European Commission: Georgia-EU visa liberalisation talks to begin this week

The European Commission will hold its first meeting with a delegation of Georgian officials on 11 June as part of an expanded dialogue process launched following the suspension of visa-free travel privileges for holders of Georgian diplomatic and service passports, Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert has said.

Lammert noted the dialogue is a standard procedure activated when a visa-free arrangement is suspended and is intended to address the circumstances that led to the measure.

"The first meeting in this context will take place on 11 June between the European Commission and a delegation of Georgian officials," Lammert said.

He noted that the European Commission suspended visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and service passports in March 2026 for a period of 12 months, following agreement among EU member states.

Lammert said the Commission believes actions taken by the Georgian authorities have undermined the principles underpinning the visa liberalisation framework, including respect for human rights and democratic standards.

According to the Commission, those actions are inconsistent with European Union norms and values and hinder the stable development of economic, humanitarian, cultural, scientific and other ties between the EU and Georgia.

Lammert stressed that the 11 June meeting would be technical in nature and would take place within the framework of the visa suspension review process.