KYIV. Dec 24 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and Security Service have upheld the request made by Deputy of the Party of Regions faction Oleh Tsaryov to ban entry to Ukraine to 36 persons, including former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, other 29 Georgian citizens, five U.S. nationals and a Serb, the Kommersant Ukraine newspaper reported on Tuesday.
All these individuals are suspected of "consulting the opposition on destabilizing the situation in the country," the newspaper quoted Tsaryov as saying.
"The more frequent visits of foreign political consultants and protest experts, whose activities turn into a threat to the national security, cause quite reasonable concerns," Tsaryov wrote in his request. The deputy has also submitted a list of "persons, who have the opportunity to implement political interests of other countries in the framework of consultative work."
The list includes research associate of the Center for Transatlantic Relations under the John Hopkins University Taras Kuzio, member of the expert council of the parliamentary committee for European integration Andreas Umland and U.S. citizens Fink Bryan, Vasilik Miron and Alexander Ros.
Ros is "the best world specialist in organizing revolutions via social networks," Tsaryov said.
Another person on the list is Serb citizen Marko Ivkovic, who "organized the revolution against Slobodan Milosevic with a team of Serbs" and promoted such a scenario in Ukraine, Tsaryov said.
Tsaryov submitted a relevant request addressed to Ukrainian Security Service Head Oleksandr Yakimenko and Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara on December 8. "The destabilization of the situation in Ukraine, street activities and seizure of buildings are planned and organization of such campaigns requires participation of relevant experts," Tsaryov said.
Three persons included in Tsaryov's request have already failed to enter Ukraine, the newspaper reported citing Georgian Ambassador in Kyiv Giorgi Zakarashvili. "We are currently working with the Foreign Ministry and trying to find out how true the list of Deputy Tsaryov is and how much people on this list match the criteria declared," the diplomat said.
When asked what steps Georgia could take in response regarding Ukraine, Zakarashvili said: "Ukraine is a friendly country for us and we are holding relevant work - we are trying to specify the information. I hope that we will resolve all issues in a constructive way."
The Ukrainian Security Service press office told Interfax it did not comment on the information for now.