All news
Updated at: 

Putin orders to sign deal regulating dual-citizenship issues between Russia and Abkhazia

It is noted that the agreement will be valid in the course of a five-year term

MOSCOW, September 9. /TASS/. Russia is set to sign with Abkhazia an agreement regulating the dual-citizenship issues and a relevant order has been issued by President Vladimir Putin, according to the document published on Friday on the official web portal of legal information.

"To accept the Russian Foreign Ministry’s proposal, agreed upon with the relevant Federal executive bodies, on the signing of an agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Abkhazia on the settlement of the dual-citizenship issues," the document reads.

According to the document, Russian nationals will have the right of being granted the citizenship of Abkhazia without refusing the Russian citizenship and vice versa. All individuals, who had the citizenship of Abkhazia as of August 26, 2008 and still have it, will be able to receive the Russian citizenship through a simplified procedure.

The agreement will be valid in the course of a five-year term and will be extended automatically unless one of the signatories submits in advance a written intention to cancel it.

The Russian president has granted his approval to this document, empowering the Russian Foreign Ministry with introducing changes to it.

Moscow recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on August 26, 2008, after Georgia had mounted an overnight armed attack against South Ossetia on August 8.

Moscow intervened to protect civilians, many of whom had obtained Russian citizenship, and Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region since 1992. In a five-day armed clash, more than one thousand people, including 72 Russian peacekeepers, lost their lives.