Tskhinvali views Tbilisi's proposal on providing S. Ossetian, Abkhaz residents with Georgian biometric passports as "bribery"
TSKHINVALI. Dec 25 (Interfax) - The South Ossetian Foreign Ministry has criticized Georgia's proposal on issuing Georgian biometric IDs to residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with which they could travel to European Union countries.
"It's true that residents of South Ossetia may have problems receiving visas to enter some European countries. This concerns individuals who were provided with Russian foreign travel passports in the republic's territory and especially those whose passports indicate South Ossetia as their birthplace," the South Ossetian Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Friday.
The ministry called this policy used by some European countries as discriminatory.
"And it's not a secret that this happens at the Georgian authorities' suggestions. South Ossetia has repeatedly raised this problem within the framework of the Geneva discussions. This is why Georgia's 'care' about more comfortable conditions for South Ossetian residents to cross European Union borders looks very cynical and will be nothing but yet another stillborn step," the ministry said.
Tskhinvali called this proposal "bribery."
"We once again point out to the absence of progress in the previous and the incumbent Georgian authorities' approaches toward problems in relations with the Republic of South Ossetia: the emphasis is still being placed on attempts of routine bribery in pursuing the soft power and engagement policy. However, the evolution of the bribery element itself is quite indicative: these were sacks with fertilizers in 2004, and it is Georgian passports in 2015," it said.
Georgian Deputy State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili had said on December 19 that the Georgian government planned to facilitate the issuance of Georgian biometric IDs to Abkhaz and South Ossetian residents as much as possible, using which they would be able to visit European Union countries without visas in about half a year.
"Definitely, the issuance of IDs will be strictly controlled, as we have undertaken obligations to the European Union that Georgian authorities will be responsible for any Georgian citizen visiting Europe," Tsikhelashvili told journalists.
