The European Commission released a report on Georgia’s implementation of the action plan on visa liberalization (VLAP) on December 18, 2015.
Even before the corresponding political decision on liberalization of the European visa regime for Georgia was made by the EU they started talks in Georgia about the possibility of facilitating the process of issuing biometric passports of Georgian citizenship to citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Republic of Abkhazia for the purpose of unobstructed visiting the Schengen zone.
It’s true that South Ossetia citizens can have problems with obtaining visas to enter some European countries. It refers to those who received foreign travel passports of the Russian Federation on territory of the Republic of South Ossetia and especially those who have “South Ossetia” as place of birth. Unfortunately, such discriminatory policy exists and is pursued by authorities of several European states. And there is no secret that it again happens at the suggestion of Georgian officials.
This problem was numerous times raised by South Ossetia delegation at the Geneva discussions. And for this reason the so-called care of more comfortable possibilities of travelling abroad to Europe for citizens of South Ossetia looks rather cynical and would be simply Georgia’s another failure.
Moreover, hardly can the possibility of a visa-free trip to Europe with Georgian passport change mind of any South Ossetian or Abkhazian citizen and do him to “join” the unsavory reputation developed in Europe by numerous illegal immigrants and criminals from Georgia.
Unfortunately we have to assure once again of Georgian pathological inability to establish constructive interstate relations with neighbourning states based on respect.
Once again we would like to draw attention to the fact that no progress in solving the problems in relations with the Republic of South Ossetia is made neither by former nor by current Georgian officials: they still place stake on bribery in line with the policy of “soft power” and “attraction”. However, evolution of bribery element is significant: if there were sacks with fertilizers in 2004, now there are Georgian passports in 2015.
December 25, 2015, Tskhinval