Russia to Resume Limited Visa Service for Georgia

Russia will resume this week issuing visas for Georgian citizens, but the service will be limited – like it was before cutting the diplomatic ties between the two countries, the Georgian official said.
 
Nino Kalandadze, the Georgian deputy foreign minister, said on March 3, that there should be no “exaggerated expectations” about the move as it would not be a comprehensive resumption.

Russia stopped issuing visas to Georgian citizens in October, 2006 following a spy row. In May 2007, Russia partially restored issuing visas granting them to those Georgian citizens, who had Russian relatives and invitation. And in July, 2007 Russia started issuing visas for educational, business and transit purposes to Georgian citizens – these rules remained until the diplomatic ties were cut between the two countries.

Visas will be issued in the Russia’s former embassy in Tbilisi by the Swiss diplomats. Switzerland represents Russia’s diplomatic interests in Georgia, as well as Georgia’s diplomatic interests in Russia amid cut diplomatic ties between the two countries after the August war.

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