Gov’t to remove “artificial barriers” to granting passports to diaspora abroad - PM

The Government will remove “all artificial barriers” to enable representatives of the Georgian diaspora to easily receive passports, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Friday at a forum dedicated to Diaspora Day.

Garibashvili told the Forum the Justice Ministry had started working on a bill to simplify the granting of Georgian passports to members of diaspora abroad, with the legislative change to be submitted to the Parliament in September.

There are a number of “small unresolved issues,” solving which would “greatly simplify” the passport procedure for the diaspora, the PM said.

Garibashvili also raised the prospect of diaspora members obtaining Georgian passports for the same fee as one requested for the procedure in Georgia.

The Forum, which holds thematic meetings on education, culture, economic development and digital diplomacy, was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the official part of the event opened by Minister Ilia Darchiashvili. 

Photo: Government's Administration.

Those delivering addresses at the event also included President Salome Zourabichvili, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and Beka Odisharia, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Diaspora and Caucasus Affairs. An address by the Georgian Orthodox Church Patriarch to the diaspora was also read to those in attendance.

The Diaspora Forum is held annually with the aim of deepening cooperation with compatriots living abroad, ensuring their connection with the homeland, their active involvement in the process of rebuilding the country and finding ways to solve the problems facing the Diaspora, the Government’s press office said.