The ministry said on 21 October that some Abkhaz-Russian citizens had difficulty using Abkhaz passports at Moscow airports; it is consulting Russian authorities and asks affected travellers to report incidents.
Abkhazia’s Foreign Ministry said on 21 October that it knew of isolated cases in which people with both Abkhaz and Russian citizenship had difficulty crossing Russia’s border at Moscow airports when they presented Abkhaz passports.
JAMnews said Russian border guards had refused to let some dual citizens enter or leave using Abkhaz passports and had demanded Russian documents instead. The ministry said it had no information about similar incidents at other border crossings.
Abkhazia is largely unrecognised, and only a handful of countries, including Russia, accept its passports for travel. Russia’s stated position is that a dual citizen crossing its border must use a Russian passport, not merely that a Russian passport is preferred.
If a traveller’s Russian passport has expired and a replacement has not arrived, refusal of their Abkhaz passport removes that alternative at the airport. Some people in Abkhazia suspect the guards have other motives, but that suspicion does not establish why the guards acted.
The issue was discussed by Abkhaz and Russian foreign ministers at a recent meeting in Moscow, but no solution had been found. Abkhazia’s Foreign Ministry says consultations with Russian authorities continue. It has advised travellers who encounter difficulties to file detailed accounts with the ministry.
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