Maia Panjikidze

Georgia’s minister of foreign affairs Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is reconsidering its liberal visa rules towards 121 countries, Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze says.

Mrs Panjikidze said she is not ruling out revising the liberal visa policy towards many countries, as the migration policy of Georgia has caused misunderstandings with different countries or persons.

Georgia allows citizens of 121 countries to visit and stay for 360 days without a visa, but for 114 of the countries the arrangement is unilateral.

“The majority of those countries didn’t reciprocate, but we haven’t received information that they accepted our decision,” she said at a press conference.

“No respective country should act like that; it is therefore not excluded that we may change our approach to a number of countries.”

A government commission has been created to prepare a draft bill about the country’s migration policy.

Panjikidze says issues to do with migration are among the most important issues outlined in an action plan for visa liberalization which was given to Georgia in February of 2013.

“We plan to fulfill first level of this plan before the upcoming Vilnius Summit,” she noted. “Next will be the level of implementation.”