Day: July 16, 2025

The EU Commission has sent letters to the Georgian Dream government, warning that visa-free travel for Georgian citizens could be suspended if the country fails to fulfill key recommendations by the end of August.

The eight recommendations include repealing restrictive legislation targeting civil society and sexual minorities, aligning with the EU’s visa policy, and strengthening anti-corruption efforts, according to the letter sent to GD Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili following the July 15 meeting in Brussels of the bloc’s foreign ministers, and published by Georgian Public Broadcaster.

“I would like to ask you to update the Commission on the implementation of these recommendations and, if not already done, to take appropriate measures to address the issues raised in all Commission recommendations,” says the letter signed by Beate Gminder, Deputy Director-General in DG Migration and Home Affairs at the EU Commission.

“The Commission will assess the compliance with the recommendations in the context of the next visa suspension mechanism report,” the letter continues. “Based on this assessment, in case of persisting non-compliance the Commission could take appropriate measures on the basis of the Article 8 of the revised Visa Regulation, specifically activating the visa suspension mechanism.”

Georgia has benefited from visa-free travel to the EU since 2017. The letter describes this as a “key milestone” in EU-Georgia relations and says it has delivered “tangible benefits” to Georgian citizens.

The Commission letter also recalls the EU’s most recent visa evaluation document. “On December 6, the European Commission adopted the Seventh Visa Suspension Mechanism Report,” the letter says, noting that the report “underlined serious breaches of fundamental rights and freedoms by Georgia, including in relation to violations of the principle of non-discrimination contradicting relevant European and international standards.”

“The Commission has consequently issued a number of recommendations. These include requesting the Georgian authorities to repeal the Law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and the legislative package on ‘family values and protection of minors’, and to amend the national strategy and action plan on human rights to ensure that the rights of LGBTIQ persons are fully upheld. A specific recommendation focused on amending the Law on Anti-Corruption Bureau to address key Venice Commission recommendations, particularly those pertaining to the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s effective independence, political neutrality and functions,” the letter reads.

The letter does not mention the tense developments in Georgia, including repressive actions and new legislation passed by the Georgian Dream parliament, since the ruling party announced on November 28, 2024, that it was halting the country’s EU accession process.

A separate but similar letter sent to Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, Head of the Georgian mission to the EU, by the same EU official asks for an update on the implementation of these recommendations by the end of August.

The EU had already suspended visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic and service passport holders in January.

“I count on your cooperation in addressing this important matter and I reaffirm the EU’s continued commitment to strong and values-based relations with Georgia,” the letter concludes. It is followed by an annex listing the specific recommendations.

We provide the recommendations below, unchanged:

• “Ensure and uphold the protection of fundamental rights of all Georgian citizens, including the freedoms of association, assembly and expression, the right to privacy, the right to participate in public affairs, as well as the prohibition of discrimination;
• Avoid and repeal any legislation that may restrict fundamental rights and freedoms, go against the principle of non-discrimination and contradict relevant European and international standards. In particular, repeal the Law on ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and the legislative package on ‘family values and protection of minors’, and amend the national strategy and action plan on human rights to ensure that the rights of LGBTIQ persons are fully upheld;
• Align Georgia’s visa policy with the EU list of visa-required third countries, in particular with regard to countries presenting irregular migration or security risks to the EU;
• Step up action to address the issue of unfounded asylum applications and irregular stays in Member States, such as information campaigns on the visa-free regime to relevant migrant profiles and stricter border checks;
• Set up an Asset Recovery Office and Asset Management Office, and continue efforts in asset tracing, freezing, management, confiscation and disposal;
• Adopt a new anti-corruption strategy and action plan, ensuring adequate resources for their implementation and pay special attention to investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of high-level corruption cases;
• Amend the Law on Anti-Corruption Bureau to address key Venice Commission recommendations, particularly those pertaining to the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s effective independence, political neutrality and functions;
• Align the Law on Personal Data Protection with the EU acquis.”

The letters follow a Foreign Affairs Council meeting on July 15, after which Brussels warned Georgia’s democratic backsliding would “come at a cost.”

“So far, we have kept this position that we don’t want to hurt Georgian people,” HR/VP Kaja Kallas said at the press conference following the July 15 meeting. “But at the same time, it’s also an issue of the credibility of the European Union,” she added.

Just days before the meeting, Kallas and 18 European foreign ministers released a joint statement expressing “deep concern” over the “deteriorating situation” in Georgia. The statement described GD’s course as “anti-European” and “authoritarian,” but noted that “It is not too late to reserve course.”

Tbilisi has repeatedly accused Brussels of using the visa-free travel issue as a tool of “pressure” and “blackmail” against Georgian Dream. When discussions about suspending Georgia’s visa-free regime emerged in April, some ruling party members urged the public to prioritize “patriotism over comfort.”

After the Commission’s letter was published, 42 Georgian CSOs issued a joint statement, saying, “If visa-free travel for Georgian citizens has been suspended, the full responsibility for this lies with the Ivanishvili government.”

Vano Chkhikvadze, a visiting lecturer at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), said the EU’s letter reflects a formal use of the visa liberalization suspension mechanism.

“I believe that the EU decided to follow the procedural way and took a visa liberalization suspension mechanism in this regard. The EU and leaders of the member states keep on stressing on all repressive changes that has been happening in Georgia. With this letter EU sent yet another signal to Georgian Dream that if things do not change there is a probability that the upcoming visa liberalisation suspension report that will be issued by the end of the year might recommend the Council to launch the process of scrapping visa free travel either all citizens of Georgia or certain groups of it,” Chkhikvadze told Civil.ge.

Also Read:

• 11/07/2025 – EU’s Kallas, 17 European FMs ‘Disturbed, Deeply Concerned’ Over Georgia’s ‘Deteriorating Situation’
• 11/06/2025 – Polish PM Tusk Says His Government Pushes EU to Suspend or Limit Georgia’s Visa-Free Travel
• 29/04/2025 – EU Weighs Suspending Georgia’s Visa-Free Travel, Reviewing DCFTA and Candidate Status
• 02/04/2025 – EU: Adopted Laws Erode Foundations of Democracy in Georgia
• 01/12/2024 – EU Leadership “Regrets” GD’s EU Turn

At Foolproof in Williamsburg, the whiskey glows before you even walk in. 

Through wide windows on Driggs Avenue, near the L train and McCarren Park, nearly 500 bottles shimmer on a backlit wall. It feels less like a bar display and more like an invitation.

The invitation comes from Andy Lock, a hospitality veteran who opened Foolproof after years working in some of New York’s most iconic dining rooms, including Gotham Bar & Grill and The Lobster Club. This time, he wanted to create something of his own: casual, thoughtful and fun.

And it’s not just about the drinks. Foolproof’s menu is built with spirits in mind, ranging from sashimi-grade tartare and house-cured meats to beet-and-burrata salad and French onion dip. A whiskey ice cream sandwich closes things on a sweet note. Each plate is crafted to complement the complex layers of the bottles behind the bar.

“There’s a lot of room for flavor play,” Lock told Brooklyn Paper. “A rich bourbon can elevate the fat in cured meats, while the brightness of a Japanese whiskey might cut through something creamy. And smoky Scotch? Perfect with something briny or grilled.” 

The 900-square-foot space reflects Lock’s personal history as much as his professional chops.

Leather banquettes, terrazzo tile and wood accents throughout recall his childhood in central Pennsylvania.

“I grew up in a mid-century modern house,” he said. “We had terrazzo tiles on the floor, so we put terrazzo tiles in here too. For me, that’s a little bit of nostalgia.” 

That nostalgia extends to the handcrafted woodwork. “My mom had a few uncles who did woodworking, so we had a lot of handmade wooden tables,” he added. “And you can see the back bar is all wood, the bar’s wood, all the tables are wood.” 

Even the name, Foolproof, has personal meaning. 

“Ruth, my fiancée, came up with it,” he said. “We wanted to show off a little bit of confidence behind the concept. You’re going to have to really try to go out of your way to have a bad time. It’s going to be a foolproof experience.” 

Since opening July 12, the bar has quickly become a neighborhood fixture. Locals drop in after work, on weekends and often just to see what’s on the wall.

“A lot of people have been coming in, [saying] ‘Hey, we’ve been waiting for this place to open,’” Lock said. “A lot of  local business owners have been really supportive too, giving me the run of the land around the neighborhood.” 

But Lock’s ambitions go beyond the nightly crowd. He hopes to expand programming to include private tastings and monthly events with distillers and producers.

“I do want to do private events for [pairings],” Lock said. “I think it would be awesome to start doing either bimonthly or monthly tastings — whiskey flights, bringing in some distillers to talk about the product.” 

He’s even dreaming up more irreverent gatherings — maybe even a meat raffle night.

“Hey, maybe you walk out of here with 20 pounds of fillet,” he laughed. “You just get a few hunks of meat, sell raffle tickets, have people sit around and enjoy some drinks and snacks.”

That’s the joy of Foolproof: expertly run, deeply stocked and welcoming people to new experiences.

“I want to make sure it’s a nice, relaxing place to hang out for people who live around here or are on the way home from the commute to work,” Lock said.

Foolproof is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and on weekends from noon to 2 a.m., with brunch served from noon to 4 p.m.

The post Inside Foolproof: Williamsburg’s bold 500-bottle whiskey bar first appeared on Audio Posts – audio-posts.com.