No visa regime will operate between Armenia and Georgia
Yesterday, the two-day visit to Armenia by the delegation headed by Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, ended. According to Georgian media reports, one of the major themes of the Armenian – Georgian talks was to be the issue of the visa regime between the two countries. From September 1, all foreigners wishing to stay in Georgia more than 90 days, regardless of the nature of the visit, must receive respective visas from the Georgian diplomatic representation operating in their country or the consular office.
Whereas, after the meeting of the government delegations, the leaders of the two countries, during the statements made to the journalists, did not touch upon the issue of the visa regime. In the conversation with “Aravot,” the member of the NA Committee on Foreign Relations, MO of “Heritage” faction, Tevan Poghosyan, said that in reality we are trying to voice the problem more than it exists. “I am confident that the notion of the visa regime between Armenia and Georgia the way we perceive does not exist.
The matter is exaggerated because both countries realize that it is abnormal to define a visa regime between Armenia and Georgia in a manner like, for instance, between Armenia – EU or Armenia – USA. The problem may be with the idea of working permits or visas. If any citizen has earned a long-term job in Georgia, he must apply and obtain a permit to do this job, which is very normal.” Our interlocutor believes that it would be better for Armenia to define such permits for foreigners working in our country.
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The MP believes that even if Georgia became a member of the EU in one day, we should not forget that Armenia now is in a process that the EU citizens having access to Armenia do not get a visa, and over a few years, we would already reach a visa-free mutual visits. “These are processes, in which the governments of two countries, whoever be in those positions, realizing the situation, being a neighbor, former ties, and joint businesses, the fact that today, a large number of tourists from Armenia visit Georgia, etc., will do everything that the Armenians and Georgians crossing the Armenian-Georgian border would never have any difficulties. Opportunities should not be limited to, but be expanded,” said our interlocutor.
Generally, our interlocutor characterizes the visit positive, as the issues related to further cooperation, commodity turnover and economic relations were discussed; an attempt was made to look for links for synchronization of the two markets, which is essential in the event of different political directions chosen by the two countries. At the meeting held in the Parliament, the active cooperation of parliamentarians of the two countries in various international parliamentary forums was discussed. Our interlocutor does not exclude that in the future there will also be opportunities to hold practical discussions about re-opening possibilities of the Abkhaz railway, because, according to press reports, there is also a conscious in Abkhazia that the railway should operate.
N. GRIGORYAN
