2015-11-19
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili chaired a recent government session, during which he discussed Georgia's progress towards European integration and the government's dedicated efforts to adhere to the Visa Liberalization Action Plan.
"In the EU, there is an optimistic attitude towards Georgia, and in Brussels we received information that there is a high probability that we will have a positive decision on Visa Liberalization at the end of the year," said Prime Minister Garibashvili.
The Prime Minister thanked all state agencies for their dedicated efforts, and highlighted that the government has taken every measure to fulfill all obligations for visa liberalization over the last three years.
"Today we can say with pride that Georgian government has fulfilled all the undertaken obligations. The European Union has acknowledged it simultaneously. This process started during our governance. For some reason, no one thought about it before. Moldova started much earlier and they already have a visa-free regime. We think that this year, the EU will make a positive decision and 28 member-states will accept the mentioned political decision," stated Prime Minister Garibashvili.
He continued, "The only people who were against the visa-free regime for Georgia in Brussels, at the European Union and the European Parliament, were David Bakradze and Giorgi Kandelaki from National Movement. At the EU, they told my ministers that they were surprised. They were asked directly: Are not you Georgian citizens? The answer was that it is not desirable to have the visa-free regime under the present government. What should we call it, if not the enmity of our people and country?"
The Prime Minister noted the process may take several months considering recent developments in Europe, and reiterated the Government of Georgia's commitment to fulfilling all necessary criteria.
Prime Minister's Press Office