EU Suspends Visa-Free Travel for Georgian Diplomats Over Commitment Violations

The European Commission has suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports. This action follows Georgia's failure to adhere to commitments under the visa-free regime, amid its shift towards authoritarianism and growing economic ties with Russia.

The European Commission has announced the suspension of visa-free travel privileges for Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passport holders. This decision is in response to Georgia's repeated violations of the commitments within its visa-free regime agreement with the EU.

The Commission emphasized that Georgian representatives must use their respective passports for official and diplomatic travel to the EU. Failure to comply could result in entry bans, signaling the seriousness of the issue at hand.

Georgia, which was once hailed as one of the most democratic and pro-Western post-Soviet states, has experienced a drift towards authoritarianism, particularly noticeable since the onset of the war in Ukraine. Simultaneously, the nation has been strengthening its economic relations with Russia, raising concerns within the EU.

(With inputs from agencies.)