the upcoming report, Georgian citizens will be able to travel to Europe visa free by summer 2016.
The delay of Georgia’s visa liberalisation progress report had nothing to do with Georgia but was the fault of Ukraine, officials confirm. Kaljurand said Ukraine "has not filled all technical requirements but Georgia may expect a positive outcome”.
The release of visa liberalisation progress reports for Georgia and Ukraine has been postponed but officials say the important document will be released before the end of the year. The European Union (EU) said the reports – due to be released today – had been delayed for "only technical reasons” and the reports will be published in the next two weeks.
The release of visa liberalisation progress reports for Georgia and Ukraine could be postponed. The documents were scheduled to be published tomorrow but the release stood under a question mark after a press briefing by one of the European Commission speakers earlier this afternoon.
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.
Georgia meets all the benchmarks of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP), meaning in early 2016 the European Union (EU) will propose a legislative amendment to let Georgian citizens travel to the EU visa free.
The Government stressed the successful completion of its VLAP obligations was thanks to joint efforts by all state structures.
"Georgia has showed once again that it is a frontrunner of the Eastern Partnership. In response, Europe says that it is open to Georgian citizens." Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said.