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Russia Rotates Peacekeepers in Abkhazia


Russia launched on May 27 rotation of its troops in Abkhaz conflict zone, which is the part of the peacekeeping forces stationed there under the auspices of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). 500-strong unit will be deployed in the conflict zone for the next twelve months. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский …

27/05/2005 - 16:23


Kiev Wants to Export Azeri Oil in Europe via Georgia, Ukraine


The state-owned Neftogaz-Ukraine oil company offered to set a joint Ukrainian-Azerbaijani joint venture, which will transport oil through the pipeline connecting Azeri capital Baku with Georgia?s Black Sea oil terminal in Supsa, as well as via Odessa-Brody pipeline and further to Europe. The issue was discussed during the meeting between chief of Neftogaz-Ukraine Alexey Ivchenko and …


Georgia, Latvia Agree to Enhance Economic Cooperation


Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and his visiting Latvian counterpart Aigars Kalv?tis signed a joint memorandum on economic cooperation on May 27 in Tbilisi.  Zurab Nogaideli said at a news joint news conference after the signing ceremony that the sides should prepare specific projects on cooperation in economic, scientific, technological and aviation spheres. This post …


Officials Say Tbilisi, Moscow Nearing Accord on Bases


Russian President Vladimir Putin noted in phone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili on May 26 that Tbilisi and Moscow “are closer” to a compromise decision over the timeframe of pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia, the Russian President’s press office reported.Officials from the Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministries held talks over the …

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Georgian, Russian Leaders Discuss Military Bases


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held phone talks on May 26 and discussed the results of recent talks between Georgian and Russian sides in Tbilisi over pull out of military bases from Georgia, the Russian President?s press office reported.   President Putin noted that a compromise decision over the timeframe …


Saakashvili Advises World’s Reformers


In his article, published by the Financial Times on May 26, President Saakashvili outlined those five core principles that, as he put it, “all reformers – present and aspiring – should heed.” Saakashvili writes that now it is clear that, after the revolutionary changes in Tbilisi, Kiev and Bishkek, “the old status quo is gone forever.” “It …


Late PM’s Widow Speaks of Investigation of Zhvania’s Death


Nino Zhvania, widow of Georgia’s late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, said in a late night talk show at the Tbilisi-based 202 television stations on May 25, that the General Prosecutor’s Office is “deliberately” considering the accident as the only possible reason of Zhvania’s death and does not investigates other possible reasons behind his death. According …

26/05/2005 - 23:45


U.S. Department of State Hails Launch of BTC


In a statement issued on May 25 the U.S. Department of State welcomed the launch of pumping oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline as ?a major success for the U.S. goal of enhancing and diversifying global energy supplies.? ?The BTC pipeline will reinforce the sovereignty and prosperity of Azerbaijan and Georgia. BTC will further integrate …


Zourabichvili: MFA Should not Serve Interests of Political Parties


Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said on May 26 that the Georgian Foreign Ministry staff ?remains united team? despite ?pressure? and ?attacks? against the Ministry, apparently referring to the criticism voiced by some of the parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party. Salome Zourabichvili also adding that the MFA should ?serve the country and not the …

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Moscow Hails Tbilisi’s Pledge not to Deploy Foreign Troops


Russian Foreign Ministry hailed President Mikheil Saakashvili’s statement made on May 25, that Georgia has no plans to deploy troops of the third country on its soil after the withdrawal of the Russian bases. But the Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated that Tbilisi should reflect this position in a legally binding commitment. “We welcome this statement …


Zourabichvili Comments on Talks with Russia, Military Bases


In an interview published by the Georgian daily 24 Hours on May 26, Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said that the Russian-Georgian talks over pullout of Russia?s military bases are advancing. She also said that stereotypes of the past make many difficulties in the process of the negotiation. Zourabichvili said that the issue of timeframe …

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Latvian President Pledges Support for Georgia


Visiting Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said on May 26 that Latvia will support Georgia?s efforts to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures and ?to clear? country from foreign troops. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who arrived in Tbilisi on May 25, was speaking before the launch of a military parade of the Georgian troops, which marks the country?s Independence Day. …


Saakashvili: No Cabinet Reshuffle Planned


President Saakashvili said on May 25 that he is satisfied with the work of the cabinet and not reshuffle of the government is planned. He said at a news conference that despite some disagreements, which appear time after time among the cabinet members, the government still manages to reach a final agreement. This post is …


Georgia Celebrates Independence Day with Military Parade


About 1,500 Georgian servicemen and dozens of armored vehicles will march on Tbilisi?s main Rustaveli Avenue on May 26 to mark the country?s Independence Day. This show of military forces by Georgia will be much smaller in size, than the previous parade held exactly a year ago and which was the largest-ever military parade in …


U.S. Ambassador-Designate Speaks of Priorities in Georgia


John Tefft, who has been recently nominated by President Bush as the U.S. new Ambassador to Georgia, outlined the U.S. priorities in relations with Georgia at the hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 24. In his statement, Tefft stressed that strengthening of democratic institutions, integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, moralization of ties with …

25/05/2005 - 23:47


Saakashvili Speaks of Bases, Relations with Russia


President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a news conference on May 25 that Georgia will ?peacefully? achieve withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia, adding that Tbilisi has no plans to deploy troops of any other foreign country on its soil. ?I hope an agreement will be reached over withdrawal of Russian troops. We had very …


Georgian Church Refuses to Stop Recognizing Jerusalem Patriarch


Georgian Orthodox Church announced on May 24 that it has voted against the decision of world?s Orthodox leaders to stop recognizing Jerusalem?s Patriarch Irineos I after he was accused of controversial sell of lands in Jerusalem, charges which the latter has denied. Senior clerics from across the Orthodox world met in Istanbul to discuss the …


Russian Officials Try to Convince Chechen Refugees to Repatriate


A group of officials from Russia, which also includes representative from the pro-Moscow Chechen administration, visited on May 25 Georgia”s Pankisi gorge, which is now a shelter for about 2,500 Chechen refugees, who fled the war in this rebel republic of Russia in 1999. Before departure to Pankisi, the members of the Russian delegation, which …


Azeri, Turkish, Georgian Leaders Sign Railway Accord


Presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey signed a joint declaration on May 25 in Baku over construction of a 160-km long railway between Turkish eastern city of Kars and Georgian southern city of Akhalkalaki, which will also enable Azerbaijan to link its railway with Turkey. The declaration was signed in Azeri capital on the sideline …


Russian MFA Comments on Talks over Military Bases


The Russian Foreign Ministry reported on May 25 that the Russian and Georgian sides could negotiate on most of the part of a joint statement, which will be signed by the Presidents of two countries after a final agreement is be reached over withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia. ?[The sides] have discussed in details …


Civil Society Organizations Pledge Support to Business


The representatives of the Georgian non-governmental organizations held a press conference on May 24 within the frames of the Civil Advocacy Program (CAP) to express support to Georgian business community against blackmailing and racketeering by the authorities. “We are ready to support business against that pressure which is put on businessmen by the authorities,” Ana …


WWF: BTC Carries Risk for Environment


In a statement issued on May 25 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Caucasus office said that despite its political and economic importance, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline ?is not safe from the environment point of view? especially the pipeline?s 17-km long portion, which lies through Georgia?s Borjomi Valley. The statement says that BP, which led construction of …


GUAM Concerned over Andizhan Bloodshed


Ukrainian Ambassador Vladimir Yelchenko made a statement on behalf of GUAM member states (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) on May 20 and said that all four countries are concerned that ?aggravation of situation in Uzbekistan has unfortunately led to the numerous casualties and sufferings among peaceful civilians.? Hundreds were reportedly killed after the bloodshed in Uzbek …


Latvian President Visits Georgia


President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga will arrive for an official visit to Georgia on May 24. She will hold talks with her Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili after the latter returns from Baku on May 25. Vaira Vike-Freiberga will also meet Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze and other officials, as well as participate in the ceremonies …


U.S. Senior Senator Speaks of Cooperation with Georgia


Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Richard G. Lugar said on May 24 that Georgia is the United States? ?steadfast partner? and the U.S. should continue ?bolster Georgia?s efforts with financial and technical assistance.?Senator Lugar was speaking at the Committee hearing of those new ambassadorial nominations which are set to become U.S. new …


BTC Starts Pumping Oil


President Saakashvili will join his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Turkey and Kazakhstan on May 25 in Baku to mark the official launch the pumping of oil through one of the world’s largest pipelines – the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline.  This pipeline is expected to bring Georgia an estimated USD 50 million per year for transit of Azeri oil …


Russian, Georgian Foreign Ministers to Discuss Exact Timeframe of Pullout


Russian chief negotiator over pull out of military bases Igor Savolsky told reporters after two-day talks in Tbilisi on May 24 that no final agreement over the final date for the closure of Russian bases sationed in the country has been reached yet, but added that the sides were able to significantly move their positions closer. ?There is …

24/05/2005 - 19:09


Georgian Soldier Injured in Iraq


One Georgian soldier was badly injured in Iraq on May 24 as a result of a mine explosion, while a convoy of Georgian and U.S. troops was heading from Baghdad to Bakuba, the Georgian Defense Ministry reported. According to the Defense Ministry injuries sustained by the soldier, whose name is not yet reported, required that his leg be amputated. …


JCC to Meet in Vladikavkaz to Discuss Demilitarization


The Georgian and South Ossetian sides will meet on May 30-31 in Russia?s North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz in frames of the Joint Control Commission (JCC), which also involves representatives from the Russian and North Ossetian sides. The JCC is expected to discuss the process of demilitarization process in the South Ossetian conflict zone, the Press and …


Saakashvili Hails New Airport Project


President Saakashvili downplayed protests by some opposition parliamentarians regarding the tender, which was held in order to invite private investors to operate and modernize the Tbilisi airport?s infrastructure. According to these tender results a consortium of three companies – the Turkish ?elebi Group, Luxembourg-based Gestion en Technique Sp?ciale (GTS) and U.S.-based A&J Business Development Corporation – will …


Opposition MP Speaks Against Joint Anti-Terrorist Center


MP Davit Gamkrelidze, the leader of opposition New Rights party, said on May 23 that talks between Georgia and Russia over the withdrawal of military bases ?are doomed to fail? or ?might end with the worst possible outcome for us.? MP Gamkrelidze made these comments, broadcasted by Imedi television, after Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili briefed a …

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Baku Concerned over Moscow’s Plan to Relocate Part of Arms from Georgia to Armenia


The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan convened Charge d’Affaires of the Russian Federation to Azerbaijan Piotr Burdykin on May 23 and handed over a note expressing Baku’s concerns regarding the possible re-location of part of the Russian military hardware currently stationed in Georgia to the Russian base in Armenia, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry reported. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s …


Saakashvili to Visit Azerbaijan


President Saakashvili will pay a two-day visit to Azerbaijan on May 24-25, where he will attend an official ceremony marking the first oil to be pumped through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, scheduled for Wednesday. A similar ceremony for the launching of BTC operations will be held in Georgia in September. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)


Zourabichvili: Talks on Bases Moving Towards Conclusion


Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said late on May 23 that talks between Georgia and Russia ?are moving towards a conclusion, at least I hope so.? Experts from the Georgian and Russian Foreign Ministries will continue talks in Tbilisi on May 24. Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze, Georgia?s chief negotiator, said on Monday that ?serious progress? has …

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Zhvania’s Brother Says Late PM was Killed


Goga Zhvania, brother of Georgia’s late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, said on a night talk show on Tbilisi-based 202 television on May 23 that he is “now sure” that his brother was assassinated. He dismissed the official version of Zhvania’s death, which says that late PM died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty gas heating …


Putin Speaks Bittersweetly of Pullout


Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 23 that military bases in Georgia do not contribute to Russia’s security, but the withdrawal is negative for Russia from the political point of view. Putin’s statement was made amid ongoing talks in Tbilisi over closure of military bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki, which have been hailed by the Georgian side as …

23/05/2005 - 22:08


Zourabichvili Briefs MPs over Talks on Bases


Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili will meet with Parliament?s leadership behind closed doors on May 23 to brief the parliamentarians over talks which are underway between the Georgian and Russian delegations regarding the pullout of Russian bases from Georgia. Before this meeting, which started in the evening on Monday, most of the MPs were saying that they planned …

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Chief Georgian Negotiator Cites Progress in Talks over Bases


Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze, who is Georgia?s chief negotiator at talks with the Russian side over the withdrawal of military bases from the country, said ?serious progress? has been made during the talks in Tbilisi on May 23. ?Some issues of principle importance remain [to be solved] and we will try to move …


Putin: Military Presence in Georgia not Important for Russia


Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 23 that a Russian military presence in Georgia does not represent an important matter, in respect to Russia?s security, but also added that he would not like other countries to deploy their troops in Georgia after Russia pulls out its bases. ?I would not like foreign troops or contingents of other …


Burjanadze Denies Split with Ruling Party Leaders


Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, who met with parliamentary majority leaders Maia Nadiradze and Giga Bokeria behind closed doors on May 23, denied speculations about a split within the leadership of the ruling National Movement party.  Burjanadze did, however, signal concerns that sometimes the parliamentarians from the ruling party are not ?attentive? enough regarding the position of …


Abkhaz Government-in-Exile Appoints Envoy in Kodori Gorge


Chairman of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government-in-exile Irakli Alasania appointed Mevlud Jachvliani as his representative in the Kodori gorge, which is the only territory in breakaway Abkhazia under Tbilisi?s control. This newly created position replaced the previous one ? the Georgian President?s Envoy to the Kodori gorge – which was held by Emzar Kvitsiani. The latter was dismissed last …


Two Opposition Parties Formally Merge, Call Others to Unite


At an inaugural congress on May 23 the opposition Conservative Party, led by MP Koba Davitashvili and the Union of National Forces, led by MP Zviad Dzidziguri, officially announced a merger of their parties under the name of Conservative Party. ?We call on the opposition forces to unite? because the current situation in the country requires a …


Moscow Agrees to Close Bases ‘Within 2008’


Russia is ready to finalize an agreement over the withdrawal of Russian bases from Georgia and offered to close down these bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki “within 2008,” Interfax news agency reported quoting Russia’s chief negotiator Igor Savolsky, who arrived in Tbilisi on May 23 for talks with the Georgian side.  “We hope to agree …


US-Funded Customs Facility Opened at Azeri Border


An official ceremony for the opening of a new customs facility at the Red Bridge border crossing from Georgia into Azerbaijan was held on May 23. The ceremony was attended by President Saakashvili and other officials. Officials said that the new Red Bridge customs facility, for which the U.S. government has contributed USD 2.1 million, will …


Zourabichvili’s Parliamentary Hearing Shortly Postponed


Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said on May 23 that Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili will brief parliamentarians over the talks on military bases at the bureau session later on May 23 and not at 3 pm, as was initially scheduled. “Mrs. Salome [Zourabichvili] requested me to shortly postpone these hearings and hold them after the first …

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Tbilisi, Moscow Resume Talks on Military Bases


A group of experts from the Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministries will resume talks over the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia on May 23 in Tbilisi. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze and Russian Foreign Ministry?s special envoy Igor Savolsky will chair their respective sides at the talks. The Georgian and Russian sides will …


Zourabichvili Faces Tough Parliamentary Hearing


It is expected that a parliamentary hearing will determine Zourabichvili’s position in the cabinet. Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili is expected to brief the Parliament’s leadership on May 23 over Russia’s recent proposal over a timeframe for the pullout of its two remaining military bases in Georgia, amid talks between the Russian and Georgian sides in Tbilisi …

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22/05/2005 - 21:57


Chief of State Forensic Department Shot Dead


Chief of the State Forensic Examinations Department of the Georgian Justice Ministry Levan Samkharauli was shot dead when a gunman opened fire on his car in the eastern Georgian town of Kvareli on May 22. Samkharauli?s companion in the car was also wounded.According to the Georgian media reports the person who allegedly shot at Samkharauli?s car committed suicide following …


Russian Embassy Condemns Arrest of Russian Servicemen


The Russian Embassy in Georgia issued a statement on May 21 condemning the brief arrest of four Russian servicemen by the Georgian police in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic and blamed the Georgian side for attempting to hinder the process of negotiations between the two sides over the withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia. ?The servicemen were arrested [by …


Deputy Foreign Minister Resigns, Slams Ruling Party


Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgi Gomiashvili announced on May 21 that he has filed his resignation and plans to lead a new political movement, which, as he put it, will be in opposition to the ruling National Movement party, but not in opposition to President Saakashvili. The Parliament decided on May 20 to postpone the voting …

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21/05/2005 - 21:46


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

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