Russia has stopped issuing visas to Georgian citizens following the breakup of bilateral diplomatic ties, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Now this process (of issuing visas) has been suspended and we are thinking what measures could be devised to minimize the damage caused to the citizens of both countries," Interfax news agency cited the spokesman Andrei Nesterenko.
Georgia formally cut diplomatic ties with Russia on Tuesday following military conflicts with Russia in its breakaway region of South Ossetia and Moscow's recognition of South Ossetia and another breakaway region of Abkhazia last month.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday slammed Tbilisi's decision, saying it will pose a negative effect on the interests of Georgian citizens who are staying in Russia permanently or temporarily.
"Georgia must think about the general condition of the bilateral relations because a huge number of Georgian citizens work in Russia. We do not want to create problems for them," local media quoted Lavrov as saying.
Georgia sent in troops to reclaim South Ossetia on Aug. 8, triggering a military counter-offensive by Russia. The conflict ended with a cease-fire agreement between Tbilisi and Moscow brokered by France.
However, tensions between the two nations were heightened as Russia recognized the self-proclaimed independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Source:Xinhua
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