Merkel Rules Out Fast Easing of Visa Regime for Ukraine, Georgia With EU

Neither Ukraine nor Georgia have met the requirements for easing the visa regime with the European Union.

BERLIN (Sputnik) – The easing of visa regimes between Ukraine, Georgia and the European Union is currently impossible, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday.

“The easing of the visa regime is possible only upon the completion of all necessary conditions for that. The European Commission has presented a report that Ukraine and Georgia have put much effort into this issue, but not enough effort so as the situation was improved as a whole,” Merkel said.

Later on Thursday, Merkel will travel to the Latvian capital Riga for a two-day Eastern Partnership summit, designed to establish closer ties between the European Union and former Soviet republics, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Merkel stressed that the Eastern Partnership is not aimed against any third countries and particularly it is not aimed against Russia. She also said that the European Union respects the right of any state which is a part to the Eastern Partnership to freely choose its own ways of development while maintaining cooperation with the 28-member bloc.

Early in May, Georgia has sent an official letter to Brussels expressing hope that its visa regime with the European Union will be eased following the European Partnership summit in Riga. Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo Klimkin expressed similar expectations earlier this year.