Lithuania’s Foreign Minister: Georgia deserves long-promised visa waiver
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"Georgia deserves the long-promised visa free regime,” says Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius.
"Georgia did what it promised on visa liberalisation and we shouldn't be changing rules in the middle of the game," he added.
Supporting Eastern Partners in action -w Geo FM @JanelidzeMkh . #Georgia deserves long-promised #visafreepic.twitter.com/tgcPbqN7fW
— Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) October 3, 2016
Linkevicius spoke at an event devoted to discussing the significance of the European Union (EU) Eastern Partnership (EaP) format at European Policy Centre, a leading Brussels-based think tank yesterday.
He said Georgia’s progress and the country’s effort on its path towards European integration was impressive and he reaffirmed Lithuania’s strong support for Georgia.
Linkevicius noted the European Union (EU) must respond adequately and demonstrate its own readiness to keep its promises and grant Georgia a visa-free regime, as the country had fulfilled all obligations stipulated in its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze also attended the Brussels event yesterday. He spoke highly of the EaP program – the EU’s leading policy initiative to force closer ties with six countries in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus – and of Georgia’s path towards integration.
#EasternPartnership=spreading democracy, guaranteeing stability & sustainability.#GEO develop.trasmitted country in2 #EU asssociated partner pic.twitter.com/muab5I4Xxy
— Mikheil Janelidze (@JanelidzeMkh) October 3, 2016
EaP countries are: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine.
Janelidze said it was thanks to the EaP program that Georgia was able to carry out numerous reforms and had become a regional leader for democratic transformation, institutional development, implementing the rule of law and economic reforms.
The Georgian official spoke about the recent economic and institutional reforms implemented in Georgia, about Georgia’s democratic development and the October 8 Parliamentary Elections. He cited international observers’ reports and partners’ assessments of the democratic electoral environment in Georgia.
"Int. observers' interim reports clearly show that the electoral campaign is being conducted within democratic standards"@epc_eu#epc_eupic.twitter.com/xlgakvJkme
— Mikheil Janelidze (@JanelidzeMkh) October 3, 2016
"International observers’ interim reports clearly show that the electoral campaign is being conducted within democratic standards,” he said.
Met w/#Georgia's Foreign Affairs Minister @JanelidzeMkh. Georgia at the top of @eu2016sk agenda this week. pic.twitter.com/kedPfqzK8H
— Peter Javorcik (@PeterJavorcik) October 3, 2016
While in Brussels, Janelidze met Peter Javorcik, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the EU. Slovakia is the current EU Council Presidency-holder.
"Georgia is at the top of the Slovak EU Council Presidency agenda this week,” Javorcik said. He promised to use all tools at his disposal to proceed with Georgia’s visa liberalisation.
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”.
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.
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 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).
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili congratulated the people of Georgia for "another significant success and international recognition” in the country’s efforts to gain visa liberalisation with the European Union (EU).
European high officials are sending warm congratulations to Georgia after the Council of Europe gave the green light to discuss Georgia’s visa waiver to the European Union (EU) with European Parliament.
