The European Commission today presented a proposal to lift the visa-free regime for Georgian officials. Earlier this week, the EU Foreign Affairs Council tasked the European Commission with preparing the proposal due to the violation of the fundamental rights of Georgians who participated in the protests in their country, quoted by BTA.
Georgian diplomats, officials and their families, holders of diplomatic and official passports, are expected to need a visa to travel to the EU for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
Visa facilitations, such as shorter application deadlines, lower visa fees and the requirement to present fewer supporting documents, will also no longer apply to Georgian holders of diplomatic and official passports.
Georgian citizens with ordinary passports will continue to benefit from visa-free travel to the EU, the statement said.
The proposal is related to the Georgian authorities' brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, politicians and independent media, which began after the authorities announced on 28 November that they would suspend EU accession negotiations until 2028, it said. the commission.
It is added that the Georgian legislation on "foreign agents" and on "family values", adopted earlier this year, undermines fundamental rights enshrined in EU values.