Foreign Minister: “Historic day for Georgia, striving to Europe provides tangible results"

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).

Several minutes ago Georgia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikheil Janelidze and Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak held a joint briefing in the wake of the Council of Europe’s decision to discuss Georgia’s EU visa waiver. Slovakia currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe.

Today in Brussels, Belgium the Council of Europe agreed it was time to begin negotiating with European Parliament about the right to grant Georgian citizens with a visa waiver and allowing Georgian citizens to travel to the EU’s Schengen Zone without a visa.

See the joint press-conference video below:

In a statement, the Council of Europe said the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) had agreed, on behalf of the Council, a negotiating position on visa liberalisation for Georgia.

At the press conference, Janelidze openly showed his happiness European leaders would soon discuss Georgia’s visa liberalisation.

It’s a historic day for Georgia. I am delighted to note that all three institutions engaged in the decision-making over Georgia’s visa-free travel have given full support to the process,” Janelidze said.

I hope the process will be completed soon by successful voting in the European Parliament,” he added.

Janelidze stressed granting visa liberalisation to Georgia would facilitate people–to-people contacts and deepen relations between Georgia and EU member states in business, tourism, cultural and other sectors.

The Georgian official also thanked the people of Georgia for supporting the Government as it implemented vital, democratic reforms that led to Georgia’s visa liberalisation.

He stressed "tangible, positive results” provided through Georgia-EU cooperation would be available for all people of Georgia, including those living in the occupied regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).

Good news:@Council has agreed position on visa liberalisation for #Georgia:a great achievement thanks to our reforms https://t.co/NtuZx5iar7

— Georgian Government (@GovernmentGeo) October 5, 2016

Meanwhile Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Miroslav Lajcak congratulated Georgia for all its efforts to achieve visa liberalisation and stressed the importance of the reforms and achievements Georgia had demonstrated to gain visa-free travel.

"That's a good news for Slovakia as well as Georgia's visa liberalisation has been high on the agenda of our priorities," Lajcak said.

He said Slovakia would continue to stand by Georgia on its path towards European integration and receiving visa liberalisation.

The Council of Europe believed Georgia’s visa liberalisation should come into effect at the same time as the "suspension mechanism” comes into force.

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.