Granting Russian Citizenship to Abkhazians not Illegal – Russian Official Says

(Tbilisi, June 12, Civil Georgia) – Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko stated that Russia grants citizenship to the Abkhazian residents with the full respect of law.

“We cannot refuse any of the person living on the former Soviet Union territory to grant citizenship,” Yakovenko told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

Russian official commented on the Georgian President’s statement that the Russian Citizenship Law intends “hidden annexation”.

According to the amendment, adopted by the State Duma, every citizen who resides on the territory of any former Soviet state and has no citizenship of any country will enjoy simplified procedures for obtaining citizenship of the Russian Federation. This directly applies to the residents of separatist Abkhazia and South Osetia.

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