Finnish MEP Praises Georgia's Commitment to EU Association Agreement

TBILISI - European Parliamentarians gathered with representatives from the EU Commission, NATO, the European External Action Service along with others from Georgia’s civil society and the business community to discuss current political and social trends in the small South Caucasus nation of 3.5 million people.

Heidi Hautala, a Finnish Member of the European Parliament and Chair of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly praised Georgia’s commitment to fulfilling the requirements of the country’s Association Agreement with the European Union.

"The political will in Georgia to implement the necessary (Association Agreement) reforms is both admirable and exemplary," said Hautala.

Hautala said that the European Parliament would continue to support Georgia's European integration, and said Brussels would continue pushing for an early resolution regarding the issue of visa liberalization.

She also gave high marks to Georgia’s civil society organizations, and their work in helping to foster greater transparency in the government and judiciary, as well as the peaceful political climate in the country while important reform efforts were taking place.

The issue of visa liberalization one of the most important, but also thorniest items on Georgia’s list of important milestones as it attempts to draw closer to the West.

Georgia and Ukraine were judged by the EU as having fulfilled their obligations in December 2015, after which the European Commission requested the abolition of visas for both countries.

Berlin, however, suddenly pulled its support for the measure after it had cited a rise in organized crime cases in Germany that they claimed originated in Georgia. 

Germany’s decision to withdraw its support won the backing of France, Italy, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands and Belgium. As a result, a final decision on the abolition of visas for Georgian citizens remains unresolved.

By Natia Liparteliani

Edited by Nicholas Waller