TBILISI, DFWatch – Israel has recognized Georgia’s so-called neutral travel documents, according to the ministry on reintegration issues.

Neutral travel document and neutral ID are a system for issuing passports and identity documents to the population of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, proposed by Georgia.

The stated goal is to give people an opportunity to use social services and to travel abroad. Most of the inhabitants in the two regions today have Russian passports and locally issued passports which are not recognized internationally.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia have rejected the propoased new documents, arguing that in order to aquire them it is necessary to apply to Georgia, which is unacceptable to them.

Japan, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the USA, Bulgaria, Poland and Israel have recognized these proposed documents.

The Georgian government welcomes Israel’s decision to recognize the documents.