Russia continues to take illegal steps against Georgia

From the point of view of international law, any agreement between the occupying country and the puppet regimes created by it has no legal force and is considered invalid, Georgian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mari Narchemashvili said, Report informs.

Narchemashvili noted that in gross violation of the principles of international law, Russia has been mandatorily issuing passports for people living in the occupied regions of Georgia since the early 2000s as an illegitimate and hybrid tool against Georgia.

"The international community strongly supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and unanimously condemns Russia's efforts to issue passports and annexation in the occupied territories," she added.

Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a bill to ratify the agreement on dual citizenship between the so-called "Republic of South Ossetia" and Russia. The document, signed on September 20, 2021, envisages giving the citizens of self-proclaimed South Ossetia the right to become a citizen of the Russian Federation without renouncing their citizenship. If ratified, the bill will also allow Russians to acquire citizenship of the unrecognized republic.