“The EU visa regime is based on rules agreed upon by the member states, which are outlined in official documents. It is misleading to suggest that the European Union can use the visa regime for political purposes in the same way that Russia might,” stated Maka Botchorishvili, Chair of the Parliament’s European Integration Committee.

Bochorishvili noted that suspending visa-free travel requires the same level of political decision as granting visa liberalization, and such a decision cannot be made without the consent of the member states.

“The statements of the opposition demonstrate their intentions regarding the country and its citizens. Visa-free travel with the European Union is an achievement resulting from numerous significant reforms in Georgia. It’s a benefit that the citizens enjoy. To revoke visa-free travel is a political decision similar to the one needed to grant it, and it cannot happen without the agreement of the member states,” stated Botchorishvili.

She also pointed out that there is no reason to activate the visa liberalization suspension mechanism with Georgia within the EU relevant structures, and therefore, there is no cause for panic.

“The suspension mechanism serves to address the concerns of the member states regarding increases in irregular migration and potential migration-related threats to EU member states. There are no grounds to use the suspension mechanism for Georgia. We cooperate effectively with the European Commission and EU member states to prevent any threats to Georgia’s visa-free travel arrangement. It is misleading to imply that the EU may cancel the visa regime for Georgian citizens. The European Union operates based on rules agreed upon by the member states, which are documented,” she explained.

“The European Commission can evaluate the issue based on these criteria, but the suspension mechanism is a last resort used only after a country fails to collaborate with the EU to mitigate the risks identified by an EU member state. This is a lengthy process involving experts from all member states,” she added.