23:37, 24 March 2005

Dual citizenship for unrecognised republic?

Equipment has already been purchased for all town and district divisions of internal affairs and it will soon be installed, Vice President Raul Khadzhimba of Abkhazia said in an interview for Caucasian Knot. Work on the Provision on the Passport of the Citizen of the Republic of Abkhazia has been completed and the mechanism to issue documents has been determined that would allow for the financial means of the population. Passports will start to be handed out in the near future, Mr Khadzhimba added. The vice president reminded that passport forms for citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia had been ordered back under the first president, Vladislav Ardzinba.

It should be noted that a large number of people in Abkhazia, which is an unrecognised republic, already have Russian passports, which has been the subject of strong discontent on the part of Georgia.

Author: Anzhela Kuchuberiya, CK correspondent