Yesterday, Vladimir Putin stated at his annual big press conference that Russia was ready to cancel the visa regime with Georgia. Meanwhile, there is no progress on the issue of cancelling Schengen visas for Georgian citizens.
Political dismay in Tbilisi: the Council of the Foreign Ministers of the European Union suddenly decided to delay the publication of the final report by the Commission on Monitoring which studied the implementation of the Plan of Action on Liberalization of the Visa Regime by the Georgian Side. Paradoxically, the publication was postponed due to the positive nature of its content. Tbilisi has fulfilled all the requirements of the EU, which were presented two years ago: the parliament adopted the necessary amendments to the legislation; almost all norms were synchronized with the rules of the Schengen zone; most importantly, the visa-free regimes with Asian and African countries were cancelled, even though Georgia suffered great losses due to that, as tourists from Iran, students from Pakistan, and small investors from Egypt used to spend real money in the country. And there were almost no criminals among them, except for those who arrived in Georgia trying to get to Europe. That’s why Brussels insisted on the introduction of visas for them.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili was right to state that all the preconditions were “a hundred-per-cent fulfilled.” Of course the commission of Brussels' bureaucrats could not but admit this fact in the report. But if the document is published, there will be only one way – the Council of the EU at the level of heads of state and government must make a final decision on the cancellation, of Schengen visas for Georgian citizens by the end of the year or must motivate a rejection for political reasons, as all the technical barriers have been overcome.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini admitted that a big discussion emerged on the issue at the session of Foreign Ministers: many of them stood against the report's publication and achieved the fact that the decision was postponed. And it is difficult to say for how long. Mogherini says that “a few days is needed,” and the Georgian authorities speak about some “technical details” which don't touch on Georgia, but Ukraine. As if Ukraine (the issue of which was considered together with the Georgian one) didn’t fulfill all the requirements, and the publication of the report on it and on Georgia was delayed. Both the head of the Government and the Georgian Foreign Minister hinted at this fact, referring to their sources in the European Commission.
Is it true? Are there “technical details” which prevent the long-lasting process on cancellation of visas for Georgia from a successful conclusion? Obviously, the reason is deeper: there is no unity in the EU, where all important decisions are taken by consensus. Opponents of a positive decision have serious arguments: the inflow of refugees from the Middle East; the high level of illegal migration from Georgia, even though it is still difficult to receive a Schengen visa; the activeness of Georgian criminals in European capitals – from petty theft in supermarkets to organization of gangs headed by ‘mafia bosses’ who have arrived in Europe and expect the arrivals of their friends; finally, it will be a precedent for the whole region, when similar processes have to be launched in other states. However, Georgia and the South Caucasus are thought to be a part of the Greater Middle East by many people in Europe.
The very near future will show whether Georgia’s lobbyists in the EU will be able to persuade powerful skeptics to change their position.
