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)
