Parliament Speaker: EU states have very positive approach over Georgia gaining visa-free travel
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, September 7
The Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments, organized by the independent body Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York, where Georgia’s Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili took part, has finished.
Usupashvili was one of about 180 parliamentary leaders, including more than 35 Deputy Speakers, from nearly 140 countries taking part in the conference, held at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York.
The Parliament Speaker has evaluated his participation and discussions with foreign officials and his colleagues as “very fruitful and beneficial”, especially those related to Georgia’s visa-liberation perspective to the European Union states.
“There are very positive attitudes with Georgia’s gaining the visa-liberation. I have discussed the issue in depth with the representatives of France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden.
“I was told that the European states will make a fair solution over Georgia and will not create artificial barriers in the process of our EU integration,” Usupashvili said.
“Before the end of December this year the issue will be cleared out,” he added.
The Speaker stressed that there was a definite, positive approach with regards to Georgia-NATO relations as well.
Usupashvili stated that together with well-known states he had meeting with those countries that are less known for wider community.
According to him the meetings served the aim of informing the people concerning Georgia’s occupied regions and recent Russian actions, to avoid the future recognition of the de-facto regions as independent states as Russia wants it.
During the visit, Usupashvili also met with his Iranian counterpart, Vice President of the Parliament of France Laurence Dumont, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Urban Ahlin and Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Representatives Jan Hamacek, Speaker of the Parliament of the Maldives Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed and Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda Rebecca Kadaga and several other foreign officials and the leaders of international organisations.
