PM Garibashvili: “New possibilities are opening up for Georgia”

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.”

These are the words Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said when commenting on this afternoon’s positive visa liberalisation report by the European Commission. 

The PM stressed "brand new possibilities are opening up for Georgia,” thanks to the historic milestone reached today. 

Today is a historic day for all Georgians.  Today Georgia took a step forward on its path to European integration, a step which will define our future in the European family of nations,” Garibashvili said. 

In his statement this evening Garibashvili also touched on the procedures and regulations Georgians must adhere to if they wanted to enjoy visa free travel with EU member states. Initial predictions state this could happen as early as five months from now, when all necessary legislative procedures are completed by the EU side.

The Government Administration building and Tbilisi TV tower light up in EU colours. Photo by N.Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Based on the Commission’s recommendation, next year Georgian citizens will be able to travel to the European Union without a visa. Obviously it does not mean that they can buy tickets and travel to Europe right away. It may take several months,” said the country’s top official.

Our citizens will be able to stay in the European Union for up to 90 days in a six month period. They will be able to plan last-minute family trips or business meetings, surprise their friends and relatives, attend summer schools and participate in conferences and trade fairs,” Garibashvili added. 

The PM thanked the Georgian nation for its centuries-old European choice and commitment to European values. 

"The word Europe embodies everything we strive to attain: freedom for every citizen and rule of law, prosperity and equality, peace and a bright future for our children, and equal development opportunities for all. Most importantly, Europe is an environment where we can fully realize our uniqueness," underlined the Georgian leader.

And this is the path to Georgia’s unification! Only by building a modern European state can we be attractive to our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers and sisters. A day will come when they will also enjoy the benefits of European integration," stated PM. 

This afternoon the European Commission released its fourth and final progress report on Georgia's implementation of its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP). The report was positive for Georgia and promised visa-free travel within the Schengen zone for all Georgian citizens.

Now legislative procedures lasting several months will launch in the EU to allow Georgian citizens to travel to EU states without a visa. 

A top EU official said in Moldova’s case, it took about five months for the EU to carry out all the necessary legislative procedures before the visa-free regime came into effect.