Russia eases visa regime for Georgian citizens
23.12.2015,
10:56
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it would ease visa requirements for the Georgian citizens starting from December 23.
YEREVAN, December 23. /ARKA/. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday it would ease visa requirements for the Georgian citizens starting from December 23. The Russian Foreign Ministry also said that as a next step it does “not rule out” the possibility of lifting visa requirements for Georgia.
“In the context of ongoing process of normalization of Russian-Georgian relations and in the view of stimulating positive trends between our countries, starting from December 23, 2015 business, work, study and humanitarian visas of any multiplicity, as well as private visas regardless of whether there is kinship or not between host and invited person… will be issued to the citizens of Georgia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“The Russian side is determined to take further steps directed towards easing conditions for communication between the citizens of the two countries and is not ruling out to subsequently introduce visa-free regime on the basis of reciprocity,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Georgia already has visa-free rules for the Russian citizens. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement came five days after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference that Moscow is “ready to cancel visa regime” for the Georgian citizens.
The remarks were welcomed by Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili as “a step in the right direction.” Also on December 22, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin spoke by phone with Georgian PM’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and “clarified measures for liberalization of the visa regime for Georgians”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Abashidze, who is Georgia’s negotiator with Russia in frames of direct bilateral dialogue with Moscow launched in late 2012, welcomed Moscow’s announcement and said that it implies a “significant simplification of visa rules” compared to those applied by Russia currently.
Visa regime between Georgia and Russia was introduced in 2000. In September 2008, after the military conflict in South Ossetia, Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, but 4 years later, in 2012, the official Tbilisi unilaterally canceled the visa regime for Russians. -0-
“In the context of ongoing process of normalization of Russian-Georgian relations and in the view of stimulating positive trends between our countries, starting from December 23, 2015 business, work, study and humanitarian visas of any multiplicity, as well as private visas regardless of whether there is kinship or not between host and invited person… will be issued to the citizens of Georgia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
“The Russian side is determined to take further steps directed towards easing conditions for communication between the citizens of the two countries and is not ruling out to subsequently introduce visa-free regime on the basis of reciprocity,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Georgia already has visa-free rules for the Russian citizens. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement came five days after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference that Moscow is “ready to cancel visa regime” for the Georgian citizens.
The remarks were welcomed by Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili as “a step in the right direction.” Also on December 22, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin spoke by phone with Georgian PM’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze and “clarified measures for liberalization of the visa regime for Georgians”, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Abashidze, who is Georgia’s negotiator with Russia in frames of direct bilateral dialogue with Moscow launched in late 2012, welcomed Moscow’s announcement and said that it implies a “significant simplification of visa rules” compared to those applied by Russia currently.
Visa regime between Georgia and Russia was introduced in 2000. In September 2008, after the military conflict in South Ossetia, Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia, but 4 years later, in 2012, the official Tbilisi unilaterally canceled the visa regime for Russians. -0-
