European Commission: meeting to address issues behind suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic, service passport holders

A meeting between representatives of the European Commission and a Georgian delegation aims to address the circumstances that led to the suspension of visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert said on Thursday.

According to Lammert, the meeting is part of a standard process under the EU’s visa liberalisation framework and takes place after the suspension mechanism has been activated.

He noted that the process follows a decision adopted in March to suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports for an initial period of 12 months.

“The purpose of this meeting is to remedy the circumstances that brought us to this point and this issue will be discussed during the talks,” Lammert said.

The European Commission spokesperson added that the circumstances leading to the suspension measure stem from what the EU considers to be Georgia’s failure to meet certain obligations under the visa liberalisation framework.