Georgian officials monitor Russian law change

The Government of Georgia is keeping a close eye on a recent Russian law change and is ready to take legal action against the domineering country if the new law negatively impacts Georgia.

Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Zalkaliani said he did not know the full extent of the changes to the Russian legislation, which were approved by the State Duma. He said if the changes implied threats against Georgia, the Government would respond.

"There has been information that Russian passports have been handed over to Samtskhe-Javakheti inhabitants. We have checked this information and found out that this is not happening,” Zalkaliani said.

Samtskhe-Javakheti is a region in Southern Georgia and it is an important area in terms of Georgia’s development. The Baku-Tbilisi Ceyhan oil pipeline, the South Caucasus natural gas pipeline and the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway, which is currently under construction, all pass through the region. The area has a common border with Turkey and Armenia.

Zalkaliani said the Government was attentive to the new legislation recently approved in the Russian Federation.

"We do not know the legislation fully so far but it is important for our lawyers to explore the issue in case there are any threats against Georgia, or if it defies our interests, they should be confronted with legal measures,” he said.

The Russian State Duma passed the law yesterday, which envisaged to grant foreigners with Russian citizenship in a simplified manner.