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The EU parliament and Council struck a deal last week on the issue of visa liberalization for Ukraine and Georgia. The EU Commission and Member States will be able to re-impose visa requirements under new rules agreed by Parliament and Council on 7 December 2016.
The European Union parliament will be debating this issue on the 14th December in Strasbourg followed by a vote on the 15th December.
This agreement will enable the immediate consideration of the two visa liberalization proposals for Georgia and Ukraine. According to the deal, visa requirements may be reintroduced for a non-EU country if there is: a substantial increase in the number of nationals of that country refused entry; an increase in unfounded asylum applications; or a lack of cooperation on returns of migrants.
Will visa liberalisaton change anything for Georgia? The debate in Georgia on the possible benefits of visa liberalization is taking place against a backdrop of increasingly difficult economic conditions. The lari is in free fall, workers are finding it tough to get work in neighbouring Russia and Turkey, who have their own problems, and the country is in desperate need of investment. Many are placing their hopes for the future in visa liberalization but the EU appears to be dragging its feet.
00:00 chain-saws Eliava labour market Tbilisi; 00:05 Workers standing in street hoping for work; 00:08 woman cutting bread; 00:11 Soundbite with worker (Jimi); 00:15 GVs more workers on street.
00:23 Currency exchange shop sequence. Woman exchanging money. 00:37 Vox-pops: Woman wearing red scarf (Natela). 00!40 man in grey overcoat (Malkhaz); 00:47 woman in black beret (Louiza);
00:56 More exchange shop GVs; 01:04 euros being counted; 01:12 soundbite of Nika Chitidze, expert; 01:19 GVs European parliament building – archive; 01:26 GVs Kremlin Moscow – archive;
01:33 Mid-shots of Turkey street demo and police – archive; 01:38 European parliament building sequence – archive; 01:45 Soundbite with Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga Head of Political and Press Section at European Delegation to Georgia; 02:14 more GVs of EU buildings in Brussels
Skilled workmen outside Tbilisi’s Eliava market. They come to this street every morning in an existential struggle for survival. They say work opportunities are falling. Soundbite of Giorgi Lomadze, worker: “ If before I was earning 1000 lari a month, I’m down now to 300-400.”
They blame the devaluation of the lari – business is no longer developing, the say – hence the lack of orders for their services. Some think visa liberalization with the European Union could offer a way out of the difficult economic situation – others are not so sure.
Vox-pops Nana Pitskhadze: “We need to sort our country out ourselves. Do you really think the European Union is going to help us.” Nika Jiqia: “Our people need to stay here and change the situation on the ground themselves. Instead, they’re leaving the country to go elsewhere.” Eliso Japaridze: “It will probably be reflected in trade – commercial ties will be strengthened. Large and small-scale traders will have more opportunities for development.” Experts say that joining the Eurozone would provide a lever for economic progress, but that is a distant prospect. At present they see European capital investment as the best way to draw in European hard currency to Georgia. Soundbite: Nika Chitidze, expert: “Visa liberalization will make possible the sale of more Georgian products on Europe’s 600 million people market.” Georgians who want to join the European Union think that Georgia is particularly in need of Europe’s help now, at a time when the economic crisis in Russia has reduced the income of Georgians working there and internal disorder in Turkey is threatening work opportunities for Georgian emigrants.
Leaders of the European Union, who had promised Georgians visa free travel before January, explain why things are being delayed. Soundbite of Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga (English original exists – following is my translation of the Georgian), head of the press and political office of the EU delegation to Georgia: “The EU countries have decided to change the system of visa liberalization. Georgia has carried out all its commitments but there are still specific conditions which have to be met if Georgia is to get the full package. As far as the economy is concerned, visa liberalization will give tourists, including businessmen, the opportunity to travel freely to Europe, familiarize people there with their projects and, in that way, attradt foreign investment to Georgia.”
Georgia has been waiting for visa liberalization from earlier this year but we still don’t know when the European Union is going to take its decision.
Interviews:
Giorgi Lomadze, worker: “If before I was earning 1000 lari a month, I’m down now to 300-400.”
Vox-pops
Nana Pitskhadze: “We need to sort our country out ourselves. Do you really think the European Union is going to help us.” Nika Jiqia: “Our people need to stay here and change the situation on the ground themselves. Instead, they’re leaving the country to go elsewhere.”
Eliso Japaridze: “It will probably be reflected in trade – commercial ties will be strengthened. Large and small-scale traders will have more opportunities for development.” Nika Chitidze, expert: “Visa liberalization will make possible the sale of more Georgian products on Europe’s 600 million people market.”
Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga (English original exists – following is my translation of the Georgian), head of the press and political office of the EU delegation to Georgia: “The EU countries have decided to change the system of visa liberalization. Georgia has carried out all its commitments but there are still specific conditions which have to be met if Georgia is to get the full package. As far as the economy is concerned, visa liberalization will give tourists, including businessmen, the opportunity to travel freely to Europe, familiarize people there with their projects and, in that way, attract foreign investment to Georgia.”
14 December 2016
