Georgia’s Justice, Interior Ministers discuss visa liberalisation in France, Germany

Georgian senior officials are on an important visit to France to discuss details of migration before Georgian citizens can travel to the Schengen Area visa-free.

Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani and Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Mgebrishvili are in Paris today to meet French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. The officials will discuss the efforts Georgia has made within its Visa Liberalisation Action Plan (VLAP).

Topics expected to be discussed in France include:

• Fighting organised crime;
• Migration management;
• Documentation security;
• Management of migration waves from Georgia to France;
• Collaboration of French and Georgia police regarding crimes committed by Georgians in France;
• Collaboration regarding returning illegal migrants from France to Georgia;
• Fighting drugs, corruption and trafficking; and
• Terrorism threats.

Last year Tsulukiani met Cazeneuve ahead of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga, Latvia. At the time the Georgian Minister said the opinion of European Union (EU) Ministers about Georgia’s migration policy was "very important” for Georgia’s visa liberalisation process.

Meanwhile after France, Mgebrishvili will continue his European trip to Germany, where he will meet a number of high officials including German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere.