European Parliament votes to lift visa requirement for Georgians

By bne IntelliNews February 3, 2017

The European Parliament passed a law on February 2 to lift the visa requirement for Georgian citizens travelling to the European Union (EU), the parliamentary press service said. The development has been in the making for more than a year since the European Commission prepared a report recommending that visas be waived for Georgians in December 2015.

The parliament's vote follows the Council's positive vote on the matter back on December 20. The next step is for the Council to approve the parliament's bill - which it is highly likely to do. However, the visa waiver will only come into effect after the European institutions finalise the suspension mechanism for it. Parliamentary approval for a tentative mechanism was given on December 15.

Georgia is one of the most EU-friendly countries in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. The country has been eyeing membership of the bloc since it rejected a pro-Russian orientation during the Rose Revolution of 2003. Its prospects of EU membership are unfavourable at the moment, but Georgia signed an association agreement with Brussels in 2014, which came into force in 2016.

The visa liberalisation scheme will likely incentivise even stronger ties between Georgia and the bloc.

Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Articles

Armenia gives preliminary consent to purchase of Ameriabank by Bank of Georgia

The Central Bank of Armenia's Board has preliminarily approved the acquisition of a significant stake in Ameriabank CJSC by Bank of Georgia Group PLC (BOGG) and Bank of Georgia JSC, according ... more

TBC Bank reports 2023 profit up 14% y/y to GEL1.14 billion

In 4Q 2023, TBC Bank made a profit of GEL291 million, representing a 30% YoY increase, with a return on equity (ROE) at 25%, according to unaudited preliminary consolidated financial ... more

Over one-third of Georgian pensioners turn to loans

In Georgia, more than a third of pensioners and social benefit recipients, totalling 354,000 individuals, have opted for pension loans, according to a report submitted ... more

Follow Us On

Most Read

  1. Ukraine's birth rate plummets to 300-year low as country’s population collapses
    7 days ago
  2. EU finally boosts defence investment into arms production as Ukraine runs out of ammo
    1 month ago
  3. Fresh evidence suggests that the April 2022 Istanbul peace deal to end the war in Ukraine was stillborn
    7 days ago
  4. Don't mention the "D" word - Ukraine
    4 days ago
  5. UBN: The US Needs to Wake Up
    5 days ago
  1. Russia could pay off its entire external debt tomorrow, in cash
    25 days ago
  2. Speculation swirls of “Men in Blue” in Crocus City Hall terrorist attack linked to FSB
    29 days ago
  3. Albanians campaign on social media to keep bus bridge created in freak accident
    1 year ago
  4. BRICS announce a blockchain-based payment system to create a common currency
    27 days ago
  5. Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for Neom city
    14 days ago

Reports

Dismiss