Georgia stops Russian citizens entering S.Ossetia

Regnum, Moscow, in Russian
14 Sep 06

GEORGIA STOPS RUSSIAN CITIZENS ENTERING SOUTH OSSETIA – SEPARATIST
MINISTER

[No dateline as received] South Ossetian interior minister Mikhail
Mindzayev has told Regnum that on 14 September Georgia began
preventing persons carrying Russian passports from passing through
South Ossetian territory.

He said that citizens of Russia, Armenia and other countries, with
the exception of residents of South Ossetia, were not being allowed
through. Mindzayev added that the Georgian side was stopping these
persons from travelling in either direction – both from Russia and
from Georgia.

"In response we have denied passage through South Ossetian territory
to persons with Georgian passports, excluding those who live on the
territory of the republic of South Ossetia in so-called Georgian
enclaves (predominantly Georgian-populated villages)," he said.

Mindzayev added that the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict
zone was calm and that no incidents had been recorded for several
days.

"The Georgian leadership has not received new foreign tranches
intended for further action against South Ossetia," he said.