Georgia’s Interior Ministry Blacklists Luzhkov

TBILISI - Moscow’s former mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, who visited Georgia several days ago without any problems at the border, will be blacklisted by the Interior Ministry of Georgia.

The information was released by the Deputy Interior Minister Shalva Khutsishvili on Thursday. “The fact that Luzhkov was permitted to enter Georgia was due to his absence from the black list. We will include him in the list, and he will not be able to visit Georgia in the future,” Khutsishvili stated.

Luzhkov arrived in Georgia last week as a tourist. His photos, published on social networks, caused some Georgians to feel irritation and anger. The Russian politician visited occupied Sokhumi in 2006 and 2009 without Georgian authorities’ consent, which is a violation of Georgian occupation laws.

The Georgian opposition says that Luzhkov was among the first Russian politicians who supported the independence of the breakaway regions of Georgia – Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Luzhkov responded to the statement of the Interior Ministry, saying this was a "senseless and incomprehensible" action. "Such decisions arise after certain actions directed against the interests of Georgia or any other country," he added.

By Thea Morrison