Shevardnadze Slams Russian Citizenship Law

(Tbilisi, June 10, Civil Georgia) – Georgian President stated today that the Citizenship law of the Russian Federationaims at “a hidden annexation.”

The law states that the persons living on the territory of the former Soviet Union and having no citizenship can apply and receive citizenship of the Russian Federation. Officials in Georgia fear that the residents of Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia may receive the citizenship of Russia.

“This is not a friendly step from the Russian side. Each country has a right to consider its own migration policy but this policy must not jeopardy other countries’ sovereignty,” Eduard Shevardnadze said in his traditional Monday radiobroadcast on June 10.

Georgian President said that in Russia “distractive opposition reinforces, which tries to hinder Russo-Georgian friendly relations.”

The Russian State Duma Council adopted the Citizenship Law on April 19, 2002. Russian President Vladimer Putin signed the law on May 31.

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