The Georgian Foreign Ministry welcomed “an important” agreement on visa suspension mechanism reached by the EU institutions that “is directly linked with the issue of visa-free travel for Georgian citizens” and confirms EU’s will in this regard.

European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) approved on December 8 new rules for rapid activation of the suspension mechanism that was agreed by the European Parliament, the EU Council and European Commission a day earlier and that will pave the way for granting visa-free regime to Georgia and Ukraine. 

“Georgia is very close to its final goal and in a short period of time Georgian citizens will be able to enjoy visa-free travel that will be the first tangible result on the path of Georgia’s European integration,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on December 8.

European Council President Donald Tusk welcomed the settlement of dispute on visa suspension mechanism and wrote on his Twitter on December 8: “Now the final stretch towards visa free travel for Ukraine and Georgia.”

EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn wrote on his twitter: “Happy that our tireless work pays off! EU must now urgently grant well-deserved visa free travel for Ukrainian and Georgian citizens.”