Georgian National Platform Discusses Visa Liberalisation with Government and Parliament

On 4 July the Georgian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum organized the meeting “Visa Liberalisation – Current Situation and Future Perspectives” in the Parliament of Georgia. The meeting gathered Georgian parliamentarians, representatives of the government and experts from the Georgian National Platform (NP). Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Gigi Gigiadze who is the leading negotiator with the EU in the visa liberalisation process delivered a keynote address.

Lasha Tugushi, Coordinator of the Georgian National Platform and EaP CSF Steering Commitee Member, commented: “Georgian government should work 25 hours a day to ensure that there are no omissions in the implementation of the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan and Georgian citizens can travel to the EU without a visa”.

The discussed issues included drug policy and trafficking in human beings; preventing and fighting organised crime, terrorism and corruption; as well as issues related to the labour inspection system, political asylum and migration.

The labour inspection system was discussed in detail, while the joint work of the government and the Georgian NP on this issue will continue. The Civil Service Law is to be adopted to ensure that income and asset declarations of the public officials are monitored by a special commission.

It was decided that separated meetings on specific issues will be held between the NP experts and the government representatives. Currently, the meetings with the Foreign Ministry and office of the Prime Minister are being discussed.

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