Andrius Krivas, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, who presented these documents and the position of the Republic of Lithuania to Committee members, said that Lithuania fully supported the Commission’s proposals, which, once approved by the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament, would lead to the introduction of a visa-free regime to Georgia and Ukraine. The Committee on Foreign Affairs expressed its unanimous support to the position and adopted its conclusions congratulating Georgia and Ukraine on having completed all the necessary reforms to meet the criteria and conditions set out in the roadmap for visa liberalisation.
The Committee takes the view that the visa-free regime for Georgian and Ukrainian citizens constitutes a crucial element of the EU Eastern Partnership, which includes Georgia and Ukraine, because it enhances people-to-people contacts, facilitates the dissemination of democratic values, boosts public confidence in the European Union, and encourages the countries to undertake the reforms necessary for deeper integration with the European Union.
The Committee called on the European Parliament and other EU Member States to support the Commission’s proposals and approve them as soon as possible.
