Muscat: The Oman government said that it was in discussions with Georgia after the recent incident where Omani nationals were sent back from Tbilisi.
More than ten Omanis were denied entry into Georgia, according to the local media reports.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported “the ministry is in discussion with authorities in the Republic of Georgia regarding the circumstances surrounding a number of Omani tourists being sent back from Tbilisi airport recently.”
The statement added “according to the information available, this included citizens of other Gulf countries and not only Omanis. The ministry affirms that relations with the Republic of Georgia are strong and work on the continuation and development of these relations is ongoing.”
An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the state-owned TV, Oman TV, that such incidents are strange as most of the Omanis who are banned entry to Georgia had all the valid required documents.
Ali Al Mahri, the head of the Media Affairs at the ministry said: “The new cases of Omanis who were denied entry to Georgia...they all had the required documents. It’s a strange thing. The previous Omanis were sent back home as their documents were incomplete.”
He added that talks are on with the Georgian authorities in this regard.
Oman doesn’t have an embassy in Tbilisi but has a non-resident ambassador to Georgia based in Ankara, Turkey.
In April, the Embassy of Oman in Ankara, Turkey issued an advisory to its citizens planning to travel to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia to comply with required guidelines before starting their holidays.
The embassy urged Omani travellers to disclose the areas they plan to visit in Georgia, have a valid passport, health insurance, an agreement with an accredited tourist company and the hotel reservation.
The embassy said that many travellers did not follow normal procedures while booking the ticket, without coordination with tourism companies in Georgia.
“The Omani citizens often rely on individuals residing in Georgia or some parties with vested interests”, the embassy said.
The Oman Embassy in Ankara also added that it had received a communication about the theft of personal belongings of an Omani citizen in Azerbaijan.
In April, a newly-wed Omani couple was found dead in a flat in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi last. Local police said a gas leak was the cause.
The couple, who were from Bahla province, north of Oman, were found only after three days by their tourist guide, according to the Oman Embassy in Ankara.
