(Adnkronos) – The European Commission has decided to suspend visa exemption for Georgian diplomatic, service and official passport holders. Now Georgian diplomats will need a visa to enter the Schengen area for official purposes.
It is the first time, the Commission underlines, that the new strengthened visa suspension mechanism has been applied, a decision that follows the approval of the Member States. The visa suspension mechanism is activated in response to Georgia’s “deliberate” and “persistent” violation of commitments made under the visa exemption regime in key areas of democracy and fundamental rights.