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Lavrov Holds Talks with Georgian Leadership
Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held separate talks in Tbilisi with President Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli, Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili and Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze on February 18. After talks Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze told reporters that the Georgian side has once again reiterated its ?principle position? over the pull out of Russian …
18/02/2005 - 17:08
Tskhinvali Offers Deployment of Russian Military Bases in South Ossetia
The South Ossetian de facto authorities offered Russia to redeploy its military bases currently operating on the territory of Georgia in the breakaway region of South Ossetia. ?We have already made this proposal and if Russia accepts it, South Ossetia is ready to deploy Russian military bases on its territory,? news agency Regnum quoted de facto …
Defense Ministry Wants to Increase Term of Military Service
The Georgian Defense Ministry appealed the Parliament to increase the term of service for military conscripts from the current one year to 18 months. In October, 2004 the Georgian Parliament approved amendments to the law on Compulsory Military Service, envisaging a reduction of the 18-month military service to 12 months. In 1999 the compulsory military service was …
Arms Cache Recovered in Svaneti
Georgian border guard service recovered arms cache in Mestia district of north-western Svaneti mountainous region of Georgia on February 17. The Georgian Border Guard Department reported that the arms cache included RPG-7 anti-tank and single-use Mukha grenade-launchers, dozen of PG-7L and six RKG-3M anti-tank grenades, as well as four MON-100 landmines.Earlier this week, the Tbilisi-based …
Reports: Tbilisi Downsizes Peacekeeping Force in South Ossetia
Reports say the Georgian side has reduced the number of its peacekeeping contingent stationed in the conflict zone of breakaway South Ossetia. The peacekeepers are part of the joint Georgian-Russian-Ossetian peacekeeping force. The number of Georgian peacekeepers was downsized to 250 soldiers, a source in the Georgian Defense Ministry told Civil Georgia. Other unofficial reports indicate …
Russian Foreign Minister Visits Georgia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is currently paying a working visit to Georgia, expressed hope, upon his arrival on February 17, that talks with the Georgian leadership will foster “progress” in bilateral relations.Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli and Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze on …
Lavrov Visits Georgia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Georgia on February 17 to hold talks with the Georgian leadership. Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with the Georgian President, the Parliamentary Chairperson, the Prime Minister and other officials. ?I hope the talks will be fruitful and we will manage to make progress in particular issues,? the Russian …
Cabinet Wins Confidence Vote
Nogaideli, 40, becomes new Prime Minister. On February 17, the Georgian Parliament approved, with a 175 to 24 vote, a new cabinet, chaired by ex-Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli. This was the third reshuffling of the cabinet in the past year. The Opposition New Rights-Industrialists, Republican and Conservative parties all voted against the cabinet, which was reshuffled following …
17/02/2005 - 18:28
Cabinet Wins Confidence Vote
Nogaideli, 40, becomes new Prime Minister. On February 17, the Georgian Parliament approved, with a 175 to 24 vote, a new cabinet, chaired by ex-Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli. This was the third reshuffling of the cabinet in the past year. The Opposition New Rights-Industrialists, Republican and Conservative parties all voted against the cabinet, which was reshuffled following …
Zourabichvili Explains Refusal on Binding Commitment not to Station Foreign Forces
Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said, in an interview with the Russian news agency Interfax published on February 17, that Tbilisi refuses to include a provision banning Tbilisi from stationing a third country?s military bases in Georgia because it would be an expression of ?unequal relations? between Russia and Georgia. ?The issue of military bases belongs to the politics …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
Zourabichvili Outlines Georgia’s Position Ahead of Lavrov’s Visit
In an interview to the Russian news agency Interfax, Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili blamed Russia for practicing a double standards policy, but added that she has “no pessimistic forecasts about future relations” between Georgia and Russia. “Currently we are facing certain technical problems in bilateral ties, as there is no progress [being made] in talks at …
Tags: Salome Zurabishvili
Chief of Abkhaz Security Council Appointed
President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh appointed Stanislav Lakoba as the Secretary of the National Security Council of the unrecognized republic, RIA Novosti news agency reported on February 17. Prof. Stanislav Lakoba is a close ally of Bagapsh and was his running mate for the Vice-President?s position in last October?s presidential elections. However, after a powersharing …
Saakashvili Hails MP Downsize
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili welcomed the decision of the Parliament to reduce the number of parliamentarians from the current 235 to 150, referring to it as “historic.” “I am glad that the Georgian Parliament, all the factions, supported the reduction of number of MPs from the current 235 to 150… Georgia has a Parliament, which listens to its …
Abkhazia Authorities Against New Georgian Chief Negotiator
Foreign Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Shamba said the new Georgian chief negotiator Irakli Alasania is “unacceptable” for the de facto Abkhaz authorities, Itar-Tass news agency reported. President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed Irakli Alasania as his Special Envoy for conflict settlement in Abkhazia on February 16. Shamba said that Alasania is unacceptable, as he is in charge …
Burjanadze: Political Will Persists to Reduce Electoral Threshold
Georgian Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze said at a Parliamentary session on February 17 that the country?s leadership has ?the political will? to reduce the current 7% electoral threshold. ?We will launch active consultations in this regard as soon as possible, especially since the Council of Europe has recommended that we lower the 7% electoral threshold,? Nino Burjanadze said. In …
MP Downsize Approved
With a 203-1 vote, the Georgian Parliament endorsed a constitutional amendment that envisages a reduction in the number of MPs, from the current 235 to 150. According to this amendment 100 MPs will be elected through a proportional, party-list system, while 50 MPs will be elected in single-mandate constituencies. The amendment will apply to the next Parliament, which will …
Reshuffled Cabinet Faces Confidence Vote
Zurab Nogaideli, who is the nominee for the Prime Minister?s position, presented a reshuffled cabinet to the Parliament on February 17 for approval. It is most likely that the Parliament, controlled by President Saakashvili?s National Movement party, will vote in favor of the new cabinet.Changes in the government follow the sudden death of late Prime Minister Zurab …
Senior UN Official Meets Abkhaz Leadership
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Gu?henno held talks with new President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh and Vice-President Raul Khajimba in Sokhumi on February 16. Jean-Marie Gu?henno said at a joint news briefing with Sergey Bagapsh after talks that security issues, as well as economic rehabilitations and the issue of internally displaced persons were …
Lavrov Explains Refusal to Honor Fallen Soldiers in Georgia
Speaking with reporters in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on February 16, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained that his refusal to lay a wreath at the memorial of Georgia’s fallen soldiers during his visit to Georgia on February 18 is a result of Russia?s mediatory status in the process of resolving the conflicts in South …
Ties Further Strained Ahead of Lavrov’s Visit
Georgia and Russia are showing no signs that a breakthrough will be made in improving bilateral relations between the two countries during a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, scheduled for February 18. The latest in the series of exchange of barbed comments by Tbilisi and Moscow was Sergey Lavrov’s refusal to lay a wreath at the memorial of Georgia’s …
16/02/2005 - 21:45
Parliament to Discuss Downsizing Number of MPs
On February 16, the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Issues endorsed a draft constitutional amendment, envisaging a reduction of the number of MPs from the current 235 to 150, for further consideration at the Parliamentary session. According to these amendments, 100 MPs will be elected through a proportional, party-list system, while 50 MPs will be elected in a single-mandate constituencies. …
Military Watchdog Slams Government’s Defense Policy
On February 16, Irakli Sesiashvili, who chairs the military watchdog non-governmental organization Justice and Liberty, unveiled the results of the organization’s one year monitoring and assessment of the government’s activity in the defense sphere. The report criticizes the government for a failure to develop a plan for reformation of the armed forces, misuse of defense funds, frequent …
Lavrov Refuses to Honor Fallen Soldiers During Visit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has refused to lay a wreath at the memorial of Georgia’s fallen soldiers during his visit to Georgia on February 18, Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said at a news briefing on Wednesday. This item was removed from the schedule of the visit at the insintence of the Russian side; …
Luxembourg Finances Recycling of Soviet-Era Missiles in Georgia
On February 16, Luc Frieden, the Minister of Defense, Justice, Treasury and Budget of Luxembourg, who is currently paying an official visit to Georgia, visited the Georgian military base in Ponichala, near Tbilisi, where recycling of Soviet-era anti-aircraft missiles are being carried out. Luxembourg has already allocated 450,000 euros for this recycling of anti-aircraft -“Krug” – missiles and intends to allocate …
Parliamentary Committee Vetoes Relocation of Constitutional Court
At a hearing on February 16, the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Issues ruled against the government?s proposal to move the Tbilisi-based Constitutional Court of Georgia to the country?s second largest city of Kutaisi. Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Issues MP Giga Bokeria said that the proposal is ?politically inappropriate.? The draft plan, proposed by the government …
OSCE, Georgia Launch Measures to Strengthen Inter-Ethnic Ties
The Georgian government, with the assistance of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), launched a new project aimed at the strengthening of inter-ethnic relations in Georgia, the OSCE Mission in Georgia reported on February 15. The project will mainly focus on Georgia?s Samtskhe-Javakheti region, which is predominately populated by ethnic Armenians. The project, which …
Constitutional Court Rules Election of Tbilisi, Poti Mayors
The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of an appeal presented by a group of Georgian citizens and declared that the current procedure of appointing the Mayors of Poti and the capital city Tbilisi by the President violates Constitutional principles. ?Now it is up to the legislative body to adopt a new law on electing the Tbilisi and Poti Mayors, as …
Foreign Minister: Georgia Offers Short-Term Normalisation Agenda to Russia
Speaking to the parliamentary foreign relations and European integration committees, Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili said Georgia is greeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit “calmly, with an open and positive attitude.” “I can not say that we expect a positive outcome from these talks, this would be an exaggeration taking the current situation [in Russo-Georgian affairs] into account,” Zourabichvili …
Increase of Budgetary Revenues Anticipated
Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who has been nominated for the Prime Minister?s position, said on February 15 that the government is currently working over a draft of budgetary amendments, envisaging an increase in 2005 budgetary revenues by at least 400 million Lari (approximately USD 219 million).The draft is not finalized yet and the exact amount of these increased revenues …
President Appoints Envoy for Abkhaz Conflict Resolution Issues
President Saakashvili appointed Irakli Alasania, chairman of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government-in-exile, as his Special Envoy for the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict resolution issues. Irakli Alasania will lead the Georgian delegation at the UN-sponsored talks on the Georgian-Abkhazian peace process, which will be held in March in Geneva and will be attended by the UN Secretary General?s Group of Friends for Georgia, including …
New Mayor of Poti Appointed
President Saakashvili has appointed Vano Saginadze as the new Mayor of Poti, a town and port in western Georgia, on the Black Sea coast. Ex-Mayor of Poti Vakhtang Alania was arrested last December for alleged misuse of power and state funds. Before this new appointment Vano Saginadze chaired the Commission for Finance and Budget on the Poti …
Sokhumi Refrains to Deploy UN Civilian Police in Gali
During a meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Gu?henno in Sokhumi on February 15, Speaker of breakaway Abkhazia?s Parliament Nugzar Ashuba said that the Abkhaz side deems it ?unreasonable? to deploy UN civilian police to the Georgian-populated Gali district of Abkhazia, Apsnipress news agency reported. The Civilian Police Component of the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG), which …
Saakashvili Holds Phone Talks with Bush, Yushchenko
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili held a telephone conversation with his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush on February 15, the Georgian President?s Press Office reported. A number of political and regional issues were discussed during the talks. President Bush expressed support to the Georgian government?s peaceful initiatives regarding breakaway South Ossetia, according to the Georgian President?s …
Lavrov Refers to CoE, Claiming Democracy in Georgia Restricted
Talking to the Russian magazine “Itogi”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov referred to the conclusions of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe (CoE) to support his claim that democracy in Georgia is restricted. He used these findings to illustrate the prejudice of Western insitutions towards Russia. When responding to a question by the US criticising changes in Russia that call for …
15/02/2005 - 18:37
Anti-trafficking Plan Presentation
On January 2005 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili signed a decree on anti-trafficking action plan for 2005-2006 years. The decree envisages setting up an anti-trafficking interim commission for combating human trafficking. IRIS Georgia and USAID organized a presentation of the anti-trafficking action plan on February 14 at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel. In the opinion of Mr. …
Saakashvili Speaks of Successes, Presents New Cabinet
President Saakashvili met with students from the Tbilisi State University and presented a reshuffled cabinet, ahead of an anticipated confidence vote in the Parliament scheduled for this week.In his address to the students, President Saakashvili spoke much about the successes the government achieved in 2004, saying that the country?s leadership accomplished the major task of putting “an end …
Business Wants Government to Ensure “Predictable” Environment
Q&A with Executive Secretary of the Georgian Federation of Business Giorgi IsakadzeWhile discussing Georgia’s economic achievements in 2004, the country’s government boasts a new tax code, law on financial and tax amnesty, a flourishing privatization process and increased budgetary expenditures. Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli, who is set to become Georgia’s new Prime Minister, has also …
New Chief of Abkhaz President’s Administration Appointed
Valery Arshba, former Vice-President of breakaway Abkhazia, was appointed as chief of the President’s Administration of the unrecognized republic, the Abkhaz news agency Apsnypress reported on February 15. Valery Arshba has held the position of de facto Vice-President of Abkhazia for the past 10 years. He was sacked by ex-President Vladislav Ardzinba on November 17. This post is also …
Lavrov: Georgia Not Ready for Progress in Bilateral Ties
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed Georgia on February 15 for the standstill which currently persists in bilateral ties between Georgia and Russia. ?During the talks in Tbilisi [on February 10-11] we felt that the Georgian side is not ready to advance some issues, and has even stepped back ? on several others,? the news agency RIA …
Unofficial Reports: Army General Staff Hand in Their Resignation
The leadership of the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces have filed their resignation, as was demanded from the leadership of the Defense Ministry, a source in the Georgian Defense Ministry told Civil Georgia on February 15. The Defense Ministry declined to make any comments regarding this report. Officials say that comments will only be …
Senior UN Official Visits Sokhumi
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Gu?henno will meet with the new leadership of breakaway Abkhazia in Sokhumi on February 15. Jean-Marie Gu?henno already met with the Chairmen of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz government-in-exile on February 14 in Tbilisi. He said after those talks that there are ?dynamic times in Tbilisi and Sukhumi? and this moment should …
PM Nominee Reiterates Unchanged Policy
Zurab Nogaideli, who has been nominated by the President as the new Prime Minister, reiterated on February 14 that the new cabinet will continue the policies that were being carried out by late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania. Zurab Nogaideli and a partially reshuffled cabinet met with parliamentarians from the ruling National Movement party on February 14 and …
Bagapsh Changes Language to Describe Georgian-Abkhaz Talks
According to the Russian news agency “Interfax,” newly inaugurated Abkhaz President Sergey Bagapsh spoke, during a news briefing, about a resumption of Georgian-Abkhaz talks. However, the language employed by the de-facto President differed from commonly used language to describe these negotiations, referring to these talks as a means to “liquidate the ‘results’ of the conflict”. Until now, these talks have been described in Russian as attempts …
14/02/2005 - 19:11
Officials, Experts Discuss Ratification of Convention on National Minorities
A meeting organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Council of Europe [CoE] will take place in Tbilisi on 14 February to discuss the issue of ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Georgia, states a press release issued by the CoE. The ratification of the Convention is …
Bagapsh Speaks of his Political Agenda
New President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh spoke about the plans of the unrecognized republic?s new leadership in an interview published by the Russian state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta on February 14. Bagapsh vowed to carry out reforms and improve the situation in the region within two years. He also warned Tbilisi not to resort to force. He said …
Tbilisi Denies ?Terrorists? Enter Russia from Georgia
Badri Bitsadze, the Commander of the Georgian Border Guard Department, denied allegations made by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov claiming that ?terrorists? are entering Chechnya from Georgia. ?The Russian Defense Minister has numerously made such irresponsible and groundless allegations? Not a single instance of movement of Chechen rebels across the Russian-Georgian border has been observed during the past year,? Badri Bitsadze said in …
New Abkhaz PM Appointed
President of breakaway Abkhazia Sergey Bagapsh appointed Alexander Ankvab as the unrecognized republic?s new Prime Minister on February 14, Itar-Tass news agency reported. Sergey Bagapsh, who was sworn in as the President on February 12, has already accepted the resignation of the entire cabinet formerly led by Nodar Khashba. Influential political figure Aleksander Ankvab, who …
Paper: Bagapsh Inauguration Turned into ‘Forum of Separatists’
An article published on February 14 by the Russian daily Kommersant described the presidential inauguration ceremony of Sergey Bagapsh in the breakaway Abkhazia as a “forum of separatists, which was openly backed by Russia.” Delegations from secessionist regions of South Ossetia, Transdnestria and Nagorny-Karabakh, as well as officials from the Russia’s North Caucasus Republics and regions, representatives from Moscow’s Mayors …
Officials, Experts Discuss Ratification of Convention on National Minorities
A meeting organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and the Council of Europe [CoE] will take place in Tbilisi on 14 February to discuss the issue of ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Georgia, states a press release issued by the CoE. The ratification of the Convention is …
Water Supply System Breakdown in Kutaisi
A breakdown of the drinking water supply system left Georgia?s second largest city of Kutaisi, located in the western part of the country, without water on February 13. Officials say that repair work will last for five days.Meanwhile, President Saakashvili instructed the government to use army reservists to help in distributing drinking water in Kutaisi and to send all water tankers …
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