EU visa dialogue with Georgia a ‘technical meeting', ruling party MP

Nikoloz Samkharadze, Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, has sought to downplay concerns surrounding recent discussions with the European Union on visa-related issues, describing the process as a routine technical dialogue.

Speaking during a plenary session of parliament, Samkharadze said the visa dialogue had generated unnecessary speculation and public concern.

"I want to reassure everyone that the visa dialogue is an ordinary technical matter," he said, arguing that the European Commission is obliged to conduct regular reviews with countries that benefit from visa-free travel arrangements with the EU.

According to Samkharadze, the meeting was technical in nature and proceeded in a constructive manner.

However, the ruling party lawmaker criticised the disclosure of details from the closed-door discussions, saying the atmosphere changed after information from the meeting appeared in the media before it had concluded.

Samkharadze said such leaks were incompatible with efforts to build trust between Georgia and the European Union.

"When we speak about trust in relations with the European Union, it is unacceptable for details of a closed meeting to be leaked to the press just minutes before the meeting ends," he said.