Tbilisi Welcomes Decision on Visa Suspension Mechanism

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.”