European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs: Members vote in favour of Georgia’s visa-free travel to the EU
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About 150 officials from all over the European Union (EU) involved in European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) have voted in favour of Georgia gaining visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone.
A vote was held this morning by the AFET, which comprised of 71 members and 70 substitutes from all over the EU, and the results of the vote supported Georgia’s visa-free ambitions, announced Georgia’s Ambassador to the EU Natalia Sabanadze.
Now results of the vote will be sent to the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE) as a recommendation regarding Georgia’s bid for visa-free travel. The LIBE plays a leading role in visa liberalisation-related issues.
Through positive voting, the Foreign Affairs Committee has recommended to the LIBE to support Georgia’s visa liberalisation and timely bring this process to an end,” Sabanadze said today.
A hearing about Georgia’s visa-free travel has already been held within the LIBE, on July 4, where all reporters were positive about Georgia’s visa-free travel to the EU. The final date of discussions about Georgia in the LIBE is July 14, and after this another vote will take place,” Sabanadze said.
Three days ago European Parliamentarian Maria Gabriel, who is a rapporteur of Georgia’s visa liberalistaion, presented her report before the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee and appealed to European lawmakers to support Georgia’s visa liberalisation intentions.
In December last year the European Commission released a positive report about Georgia and stressed the country had met all the demands drafted within the Georgia-EU Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
After positive assessments from the European Commission, Georgia required final consent from the European Parliament and the Council of Europe (CoE) about visa-free travel for its citizens.
While visiting Georgia at the beginning of the month, Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Georgia could expect to receive visa liberalisation in late September.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is in Georgia to attend the opening ceremony of the annual Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), which is taking place in Tbilisi from July 1-5.
A visa liberalisation decision for Georgia will be taken in favour of the country in combination with a suspension mechanism, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel and Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met in Berlin this afternoon.
Georgia’s Prime Minister has delivered a poignant speech about Georgia’s democratic future at the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung foundation in Berlin in front of German politicians, experts and journalists.
“Visa-free travel will signify EU’s strong support of Georgia”
Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili says granting visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone for Georgia will be a signal of the European Union’s (EU) "strong support for Georgia” and "a huge stimulus” for the country to continue on its Euro-Atlantic path and strive to achieve more success in the future.
Today Georgia’s Prime Minister has met President of the German Bundestag (the national Parliament of Germany) Norbert Lammert in Germany.
European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn is confident Georgia will be granted visa liberalisation later this year.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) has backed the plans to grant citizens of Georgia the right to travel to the Schengen area without a visa.
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze is in Strasbourg, France today to meet European Union (EU) and European Parliament (EP) officials and discuss the country’s visa liberalisation perspectives.
The European Parliament (EP) has established a Georgia Friendship Team to strengthen the already strong ties that exist between the EP, the European Union (EU) and Georgia.
Georgia’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Natalia Sabanadze says the increasing presence of the EU in the Caucasus region is directly correlated with Georgia’s development, particularly its improvement in democracy.
Yesterday the Foreign Affairs Committee of the unicameral Parliament (Seimas) of Lithuania adopted a special document, where the country’s lawmakers address the EU to grant Georgian citizens with a visa waiver to travel to the EU "in the nearest future”.
In a letter sent yesterday to the Slovak Presidency [of the CoE], MEPs of the Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) invited the Council of Europe to begin open talks on Georgia’s visa liberalisation "as soon as possible at the beginning of November”.
Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikheil Janelidze claims all indicators are present Georgia-European Union (EU) visa liberalisation negotiations to be successfully completed very soon.
The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini , says the situation in Georgia is "extremely positive” and the EU should respond appropriately and deliver visa liberalisation for the country.
European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn believes the European Parliament and Council of Europe will agree on a visa waiver suspension mechanism before Christmas.