VISA LIBERALISATION: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN IN REALITY FOR MOLDOVA AND GEORGIA?

Within the framework of the “Visa Liberalisation Dialogues” conducted by the EU with three Eastern Partnership countries, namely Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, two of them, initially Moldova and now already Georgia have been successful so far in terms of gaining visa free travel to the Schengen zone countries, however still under special circumstances. In particular, the regime is functional for those who hold a biometric passport and at the same time, it works only for the short-stay visits, i.e., for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period. The article analyses not only the effects of the “Visa Liberalisation” on the example of Moldova, as well as foresees the general dynamics in the case of Georgia, but there has been also addressed the main question on how much the visa liberalisation means only the specific type of cooperation of these countries with the EU with no mandatory membership or can eventually lead to that, in the light of the current dynamics of the European community development.