A Georgian Foreign Ministry official believes Georgia must create "counter measures” against Russia’s new law on simplifying citizenship rules for a targeted group of citizens.
The country’s Deputy Foreign Minister believed Georgia had to react to Russia’s new law on simplifying citizenship rules for native Russian speakers and those who can prove their families had lived within the borders of the former Soviet Union.
Georgia was annexed by Russia in the 19th Century before it emerged from the collapsing Soviet Union as an independent state in 1991.
Deputy Minister Davit Zalkaliani said Georgian lawyers had been studying Russia’s new law and believed "it was essential to create counter measures”.
"I would like to inform the local people that in case they receive Russian citizenship they will lose their Georgian citizenship according to Georgian law,” Zalkaliani said at a press briefing today.
Georgia’s special envoy to Russia Zurab Abashidze believed Russia passed the new law for the Russian-speaking citizens of Ukraine citing annexation of Russian-speaking peninsula of Crimea in Ukraine last month.
"But I believe the issue will be targeted to all Russians living in those countries and the lawyers have to study the law,” Abashidze said.
The Georgian law stated citizens can lose their Georgian citizenship if they accepted citizenship of another state.
Russia’s new law allowed applicants to bypass a lengthy and bureaucratic process in order to be eligible for Russian citizenship.