Georgia: Leaving the Soviet Legacy Behind

It’s now official. The European Union not only positively assessed the reforms (i.e., implementation of the Visa Liberalization Action Plan) applied by the Georgian parliament, but also positively concluded the visa-waiver program within the parameters of the European Council and the European Parliament.

After the final text of the visa-waiver regulation was published, Georgian citizens gained the right to travel visa-free to the Schengen area on March 28. The political elite of both the EU and Georgia spent more than three years of sweat concluding the process. Despite the assertions and “minor” complaints of the EU’s Big Four, in particular Germany, with acknowledgement of the benefits for both sides, the political will triumphed.