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Deputy Chief Prosecutor Resigns


Deputy General Prosecutor Gia Jikia filed his resignation following the arrest of his son in Batumi on charges of illegal possession of arms, the Georgian media reported on August 25. Jikia?s son was arrested on August 15 after he opened fire after a quarrel with an unknown person. No one was injured. Before taking over the deputy general prosecutor?s position, …

26/08/2005 - 10:34


CIS Leaders Meet in Kazan


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili will leave for the Russian city of Kazan on August 26 to participate in the summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Reformation of the CIS is among the issues scheduled to be discussed at the summit. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)


Russian Commander: Annual Plan of Military Pullout Fulfilled


Commander of Russian Land Forces, Col. Gen. Aleksey Maslov said on August 25 that Russia has completely fulfilled the plan on withdrawal of its military hardware from Georgia for 2005, as envisaged by the agreement reached by Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministers in May, Interfax and RIA Novosti reported.  ?The situation around the Russian bases in …

25/08/2005 - 17:01


Abkhaz PM: We Won’t Trade in Our Freedom


Abkhaz prime minister Aleksander Ankvab told Regnum news agency that the independence of Abkhazia will not be traded in for the economic opportunities and international assistance. In the interview, Ankvab criticized western diplomats and said Abkhazia finds “far better understanding” of its claims in Russia. “Representatives of western diplomatic circles, sorry for rough language, always …


Tbilisi Proposes JCC Session over South Ossetia


Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Giorgi Khaindrava sent a letter to the co-chairman of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) in which he expressed concern regarding ?deteriorating situation? in the conflict zone, involving abductions and offered to convene the JCC session in Tbilisi on September 2. JCC involves representatives from the Georgian, South …


Tbilisi Demands Release of Georgians in Belarus


In a statement issued on August 25, the Georgian Foreign Ministry condemned the ?groundless detention? of two Georgian citizens by Belarussian police as ?provocative? and demanded their immediate release. Two activists of the Georgian youth movement Kmara ? Giorgi Kandelaki and Luka Tsuladze were arrested in Belarus on August 24. No official charges have been brought …


Car Accident Kills Two, Injures Opposition Leader


Leader of the opposition Republican Party Davit Usupashvili, his wife Tina Khidasheli and their child were slightly injured in a car crash which involved another car in which two brothers, one an 11-year-old boy, died. The incident occurred in western Georgia, while Usupashvili driving with his family en-route to Tbilisi late on August 24. ?I saw a …


Kazakh Bank Opens Branch Office in Tbilisi


Kazakh BankTuranAlem (BTA), which holds assets of USD 5.5 billion, opened a branch office in Tbilisi on August 23.  BTA has already invested in the reconstruction of hotel Iveria in downtown Tbilisi into a five-star hotel. The Silk Road Group is BTA?s major partner in Georgia. BTA has already set up branches in Moscow, Kiev, Yerevan and Shanghai. Among the …


Georgian MIA: Five Ossetians Released After Brief Detention


Five Ossetian civilians were released 20 minutes after being captured by relatives of four Georgian men who went missing in the conflict zone early this June, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported on August 24. According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, the five Ossetians were detained in the Georgian village of Kurta, north …

24/08/2005 - 21:27


Two Georgians Arrested in Belarus


Giorgi Kandelaki (left) and Belarus opposition leader Anatoly Lebedko in Tbilisi during U.S. President Bush’s visit, May 10, 2005. Two activists of the Georgian youth movement Kmara – Giorgi Kandelaki and Luka Tsuladze have been arrested in Belarus, the Georgian media sources reported on August 24.The two Georgian citizens were reportedly arrested in Minsk together …


Government Expects GEL 26 mln Budgetary Surplus


Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli announced on August 24 that the government will request the Parliament to approve amendments to the 2005 state budget that envisage the increase of budgetary expenditures by GEL 26 million (USD 14.4 million), the amount that budget revenues have exceeded their planned parameters this year. ?Budgetary indicators show the development of the …


Igor Giorgadze’s MP candidacy rejected, again


The Central Election Commission (CEC) refused on August 24 to register ex-security chief Igor Giorgadze as an MP candidate in the Shuakhevi majoritarian (single-mandate constituency) in the Adjara Autonomous Republic for the October 1 parliamentary by-elections. Igor Giorgadze is wanted in Georgia for masterminding a terrorist act against Georgia?s ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995. He fled …


One Dies in Robbery Attack in Kvemo Kartli Region


One died and two others were injured after a group of armed men attacked a passenger bus in the Marneuli district of the Kvemo Kartli region late on August 23. Local police officials say that four or five armed men robbed the passengers and then opened fire near the village of Tamarisi. This post is …


MP Assaulted, Robbed in Tbilisi


Parliamentarian from the opposition New Rights-Industrialists faction Tamaz Kacheishvili was attacked and beaten up by unknown men late on August 23 in Tbilisi. Kacheishvili also serves as financial manager of the beer producing company Kazbegi. ?Kacheishvili was attacked near his apartment. Then the attackers took him to Mtskheta [a town near Tbilisi] and tied him …


Georgia Asks Czech Republic to Help in Anti-Aircraft Defense


Visiting Georgian State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Issues Giorgi Baramidze discussed with Czech Deputy Defense Minister Martin Belcik on August 23 Georgia?s integration into NATO, as well as possible assistance from the Czech Republic in the modernization of Georgia anti-air craft defense system, the Prague Daily Monitor reported. Baramidze is on a tour of several Central …


Climber Dies on Mt. Shkhelda


One Georgian climber from a 14-member expedition scaling the 4,200-meter Mount Shkhelda in the mountainous Georgian region of Svaneti was killed and another injured after being hit by falling rocks. On August 23 rescuers recovered the remains of Mikheil Chachanidze, 24, as well as other climbers from the group, who were stranded over 3,000 meters up the mountain. This is …

23/08/2005 - 19:08


New U.S. Ambassador Meets Georgian President


New U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John F. Tefft presented his credentials to President Mikhail Saakashvili on August 23. Tefft arrived in Georgia on August 18 to replace former U.S. Ambassador Richard Miles. John Tefft is a native of Virginia who previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. He is a 33-year veteran …


Lavrov Speaks of Russia’s CIS Policy


Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists on August 23 that Russia will build its relations with the countries of Commonwealth of Independent States based on “international norms and law,” RIA Novosti news agency reported. A session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held in Moscow on …


Iran Helps Georgia Rehabilitate Gas Pipeline


The Iranian government approved payment of a USD 10 million loan to 7 states, including Georgia, IRNA news agency reported on August 23.  According to this report Iran will grant USD 500,000 to Georgia for the rehabilitation of the gas pipeline from Iran to Georgia.  The Iranian government has already allocated 20 million Euros in …


Moscow, Tskhinvali Deny Accusations as “Irresponsible”


Russian Foreign Ministry?s spokesman Mikhail Kaminin said in an information note issued on August 23 that ?irresponsible statement? of the Georgian Interior Ministry accusing the South Ossetian side and Russian peacekeepers of having links to the abduction of 11-year-old Geno Petriashvili from the South Ossetian conflict zone, ?causes bewilderment and regret.? ?The Georgian Interior Ministry hurries …


CIS Foreign Ministers Meet in Moscow


A session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was launched in Moscow on August 23 under the chairmanship of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the Georgian side is represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze. The issues of reformation of the CIS, …


Sources: Russia Ponders Change of Policy in CIS


All major Russian news agencies have reported the statement of an “unnamed high-ranking source in the Kremlin” as saying that Russia plans to change its policy towards the CIS countries “but more so with the US and the EU.” Pre-arranged leaks of such nature frequently appear in the news agencies close to the Kremlin, probing the …


Sokhumi Image on GEL Angers Abkhaz Side


Authorities in breakaway Abkhazia labeled “absurd” a proposal of President of the National Bank of Georgia Roman Gotsiridze to Abkhaz designers and painters to participate in a tender announced by Georgia for the design of a new 200 Georgian Lari (GEL) denomination banknote.   The reverse side of the new banknote should feature an image of …


Saakashvili: No Political Problems with Armenia


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said after talks with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian on August 22 that the two presidents discussed opportunities for deepening economic cooperation, adding that the two countries ?have no political problems? in bilateral relations. President Saakashvili paid a two-day informal visit to Armenia on August 21-22 and met with Robert Kocharian …


PACE President Urges Authorities to Maintain Reform Momentum


President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ren? van der Linden, who visited Georgia on August 20-22, urged the Georgian authorities to maintain the momentum of reform, the Council of Europe press office reported on August 22. During his visit, van der Linden met with Vice-Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Mikheil …

22/08/2005 - 19:10


South Ossetia Denies Having Links to Child Abduction


Special Affairs Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Boris Chochiev denied the allegations of the Georgian Interior Ministry about a link between officials of the unrecognized republic and the abduction of 11-year-old Geno Petriashvili. ?This is a typical position of the Georgian side ? to blame South Ossetia for everything? There are no political motives behind …


South Ossetia’s Fragile Peace Fears


Recent developments in the South Ossetian conflict zone, involving abductions, the seizure of allegedly smuggled goods by Russian peacekeepers and random shootings, point at persisting sources of tensions which may shake the fragile peace in the region at any time. South Ossetia re-emerged as the top news in the Georgian media on August 19 when …


Command Training Starts for Georgian, Azeri, Turkish Officers


Joint command training was launched on August 22 in Tbilisi for fifty officers from the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish armies. The training aims at providing security to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. Officers will be trained through simulated incidents to teach them to make better decisions in  emergency situations. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)


Saakashvili Visits Armenia


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrived in Armenia on August 21 for a two day informal visit to hold talks with his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian, Georgian and Armenian media sources reported. Saakashvili is reportedly accompanied by Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili. The Armenian President paid an informal visit to Georgia in April and held talks …


Georgian MIA: Russian Peacekeepers Linked to Abduction


In a statement issued on August 21, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said that ?the abduction of Geno Petriashvili [from the S.Ossetian conflict zone] is directly linked with the South Ossetian law enforcement agencies and Russian peacekeeping forces.? But the statement did not elaborate further as to what this alleged ?direct link? means. Neither …

21/08/2005 - 20:23


Kommersant: Abkhaz Military Training Cut Short because of UN Observer Presence


Russia’s daily Kommersant reported on August 20 from the military excercises in Abkhazia, that the trainings were cut short following the unexpected arrival of the UN observers, who were filming the excercises on video cameras. According to the reporter, chief of staff of the Abkhaz army Anatoly Zaytsev unexpectedly announced that the excercises would last …


Chief of Military Police Appointed


The Georgian media reported on August 21 that Mamuka Mujiri was appointed as the chief of the newly created Military Police ? a body of the Defense Ministry, which will be in charge of maintaining order and discipline in military units. Mamuka Mujiri previously served as chief of the criminal department of the Georgian Interior Ministry. Reports …


Georgian MIA Comments on Child Abduction in South Ossetia


In a statement issued on August 20 the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said that the abduction of 11-year-old Geno Petriashvili from the South Ossetian conflict zone ?confirms once again that Tskhinvali [capital of breakaway South Ossetia] is a base for criminal gangs, kidnappers, illegal armed groups and the drug trade.? Geno Petriashvili was …

20/08/2005 - 22:04


New Chief of Public TV Speaks of Priorities


Kintsurashvili vows to secure independenteditorial policy of the Public TV. Tamar Kintsurashvili was elected to a six-year term by the Board of Public Broadcasting as director-general thereof on August 19. The appointment of the general director is a crucial step in establishing the first-ever politically independent, publicly-funded broadcasting entity. Kintsurashvili, who until recently worked for the …


11-year-old Kidnapped in South Ossetian Conflict Zone


11-year-old Geno Petriashvili was kidnapped by unknown men late on August 19 in the South Ossetian conflict zone, Vladimer Jugheli, chief of the Shida Kartli regional police said. The incident occurred in the village of Nuli, located in the Proni gorge west of the breakaway South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali. Jugheli told reporters that Georgian police were immediately informed …


Public TV Chairperson Elected


As anticipated, Tamar Kintsurashvili was elected to a six-year term by the eight-member Public Broadcasting Board as the Director-General of Public Broadcasting on August 19 with six votes. Tamar Kintsurashvili was herself member of the Board, but withdrew her membership on August 13 to join 23 candidates running for the post. Kintsurashvili?s decision was regarded as highly-controversial and …

19/08/2005 - 19:39


Abkhaz Leader Hails Maneuvers, Combat Readiness of Troops


Speaking with reporters after Abkhaz troops wrapped up large-scale military exercises on August 19 President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh said that the combat readiness of the army has been significantly improved, Apsnipress news agency reported. ?Abkhazia should be ready to repel any kind of aggression? We will support the army, including with salaries and …


Saakshvili: MP By-Elections “a Test”


While the four opposition parties prepare for primaries to choose a single candidate to run in the October 1 parliamentary by-elections, President Mikheil Saakashvili is campaigning in support of the ruling Nation Movement Party’s candidates, describing the upcoming elections as “a test” for the government’s policies.MP by-elections will be held to fill the five vacant majoritarian …


General Prosecutor, MP Visit U.S.


Georgian General Prosecutor Zurab Adeishvili and influential MP from the ruling National Movement Party Giga Bokeria are currently paying a working visit to the United States.   According to the Georgian General Prosecutor’s Office, on August 15 Adeishvili and Bokeria held talks with U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller.   …


PACE President Tours South Caucasus


The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Ren? van der Linden, will arrive in Georgia on August 20 from the Armenian capital of Yerevan as a part of his South Caucasian tour. After visiting Georgia the PACE President will also travel to Azerbaijan.  According to the PACE press release, Linden will hold …


Police Kill Hostage-Taker in Rustavi 2 TV Office


An armed person who captured an employee of Rustavi 2 TV on August 18 at the station’s studio in Tbilisi was shot dead by police after half an hour of fruitless negotiations, an official of the Georgian General Prosecutor?s Office said. According to Rustavi 2 the person showed up at the studio at approximately 5 pm local time …

18/08/2005 - 21:58


Conflicting Figures Cast Doubts over Abkhaz Army Funding


Breakaway Abkhazia will hold the last stage of its largest ever five-day  military exercises at the Nagvalou training ground in the Ochamchire district on August 19. This is the second such large-scale maneuver in the unrecognized republic in 2005. Military exercises with the participation of 6,000 servicemen including reserve forces were launched in Abkhazia on …


South Ossetian Leader Meets German Ambassador


President of breakaway South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity held talks with German Ambassador to Georgia Uwe Schramm on August 18, the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported.  The role of the international community and international organizations in the peace process and trust-building initiatives between the Georgian and South Ossetian sides were discussed during the meeting, …


Saakashvili Visits Ukraine


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili will leave for Ukraine on August 18 to participate in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the International Children’s Center Artek ? a former Soviet camp of Pioneers in Crimea. This trip comes less than a week after Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko paid an informal visit to Georgia on August 12-14. …


Saakashvili Reiterates Importance of MP By-Elections


President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently visiting the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, said on August 17 that the upcoming MP by-elections for five vacant majoritarian (single-mandate constituency) seats scheduled for October 1 are very important. ?These elections will demonstrate whether the population supports the policies we have chosen? These are very important elections,? Saakashvili said while meeting with …

17/08/2005 - 20:01


Interior Ministry Offers Bounty for Help in Fighting Drug Trade


Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili announced on August 17 that the authorities will offer 1,000 Lari (USD 555) for valuable information leading to the capture of drug dealers.  ?We hope to see mass arrests of people involved in drug trade… but we need help from society” Merabishvili said at a news conference, adding that a special …


Abkhaz Defense Chief Denies Arms Supply from Russia


In an interview with the Russian daily Kommersant, published on August 17, Defense Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Sultan Sosnaliev denied Georgian authorities? claims that Russia supplies Abkhazia with military equipment, but admitted that Russian retired officers are serving in the Abkhaz army. Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on August 17 Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh …


Bagapsh Statements on Military Budget of Questionable Accuracy


President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh said the Abkhaz army will be glad to recruit mid-ranking military, navy and border-guard officers of Russian citizenship into its armed forces, Regnum reports.  According to Bagapsh, “our military doctrine is of a defensive nature.  We are not planning to attack anyone, but we will not allow anybody to attack …


Abkhaz Leader Speaks of Relations with Moscow, Tbilisi


Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh, who is currently visiting Moscow, said on August 17 that he sees no need for a bilateral meeting with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, but added that the Georgian and Abkhaz sides are now close to signing an agreement on security issues, including the non-resumption of hostilities, Russian news agencies Interfax and RIA …


Allegations Surface that Constitutional Security Chief Persecutes Attorney


Chief of the Interior Ministry?s Department of Constitutional Security Data Akhalaia has been accused of fabricating case against lawyer Giorgi Usupashvili, who is the brother of opposition Republic Party leader Davit Usupashvili and intimidating court executive Irakli Sioridze, the Justice Ministry?s officer who carries out court orders, to testify against Usupashvili. The Department of Constitutional …


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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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