Georgian people gather in the street to celebrate the EU parliament's approval of visa liberalization for Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Feb. 2, 2017. Georgia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday hailed the EU Parliament's approval of visa liberalization for Georgia, saying it paved the way for Georgians to travel to the European Union's Schengen zone without obtaining visas. (Xinhua/Giorgi Induashvili)
TBILISI, Feb 2(Xinhua) -- Georgia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday hailed the EU Parliament's approval of visa liberalization for Georgia, saying it paved the way for Georgians to travel to the European Union's Schengen zone without obtaining visas.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that this decision is a clear example of the EU fulfilling its commitments towards the visa liberalization for Georgia.
EU parliament's decision is a further proof that cooperation and partnership with the EU will bring concrete benefit to each citizen of Georgia, said the statement.
On Thursday, European lawmakers backed visa liberalization by a vote of 553 to 66, with 28 abstentions. Now it will be approved by the EU Council and then the whole process will be finalized
Georgians are likely to be able to start traveling visa-free in late March or early April to the Schengen zone which includes 26 European countries.
