Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili is planning to grant Georgian citizenship to more people before he leaves office.

In a statement on Tuesday, the president’s administration invites anyone who wants Georgian citizenship to apply now.

Many people have applied to the president recently because they have been denied citizenship by the Ministry of Justice.

“Among them are people who have never been citizens of Georgia and now want to be, and are people who used to be Georgian citizens, but had it revoked after they received citizenship in another country,” the president’s statement reads.

There are also foreign businessmen who work in Georgia and want to have Georgian citizenship, and businessmen who plan to invest in the country.

“That is why we decided to grant these people Georgian citizenship through simplified procedure so our country can be as integrated with the outside world as possible.”

In recent weeks, Saakashvili has granted Georgian citizenship to thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Turkey.