As a result of extensive and multilateral negotiations between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Ukrainian side, 65 Ukrainian citizens who were stranded at the Dariali border crossing point voluntarily returned to their homeland via a third country via a charter flight.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs ensured the transportation of Ukrainian citizens from the border checkpoint Dariali to Tbilisi International Airport. They were handed over to representatives of the Ukrainian law enforcement agency. In turn, Ukrainian side ensured the boarding of their citizens and their escort during the charter flight.
It is noteworthy that a certain number of individuals still remain at the Georgian state border, and the Georgian side continues intensive negotiations with the Ukrainian side and international organizations to organize safe and voluntary return of stranded Ukrainian citizens to their homeland.
We hope that the return of the Ukrainian citizens that still remain at the Georgian border will not be delayed any further and they will return to their homeland in a timely manner in the near future.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia once again expresses its full readiness to implement all relevant measures within its competence to assist the Ukrainian side in the process of returning those stranded at the Georgian state border to their homeland.
As it is known to the public, 87 people from the Russian Federation were in the so-called neutral zone of the border crossing point Dariali, requesting to cross the Georgian state border with invalid documents and claiming to be citizens of Ukraine. In the interests of state security, the above-mentioned individuals were not allowed to enter the country, as they all have serious criminal records and have been convicted of multiple grave or especially grave crimes. In addition, they did not posses valid documents required to cross the border and did not meet the criteria for entry to the Georgian state border.
Over the past months, the Georgian side has held a number of working meetings with the Ukrainian Embassy in Georgia, as well as with representatives of international organizations. In order to resolve the existing issue, the police attach network was also used, within the framework of which communication took place between the Georgian police attach in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all relevant state agencies, within the scope of their competence, are taking the necessary measures to, on the one hand, protect the security of the population of Georgia and, on the other hand, ensure the timely return to their homeland of those remaining in the so-called "neutral zone".
