Main reason for delay in granting visa-free regime for Georgia and Ukraine is the lack of agreement-Donald Tusk
The governing institutions of the European Union and the Member States bear a serious political responsibility and should not lose the trust of Ukraine and Georgia regarding the speedy granting of visa-free regime to these countries.
This is stated in a letter of European Council President Donald Tusk to President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, available to an Ukrinform correspondent in Brussels.
"We have made demands on our partners, who have paid a heavy price in carrying out painful reforms and even have been subjected to great political risk. They accepted these challenges, with a strong belief that the EU will be able to fulfill its own promises. Therefore, I want to reiterate that we may lose not only the social, political and economic interests, and not only the future of our relations with our neighbors, but, also and especially, trust," Tusk commented on the inadmissibility of delay in EU’s decision-making process regarding granting Ukraine and Georgia visa-free regime.
In his letter, the President of the European Council noted that the main reason for delay in granting visa-free regime for these two countries is the lack of agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
Meeting with President of the European Parliament
Georgia's European integration, the 2017-2020 Association Agenda, and EU visa liberalization are some of the issues to be discusses by the Prime Minister of Georgia during his state visit to Brussels.
During the visit, Giorgi Kvirikashvili held his first meeting with Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament. The parties discussed the core issues of EU-Georgia strategic cooperation.
The President of the European Parliament congratulated Giorgi Kvirikashvili on the successful parliamentary elections and commended Georgia's progress on its path to European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Giorgi Kvirikashvili thanked the President of the European Parliament for assigning a delegation to monitor the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of EU support in the implementation of Georgia's demanding reforms. According to him, the Government of Georgia is committed to continuing its political association and economic integration into the European Union.
Special attention at the meeting was paid to the issue of visa liberalization. According to the parties, Georgia has fulfilled all of its obligations, including all requirements under the Visa Liberalization Action Plan, and now it is up to the EU to ensure the successful completion of the visa liberalization process.
The discussion also involved the importance of the effective implementation of democratic reforms in Georgia, including judiciary reform.
The Prime Minister of Georgia and the President of the European Parliament discussed issues and challenges pertaining to regional security, also the situation in Georgia's occupied territories.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili thanked Martin Schulz for supporting the non-recognition policy and assisting Georgia in different areas.