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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 …
09/06/2005 - 12:11
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 …
Russian, Georgian Experts Discuss Technical Details of Pullout
Georgian and Russian experts continue joint talks over the technical details of the pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia. The delegation of Russian experts, led by Foreign Ministry?s Special Envoy Lev Mironov, arrived in Tbilisi on June 8. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze leads the Georgian delegation at the talks. Russian chief negotiator over …
Estonia, Latvia Consult Georgian Diplomats on EU Integration
Political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of Georgia and Estonia are being held in Tallinn on June 8-9. Similar consultations were already held in Latvia on June 6-7. First Deputy Foreign Minister Kakha Sikharulidze leads the Georgian delegation at these talks According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the two Baltic states are sharing their experience of integrating …
Georgian State Minister Visits Tskhinvali
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava will meet with South Ossetian de facto Special Affairs Minister Boris Chochiev and commander of Joint Peacekeeping Troops Marat Kulakhmetov in Tskhinvali on June 8 to discuss the recent abduction incident in the South Ossetian conflict zone. Four Georgians disappeared in the South Ossetian conflict zone …
08/06/2005 - 18:58
Chief of Zestaponi Administration Arrested
Police arrested Chief of Administration of a western Georgian town of Zestaponi on alleged bribe-taking charges on June 8. ?This is an unprecedented case, when such a high ranking official is arrested for alleged corruption charges,? Deputy Prosecutor General Kakha Koberidze said at a news briefing on June 8. This post is also available in: …
Georgian Energy Minister Visits Abkhazia
Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri left for breakaway Abkhazia on June 8 to hold talks with the de facto authorities there. According to the Georgian Energy Ministry, the sides will discuss rehabilitation of the Enguri hydro power plant, which is located at the administrative border between Abkhazia and rest of Georgia. The issue of possible …
UN Envoy Briefs Georgian State Minister on Sokhumi Visit
UN Secretary General?s Special Representatives to Georgia Heidi Tagliavini held talks with Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava on June 8. The UN Envoy briefed the State Minister over her recent talks with Abkhaz leader Sergey Bagapsh in Sokhumi on June 6. Heidi Tagliavini said that the Abkhaz de facto authorities are ready to …
Disappearances Spark Tension in South Ossetia
Tensions in Georgia’s breakaway province of South Ossetia have been sparked again following the reported disappearance of four residents of Georgian ethnicity after they crossed over to Ossetian-controlled territory. The four Georgians disappeared in the South Ossetian conflict zone on June 6. Chief of Police of the Shida Kartli region Vladimir Jugeli said that local law enforcement agencies, including South Ossetian law …
Moscow Calls on Georgian, South Ossetian Sides for Restraint
In an information note issued on June 8 the Russian Foreign Ministry calls on Georgian and South Ossetian sides for restraint to avoid tensions in the conflict zone. The information note also reads that after the clash in the South Ossetian conflict zone, which resulted in death of four Ossetian armed men and one Georgian …
Deputy Interior Minister: Some Gangs are Beyond Tskhinvali Control
Georgian Deputy Interior Minister Bidzina Bregadze said at a news briefing on June 8 that the South Ossetian de facto authorities apparently fail to control some of the criminal groupings in the conflict zone. He said both the Georgian and South Ossetian law enforcers know about the group, which kidnapped four Georgians on June 6. …
Russian, Georgian Experts Discuss Details of Bases’ Pullout
The delegation of Russian military experts led by Foreign Ministry?s Special Envoy Lev Mironov arrived in Tbilisi on June 8 to discuss technical details of the process of pullout of Russian military bases from Georgia. The sides will agree over those legal aspects of the agreement, which will help implement the joint declaration signed by the …
Ukraine Seeks to Involve Turkey into GUAM
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko, who paid an official visit to Turkey on June 6-8, offered his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer to act as a permanent observer in GUAM ? a grouping of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova. According to the Ukrainian President?s press office, Victor Yushchenko stressed that the organization focuses on implementation of …
Bagapsh Meets Finnish Ambassador to South Caucasus
President of breakaway Abkhazia leader Sergey Bagapsh held talks with Ambassador of Finland to Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan Terhi Hakala on June 7 in Sokhumi, Abkhaz news agency Apsnipress reported. On the eve of Finland’s chairmanship in the European Union in the second half of 2006, the Finnish Ambassador showed interest in the position of the …
U.S. Hails Georgia’s Efforts to Eliminate Trafficking
The U.S. Department of State’s annual report on Trafficking of Persons, issued on June 3, said that the Government of Georgia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, however, it is making significant efforts to do so. “The government took steps to implement several of its commitments, yet some important …
07/06/2005 - 20:56
Three Georgians Disappeared in S.Ossetia
Three Georgians have reportedly disappeared in breakaway South Ossetia since June 6 and their whereabouts is still unknown. The Georgian law enforcement agencies are actively discussing the issue of possible abduction. However, in an information note issued by the Press and Information Committee of breakaway South Ossetia on June 7, the South Ossetian side claims that …
IMF Mission Visits Georgia
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission, which arrived in Georgia three days ago, held talks with Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli on June 7. Finance Minister Valerie Chechelashvili and President of the National Bank Roman Gotsiridze also participated in the talks. The IMF Mission praised the current economic processes in the country and expressed readiness to approve the disbursement …
Regional Players Adjust to the Russian Military Pullout
As the decision to pull out the Russian troops from Georgia comes into effect, both Russia and other countries in the region work to clarify their position, identify the details of withdrawal and adjust their political positions. Following the agreement between Moscow and Tbilisi over the pullout of Russian military bases from Batumi and Akhalkalaki …
Azerbaijani Minister: South Caucasus Needs Demilitarization
The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quotes Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov as saying that the transfer of Russian military bases from Georgia to Armenia is not illegal. ?Bases will be transferred not to Armenia, but to the Russian military base deployed in Armenia and in terms of legality, there is no problem in this. …
Putin Appoints Hardliner Leader in North Ossetia
Following the resignation of the North Ossetian president Aleksander Dzasokhov, President of Russia Vladimir Putin nominated current speaker Teimuraz Mamsurov as the autonomous republics’ new leader to the North Ossetian Parliament. Mamsurov, born in 1955, served in North Ossetia’s Communist Party youth branch and then political leadership. After the election of Aleksander Dzasokhov in 1999 he was …
U.S. Hails Georgia’s Efforts to Eliminate Trafficking
The U.S. Department of State’s annual report on Trafficking of Persons, issued on June 3, said that the Government of Georgia does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, however, it is making significant efforts to do so. “The government took steps to implement several of its commitments, yet some important …
Georgia Participates in ‘Amber Hope 2005’ Military Exercises
The multinational exercise ‘Amber Hope 2005’ will be held in Lithuania on June 6-18, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry reports. Around 2,200 military personnel and civilians from Azerbaijan, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States will participate in the exercises. The primary goal of the exercise is …
PABSEC General Assembly Meets in Kiev
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) will hold the 25th Plenary Session of its General Assembly on 7-9 June in Kiev. According to a news release issued by PABSEC, the general debate, which usually takes place on the first day of the General Assembly, will be devoted to …
Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Visits Tbilisi
The delegation of the Lithuanian Parliament led by Speaker Arturas Paulauskas arrived in Tbilisi on June 7 to discuss the issues of regional cooperation with the Georgian leadership. The members of the Lithuanian delegation will hold talks with Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze, as well as the Georgian parliamentarians. This post is also available …
Georgian Foreign Minister Visits Czech Republic
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili left for the Czech Republic for a one-day, official visit on May 7. Salome Zourabichvili will hold talks with President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus, Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda and other officials. According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, this is the first top level visit in the history of Georgian-Czech relations. …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
UN Envoy Meets Abkhaz Leader
UN Secretary General?s Special Representatives to Georgia Heidi Tagliavini met with President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh in Sokhumi on June 6, the news agency Regnum reported. The details of forthcoming talks in Moscow on June 15-16, which will focus on implementation of the 2003 Sochi agreement, were discussed during the talks in Sokhumi. …
06/06/2005 - 17:13
Repatriation of Meskhetians Discussed in Tbilisi
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava and the European Center for Minority Issues (ECMI) held a joint press conference over the issue of repatriation of Muslim Meskhetians to Georgia. Georgian State Minister Goga Khaindrava said that the exact number of those Meskhetians who want to return to Georgia is unknown at present; …
Russian Defense Minister Speaks of Bases’ Pullout
Speaking at a news briefing on June 6 Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov focused on the process of pulling out the Russian military bases from Georgia, which, according to an agreement between Tbilisi and Moscow, should end in 2008. ?We will have to pull out 2,500 servicemen, to say nothing about their family members, 2,500 …
Russia Sets up Two Rifle Brigades on Border with Georgia
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov said on June 6 that two light mountain rifle brigades will be set up on the Russian-Georgian border ?to eradicate the infiltration of terrorists from Georgia into Russia.? ?This decision has already been accepted at all levels,? RIA Novosti quotes Sergey Ivanov as saying. The Minister stressed that …
Georgian, South Ossetian Sides Hold Talks in Brussels
Delegations from the Georgian and South Ossetian sides will hold talks in Brussels on June 6-12, with the participation of international experts. According to the press office of the Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues, the prospects for the resolution of the South Ossetian conflict, economic cooperation and ensuring security in the conflict zone …
Heavy Rains Hit Eastern Georgia
Heavy rains have caused major damage in the eastern Georgian regions of Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. Transport infrastructure has been heavily affected. Many bridges and roads have been washed away, cutting off access to some villages. Due to the damage of power transmission lines, the population of the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region has been left without electricity. Reportedly, the …
Q&A with Nana Karseladze
Public Relations Coordinator of the Center for Strategic Researches and Development Today much is spoken about the relations between the non-governmental organizations and business sector. This issue is rather actual in Georgia, since the first steps are being taken in this direction. In this regard we have interviewed Nana Karseladze, public relations coordinator of the …
“Professional” Election Commission Fails to Receive Opposition’s Confidence
The construction of a new Central Election Commission (CEC) was promptly interpreted by the opposition parties as a signal of anticipated election fraud by the government, while the authorities and the ruling National Movement party describe the new CEC as a meaningful vehicle for holding genuinely free and fair elections.The Parliament approved on June 3 seven …
05/06/2005 - 19:16
Lufthansa Starts Flights to Georgia
Lufthansa will start operating three weekly flights from Munich to Tbilisi starting on June 5, the Georgian Civil Aviation Department reported. Flights from Munich to Tbilisi will be conducted on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 21:10 and the return flights are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 03:55, according to the Lufthansa website. This post …
Opposition Wants Referendum on Direct Elections of Mayors
Leaders of the opposition Republicans and Conservative parties, as well as from the public movement ‘Forum for Welfare and Democracy’, met on June 4 and announced that they will launch a petition to gather signatures from Georgian citizens in an attempt to convince the authorities to hold a referendum to find out whether the voters want direct elections of city …
04/06/2005 - 18:06
Georgian Official: Moscow Sends Military Equipment to S.Ossetia
Georgian State Minister for Conflict Resolution Issues Goga Khaindrava sent a letter on June 3 to the Russian Foreign Ministry and co-chairmen of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), which oversees the ceasefire in the South Ossetian conflict zone, expressing protest against the delivery of Russian humanitarian aid worth approximately USD 2 million, which also included military …
Russia Downplays Baku’s Concern over Relocating Arms from Georgia to Armenia
Russia’s permanent representative at the OSCE Alexei Borodavkin said, while addressing the organization’s Permanent Council in Vienna on June 3, that Azerbaijan should not be concerned over Russia’s decision to redeploy part of its military hardware from its bases in Georgia to Armenia. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry’s information note issued on June 3, Ambassador Borodavkin informed the …
Russian, EU Officials Discuss Conflicts in South Caucasus
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Valerie Loshchinin held talks with the European Union?s Special Representative to the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie in Moscow on June 3. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the sides discussed the current situation in the South Caucasus, as well as the issue of the settlement of the South Ossetian, Abkhazian and Karabakh conflicts. …
PACE Draft Report Criticizes Russia over S.Ossetia, Abkhazia
A draft report by the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) on the honoring of obligations and commitments by Russia, which was published on June 3, calls on Moscow to constructively contribute to the resolution of issues related with the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.?With regards to treating neighbouring …
Bush, Saakashvili Hold Phone Talks
U.S. President George W. Bush held a phone conversation with his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili on June 3 and discussed separatist conflicts and the recent deal with Russia over the withdrawal of military bases from Georgia, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. ?The President [Bush] called to congratulate President Saakashvili on reaching an agreement with Moscow on Russia …
Parliament Approves New CEC
The Parliament approved on June 3 seven members of the new Central Election Commission. Gia Kavtaradze was approved with 147 votes to 0 as the Chairman of the CEC. The opposition parliamentarians refused to support nominations citing that most of the nominations were affiliated with ruling National Movement party, allegations strongly denied by the new …
03/06/2005 - 20:31
Saakashvili Wants Putin to Visit Georgia
Georgia President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a joint news briefing after the talks with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on June 3 that he is ready to visit Moscow, but wants ?to host Russian President Vladimir Putin first.? ?We will possibly sign the framework agreement, but even if it does not occur [signing of …
S.Ossetian Minister: Armed Clash Hampered Demilitarization
Defense Minister of breakaway South Ossetia Anatoly Barankevich said, the recent skirmish in the South Ossetian conflict zone on May 29, which resulted in death of four Ossetian armed men and one Georgian policeman, has negatively influenced the demilitarization process in the conflict zone, Interfax news agency reported on June 3. Barankevich said that attack …
Georgia Pushes to Reform CIS
CIS summit in Tbilisi, June 3, 2005 The heads of governments from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) noted after a summit in Tbilisi on June 3 that a “new impulse” is needed to enliven their cooperation in frames of this organization.The one-day summit in Tbilisi, which lasted for less than three hours, ended with …
Ukrainian PM: GUAM not an Alternative to CIS
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko said after the summit of the heads of the governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on June 3 that grouping of Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova and Azerbaijan ?should not be regarded as an alternative of the CIS.? Timoshenko was speaking at a joint news conference of the CIS heads …
U.S. Senator Hagel, General Wald Visit Georgia
Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska’s senior U.S. Senator and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and General Charles F. Wald, the Deputy Commander of U.S. European Command, arrived in Tbilisi on June 3 to consult with Georgian government officials. According to the U.S. Embassy to Georgia, Senator Hagel and General Wald will hold talks …
CIS Summit Opens in Tbilisi
Summit of the heads of governments from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was launched in Tbilisi on June 3.Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who participates in the summit of this kind for the first time, emphasized in his opening remarks, that the summit is of special importance as it takes place ?against the background …
Georgian PM Comments on Future of CIS
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli told reporters on June 3, that the future of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will ?largely depends on how its member states will be able to defend their national interests in frames of this organization.? ?In case of Georgia ? our vital interest is territorial integrity,? Nogaideli said. He …
Zourabichvili Calls on Russia to Abandon ‘Ambiguous’ Position over Abkhazia, S.Ossetia
In an interview published by the English-language Russian daily Moscow Times on June 3, Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili expressed hope that Russia will give up its, as she said, “ambiguous” position over Georgia’s breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and play more “neutral” and “constructive role” after signing a deal on withdrawal of Russian …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
Tbilisi Hosts CIS Summit
Meeting of the heads of governments and senior governmental officials from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will open in Tbilisi on June 3 ? the first-ever CIS summit held in Georgia.A total of 34 issues are planned to be discussed during the summit, but Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli will participate in discussions of …
02/06/2005 - 23:29
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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)