Situation for Georgia’s visa-free travel is mature

“There is no reason for refraining from providing Georgia with visa liberalization,” the Vice President of the EU Parliament’s Social-Democrats Progressive Alliance, Knut Fleckensteinsaid while his visit to Georgia.

He says only technical details concerning the suspension mechanism need to be more precise and this process is underway.

“A very significant session will be held in these days in Brussels. Now it’s up to the EU to fulfil its pledge. It is very good that Conservatives in the EU Parliament have said that situation has maturated for visa liberalization of Georgia,” Fleckenstein said.

He also stressed that he likes that the Georgian opposition supports the government in terms of visa liberalization.

During his meeting with Georgia’s Prime Minister, the Vice-President expressed his full support to the European integration of Georgia.

He highlighted that the Government of Georgia has fully and thoroughly implemented the tasks envisaged by the Action Plan, and Georgian nationals deserve the timely launch of a visa free regime.

Georgia should have already obtained the visa-liberalisation in the EU’s passport free Schengen zone, as the country has fulfilled all the obligations drafted within the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan.

Even those countries - Germany amongst them - which went against Georgia’s visa-free travel in the EU at the last minute this summer, recognize Georgia has fulfilled all its obligations.

It is obvious that granting visa-liberalisation is a political decision; however, repeated setbacks and delays were perceived very negatively by the public, as Europe praised Georgia for its successes but refused to fulfil its promises.

Georgians continue to wait for visa-liberalisation in the autumn. If the process is postponed again, it is very likely the situation will create a negative perception of the EU amongst many Georgians.