Israel became the ninth country to recognize neutral travel documents launched by Georgia for the residents of its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said that Israel’s new ambassador Yuval Fuchs handed over a relevant note to the Georgian Foreign Ministry while presenting copies of his credentials to the Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister on August 23.

According to the Georgian State Ministry for Reintegration other countries which have also recognized neutral travel documents are: Bulgaria; the Czech Republic; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; Poland; Slovakia and the United States.

Moscow slammed Georgia’s neutral travel documents as “provocative” and Sokhumi said it was “a trap” through which Tbilisi “wants to lure” Abkhazians back to its fold.