Abkhazian and Russian officials discuss citizenship procedures

Abkhazian Foreign Minister Oleg Bartsits met Russian Ambassador Vyacheslav Gladkov. Procedures for obtaining Russian citizenship for residents of the republic were among the topics discussed.

The meeting took place at the Russian embassy in Sukhum at the invitation of the Russian side, the Abkhaz news agency Apsadgil-info reported on October 9. Participants also included Jemal Bganba, head of the strategic cooperation department at Abkhazia’s Foreign Ministry, embassy minister-counsellor Maksim Litvinov and First Secretary Alexey Zhelygin.

The sides exchanged views on bilateral issues and discussed the current state of Abkhazian-Russian cooperation and its prospects. They also considered practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

One part of the meeting focused on procedures for obtaining Russian citizenship for citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia. According to the agency, Oleg Bartsits thanked Vyacheslav Gladkov for the Russian side’s assistance in speeding up the relevant procedures.

The published report gave no figures for applicants, processing times or possible changes to the requirements. The meeting addressed citizenship procedures alongside broader areas of bilateral cooperation.