Georgia Aims at Visa-Free Travel with EU by 2013

President Saakashvili said it was his "ambition" to achieve visa-free access to Europe for Georgian citizens before the end of his presidential term in 2013.

"It is real," he told an audience at an opening ceremony of European House in Tbilisi on April 7.

”We are moving towards, at first, having simplified visa regime and then visa-free movement with Europe… and also towards having free trade regime between Georgia and rest of the Europe. It is possible to achieve. It is now already undergoing bureaucratic procedures and we will accomplish these procedures," he said.

Georgia has already negotiated visa facilitation and readmission agreements with EU; signing and entry into force of these agreements are undergoing through EU’s internal decision-making procedures.

President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said on March 16 that it would be "soon possible" to launch talks with Georgia on Association Agreement, including a deep and comprehensive free trade treaty.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)