Since the beginning of this year, the Serbian government has issued passports to Russian citizens at a rate four times higher than the combined total issued to all other foreign nationals. This finding comes from an analysis conducted by the Balkan Service of Radio Free Europe, which reviewed the decisions made by the Serbian government. The analysis indicates that among these passport recipients are individuals who are subject to international sanctions.
The Serbian government has reportedly cited “interests” for Serbia as the basis for issuing these documents. One specific example cited is Valeriy Kazikayev, who became a Serbian citizen on January 16th. Kazikayev is reportedly on the US sanctions list dating back to April 2023 due to documented business associations with the Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.
Furthermore, the reports noted another instance of a Russian citizen receiving a new Serbian passport. The US Department of State has not issued a comment regarding Radio Free Europe’s findings concerning the issuance of citizenship to Kazikayev. The data suggests a notable pattern in how the Serbian government has managed the issuance of travel documents to Russian nationals.
The disparity in issuance rates between Russian citizens and the general foreign population has drawn scrutiny regarding the criteria used by the government in Serbia.
Topics: #serbian #government #serbia
A review by the Balkan Service of Radio Free Europe indicates that the Serbian government has issued passports to Russian citizens at a rate four times higher than the combined total issued to all oth