Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Maka Bochorishvili sought to reassure the public that there is “no danger” to Georgia’s status as the European Union’s revised visa rules include Georgia.
The European Parliament voted on new rules allowing the European Union to more swiftly suspend visa-free travel arrangements with non-EU countries, citing concerns over security, human rights, and policy compliance.
The reform applies to 61 countries whose citizens currently enjoy short-term visa-free access to the Schengen area, including Georgia.
Bochorishvili told reporters. “I can reassure you that you will not be suspended because of the Georgian Dream’s policy. We received visa-free travel thanks to the Georgian Dream’s policy, and we continue to meet all obligations tied to it.”
The minister also rejected the notion that Georgia’s relations with the EU were at risk, calling the current debate an “instrumentalization” of the topic for political purposes.
“There is nothing to save from visa-free travel if there is a fair attitude toward Georgia,” she added. “Our country has consistently fulfilled all its commitments under the Association Agreement.”
Bochorishvili’s comments come amid broader discussions in Brussels over migration management and democratic standards.
The European Parliament’s reform aims to strengthen the bloc’s ability to respond quickly to changing global conditions, but Georgian officials insist that Tbilisi’s cooperation with the EU remains strong and fully aligned with European requirements.
According to the European Parliament’s statement, the revised mechanism gives the European Commission broader powers to temporarily, and potentially permanently, reintroduce visa requirements if a partner country poses heightened security risks or sees a surge in irregular arrivals.
The new framework also adds several grounds for triggering a suspension including hybrid threats such as the instrumentalization of migration, investor citizenship schemes (so-called “golden passports”), inconsistency with EU visa policy, serious human rights or humanitarian law violations, and failure to comply with International Court of Justice rulings.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, acc...
Iran has buried servicemen and civilians, including people attending a wedding, killed in recent U.S. air raids on southern and western parts of th...
President Donald Trump is leaving more than a paper trail from his time in office. The U.S. is now minting commemorative $1 coins for America&rsquo...
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
Japan and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have launched a $9.4 million, two-year project across five Afghan provinces to help former poppy-growing families and expand drug prevention and treatment services.
For centuries, Lahore has been shaped by the people, cultures and empires that passed through it. Now, the Pakistani city is preparing to put that rich history before a wider regional audience.
Iran has buried servicemen and civilians, including people attending a wedding, killed in recent U.S. air raids on southern and western parts of the country. Tehran has called on the UN Security Council to condemn the attacks as a “war crime” under international law.
Missiles and drones targeting Kuwait are turning the northern Gulf into a new frontline in the U.S.-Iran conflict, with Kuwaiti forces reporting repeated interceptions of Iranian attacks, including strikes aimed at sites linked to the U.S. military.
Two people have been rescued alive from a tunnel in Nepal, nine days after catastrophic floods devastated the country, as rescuers continue searching for survivors.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment