Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze said that the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi agreed to issue an entry visa to Georgian MP Givi Targamadze only after the news broke on Wednesday that the Russian Embassy initially denied issuing this visa.
A Georgian parliamentary delegation, led by Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, planned to depart for St. Petersburg on Wednesday to participate in the CIS Parliamentary Assembly on November 17. But Parliamentary Chairperson Burjanadze said that the Georgian parliamentarians decided to boycott the CIS PA because one of the members of the delegation, MP Targamadze, was denied an entry visa.
At a news conference held in the evening on November 16 the Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister said that the Georgian side learned about the Russian Embassy?s intention on November 15 and immediately requested a meeting with the representatives of the Russian consulate in Tbilisi.
Merab Antadze said that at the meeting ?one of the representatives of the consulate,? whom the Deputy Foreign Minister refused to name, explained the reason for this refusal to issue an entry visa because MP Givi Targamadze is on the Russian Foreign Ministry?s so called ‘black list’ of Georgian politicians. MP Targamadze is known for his sharp statements about Russian policies.
?The Russian side agreed to issue the entry visa only after the fact was publicized, but it was already too late [for the Georgian delegation to depart for Russia],? Merab Antadze said.
?This is a very unpleasant case, which does not foster normalization of relations between the two countries,? he added.
A few hours before the news conference by the Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi issued a statement saying that initially MP Targamadze was really denied a visa. ?But after the repeated consideration of the visa application of Mr. Targamadze, it was decided to issue an entry visa, either in the Russian Embassy in Tbilisi, or upon his arrival in Russia,? says the statement, which does not specify any reason behind the initial denial to issue a visa for the MP.
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