At the press centre of the State Committee of Information and Press was held a press-conference of the head of the Consular Department of the Embassy of Russia in South Ossetia Tamerlan Zasseev. He told about the work of the Department and the services provided by the Consular Department to citizens of South Ossetia and Russia.
He has reminded that the temporary consular office of the Russian Foreign Ministry was opened in Tskhinval in September 2008. At that time it provided a limited set of services - replacement of passports, rendering assistance to retirees and granting Russian citizenship to minors.
"Since 2009, when in South Ossetia was opened Russian embassy, the Consular Department began to provide a full range of services on a par with any other Russian diplomatic mission in the world," - said Zasseev.
The main part of the work is connected with the issuance or replacement of Russian foreign passports to citizens of the Russian Federation or residing in South Ossetia.
"Citizens can get two types of passports - for five years, obtained by the majority of the population of the Republic, and the so-called biometric for 10 years. Biometric passport has a high level of immunity, being more trusted while visiting most of the countries,"- said the head of the Department.
He has specified that for obtaining a foreign passport the originals of the required documents and their quality copies must be submitted to the Consular Section.
«The cost of a standard passport is 930 rubles, the biometric - 2480 rubles. Terms of registration of both types of the document are the same - up to three months. Citizens can apply for a passport, as directly to the Consular Department, and through the Internet sites passportzu.ru (to obtain ordinary foreign passports for five years) and midpass.ru (the biometric passport). Payment of both types of the document is through Sberbank RSO, "- told Zasseev.
He has noted that the Consular Department works in close cooperation with the passport and visa service of the Interior Ministry of South Ossetia, where citizens can also get support in preparation of the documents, as well as render advisory assistance.
If necessary, employees of the Department visit the districts of the Republic, providing consular services to the population on the spot.
Concerning the conditions for obtaining Russian citizenship Zasseev stressed that at the moment in South Ossetia Russian citizenship could be granted only to minors.
"Adult citizens of South Ossetia can expect to obtain Russian citizenship only on the condition that they fall under at least one article of the Russian law on citizenship," - said the diplomat.
He has added that at the moment the work on an agreement between South Ossetia and Russia on dual citizenship is under way.
"As soon as it is signed, the Consular Department will again start to accept documents from all citizens of South Ossetia wishing to obtain Russian citizenship," - said Zasseev.
This year Russian citizens residing in South Ossetia could obtain a certificate for maternity capital.
"At the moment the certificate already received about 15 women, more applications are under consideration," - said Zasseev.
He has added that the Consular Department provides notary services to the population, mainly various types of power of attorney.
"These documents do not differ from the issued directly on the territory of the Russian Federation and are valid in all Russian institutions," - said the head of Department.
The Department also legalizes the documents issued in South Ossetia that citizens of the Republic intend to present on the territory of Russia.
"The necessity of legalization of documents will disappear after the conclusion of the agreement between South Ossetia on temporary assistance in civil, family and criminal cases. The draft document is ready and, hopefully, soon it will be signed,"- said Zasseev
Attache of the Embassy Soslan Tsidaev told the journalists about the situation with the deposits of the citizens of South Ossetia in the North Ossetian Region Development Bank.
"Currently the North Ossetian Region Development Bank became bankrupt. Pensions and deposits of citizens are paid by three Russian Banks - Sberbank, Rosselkhozbank and Svyazbank, compensating deposits up to 700 thousand rubles, anything over will be paid after the sale of property of the bank", - explained Tsidaev.
In conclusion Tamerlan Zasseev has noted that for Russian citizens who are in the territory of South Ossetia on a business trip, the Consular Department provides the registry office services.
For the veterans of the great Patriotic war all the services of the Consular Department are free of charge.
