Georgia, Tbilisi, Feb. 25 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
The cancellation of the visa regime for residents of the North Caucasus is a demonstration that the Caucasus Mountains have never created obstacles for its peoples, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in anexclusive interview with the "PIC" television channel.
"Kabardino-Balkaria and a lot of separated families are behind these mountains, but they are not separated by these large mountains that have never created barriers for people but because of immigration policy that exists between Russia and Georgia," he said.
However, he said if Russia abolished the visa regime for Georgian citizens, he would only welcome this, and the abolition of visas for residents of the North Caucasus has brought tangible benefits to them, including thousands of Georgian families.
"I want them to visit Georgia as tourists before they was ordered to go to Georgia with tanks, they saw that Georgia lives by other concepts and Georgia is a peaceful country and we are not hostile to anyone" Saakashvili said.
Georgia introduced a visa-free regime for citizens of the North Caucasian republics of Russia from Oct.13.
The new regime of border crossing, which envisages for some citizens of the Russian Federation, namely for the citizens of the Chechen, Ingush, North Ossetian, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygey republics, introduction of the 90-day visa-free regime will enter into force in accordance with the Georgian President's decree dated Oct. 11, 2010.
This decision was made within the liberalization policies of the Georgian government and on the basis of the continuation of traditional relations with the peoples of the North Caucasus, said the statement by the Georgian Foreign Ministry.