Tuesday, April 8 2014

Tbilisi. The President of Georgia will have an exclusive
right to grant the citizenship of the country and  asylum, Justice Minister of Georgia Teya
Tsulukiani told journalists.  According
to her, the Justice Ministry and other agencies had elaborated a special bill,
which entered into effect.   

"The bill envisages the Georgian
President's prerogative to grant the citizenship and the political
asylum", the minister noted.

According to Tsulukiani, "the head of
the state ensures a single state policy in the sphere of citizenship, which is
based on the legislation in this sphere and the state bodies' practical activity".

"This means that the President will
make decisions on grating citizenship to foreigners and stateless individuals,
restoration of citizenship as well as  on
renunciation of the citizenship", the minister said.

Earlier, the Justice Ministry elaborated
and submitted to the Parliament for approval amendments to the Law on
Citizenship of Georgia. Namely, a procedure of the Georgian citizenship
restoration has been changed.  As it was
said in the document, individuals, filing application for the citizenship
restoration, will have to undergo a test in the Georgian language and  will not have to pass a test  in Georgian history and the law. Besides, the
bill abolished a possibility to losing the Georgian citizenship because of
living in another country (because of absence of  Consular registration during two years due
to   unreasonable excuse".

Pursuant to the bill, Georgian citizens
should not be deprived  of the
citizenship if they are granted another country's citizenship. A  persons with dual citizenship will not be
deprived of the Georgian citizenship because of 
employment in force structures, security bodies and analogous agencies
of the country  of his/her citizenship.