Georgian diplomat hopes EU visa waiver “remains merit-based”, not politically influenced
Tweet 
Share
Georgia’s Ambassador to the European Union (EU) Natalie Sabanadze says the increasing presence of the EU in the Caucasus region is directly correlated with Georgia’s development, particularly its improvement in democracy.
Sabanadze said this today at a European Policy Centre (EPC) event about Georgia, hosted at the European Parliament headquarters in Belgium, Brussels.
The event was initiated by European Parliament Member and rapporteur on Georgia Andrejs Mamikins and was titled Georgia: Achievements, reforms and future challenges, focused on Georgia-EU relations.
As to sovereign choices, #Georgia made its choice long ago & will stick to it.Against all odds & despite painful costs. Speech @epc_eu event
— Natalie Sabanadze (@natasabanadze) September 27, 2016
Ambassador Sabanadze spoke of Georgia’s efforts to gain a visa waiver with the EU’s Schengen Zone and stressed Georgia had met all obligations outlined in its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
We hope Georgia-EU visa liberalisation remains merit-based, case-specific and criteria-based not a hostage of political bargaining,” Sabanadze said.
Today’s event was also attended by Georgia’s Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze.
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.
European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn is confident Georgia will be granted visa liberalisation later this year.
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.
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.
“Using the word blood is unacceptable”
Mamikins said this to Georgia’s Public Broadcaster (GPB) yesterday while commenting on the leak of a secret video recording where Georgia’s ex-president and United National Movement (UNM) party members discuss a scenario to overthrow the authorities after the election.
The European Council agreed it was time to begin negotiating with European Parliament about the right to grant Georgian citizens with a visa waiver and allowing visa-free travel to the European Union’s (EU) Schengen Zone.
The Foreign Minister of Georgia says today is a "historic day” for the country, as European lawmakers have agreed to engage in final discussions about Georgia’s visa-free travel to the European Union (EU).
Georgian Ambassador to the European Union Natalie Sabanadze has announced her resignation after having represented Georgia in Brussels for almost eight years. Sabanadze said she decided to submit her resignation last week.
Georgia’s former Ambassador to EU Natalie Sabanadze, who has recently resigned, has told Le Monde that ‘all our leaders say they are pro-European, but it is not enough to say it, we must be, too.’