The EU to start opening border with Georgia on July 1st
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Wednesday, July 1
The European Union's highest political body, the European Council, adopted a recommendation on June 30th to gradually lift the temporary restriction on free movement with the European Union from July 1st for third-country nationals.
Georgia is also included in the list of 15 safe countries published on the EU website.
The decision is not binding for EU members and each national government can impose restrictions for travelers hailing from coronavirus-safe countries.
According to the Council’s recommendation, reciprocity is a condition for being included on the list, hence the Georgian government will have to open borders for travelers arriving from EU countries.
In a statement, the Council said the list is subject to revision every two weeks, as all countries deemed ‘safe’ have to meet certain criteria related to the epidemiological situation.
The recommendation equally applies to Schengen affiliated countries – Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
In addition to Georgia, the list includes Algeria, Australia, Canada, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay.
As for China, it will resume traffic if it agrees.
The EU borders were closed in March due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The European Commission has said from the outset that the list of third countries with which travel restrictions will be phased out will be reviewed every 2 weeks and other countries will gradually be added to the list.
The European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) criteria are considered when making a decision.
They have not been included in the recommendation list, i.e. from July 1st, travelers to the European Union will not be allowed to travel from countries such as the United States and Mexico, most South American countries, South Africa, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and others.
The EU Delegation congratulates Georgia on its inclusion in the list of 15 safe countries on its Facebook page: “We congratulate Georgia on being among the 15 countries in the world for which the European Union will reopen its borders from July 1st,” reads the post.
Georgian Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani has linked the government's successful work to the EU’s decision to include Georgia in the list of safe countries.
“We are glad and proud that the results achieved today have made it possible to gain the status of a positive image of our country, in particular Georgia, as a secure country, as well as once again strengthen the image of a reliable and trustworthy partner,” Zalkaliani said.
The minister said, the government worked with the partner countries and to effectively manage the spread of the pandemic COVID-19. “The Georgian government’s steps in the fight against the pandemic have been correct, consistent and responsible, which has been repeatedly confirmed by the assessments of our partners,” Foreign Minister announced.
According to Zalkaliani, the Georgian side will continue to consult with the European Union and its member states in order to ensure the safe and secure movement of citizens in coordination with them in accordance with this document.
According to the Foreign Minister, the EU member states will soon start preparing the relevant criteria with the countries on the safe list, in order to “be careful to move citizens in both directions.”
The Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the EU's inclusion of Georgia in the list of 15 safe countries.
The Prime Minister points out that the government is now in direct consultation with EU member states to ensure that safe movement of citizens is possible in accordance with a document published by the EU.
“On behalf of the Government of Georgia and the Georgian people, I would like to thank the EU for its recognition, trust and strategic partnership,” he said.
To date, Georgia has not resumed international travel with any foreign country. Restrictions on international flights were prolonged through July 31st pending review.
