Georgia was very pleased adopted by the European Parliament’s February 2 decision to allow Georgian citizens to visit the EU without visas, which has long sought official Tbilisi. This former Soviet Republic hopes that this event is another step to bring it to full membership in the European Union.
Amid growing concern about the spread of illiberalism in the region, the news encouraged proponents of liberal values.
“Congratulations! This is truly a historic day!” — wrote on Twitter the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili after the decision of the European Parliament to cancel short-term visas to enter the Schengen area.
In the Parliament of Georgia set the screen that members can follow the progress of the voting live. After the adoption of the European legislator’s decision on the visas and their Georgian colleagues celebrated this event with champagne and cake, on which were depicted the symbols of the EU and Georgia.
Georgian leaders vying thanked the European deputies for the adoption of this legislation despite the opposition of skeptics, who claimed that the liberalization of the visa regime will open the doors of the EU to potential terrorists and illegal migrants. “The European Union has opened doors for Georgian citizens despite the serious problems in the migration sphere”, — said Vice-speaker of the Georgian Parliament Tamar chugoshvili, a representative of the party “Georgian dream”.
The amendment on the abolition of visas will enter into force at the end of March, after the approval by the EU Council of Ministers, a process which the European Parliament called “formality” and the adoption of a suspension mechanism, which will allow you to quickly return to the visa regime in the case of upward migration.
From a practical point of view, the decision of the European Parliament will save the travelers from Georgia 35 euros (so much is a short-term visa) and a certain amount now charge for visa processing. Also, Georgian citizens will now have to spend time gathering documents and standing in queues for a visa.
On the border the Georgians still have to submit some of these documents, including a return ticket, proof of accommodation and proof of insurance.
In General, the abolition of visas is seen as a real opportunity to get rid of the fate of post-Soviet countries under the boot of Russia, and to achieve prosperity and democracy of the European sample.
“Georgia has never been so close to Europe”, — said Mamuka Mdinaradze, MP from the party “Georgian dream”. The most important is that Georgia is gradually, step by step, becoming a member of the European family”.
In the Georgian social networks have appeared a lot of memes on Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani, writer and diplomat of the seventeenth century, whose diplomatic trip to the Vatican and France have become a symbol of the longstanding aspiration of Georgia to build allied relations with Europe. “He sought liberalization of the visa regime, when it was not yet fashionable,” — says in a joke on one of them, which Orbeliani was depicted holding a passport with a Schengen visa.
Happy in Georgia, regardless of party affiliation. The opposition party “United national movement” (UNM) and “European Georgia” also welcomed the decision of the European Parliament. “It’s not only the freedom of movement. This step will have an impact on the lives of many of our citizens, the lives of young people, students and entrepreneurs”, — said Giorgi Kandelaki from the “European Georgia”.
“Alliance of patriots of Georgia”, the smallest of the represented in the Parliament parties, considered by many as friendly to Moscow, expressed in a slightly different manner, expressing hope that Russia will follow the example of EU, and also to abolish visas for Georgian citizens.
All major political parties vying to have tried to attribute the abolition of visas credit. The members of the UNM and “European Georgia” reminded the citizens that the process of liberalization of the visa regime was laid in the times of their reign until the coming to power of “Georgian dream”.
“Many people laughed at me, both within the country and abroad, when after the rose Revolution, the Parliament of Georgia the anthem of the European Union and raised the flag of the EU — said the ex-President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili. But I’ve always been deeply convinced that Georgia is moving fast in the direction of European integration, and after 2006 it really happened.”
The abolition of visas was the second achievement in the field of European integration that took place during the reign of the “Georgian dream”. In 2014 the signing of the Association agreement and related free trade agreement with the EU launched a process of political and economic harmonization between Georgia and the EU.
The President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili praised as “Georgian dream” and UNM. He also expressed hope that the liberalization of the visa regime will encourage residents of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Georgian citizenship, to be able to use visa exemptions.
