EU ambassador: Member states could suspend visa-free travel to Georgia for 6 months

EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński has stated that following the adoption of the controversial “foreign agent” law in Georgia, member states may decide to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian citizens for a period of six months.

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In an interview, Ambassador Herczyński said that member states are currently examining what measures can be taken against Georgia.

He noted that member states may opt for the option of suspending visa requirements, suggesting that the EU is more likely to lift visa-free travel for Georgians than take other measures, Schengen.News reports.

According to Ambassador Herczyński, not all Member States have to agree to the suspension of visa requirements for Georgia.

Since only a majority of member states have to vote for the suspension, the EU can push ahead with the suspension, said Ambassador Herczyński.

Ambassador Herczyński, however, stressed that he would regret such a decision. He said that if the EU decides to lift visa-free travel, the citizens of Georgia will be the ones most affected, not the government.

At the same time, he stressed that it is not the EU’s aim to punish ordinary citizens.

Several EU countries have already pushed for a suspension of visa requirements for Georgia

Several EU Member States have called on the EU authorities to suspend visa-free travel to Georgia.

According to some officials, the following countries have already supported this measure: Czech Republic, Estonia, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

As the information shows, these four countries believe that only this measure would make the Georgian authorities think about the matter.

In addition, EU officials said the authorities are also considering other measures that could be taken against Georgia, but no further details were given.

Apart from the fact that the country risks having its privilege of visa-free entry into the Union revoked, Georgia’s decision to adopt the “foreign agent” law also represents a serious setback for the country’s EU accession process, according to EU authorities.

The Georgian authorities, in turn, claimed that a suspension of visa-free travel to the EU was impossible and very unlikely.

According to Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Tea Tsulukiani, there are several procedural problems that would not allow the EU to lift visa-free travel.