Civil.Ge | EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Georgia’s Visa Liberalisation

EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Georgia’s Visa Liberalisation

Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 20 Jun.'16 / 21:39

All the EU-member states recognize that Georgia has done an “incredibly good work” for meeting all the criteria to be granted visa-free travel in the Schengen area and it “deserves to be recognized as soon as possible,” EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on June 20.

Georgia’s visa liberalisation was one of the topics of discussion at the meeting without intention to take any decision.

Georgia’s hopes for finalizing visa liberalisation process this summer have waned after last-minute objection from Germany earlier this month.

Some EU foreign ministers reiterated after the meeting in Luxembourg that Georgia’s visa liberalisation is linked to easier visa-free suspension mechanism – the position, which was also voiced by German Chancellor Angela Merkel after meeting Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili in Berlin on June 15. She, however, hinted that the EU visa waiver for Georgia could also be linked to visa liberalisation for Ukraine – a linkage, which many in Tbilisi believe may further delay the process for Georgia.

The proposal to make it easier and faster for the EU members to suspend visa waiver with third countries if the visa-free rules are abused, has been approved by the ministers from the EU member states late last month and is now awaiting a vote in the European Parliament, which will hold its last session before the summer break on July 4-7 and will reconvene on September 12.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said after the meeting in Luxembourg that it will be possible to apply visa-free travel rules for Georgia as soon as the EU puts in place new suspension mechanism.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said that “general mood” among the EU members on Georgia’s visa liberalisation is “very positive.”

“So I believe that we will not deliberately extend the process; I cannot tell that it will be very soon, but it will be sufficiently speedy,” Linkevičius said.

“Since we’ve agreed to adjust the so called suspension clause, so it should be done at the same time with the decision of visa free [travel rules for Georgia], and it also has to do with discussion and process in the [European] Parliament,” he said.

“I believe that by early fall it should be finalized,” the Lithuanian Foreign Minister added.

The discussion of the issue was included in the EU foreign ministers’ agenda upon the initiative from Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said the delay on a decision to allow visa-free travel could reduce Georgia’s resilience to pressures from countries which have a negative attitude towards the Eastern Partnership.

He also said that not only the partner countries but also the EU has to meet its commitments.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said at a news conference after the EU foreign ministers’ meeting that it “was clear from all member states that there is no doubt that Georgia fulfilled all the benchmarks” for visa liberalisation.

“Obviously now it is in the hands of Dutch presidency to put it on the agenda on one of the forthcoming Corepers,” Mogherini said, referring to a meeting of committee of EU ambassadors in Brussels (Coreper), which has failed to agree on Georgia’s visa liberalisation on several occasions over the past month.

The Dutch presidency of the Council of the EU expires on June 30 and before that three meetings of Coreper are scheduled.

“But there was a clear recognition from all member states of the fact that Georgia has done incredibly good work and that deserves to be recognized as soon as possible,” Mogherini added.