23:00, 3 November 2009

Russian State Duma considers deprivation of Georgian Foreign Minister of Russian citizenship

Some deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation believe that that fact that Grigol Vashadze, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, has Russian citizenship allows him to be engaged in "anti-Russian activities."

Mr Vashadze's Russian passport, along with the Georgian one, has revolted Semyon Bagdasarov, a member of the faction "Spravedlivaya Rossiya" (Fair Russia). The "Interfax" reports that the deputy suggested instructing the profile committees of the State Duma to request the respective data from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consider deprivation of Grigol Vashadze of Russian citizenship.

Meanwhile, according to Article 6 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, "a citizen of the Russian Federation cannot be deprived of his or her citizenship," as noted by the "Georgia Today" Agency.

Before November 2008 Grigol Vashadze held the post of deputy minister of foreign affairs of Georgia, then, he headed the ministry for culture and sports, and since December 2008 is the head of the Foreign Office of this country. He has two citizenships - of Georgia and Russia.