PROTOCOL
OF CONSULTATIVE MEETENG OF EXPERTS OF GEORGIAN AND RUSSIAN SIDES on Introduction of Visa Regime between
On 18-20 April
During the meeting, the following issues have been
discussed:
- The compliance of draft of legal acts submitted
to the Georgian side “Agreement between the Government of the Russian
Federation and the Executive Authorities of Georgia on Mutual Trips of
Citizens” and “Protocol between the Government of Russian Federation and
Executive Authorities of Georgia on Simplified Patterns of the Russian-Georgian
Border for Citizens Living in the Adjacent to the Border Territories” with the
“Agreement on Vise-Free Movement of Citizens of the CIS Member—States on the
whole Territory of Commonwealth of Independent States” - signed on 9 October
- The problems related to visa provision for
servicemen of the
- Practical implementation of provisions of the
aforementioned drafts of the Agreement and the Protocol in the zones of
conflict on the
As a result of exchange of points of view, the
Sides fixed the following positions:
1. The Georgian Side considers that introduction
of the visa regime between the two States runs counter to the “Agreement on
Visa-Free Movement of Citizens of the CIS Member—States on the whole
The Georgian Side considers that the existing
legal basis does not allow to fully implement all the
necessary measures in terms of protection of legitimate rights and interests of
the two States and their citizens within the framework of the visa-free regime.
The Russian Side, bearing in mind substantial
violations on the part of the Georgian Side some provisions of bilateral and
multi-lateral agreements and treaties, and the sheer necessity to activate
anti-terrorist struggle, illegal migration and organized crime, as well as an
idea of introduction of visa regime put forward by the Georgian Side (namely by
Mr. R.Adamia and Mr. V. Chkeidze)
insists on starting comprehensive negotiation on introduction of visa regime
between the Russian Federation and Georgia. The Russian Side believes that
introduction of visa regime shall contribute to positive development of
bilateral relations.
The Georgian Side underlines that as a mere
response on the part of Mr. R. Adamia and Mr. V. Chkeidze to a statement of Mr. Seleznev,
in which he called upon the Government of the Russian Federation to close the
border between the two States, neither the statement of Mr. Adamia
and Mr. Chkeidze, nor statement of Mr. Seleznev, are not tantamount to the official positions of
the Sides.
In addition, the Georgian Side cannot agree to
allegations that it has committed any substantial violations of international
law and points out that the aforementioned arguments put forward by Russian
representatives, cannot be used as feasible reasons for introduction of a visa
regime.
2. The Georgia Side expressed its point of view
that in case of introduction of visa regime between the Sides, the Russian
servicemen and members of their families must be subject to the same rules and
regulations as other foreigners and doe not see any ground and rational to
grant some privileges to this category of citizens of the Russian Federation.
The Russian side disagreed with the aforementioned
stance of the Georgian side and based on the fact of temporary presence of this
category of Russian citizens on the territory of Georgia, defined by the
Agreement concluded between the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
and Ministry of Defense of Georgia in 1992 on coordination of activities aimed
at guaranteeing security of military units of the Russian Federation on the
territory of the Republic of Georgia, and considers it necessary to maintain
non-visa regime for that category of citizens of the Russian Federation.
In case of introduction of visa regime, the
pattern of entry of Russian servicemen and their family members can be
regulated by the offered draft Agreement on bilateral trips of citizens of the
Meanwhile, the Russian Side informed that in the
nearest future those Russian servicemen and their families who are on the
In case if the Georgian side insists on necessity
for the Russian servicemen to get visa, the Russian side is going to review the
article 3 of the draft Agreement.
3. The Georgian Side believes that the existence
of only one check point along the state border between Georgia and the Russian
Federation and the absence of bilateral control over zones of conflict adjacent
to the state border between the Russian Federation and Georgia will not allow
the Sides to fully implement goals and objectives of introduction of visa
regime offered by the Russian Side.
The Russian Side declared about the possibility of
securing proper control over crossing of the Georgian-Russian border by
citizens of the two States in conformity with the “Agreement between the
Government of the Russian Federation and the Executive Authorities of Georgia
on Mutual Trips of Citizens” and “Protocol between the Government of Russian
Federation and Executive Authorities of Georgia on Simplified Patterns of the
Russian-Georgian Border for Citizens Living in the Adjacent to the Border
Territories”. In addition, the Russian Side declared its readiness to carry out
negotiations on opening of additional check points in order to secure easier
crossing of Georgian-Russian border by the population living in adjacent to the
border territories.
The Russian Side insistently requests the Georgian
Side to respond, as soon as possible, to the draft Agreement and draft Protocol
that have been submitted to the Georgian Side
previously.
The Consultative meeting, according to both sides,
has been held in the atmosphere of frankness and good will. The Sides agreed to
inform their respective State authorities, as soon as possible, about this
consultative meeting and to propose the idea of continuation of consultation.
Time-terms of the future meetings will be discussed separately.
In the course of the meeting, a number of
consultative-legal issues have been addressed and discussed.
On behalf of the Georgian Side Z.Tinikashvili
On behalf of the Russian Side M. Torshin
(Archive of the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs of