The EC Not Ready to Discuss Visa Free Travel Issue for Georgia and Ukraine

• 03.06.2015, 14:00
•  Europe,  Region,  World

The European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that the European Commission is not ready to talk about the prospects for the abolition of visas for Georgia and Ukraine at the Riga summit of Eastern Partnership in May 2015, RIA Novosti reports.

"Аt this time there is a study (execution conditions) in Georgia; it is placed on the second stage. Let's see what the result is and whether we can give a positive evaluation by the European Commission. After that, as you know, you need to seek the views of the European Council and the decision on these issues. We are working on it; the same applies to Ukraine,"- Hahn said, answering the question whether Georgia and Ukraine hope for a decision on visa-free travel at the Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, news.rin.ru reports.

Earlier European Parliament President Martin Schulz during a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced that "Georgia was the leader of the Eastern Partnership countries and that would be very specifically demonstrated at the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held in Riga."

Georgian side has repeatedly announced that there are certain expectations from Riga summit and the most important one being the decision concerning visa regime. Moreover, Georgian officials consider visa free regime with the EU to be one of the factors which will attract the citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to review some of their approaches.

Despite the high-level announcements at this moment there is no guarantee that the European Commission will provide an appropriate assessment for the process of visa liberalization in Georgia. In that case Georgian government should provide some serious explanations to its citizens, as it would be one more reason for disappointment from "Georgian dream".