"Georgia fulfilled all the benchmarks necessary to be granted a visa liberalisation regime"

All European member states agree that there is no doubt that Georgia fulfilled all the benchmarks necessary to be granted a visa liberalisation regime. This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security policy, Federica Morgherini, speaking in Luxembourg yesterday (20 June) after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council made up of the 28 Foreign Ministers of the member states.

Morgherini stated:

"We had also a point on the visa liberalisation in the context of EU-Georgia relations where it was clear from all Member States that there is no doubt that Georgia fulfilled all the benchmarks. Obviously, this is now in the hands of the Dutch Presidency to put it on the agenda of one of the upcoming COREPERs, but there was a recognition from all Member States on the fact that Georgia has done an incredibly good work and that deserves to be recognised as soon as possible."

Although no final decision on the subject was taken at the Luxembourg meeting the Dutch Presidency of the European Union was asked to put the topic on the agenda of the next meeting of COREPERs - the representatives of the member states who meet in Brussels on a regular basis to manage European Union business.

Over the last weeks there has been increasing frustration in both Georgia and among some of the EU member states that a decision on visa liberalisation for Georgia got embroiled in a number of bigger more complicated issues and was subsequently delayed. The disucssion in the Foreign Affairs Council now opens the way for a speedy resolution of the matter. Visa liberalisation will enable Georgians to travel to Europe for business or pleasure without the need of an entry visa.

source: commonspace.eu with the press serivce of the EEAS

photo: Federica Morgherini (archive picture)

 

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
European Green parties invite UK to rejoin the EU, 10 years after Brexit.

European Green parties invite UK to rejoin the EU, 10 years after Brexit.

The European Green Party, bringing together all Green parties across the EU, is the first European political family to make an explicit political invitation for the UK to rejoin, 10 years after Brexit.  The Green party leaders, united on Friday at the Green Leadership Council in Brussels, and stated in a common Declaration that the way forward for the EU is to enlarge to the East and the West, and to roll out a radical move towards renewable energy to ensure European autonomy.  Vula Tsetsi, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, said:  'On the eve of Europe Day, we European Greens are clear: the European Union must enlarge and its doors should be re-opened for the United Kingdom. If, in the future, the people of the UK choose this path, we are ready to welcome them back. Ten years after Brexit, it is increasingly clear that Brexit weakened both the UK and the EU. Any political process must begin with a political signal, and today, the European Greens are the first European political family to say clearly that our door is open to a future return of the UK in the EU. We now call on the other European political families to follow.’ The European Green Party fully supports enlargement across Europe, from the Western Balkans and Ukraine to any European country that chooses a shared democratic future within the European Union, as a more united Europe is a stronger Europe. Ciarán Cuffe, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, added:  'Europe’s dependence on oil and gas is keeping it weak, exposed and vulnerable. If we are serious about peace, security, and independence, we must break free from fossil fuels and go all in on renewable energy. Wind and solar are not just climate solutions, they are the foundation of a stronger, independent and ultimately free Europe. Investing in renewables will protect us from the price spikes linked to fossil fuel.' (click the image to read the full report).

Popular

Editor's choice
Interview
Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Thursday Interview: Murad Muradov

Today, commonspace.eu starts a new regular weekly series. THURSDAY INTERVIEW, conducted by Lauri Nikulainen, will host  persons who are thinkers, opinion shapers, and implementors in their countries and spheres. We start the series with an interview with Murad Muradov, a leading person in Azerbaijan's think tank community. He is also the first co-chair of the Action Committee for a new Armenian-Azerbaijani Dialogue. Last September he made history by being the first Azerbaijani civil society activist to visit Armenia after the 44 day war, and the start of the peace process. Speaking about this visit Murad Muradov said: "My experience was largely positive. My negative expectations luckily didn’t play out. The discussions were respectful, the panel format bringing together experts from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey was particularly valuable during the NATO Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan, and media coverage, while varied in tone, remained largely constructive. Some media outlets though attempted to represent me as more of a government mouthpiece than an independent expert, which was totally misleading.  Overall, I see these initiatives as important steps in rebuilding trust and normalising professional engagement. The fact that soon a larger Azerbaijani civil society visits to Armenia followed, reinforces the sense that this process is moving in the right direction." (click the image to read the interview in full)