Georgia’s leadership lying about EU visa liberalization, Burjanadze says

Georgia’s leadership does not tell the whole truth about visa liberalization and creates vain expectations for the population, says Nino Burjanadze, ex-speaker of the Georgian parliament and leader of the Democratic Movement – United Georgia non-parliamentary opposition party.

In her words, the EU visa liberalization may be linked to the issue of elections. “Unfortunately, visa liberalization will be problematic for our country,” Burjanadze says.

She urges the government to explain to the people everything connected with visa-free travel to Europe, including that the citizens of Georgia will not have job opportunities in Europe.

“I know for sure that the absolute majority of our population pins hopes with the visa-free travel to Europe and an opportunity to work there. It is a lie. People cannot work there. The sides weigh no employment visas. Our authorities must tell the people about it,” she says.

EADaily reported earlier that Georgia along with Moldova and Ukraine signed an Association Agreement with the EU and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) as part of it on June 27 2014. The EU member-countries and the European Parliament have already ratified the document. The Georgian parliament approved the document on July 18 2014. On December 18 2015, the European Commission adopted the fourth and final progress report Georgia’s implementation of the action plans on visa liberalization (VLAP). The report said the implementation procedures complied with European and international standards. In March, the European Commission submitted a bill to the European Parliament. The document seeks to introduce short-term visa-free regime for Georgian citizens i.e. access to the EU/Schengen Area for 90 in any 180 days for the holders of biometric passports.