30 Georgian citizens, Ex-President included, denied entry into Ukraine

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) denied entry into Ukraine to 36 people, including former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, 29 other citizens of Georgia, five U.S. citizens and a citizen of Serbia, as reported by the local media.

Thus, the Ukrainian government has satisfied an inquiry of Party of Regions MP Oleh Tsariov who said that all these 36 people are suspected of "consulting with the opposition to destabilize the situation in the country."

"The more frequent visits by foreign political consultants and specialists in protest activity, whose activity poses a threat to national security, cause quite reasonable fears," he wrote in the inquiry, to which he filed a list of "persons who, as part of the advisory work of the opposition," get a chance to realize "the political interests of other countries."

One more Georgian citizen on the list is a journalist of Rustavi 2 TV channel, David Kakulia, according to the Rustavi 2.

The list also includes a Non-Resident person at the Center for Transatlantic Relations, John Hopkins University, Taras Kuzio, a member of the expert council of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on European Integration, Andreas Umland, as well as Brian Fink, Myron Wasylyk, and Alexander Roth (all from the United States). Tsariov described Roth as "the world's best specialist in organizing revolutions through social networks", the Ukrainian media reported.

Another person on the list is Serbian citizen Marko Ivkovic, who "with a team of Serbs organized a revolution against Slobodan Milosevic" and promoted a similar scenario in Ukraine.

Tsariov filed a respective inquiry to SBU Chief Oleksandr Yakymenko and Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara on December 8. He said that "the destabilization of the situation in Ukraine, street activity, and the seizure of buildings are planned in nature" and that "the organization of such campaigns requires the participation of concerned specialists."

Georgian Foreign Affairs Minister Maia Panjikidze says that she cannot comment the issue, as she has not received any official information from the Ukrainian Ministry so far. "If this is true, and there are Georgian citizens in the list, then Ukraine has to send the list to the proper organizations in Georgia, she said.

Panjikidze also said that her Ministry is now double-checking the information.