Georgia’s removal from Belgium’s safe country list “subject to change” – ambassador

Georgia’s ambassador to the European Union, Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, on Tuesday claimed that Belgium’s July 10 decision, to remove Georgia from its safe country list, was “subject to changes”, and that “any country” could be removed and returned to the list during annual updates. 

 

In his comments released by the country’s foreign office, the diplomat said the decision could be related to certain “statistical or technical data”, adding his office was communicating “actively” with the Belgian Government to determine “exact reasons” behind the move. 

 

The ambassador also rejected the opposition’s claims that Belgium’s decision could pose threats to the country’s visa free travel with the EU and its integration into the bloc, and said “no threats” had been posed to the agreement. 

 

He stressed the bloc had initiated “no talks” with Georgia over the visa free travel following Belgium’s decision to remove the country from the list it added in 2016. 

 

Belgium proposed the concept of the safe country of origin list in 2012 and has been using it as a key tool while granting asylum to foreign nationals. 

 

Makharoblishvili said the number of Georgian asylum seekers to Belgium had decreased this year, unlike in 2022.