Georgia will impose visa free regimes for the residents of the North Caucasian political subjects - Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingush republic, Kabardino-Balkaria, Adige, Karachay-Cherkessia and North Ossetia Republics of the Russian Federation. The citizens of these republics will be able to take 90-day visas for travelling to Georgia. Nino Kalandadze, deputy minister of foreign affairs of Georgia explained the motives of the decision at today`s briefing.
She said these people had to travel to Moscow to take Georgian visas, while they reside near to the northern border of Georgia.
`We are eager to restore traditional relations with these people and simplify these procedures. In addition, these people have always had economic and trade interests with Georgia, they want to study at Georgian universities. That`s why we believe creating artificial obstructions is not reasonable,` Kalandadze said.
She particularly focused on the decision to grant visa free regime to the citizens of North Ossetian Republic. She said with this decision the government of Georgia confirms that the country had never had problem in relations with ethnic Ossetians.