Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a preliminary agreement on dual citizenship between Russia and South Ossetia, according to Russian media.
Thus, Russians can obtain the citizenship of self-proclaimed South Ossetia, and residents of Tskhinvali and other settlements of the former Georgian autonomy can freely obtain Russian citizenship.
The agreement will be valid for five years and will be automatically extended for the next five years, unless one of the parties notifies its intention to terminate it within six months.
“To accept the proposal of the Russian Foreign Ministry, agreed with the interested federal executive bodies, to sign an agreement between Russia and the Republic of South Ossetia on the settlement of dual citizenship. To approve the draft agreement previously worked out with the South Ossetian side, ”the order published on the official Internet portal of legal information of the Russian government reads.
“A person who is a citizen of both parties enjoys the rights to social security, education, medical care in accordance with the laws of the party in whose territory he resides,” the document reads.
In addition, people who have dual citizenship serve in the military where they reside at the time of conscription, and citizens who have previously served in the military are exempt from conscription.
Russia recognized two regions of Georgia, South Ossetia (Tskhinvali region) and Abkhazia, as independent republics on August 25, 2008, after a five-day war with Georgia. The Georgian government then severed diplomatic relations with Russia and officially declared the regions occupied territories.
With the exception of Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria, all countries of the world consider these regions as territories of Georgia under Russian occupation.
Source: newsgeorgia.ge