Chairman of the Committee on European Integration, Levan Makhashvili, addressed the recent decision by the EU Foreign Ministers to recommend suspending visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic passports, stating that the step is largely symbolic rather than a practical measure.

"Along with diplomatic passports, we all also possess ordinary passports, so there is no issue where, for example, someone would not be able to attend meetings. This is more of a symbolic step than a real, practical measure," Makhashvili emphasized.

He further explained that the EU’s decision primarily aimed to ensure that the summit would not conclude without a result.

"Ultimately, the decision made during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting was expected by the Georgian side. We anticipated that the EU would not take steps that would make it impossible to return to normal, healthy relations. This is what happened.

As for the restriction of visa-free travel for diplomatic passports, this decision has not yet been finalized. The European Commission has been tasked with reviewing the relevant legal basis for such a measure.

It is important to remind the public that visa-free travel for diplomatic passports is not part of the general visa liberalization agreement. Legally, this is regulated separately by bilateral agreements. The EU Council will only return to this issue after the European Commission presents the necessary legal grounds. This is a bureaucratic and long-term process, with no final decisions made yet.

In any case, this remains a symbolic decision—more of a political statement than a real measure. It does not affect visa liberalization for regular Georgian passports, nor does it pose any threat to ordinary citizens.

Alongside diplomatic passports, we all have regular passports, so there are no restrictions on traveling to meetings or conducting our work. This is purely symbolic," Makhashvili concluded.