EU Council adopts final resolution on visa-free travel for Georgia
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The Council of the European Union (EU) has adopted a final resolution on lifting visa-requirements for Georgians travelling to the EU for 90 days within any 180-day period today.
#Georgia: Council adopts visa free travel for citizens for up to 90 days: https://t.co/oxikuVNosw
— EU Council Press (@EUCouncilPress) 27 February 2017
Maltese Minister for Home Affairs and National Security Carmelo Abela believes "this agreement will bring the people of Georgia and the EU closer together and will strengthen tourism and business ties".
It follows the completion of the necessary reforms by Georgia, addressing document security, border management, migration and asylum. In addition, the recent adaptation of the suspension mechanism has made this agreement possible", he said after the adoption of the "historic” regulation for Georgia.
Now the Council and the European Parliament (EP), which voted in favour of visa-free travel for Georgian citizens to the Schengen Area on February 2, need to sign the adopted regulation.
The text will then be published in the EU Official Journal and enter into force 20 days later, at the same time as the new visa waiver suspension mechanism.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili congratulated Georgians in Twitter.
Congratulations! @EUCouncil just adopted regulatory amendment introducing #VisaFree travel to #Georgian citizens!https://t.co/6XDBejLcy0
— Giorgi Kvirikashvili (@KvirikashviliGi) 27 February 2017
Per the Council’s official webpage Georgia is now moving from the list of countries whose nationals need a visa to enter the Schengen area to a list of countries who have no visa requirements.
Georgian citizens with a biometric passport travelling to the EU for up to 90 days for business, tourist or family purposes will no longer need a visa.
European Union (EU) ambassadors have given the green light to the lifting of visa-requirements for Georgians and for the suspension mechanism to be implemented today at a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper).
European Parliament approves visa-free travel for Georgian citizens
Today is the final stretch of a long marathon Georgia has been running for years: starting in spring, Georgian citizens will be able to travel visa-free to most countries of the European Union.
Previously it was believed Georgia would receive the long-awaited EU visa waiver by the end of April 2017, but now European Parliament (EP) members are saying this could happen as early as the beginning of March.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) has given yet another green light to Georgian visa liberalisation.
European Union (EU) Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos said the final green light to lifting visa-requirements for Georgia is a "historic moment” and "one step” forward between Georgia and the EU at a press conference dedicated to Georgia's visa liberalisation
Today the EU has announced that the regulation lifting visa-requirements for Georgia has finally been adopted. International leaders have taken to Twitter to share in the happiness of the Georgian nation.
The Foreign Ministry of Georgia said that today’s adoption of the Schengen visa waiver for Georgia proves that the European Union (EU) considers Georgia as its stable partner.
The European Union has announced that a regulation lifting visa-requirements for Georgian citizens travelling to Europe has been adopted today.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili is in Brussels today to attend the final signing of a regulation that will lift visa-requirements for Georgian citizens traveling to the European Union (EU).