European Council gives green light to Georgia’s visa waiver
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Good news from Brussels about Georgia’s bid for a visa-free regime has reached Tbilisi this afternoon.
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.
Without the European Council’s green light, European Parliament will not be able to vote on the issue.
This news from Brussels meant Georgia was now only one step away from being granted a long-awaited visa-free regime with the EU.
A tweet from EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.
#Georgia#visalib: welcome this much deserved progress! https://t.co/sT2B6ADznn
— Johannes Hahn (@JHahnEU) October 5, 2016
In a statement the European Council said the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) had agreed, on behalf of the Council, a negotiating position on visa liberalisation for Georgia.
"It confirmed the Commission’s proposal to provide visa-free travel for EU citizens when travelling to the territory of Georgia and for citizens of this country when travelling to the EU, for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period,” the European Council said.
The European Council had the view that Georgia’s visa liberalisation should come into effect at the same time as the "suspension mechanism” comes into force.
On the basis of this mandate, the European Council under Slovak presidency, will start negotiations with European Parliament about Georgia’s visa-free regime.
"The Council has today demonstrated its strong commitment to visa-free travel for Georgian citizens, taking into account Georgia's reforms,” said Peter Javorcik, Permanent Representative of Slovakia to the EU, and President of the Permanent Representatives Committee.
"The Presidency believes that the path of credible reforms is the right one and should be encouraged. We count on the European Parliament's support in finalising the related process so that the citizens of Georgia can enjoy visa-free travel as soon as possible.”
It was earlier known that the majority of European Parliament Members were in favour of Georgia’s visa liberalisation.
Official Tbilisi was now optimistic of the outcome of the upcoming talks.
Once the new visa regime for Georgia is agreed with the European Parliament and formally adopted, European Parliament will move Georgia from a list of states whose nationals need a visa to enter the Schengen area, to the list of countries that do not.
"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.
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”.
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.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini told Georgia’s Prime Minister that the country will soon be offered a visa waiver regime allowing Georgian citizens to travel visa-free in the EU’s 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.
After meeting Georgia’s Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze earlier this afternoon, Jagland took to Twitter to say, "I offered our support to Georgia's constitutional, judicial and media law reforms”.