Germany, France & Poland to End Visa-Free Travel for Georgian Diplomats

Germany, France and Poland will follow the EU’s decision to put an end to the visa-free travel regime for Georgian diplomats.

The announcement has been made through a joint statement by the foreign ministers of these three countries, Schengen.News reports.

It comes following the political crisis in Georgia and pro-EU protests in this country that started two months ago following the Georgian PM’s announcement to suspend EU membership talks with the EU until 2028.

The foreign minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, France, Jean-Noël Barrot, as well as Poland, Radosław Sikorski, expressed their concerns about the current political crisis in Georgia after the parliamentary elections of October 26 and the decision of the ruling party, Georgian Dream, to halt Georgia’s EU membership process.

Through a statement the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland said that the political course of repression as well as democratic backsliding by the Georgian Dream also led to a reduction of these countries’ assistance to Georgia and cooperation with Georgia’s authorities.

Poland, which took the presidency of the Council of the European Union from Hungary, on January 1, 2025, vowed to make security among the main priorities of the EU.

Germany Pushes for Suspension of EU Membership Process for Georgia
Last month, the Foreign Minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, proposed talks on formal suspension of the EU accession process for Georgia.

The proposal, according to the minister, came as a result of the Georgian government’s anti-European stance as well as violence against the demonstrators participating in pro-EU protests in Georgia.

Baerbock said that the ruling party in Georgia had put the membership process on hold with its anti-European shift, thereby effectively suspending it.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze said that his country’s EU accession is among the main priorities of his government foreign policy.

The Georgian PM emphasized that by 2030, his country would be the best prepared country among the candidate countries aspiring to become part of the bloc.

However, pro-EU protests that started on November 28, continue in Georgia, following the previous declaration of Kobakhidze to suspend EU membership talks until 2028.

Source: https://schengen.news/germany-france-poland-to-end-visa-free-travel-for-georgian-diplomats/