13 June 2011, 20:00
Georgia to issue neutral passports to residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Today, the Bureau of the Georgian Parliament has initiated the bill on neutral passports for residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The bill assumes to amend the Law "On Rules of Registration of Georgian Citizens and Foreigners Residing in Georgia and Issuance of Georgian IDs and Passports" and 10 other laws, under which residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will get the right, if they wish so, to receive neutral IDs and neutral travel documents.
According to the bill, the persons who possess neutral IDs and travel documents will be entitled to enter Abkhazia and South Ossetia from any direction.
The neutral travel document will not use the Georgian language; it will be registered by the Servicing Agency of the Georgian Treasury, the "Club of Experts" reports.
Sukhumi and Tskhinvali made statements with official renouncement of the Tbilisi's proposal to issue neutral passports without Georgian symbols to their nationals.
