Georgian Officials Comment on Delay of EU Report on Visa Liberalisation
Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili said on Tuesday that delay in release of the European Commission’s report on visa liberalisation was caused by “some technical” reasons not related to Georgia.
“I had phone conversations with the EU [officials] last evening and I can tell you that there are no problems whatsoever in connection to Georgia. There are some technical details, which are not related to our country. So let’s wait for the European Commission’s final report, which will be out in coming days,” PM Irakli Garibashvili said.
Simultaneous release of separate reports on Georgia and Ukraine by the European Commission was initially planned for December 15, but it was delayed apparently because of Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said without elaborating details that “the work is still going on” in the European Commission and the reports will be out “this month, in the coming days.”
Georgian Foreign Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told journalists on December 15 that the report on Georgia is “positive.”
“In case of Georgia all the technical requirements are met and we hope very much that the report will be out in coming days after technical reasons for postponement are exhausted,” Kvirikashvili said.
“Georgia has done everything and it is acknowledged in all the possible documents and assessments,” Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili told journalists on December 15.
“The European colleagues decided that they need several more days [to release the report]. I am convinced that this is a technical delay and not substantial one, at least in respect of Georgia. If we want to be part of this collective system we should reckon with twists and turns of this collective body, as well as with our partners from the Eastern Partnership and we should be cooperative,” Usupashvili said in an apparent reference to Ukraine.
