EU: The EU urged Russia to stop harassing Georgian citizens yesterday as evidence emerged of a co-ordinated campaign against them in Moscow.
Against a backdrop of rising tension between the two neighbouring states, EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg expressed "grave concern" at measures targeting Georgians living in Russia.
In a statement, the EU asked Russia not to pursue measures targeting Georgians on its territory and warned of the economic, political and humanitarian consequences of recent measures it has adopted against Georgia.
Russia has severed all links with Georgia and launched a crackdown on Georgian-run businesses and Georgians living in Russia following the brief arrest last month of four Russian officers accused of spying by the Georgian authorities. Georgia, which is seeking closer ties with the EU and Nato, has accused Russia of ethnic cleansing in Moscow and warned the economic blockade will cost it billions of euro in lost trade.
The EU statement was issued as rights campaigners said they had obtained a leaked order from a Russian city police chief instructing officers to single out Georgians illegally resident in Russia for deportation.
The leaked memo, from the chief of police in St Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad region, ordered police to "carry out a wide-scale operation to expose and deport the maximum number of Georgian citizens living illegally in Russia".
Russian officials have said the deportations have been in strict accordance with the law and they have been targeted at all illegal immigrants, not just Georgians.
The EU also warned Georgia to avoid any action that would heighten the existing tension with Russia.