PM debates emigrant’s request to retain citizenship

Georgia’s Prime Minister is discussing a request by local emigrants who are asking to retain their Georgian citizenship even though they lived and worked abroad.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Georgia’s former Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili at the Governmental Administration yesterday and discussed the emigrants’ request.

An initiative of the Prime Minister was to establish a working group to handle the request of Georgian emigrants.

At the meeting the pair spoke about the legislative initiative regarding primary citizenship prepared by Georgians living abroad. According to the initiative, emigrants asked for their Georgian citizenship to remain valid even if they received foreign citizenship.

Zurabishvili released a letter on behalf of more than 25,000 Georgian emigrants several days ago who demanded retention of dual-citizenship and the right to participate in local elections.

The PM said a working group, consisting of representatives of various Governmental departments, would be established to examine the issue and hold consultations.