Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze met in Brussels with the EU
Commissioner on Expansion and European Neighborhood Policy, Stefan
Fule, to discuss Georgian integration with the EU and the role of the
EU in Georgian stability, News Georgia reports.
The commissioner evaluated the progress of the elections on May 30th.
The Georgian Foreign Minister paid special attention to conflict zones
and prospects of the work of the EU Observing Mission.
Grigol Vashadze, Spanish Foreign Minister (chairman of EU) Miguel
Angel Moratinos and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Cecilia
Malmstrom signed an agreement between Georgia and the EU on
simplifying gas procedures.
The agreement will come into force after ratification in the European
Parliament, at the end of 2010. The document simplifies visa issuing
for 22 categories of people and reduces the cost from 60 euros to 35.
There will be no tax for 12 categories of people when issuing visas.
11 categories will be eligible for a multi-use yearly visa, and 5-year
visas in certain cases. Visa issuing will take 9 days, in some cases
30 days. There will be a 90 day visa-free regime for holders of
diplomatic passports.
