German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said that if the number of visa-free regime violators from Georgia to the European Union (EU) further increases, a suspension mechanism might be activated, Georgia Today.

However, he added that everything depends on Georgia and its efforts to maintain the benefits of visa-free travel with EU countries.

Maizière made the statement while meeting the Georgian side in the framework of the 54th Munich Security Conference, which started on February 16 and lasted until February 19.

The German minister stated that besides violations of visa-free rules, which allow Georgians to stay in the Schengen Area for 90 days in any 180-day period, there is a major problem of increased organized crime groups from Georgia.

“We hope that visa liberalization will be maintained. We're not going to launch a suspension mechanism now, but the number of visa-free regime violators is alarming. Another important issue is the growth of crime. Georgia is actively involved in solving this problem,” Maizière added.