A Wall of Mistrust

Visa Burden Increases Distance between Georgia and Russia

"Visa regime [between Russia and Georgia] created many problems to me. So what if I am Russian? I am not able to visit my relatives in Russia any more," complained Mrs. Nadja Galimova-Maisuradze to Civil Georgia.

Nadja Galyamova came to Georgia 20 years ago to marry Georgian – David Maisuradze. They have two children, son Valeri and daughter Tamara who recently graduated from the high school. Mrs. Galimova-Maisuradze never lost contacts with her relatives in the city of Tver in Russia. But because of visa regime she is not able to visit them as easy as before.

Visa regime between the two countries was introduced two years ago, on December 5, 2000, as Russia withdrew from 1992 Bishkek Agreement, foreseeing visa-free relations between the former Soviet republics.

Introduction of the visa regime was preceded with renewal of the Chechen war in 1999, with consequent weakening of control of Georgian-Russian state border. Consequently Russia has leveled accusations against Georgia for allowing Chechen guerrillas safe passage and haven to the Georgian territory and made a decision to introduce the visa regime.

It was quite unclear how the visas would prevent guerrillas from traveling across the border even if they did so before. As expected, the new bureaucratic burden has hurt, first and foremost, both Russian and Georgian ordinary citizens.

According to data of the Georgian State Border Guard Department, since December 5, 2002 128 thousand persons have used visas between Georgia and Russia, 40 thousands of which were Russian citizens.

However, the Department was not able to add to this statistics number of people that crossed the border from and to Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as Georgian authorities are not able to exercise their jurisdiction over these territories. In addition, Russia did not introduce the visa requirement for these breakaway provinces in 1999, a decision that still sparks angry remarks in Georgia.

"Would it be normal if Georgia gave its citizenship or simplified visa requirements to residents of Russia’s regions, such as Chechnya?" asks Zviad Mukbaniani, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Parliament.

Before the visa regime approximately 300-400 thousand Georgian citizens were traveling to Russia and half of this amount from Russia to Georgia annually.

"The data shows that after introduction of the visa regime, movement between the two countries has dramatically decreased, especially from Georgia to Russia," Irakli Papava, representative of Analytical Division of the State Border Guard Department, told Civil Georgia.

The visa regime became a major obstacle for Georgian farmers, who were selling their products in Russia. But Georgian citizens, who were already working in Russia, managed to legalize their activities in these new conditions too.

There are approximately 20 000 mixed Georgian-Russian families in Georgia. Almost every one of them has a problem like the Maisuradze-Galiomva’s family has and this problem is the visa prices, which vary from $10 to $150, depending on type and duration of a visa, and some bribe frequently needs to be paid additionally.

Because of total economic hardship in the country, common Georgian citizens travel to Russia by cars or buses, which is significantly cheap, hence even a single cent counts.

Nadja Galyamova does not know how to go to her relatives in Tver as comfortably and easily as before and Georgian politicians do not make promising forecasts on this matter either.

"Georgia is ready to lift the visa requirements. The rest is up to Russia. But they [Russians] do not want to do this yet. Furthermore, they are disrespecting our sovereignty, by introducing simplified procedures with particular regions of Georgia," Kakha Sikharulidze, Spokesman of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, told Civil Georgia.

A year after the decision to build the visa barrier, Georgia and Russia are as far from establishing friendlier relations as ever before.

By Goga Chanadiri, Civil Georgia