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Tbilisi Softens Stance over Abkhazia Railway
If launched, rehabilitation of the Abkhaz railway will cost more than USD 100 mln. and will take more than one year. The Georgian authorities announced on June 15 that Tbilisi has changed its stance and is now ready to start talks over reopening the Abkhaz section of the Russian-Georgian railway, which has been on hold since the conflict in …
15/06/2005 - 22:37
Saakashvili Comments on Situation in South Ossetia
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on June 15 that ?certain, unfriendly forces plan provocations against Georgia? through the aggravation of the situation in breakaway South Ossetia. President Saakashvili was speaking at a session of the National Security Council shortly before his departure to Ukraine. The current situation in the South Ossetian conflict zone, which was aggravated after an armed …
Public Television Board Elects Chairman
The nine-member Board of the Georgian Public Television elected Levan Tarkhnishvili as the Chairman of the Board on June 14. Levan Tarkhnishvili, Director of the Caucasian Resources Research Center, Eurasia foundation, is one of nine Board members approved by the Parliament last month. The other 8 members of the Board are as follows:Alexander Rondeli, President of think-tank Georgian Foundation for Strategic and …
Abkhaz Leader: No Need for UN Human Rights Office in Gali
President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh said on June 15 that he does not deem it necessary to open a UN human rights office in the predominantly Georgian-populated district of Gali, in the unrecognized republic, reported the Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress. ?The Abkhaz leadership independently takes measures to protect the rights of citizens living in the Gali district and …
UK Special Envoy for South Caucasus Visits Abkhazia
Sir Brian Fall, who is the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for the South Caucasus, met with the leadership of breakaway Abkhazia in the capital Sokhumi on June 15, Apsnipress news agency reported. The UK Special Representatives was accompanied on his visit by the British Ambassador to Georgia, Donald MacLaren and Simon Smith, Head of Eastern Department of the …
Saakashvili Visits Ukraine
President Saakashvili will begin a four-day visit to Ukraine on June 15 and hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko. This is Saakashvili?s fourth visit to Ukraine this year. In Kiev Saakashvili will participate in a meeting of the Swiss-based World Economic Forum. According to the Georgian President’s Administration, Mikheil Saakashvili …
Abkhaz Railway, Return of IDPs Discussed in Moscow
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava and Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze, accompanied by officials from the state railway company and Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation, will visit Moscow on June 15-16 to participate in talks with the Abkhaz side over resumption of the railway connection and the return of internally displaced persons to …
Georgian PM: Tbilisi Positive over Resumption Abkhaz Railway
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who addressed the summit of chiefs of the railway companies in CIS countries in Tbilisi on June 15, told reporters that Georgia is ‘now positive about the resumption of the railway communication via breakaway Abkhazia. Chief of the Russian Railway Company Genadi Fadeev said that at least USD 100 million …
CIS Railway Chiefs Meet in Tbilisi
Heads of the state railway companies from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will meet in Tbilisi on June 15 to discuss potential cooperation issues. Chief of Russian Railway Company Genadi Fadeev, who will also participate in this meeting, will also hold bilateral talks with Georgian President Saakashvili and Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli. Reportedly, the …
Tank Battalions Start Maneuvers
Large-scale military exercises that involve tank battalions from of Gori, Kutaisi and Vaziani were launched at the Orpolo training ground near Akhaltsikhe in southern Georgia on June 15. Exercises under the codename Armor-2005 will last for a month. Chief of Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Levan Nikoleishvili will personally oversee these exercises. This post is also available …
Tbilisi, Moscow Agree on Transfer of Tank Repair Factory
Chief of Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Levan Nikoleishvili said on Tuesday that the Georgian and Russian sides have agreed to sign a protocol on June 15, which will officially mark the end of the handover process of the Tbilisi-based Russian Armor/Tank Repair Factory to the Georgian side. June 15 is the deadline for this …
14/06/2005 - 19:01
Russian MFA: Text of Agreement on Bases Close to Finalization
Russian Foreign Ministry?s spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in an information note note issued on June 14 that most of the text of an agreement over the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia has already been agreed and the next round of talks to negotiate over the remaining, minor problems will be held in Moscow on June 16-17. …
S.Ossetia Offers Bounty for Information on Missing Georgians
Authorities in breakaway South Ossetia offered 50,000 Russian Rubles (approximately USD 1,700) as a reward for valuable information that may help ?find out the whereabouts of the missing four Georgian citizens,? the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported on June 14. The South Ossetian side has also denied reports by the Georgian Interior Ministry claiming that two …
Officials Call on Georgians in S.Ossetia for Restraint
Two days of search operations, carried out by both Georgian and South Ossetian law enforcers, in cooperation with the joint peacekeeping forces stationed in the conflict zone in an attempt to find four missing Georgians, have yielded little results. Georgian officials have already hinted that these four Georgian men, who disappeared in the conflict zone on June 6, could be …
Russian Serviceman Released in Batumi
A serviceman from the Russian military base in Batumi was released by the local police in Adjara Autonomous Republic on June 13 after several hours of detention. Local police reported that the Russian serviceman was arrested while trying to steal a car. But the serviceman denied these accusations. According to Georgian media reports, the Russian soldier was released …
Burjanadze: Tbilisi has no Plans to Deploy Extra Troops in S.Ossetia
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said on June 14 that the Georgian side has no plans to deploy extra troops in Georgian villages in the South Ossetian conflict zone, despite “the tense situation there.” Burjanadze?s comments followed a statement made by MP Guram Vakhtangashvili, who was elected in South Ossetia?s Georgian-populated Didi Liakhvi constituency, who said that …
Georgian-Abkhaz Talks Planned in Moscow
Talks between officials from Georgia and the de facto republic of Abkhazia, with the participation of Russian officials from the Foreign Ministry and representatives from the UN, will be held in Moscow on June 15-16 and are expected to focus on implementation of the 2003 Sochi agreement. State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava will lead the …
One Man Goes Missing After Flood in Dusheti
Officials say one man is missing and at least 40 houses were flooded overnight on June 14 after heavy rains in the Dusheti district in the northern mountainous region of Georgia. The flood has also destroyed farmlands in Dusheti of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region. Earlier this month, the flood washed away bridges and roads, cutting off access to …
Georgian, S.Ossetian Law Enforcers Search for Missing Men
The search for four Georgians who disappeared in the South Ossetian conflict zone on June 6 resumed on June 14. A similar search operation, which was held on June 13 by Georgian law enforcers in cooperation with the joint peacekeepers and South Ossetian counterparts on the Georgian-controlled territories of the conflict zone, brought no results. The …
IMF Managing Director Hails Georgia’s Progress
Rodrigo de Rato, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said in a statement issued on June 13 that the Georgian government has “accelerated the transition to an open, market-based economy, most visibly in the reform of the tax code, the privatization drive, and supporting steps to improve the business climate.” Rodrigo de Rato was …
International Conference on South Ossetia Planned in Batumi
An international conference to discuss Tbilisi?s proposal over the resolution of the South Ossetian conflict will be held in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic on July 9-10. According to the administration of the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues, Georgian governmental officials, representatives of the authorities in breakaway South Ossetia, officials from various international organizations, as well as …
13/06/2005 - 19:02
Georgian Border Guards Start OSCE-led Training
The first group of 80 Georgian border guards started training in frames of the OSCE Training Assistance Programme (TAP) on June 13, the OSCE Mission to Georgia reported. A total of 800 border guards are expected to undergo this training course within the year, which is designed to enhance the border guards? skills in rescue operations …
State Minister Accuses “Dark Forces” in South Ossetia Escalation Attmept
In an interview with Tbilisi-based Imedi television, Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava said that the abduction of four Georgians in the South Ossetian conflict zone was a well-planned provocation aimed at fueling tensions in the region. The whereabouts of the four Georgians, who disappeared on June 6 after they crossed over into …
Putin Comments on CIS
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 13 that the countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) need assistance to develop ?democracy and economy,? RIA Novosti news agency reported. Putin was speaking at a news conference after talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Moscow on Monday. ?We should not turn this [CIS] space …
Russian Serviceman Detained in Batumi
A serviceman from the Russia?s 12th military base stationed in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic, was arrested by local police late on June 12.The police officials said that the Russian serviceman was arrested after a failed attempt to steal a car. However, an official representative of the Headquarters of Group of Russian Troops in Trans Caucasus, Col. Vladimir …
Tbilisi Claims Retaliation Behind Abduction in S.Ossetia
The Georgian Interior Ministry reported on June 13 that the four Georgians who have been missing in breakaway South Ossetia since June 6 have been abducted by, as the Ministry put it, a South Ossetian ?criminal gang.? The Ministry reports that the abduction was carried out by a group based in Tskhinvali as retaliation for an armed clash which occurred in the conflict zone …
Georgian Defense Minister Visits U.S.
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili starts his four-day visit to the United States on June 13. He left for Washington from Brussels, where he participated in the meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council on June 10. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, Irakli Okruashvili will meet with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to discuss …
State Minister Meets S.Ossetian Leader
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava met on June 12 with President of breakaway South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity to discuss the situation involving the disappearance of four Georgians in the conflict zone. The whereabouts of those four Georgians, who disappeared on June 6 after they crossed over into Ossetian-controlled territory, still remains unclear. …
12/06/2005 - 21:21
U.S. Military Official Visits Georgia
U.S. Major General David Poythress, Adjutant General of the state of Georgia, arrived in Tbilisi on June 11 for a five-day working visit. According to the Georgian Defense Ministry, Maj. Gen. Poythress will provide recommendations to the Georgian side for drafting a training plan for the reserve forces. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
Abkhaz, S.Ossetian Leaders Advocate Closer Ties with Russia
In a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh stressed that the Abkhaz people are ?unanimous in [their] aspirations to establish the closest ties with prospering Russia,? Apsnipress news agency reported. The message was sent to congratulate the country on Russia Day, formerly known as Independence Day, which marks the Russian Parliament’s June …
New President of Football Federation Elected
Nodar Akhalkatsi was elected as the new President of the Georgian Football Federation (GFF) on June 11 for a two-year term. The early elections of the new President follow the arrest of ex-President Merab Zhordania on April 7, on financial misappropriation charges. Nodar Akhalkatsi was the only contender after three GFF presidential nominees ? Revaz Arveladze, …
11/06/2005 - 15:59
Belarus Foreign Minister Speaks of Visa Row with Georgia
Belarus Foreign Minister Sergey Martinov said in an interview with the Belarus state TV channel on June 10 that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko?s decision on the possible enforcement of visa requirements for Georgian citizens was triggered by the threat of, as he put it, the arrival of ?revolutionary fighters? in Belarus from Georgia. The Belarus Foreign Ministers has also …
New North Ossetian Leader for “Uniting” with South Ossetia
Newly appointed leader of Russia’s North Ossetia republic Teymuraz Mamsurov told Novaya Gazeta that his republic should annex Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia. When asked about the policy regarding South Ossetia, Mamsurov responded: “I think that there is only one possible way. Ossetia – is a divided nation which was split within one country [Soviet Union]. That’s …
Ivanov: Georgia, Ukraine May Join NATO within 7-10 Years
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov said in the interview with news agency RIA Novosti on June 10 that NATO expansion in the post-Soviet space will be painful for Russia. He admitted that Georgia and Ukraine may become NATO member states in the near future. ?If Georgia and Ukraine decide to join NATO, they will do …
10/06/2005 - 19:23
Russian-Georgian Talks over Bases to Continue in Moscow
The Russian-Georgian talks over the process of pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia ended in Tbilisi on June 10. Russian Foreign Ministry?s special envoy Igor Savolsky, who is also chief negotiator at the talks, said that the main text of the document has been agreed. ?There still remain several problems. So, we agreed to …
Georgian, Abkhaz Sides Agree on Cooperation in Energy Sector
Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri and Vice Premier of breakaway Abkhazia Leonid Lakerbaia agreed on June 8 in Sokhumi, that the Abkhaz authorities will pay the cost of electricity consumed from the Enguri hydro power plant. The sides also agreed to export electricity produced by the Inguri hydro power plant to Turkey. Until now the Georgian …
IMF Mission Assesses Fiscal Situation in Georgia
The IMF mission, which visited Georgia on June 1-7 to review recent developments and continue discussions for the second review under the government?s IMF-supported economic program, noted that ?Georgia?s macroeconomic performance continues to be strong with real GDP growth of 6.2 percent in 2004.? According to the statement issued by the IMF Tbilisi office on …
Russian Envoy Joins Talks over Military Bases
Russian Foreign Ministry?s Special Envoy Igor Savolsky, who is also chief negotiator over the pullout of the military bases from Georgia, arrived in Tbilisi on June 10 to hold talks with the Georgian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze. ?The Russian side will defray the expenses over the pullout, however since the pullout …
Putin Approves Commission on Framework Agreement
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved on June 8 a new 21-member governmental commission, which will work over preparation of the comprehensive framework agreement between Russia and Georgia, the Russian President”s official web site reports. According to the decree of the Russian President, Igor Savolsky, the Russian Foreign Ministry”s special envoy, will chair the commission, while …
Georgian Justice Minister Meets CoE Secretary General
Visiting Georgian Justice Minister Kote Kemularia held talks with Secretary General of the Council of Europe Terry Davis in Strasbourg on June 9. The Council of Europe reports that the sides discussed Georgia?s fulfilment of its commitments as a Council of Europe member state, in particular the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection …
Tbilisi Slams Belarus President for Imposing Visa Regime
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said at a special session of the Parliament on June 10 that the decision of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to impose visa regime for Georgia confirms ineffectiveness of the decisions accepted within the frames of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) . In particular, Belarus violated the treaty on non-visa …
Air Traffic Controller Training Center to be Established
The Georgian Air Navigation authority and the British Astac International Ltd. agreed to establish a joint training center for air traffic controllers. The center will be housed in a new building which is now being constructed. It is expected that the center will be equipped with state-of-the-art training and air traffic simulation equipment. Astac Ltd …
Belarus Imposes Visa Regime for Georgia
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko accepted a decision to impose a visa regime for Georgia, the press office of the President of Belarus reported on June 9. ?The decision has been motivated by the need to continue efforts aimed at intensifying the struggle against organized and transnational crime, protecting the interests of third countries neighboring Belarus in …
Borderguard Officer Arrested on Abuse Charges
Alexander Macharashvili, an officer in the Georgian border unit in the Lagodekhi district of eastern Georgia, was arrested on June 9 on charges of abusing soldiers in his military unit. Several days ago four servicemen deserted the Lagodekhi military unit citing physical and verbal abuse. These charges were corraborated by Deputy Ombudsman Bacho Akhalaia. This post is also …
09/06/2005 - 18:50
Arms Cache Found Near Georgian-Turkish Border
Georgian law enforcers found a large arms cache in the Adjara Autonomous Republic, near the Georgian-Turkish border on June 8. According to the Georgian Border Guard Department, the arms cache included assault rifles, ammunition and hand grenades. An investigation into this issue is currently underway. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
South Ossetian Official Comments on Abduction Incident
Interior Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Mikhail Mindzaev said on June 8, while commenting on the recent abduction incident in the South Ossetian conflict zone, that the Georgian and South Ossetian law enforcers are jointly working to ascertain the whereabouts of four Georgians who disappeared on June 6. The South Ossetian de facto Interior Minister …
Georgian Defense Minister Visits Brussels, Washington
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili left for Brussels today to attend a meeting of the NATO Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council at the Defense Minister level on June 9-10. During the visit Irakli Okruashvili will hold talks with his Estonian counterpart to discuss military cooperation between the two countries. On June 13-17 Irakli Okruashvili will travel from Brussels to Washington D.C., …
Turkey Grants USD 1.5 Million to Georgian Armed Forces
Representatives of the Georgian and Turkish Defense Ministries signed an agreement on June 9 in Tbilisi which provides USD 1.5 million worth of Turkish assistance to the Georgian armed forces. The agreement on military cooperation between Turkey and Georgia was signed in 1997. Since 1998 the Turkish side has donated USD 37.4 million to the Georgian armed forces. …
Tbilisi Funds Rehabilitation Projects in Tskhinvali Region
Georgian Finance Minister Valerie Chechelashvili said at a news briefing on June 8 that the Georgian state budget will allocate an additional GEL 700 thousand (USD 384 thousand) to fund infrastructure rehabilitation projects in the Tskhinvali region of breakaway South Ossetia. ?This is a very serious investment in the infrastructure of the Tskhinvali region,? the …
Tskhinvali Rules out Revenge Kidnapping of Georgians
Special Affairs Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Boris Chochiev said on June 8 that the disappearance of four Georgians in the South Ossetian conflict zone on June 6 is not linked with the recent shootout between the Ossetian militias and Georgian police on May 29 that left five people dead. ?This incident is linked with …
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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)