RUSSIANS TO GET ENTRY VISAS TO GEORGIA AT GROUND CHECKPOINTS

ITAR-TASS, Russia
Oct 26 2006

TBILISI, October 26 (Itar-Tass) – In accordance with a decision made
by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Russian citizens will now
be able to get entry visas to Georgia not only at airports of Tbilisi,
Batumi and Kutaisi, seaports of Poti and Batumi and ground-based border
checkpoint Daryali (North Ossetian section of the Georgian-Russian
border), but also at other ground-based checkpoints on the Georgian
border, Georgian border police officials told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

>From now on Russian citizens wishing to visit Georgia will be able to
receive visas at the ground checkpoints Sadakhlo (Georgian-Armenian
border), Krasny Most checkpoint (Georgian-Azerbaijani border), Sarpi
(Batumi section of the Georgian-Turkish border), Vale (Akhaltsikh
section of the Georgian-Turkish border).

"This decision has been made in connection with the situation
developed recently," it is said in an official statement of the
Georgian border police department. After transport connection between
Georgia and Russia was closed on October 3 many Russian citizens have
been travelling to Georgia via third countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan
and Turkey. Some Russian citizens obtain entry visas to Georgia in
advance and some – on arrival in the country.

In the summer of 2004, Georgia unilaterally made a decision on the
simplification of the visa regime with the Russian Federation and since
then Russian citizens could get entry visas to Georgia at its airports
and the Daryali border checkpoint. The visa regime between the two
countries was introduced on the Russian initiative in December 2000.