TBILISI, November 20 (AVN) - Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze made it clear on Monday he was ready to soften the visa regime with adjacent Russian Russian regions, primarily with Chechnya.
Shevardnadze's statement came in response to Russia's unilateral plans to establish a new visa regime on the RF-Georgia border, which the president believes to be discriminating for Georgia. According to him, Russia's intention violates many international rules.
The Georgian vision of a softened visa regime is much more a political step, a high-ranked official in the Russian Federal Border Guard Service (FBGS) told the Military News Agency.
"Not so many changes will happen after this idea will be implemented. Relatively free crossing of this border by Chechens exists even nowadays. It is also interesting that the border is crossed by armed people as well, who bear no responsibility for their actions even if detained by Georgian law-enforcers", the official said.