Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Grigory Karasin said Russia might consider lifting visa requirements for Georgia, but hinted Tbilisi will need to pass the same hurdles as when negotiating visa-free deal with EU`s Schengen Group of countries.
DFM Karasin`s interview to Rossia Segodnya was released on the Russian Foreign Ministry on November 3. He said that about a year ago Russia “radically” eased visa requirements for Georgian citizens. Georgia unilaterally lifted visa requirement for Russian citizens in March 2012.
Asked whether visa-free option for Georgians was being considered in the near future and whether Georgia`s expected visa liberalisation with the Schengen group of states may influence these plans, Karasin responded: “In principle, we do not rule out the possibility of lifting visa requirements for Georgia. But in dealing with this issue, relevant processes between the European Union and Georgia should be taken into account.”
He explained: “as we know, Georgia unilaterally lifted visa requirements for the EU citizens in 2006. In 2012 Brussels agreed to launch talks on mutual visa liberalisation, a detailed action plan was developed and since then Tbilisi has been regularly preparing reports on the fulfillment of this plan,” Karasin said. “So, it is a burdensome work, involving close interstate cooperation. Thus, a question arises, how realistic it is to do such work between Russia and Georgia when diplomatic ties between the two countries are absent.”
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said last December that Moscow was “ready to cancel visa regime” for Georgian citizens. Just a day later, on December 18 the European Commission made a decision to back visa liberalisation for Georgia. Some analysts claim that Russia is shadowing the EU visa liberalisation process for Georgian citizens.
Karasin also said in the same interview that “Georgian side is not still ready to restore diplomatic relations with Russia, which it cut in September 2008” following the August war. He noted that although the two countries managed to improve bilateral relations and “take them out of the deadlock” over the past four years, Tbilisi still uses “confrontational rhetoric” against Russia from time to time.
DFM Karasin is closely engaged with Geogian portfolio: he represents Russia at the Geneva International Discussions which was set up in 2008 to deal with the consequences of August 2008 war. He also meets with Georgian Prime Minsiter`s Personal Representative Zurab Abashidze set up to discuss economic and humanitarian ties in a bilateral format. DFM Karasin also supervised the signing of the treaties on alliance and strategic partnership with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
When asked whether the Russian and Georgian foreign ministers will meet each other on the sideline of the OSCE Ministerial in December, he responded that no top level meetings are planned so far.
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