Foreign Ministry says Georgian side reaffirmed readiness for ‘constructive cooperation’ with EU after visa dialogue meeting

The Georgian delegation has reaffirmed its readiness to continue “constructive cooperation” with the European Union based on mutual respect, equality and shared interests, according to the Foreign Ministry.

The statement followed a visa dialogue meeting held on Thursday in Brussels with representatives of the European Commission, focused on the temporary suspension of visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports.

The Ministry said the decision to temporarily suspend visa-free travel for diplomatic and service passport holders was “unfair” and “insufficiently substantiated”. During the meeting, the parties discussed the reasons cited by the EU for triggering the suspension mechanism, the European Commission’s recommendations and measures already implemented or underway by Georgia.

The Georgian delegation highlighted constitutional guarantees for fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, assembly, association, privacy and equality and noted the existence of national mechanisms for the protection of human rights.

The delegation also stressed that Georgia's Constitution and legislation guarantee fundamental rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, assembly and association and noted that investigations into alleged misconduct by law enforcement officers during the 2024 protests are ongoing.

The Ministry added Georgia underlined that demands to repeal laws adopted by the elected parliament are unfounded, as the legislation serves national interests and does not contradict the country's international obligations.

The body also said the meeting addressed migration management, prevention of illegal migration, readmission cooperation, anti-corruption efforts and ongoing institutional reforms.

According to the statement, the Georgian side stressed that it is unacceptable to use the issue for political manipulation and reaffirmed its readiness to continue constructive cooperation with the European Union based on mutual respect, equality and shared interests. The importance of maintaining high-level political dialogue was also underscored.