Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia cancel mutual visa regime

On April 7, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed laws on ratification of intergovernmental agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia on mutual visa-free travels. The State Duma voted for ratification of these documents on March 23, and the Council of the Federation - on March 30.

The visa cancellation agreement between Russia and South Ossetia was signed on February 1, 2010, in Moscow. It was supposed to take effect in 30 days; however, because of the need of some rework, the ratification was postponed.

The agreements provide visa-free travel for up to 90 days, both under foreign passports and internal documents.

A special regime of stay in the territories of the breakaway republics is envisioned for Russian militaries. The citizens of the Russian Federation, sent to the republics for military service under contracts, and their family members, stay there under their service passports without visas for the whole duration of service, and conscripts (regular soldiers) - under their Russian passports and military identification cards (certificates), reports the website of the Russian President.

Earlier, the official Tbilisi had treated the signing of the above agreement between Russia and South Ossetia on visa-free regime as a cynical Moscow's step. As stated by Nino Kalandadze, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, "it is a formal visa-free regime, which is a violation of international law and an illegal action." "This is another attempt undertaken by the Russian Federation towards formal consolidation and improvement of the quality of legitimacy in the politics of recognition of the occupied territories," said Ms Kalandadze.