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JCC Meeting Starts in Moscow
A meeting of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), involving Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and North Ossetian representatives, started in Moscow on September 30. The issues of withdrawal of illegal armed groups from the conflict area, stabilization of the situation, as well as the possibility of holding a meeting between South Ossetian de facto President Eduard …
30/09/2004 - 11:02
Saakashvili Holds Talks with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili held talks today with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov, who arrived in Georgia on September 28. The issues of bilateral cooperation, including the perspectives of regional cooperation, integration into European structures and construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline were discussed during their talks. ?We think that …
29/09/2004 - 17:24
Russian Peacekeepers Hold Maneuvers in Abkhazia
Russian peacekeeping forces stationed in the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia launched planned, two-day military exercises on September 29, reports the Abkhaz news agency Apsnypress. The military exercises aim towards increasing the combat readiness of the peacekeeping troops in order to prevent acts of terrorism and diversion. Commander of the Staff of the Russian peacekeeping troops …
Igor Ivanov: Russia Seeks to Improve Relations with Georgia
Secretary of the National Security Council of the Russian Federation Igor Ivanov said on September 29 that ?Russia is interested in improving its relations with Georgia and is ready for bilateral cooperation.? ?By recognition of Georgia?s territorial integrity and sovereignty, Russia expresses a readiness to cooperate with Georgia. [Russian President]Vladimir Putin reiterated this during [Georgian …
Georgian Security Chief, State Minister Visit Moscow
Secretary of the Georgian National Security Council Gela Bezhuashvili and State Minister for Conflict Resolutions Goga Khaindrava left for Russia?s capital Moscow on September 29. Gela Bezhuashvili will hold talks with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov, while Goga Khaindrava will attend a meeting of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), involving Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian …
Saakashvili Touts Educational Reforms as ‘Necessary’
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a news briefing on September 28 that the reformation of the higher educational system is of vital importance for the country. He also admitted that particular staff changes may soon occur at the Tbilisi State University. He said, Georgian Ambassador to Italy Rusudan Lortkipanidze is a good candidature for …
Saakashvili Nominates New Chief of Tbilisi-Based Abkhaz Government
On September 28 President Saakashvili nominated Irakli Alasania as the new chief of the Tbilisi-based Council of Ministers of Abkhazia. ?Irakli Alasania will coordinate the activities regarding Abkhazia,? President Saakashvili said at a news briefing on September 28. Irakli Alasania, who was Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council, will replace Londer Tsaava at the …
Saakashvili Appoints New Governors in Western Georgia
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed three new governors in western regions of Georgia. In particular, Deputy Interior Minister Gia Getsadze replaced Davit Mumladze at the post of governor of the Imereti region. Deputy Security Minister Gigi Ugulava was appointed governor of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. He replaced Leri Chitanava. ?I am not dissatisfied with a …
Georgian Finance Minister Visits U.S.
Georgian Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli will leave for the United States on September 29 to participate in the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group scheduled for October 3 in Washington. During the visit Zurab Nogaideli will hold talks with top officials from the World Bank and the International Monetary …
Georgia Describes South Ossetia’s Accusations as ‘Provocation’
On September 28 the Georgian Defense Ministry denied reports spread by the South Ossetian de facto authorities that Georgian peacekeepers have brought explosives into the Georgian village of Kekhvi, in the South Ossetian conflict area. “The Georgian side has nothing to do with these explosives. The accusations by the South Ossetian side, that the Georgian …
28/09/2004 - 18:07
Georgia, France Boost Military Cooperation
Today Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Georgian Defense Ministry Levan Nikolaishvili and French Ambassador to Georgia Phillip Lefaur signed an agreement on military cooperation between the General Staffs of Armed Forces of Georgia and France for 2005. Within the frames of the agreement French instructors will arrive in Georgia and train Georgian soldiers; …
U.S. Supports Withdrawal of Russian Bases from Georgia
Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze said that the issue of removing Russian military bases from Georgia topped the agenda during his talks with top U.S. officials in Washington. ?The United States reiterated its support for the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia. We do not demand Russia to withdraw these military bases today or …
U.S. Increases Military Assistance to Georgia
Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze said on September 27 that the United States will continue to assist Georgia in its training and equipping of its soldiers. “The United States will increase its assistance to Georgia by almost three times. This means that over 4 thousand Georgian soldiers will be trained and equipped according to U.S. …
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Visits Georgia
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mamedyarov will pay an official visit to Georgia on September 28-29. During the visit Mr. Mamedyarov will hold talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania and Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili. The issues of bilateral cooperation, the perspectives of regional cooperation and integration into European structures will be discussed during …
Saakashvili Meets with Parliamentary Majority
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is holding talks with representatives from the parliamentary majority. Reportedly, the draft tax code, as well as the draft law on broadcasting and current political issues are being discussed behind closed doors. Other details of the meeting between the Georgian President and MPs are unknown at present. This post is also available …
27/09/2004 - 18:20
EBRD Issues New Strategy for Georgia
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently issued a new strategy for Georgia. As a news release, issued by the Bank on September 27, reads, EBRD will intensify its policy dialogue with the authorities in an effort to improve the investment climate for local and foreign investors. In infrastructure the focus will be on …
Georgia Urges Russia to Strengthen Controls at Roki Pass
On Septemebr 27 chief of the Georgian Customs Department Giorgi Godabrelidze sent a letter to his Russian counterpart Alexander Zherikhov in which he asked the Russian official to suspend freight transit through the Roki pass, which links Russia?a North Ossetian Republic with Georgia?s breakaway South Ossetia. ?The Customs Department asks you to explain to people …
Georgia Protests Resumption of Sokhumi-Moscow Railway Link
A group of Georgian citizens launched a protest rally on September 27 against the recent restoration of the railway link between the capital of the unrecognized republic of Abkhazia, Sokhumi and Russia’s capital Moscow. “We demand the suspension of anti-Georgian rhetoric in the Russian media,” one of the organizations of the rally, Zaza Macharashvili, said …
Ethic Code Presentation Held
Within the framework of CAP (Citizen Advocate Program) a presentation regarding the Ethic Code for Civil Society Organizations was held on September 26 at the Sheraton Metechi Palace. The NGO Ethics Code was elaborated by a working group of eight civil society representatives under the aegis of CAP. This process was coordinated by the Civic …
Georgia Commemorates Abkhaz War Victims
Today Georgia commemorates the victims of the armed conflict in Abkhazia. On September 27, 1993 Georgian troops were ousted from the breakaway Abkhaz capital Sukhumi and on September 30 Abkhazia announced its independence, which is has never been internationally recognized. September 27th is the Day of Hope and Commemoration in Georgia. Authorities, as well as leading political parties, are organizing …
Law on Broadcasting Amended due to Lobbying from Third Sector
As a result of harsh criticism from the civil society organizations and independent broadcasters, the authors of a draft law on broadcasting agreed to amend those provisions within the document which were subjected to severe criticism recently. A new version of the draft law to be elaborated within a week should take into account all …
Tbilisi, Tskhinvali Resume Talks
Georgian State Minister: No shots heard, but no firm peace either in South Ossetia The Georgian and South Ossetian sides will meet in Moscow on September 30-October 1 within the frames of a quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC) in a bid, as the two sides put it, “to work out firm guarantees of a ceasefire” in …
Barriers Proposed for Foreign State-Run Companies in Georgian Privatization
Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze’s ‘wide-scale privatization’ policy might be hindered by the Parliament. The Parliamentary Committee on Sector Economics approved a proposal on September 24 to restrict the selling of more than 25% of the total shares of any Georgian state-run facility to the foreign state-owned companies. The draft law may seriously hamper the Economy …
25/09/2004 - 18:36
GUUAM Foreign Ministers Meet in New York
The seventh session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of GUUAM (Georgian, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova) was held in New-York on September 23 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session. The Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine took part in the session, reported the Georgian Foreign Ministry on September 24. The Council of …
Georgian Defense Minister Meets with U.S. Defense Secretary
Georgian Defense Minister Giorgi Baramidze met with his U.S. counterpart Donald Rumsfeld in Washington, D.C. on September 24.After the talks, Giorgi Baramidze said in an interview to the Itar-Tass news agency that Georgia intends to set up an air defense system, but he denied his government’s intentions to purchase a Patriot system from the United States.No other details of the talks have …
Georgian Soldiers Freed in South Ossetia
Four Georgian peacekeepers, detained overnight by South Ossetian militias were released on September 24. The Georgian side claims that the Georgian soldiers were detained after having lost their way while moving from the Georgian village of Eredvi towards another Georgian checkpoint in the conflict zone. The South Ossetian side reports that the Georgian soldiers were arrested because they had …
24/09/2004 - 20:47
Officials Deny Plans to Privatize Tbilisi Gas Distribution Company
Davit Morchiladze, General Director of Tbilgazi, the gas distribution company the capital Tbilisi, denied reports on Friday that the issue of the company?s potential privatization was discussed during the visit to Tbilisi by a delegation from the Russian energy giant GazProm on September 23. Bidzina Bregadze, the Premier of Tbilisi, also denied any intentions by the government to privatize Tbilgazi. 96% of company?s …
Parliamentary Committee Proposes to Restrict Privatization
On September 24 the Parliamentary Committee of Sector Economy discussed a draft law which envisages restrictions on privatization of state-owned enterprises. Particularly, the document, which was approved at a committee hearing, bans the selling of more than 25% of the total shares of any state-run facility to the foreign state-owned companies. ?I think that the draft law …
JCC Meeting Scheduled in Moscow
Both the Georgian and South Ossetian sides confirmed that a meeting of the quadripartite Joint Control Commission (JCC), involving Georgian, South Ossetian, Russian and North Ossetian representatives, is scheduled to be held in Moscow on September 30. ?The withdrawal of illegal armed groups from the conflict zone, stabilization of the situation in the conflict zone, as …
UK Special Representative to Georgia Visits Tskhinvali
Sir Brian Fall, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative to Georgia, visited the breakaway South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali on September 23 and held talks with the leadership of the self-styled republic. The Special Representative was accompanied in his trip to Tskhinvali by British Ambassador to Georgia Donald MacLaren and Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia …
Romanian Defense Minister Visits Georgia
A delegation of the Romanian Defense Ministry, led by Minister Ioan Mircea Pascu, will pay a one-day working visit to Georgia on September 24. The delegation will hold talks with Georgian Deputy Defense Ministers and top military officials in order to discuss bilateral military cooperation between the two countries. This post is also available in: ქართული …
Georgian Soldiers Detained in South Ossetia
Four Georgian servicemen were detained near the Ossetian village of Prisi in the South Ossetian conflict zone late on September 23. Reports cite that Russian and Ossetian peacekeepers were not informed in advance concerning the movement of the Georgian servicemen near the village as a reason for their detention. Aleksander Kiknadze, commander of the Georgian peacekeeping troops …
Saakashvili Prolongs U.S. Visit
A Georgian delegation led by President Saakashvili, who was expected to return from New York on September 23, prolonged its visit to the United States for two additional days. However, no reason was cited for this decision. The Georgian delegation participated in the UN General Assembly Session in New York. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) …
23/09/2004 - 19:36
Authorities Compromise over Draft Law on Broadcasting
After debates during a hearing at the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Issues on September 23, the authors of a draft law on broadcasting agreed to amend those provisions within the document which were harshly criticized by independent broadcasters and civil society organizations. As a result, the main Tbilisi TV broadcasting tower will no longer be handed to the State Television, which, …
Georgia’s Visa, Border Burden with Russia
Over 60 Georgian citizens have already been denied entry into Moscow by Russian border guard officials who have cited visa irregularities. Meanwhile several hundred trucks remain stuck at the Russian-Georgian border, which has been closed since early September.The Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian Ambassador to Georgia, Vladimir Chkhikvishvili, on September 21 and handed him …
Russian Parliament Urges Georgia to Tighten Anti-Terrorism Laws
In a resolution unanimously adopted by the Russian lower house of the Parliament State Duma on September 22, the Russian lawmakers urged their Georgian and Azerbaijani counterparts to make their anti-terrorism legislature more strict.?[The Russian] MPs recommend that the Russian government appeal the Georgian and Azerbaijani Parliaments with a request to make counter-terrorism legislature more strict, aiming at prevention and eradication …
GazProm Seeks Investment Opportunities in Georgia
A delegation from the Russian energy giant GazProm arrived in Georgia on September 22 for a two-day visit to discuss investment opportunities with Georgian officials. Details of the talks with the Georgian Economy Ministry officials are not known yet. However, according to unofficial reports, GazProm is interested in purchasing shares of the state-run Tbilgazi, which is the gas …
Breakaway Regions Reject ‘Stage-by-Stage’ Conflict Settlement Plan
Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia both rejected Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s “stage by stage conflict settlement plan,” voiced by the Georgian leader while addressing the UN General Assembly Session on September 21. Astamur Tania, a political aide to the Abkhaz de facto President, told Itar-Tass news agency that Abkhazia has already “determined …
Sochi-Sukhumi Bus Line Opened
A regular bus route has opened between the Russian town of Sochi and Sukhumi, capital of secessionist province of Abkhazia, acting chairman of the transport administration of Sochi, Pavel Shurakov, told Interfax news agency on September 23.The buses will offer round-trip service to Sukhumi three times a day, according to Shurakov.Members of the CIS confirmed, at a CIS summit is …
Parliamentary Committee Offers Reduced Military Service Term
The Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security agreed on September 22 to reduce the term of service for military conscripts to one year. According to the chairman of the committee Givi Targamadze one year is sufficient time to learn basic military training. The committee also reviewed proposals to abolish the Military Departments at the universities. Currently, …
Justice Minister Plans “one stop shop” for Property Documentation
Justice Minister Giorgi Papuashvili announced plans on September 22 to create a “one stop shop” for all civil documentation; this “shop” will be coordinated by the Ministry of Justice.According to Papuashvili, mant of the government agencies that handle vital property and civil documentation issues for citizens are inefficient and breed corruption. Papuashvili announced a plan to create a Unified …
GUUAM Parliamentary Assembly Set up
Chairpersons of the Parliaments of the GUUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Moldova) will meet in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to sign a declaration concerning the setting up of a GUUAM Parliamentary Assembly. Representatives from Uzbekistan will not participate. ?This initiative will at last be implemented, after many years of delay. I want to say that GUUAM is not an organization against someone. …
Ombudsman Demands Dismissal of Deputy Chairman of Supreme Court
Newly appointed Public Defender of Georgia Sozar Subeliani demanded on September 23 dismissal of the Supreme Court judge Veleri Khrustal by the Council of Justice. According to Subeliani alleged that Valeri Khrustal, the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court to remand Zaza Tsetskhladze to pretrial detention after the latter had already been in pretrial custody for …
Tbilisi Demands Explanation for Georgian Passengers’ Deportation
Georgian Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs held a hearing on September 22 in regards to the incident in the Moscow airport whenin dozens of Georgian citizens were barred by the Russian border guard from entering Russia on September 20 because of ?visa irregularities.? The Georgian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian Ambassador to Georgia, Vladimir Chkhikvishvili, on September 21 and …
22/09/2004 - 17:31
Saakashvili’s UN Speech Focuses on Conflict Resolution, Relations with Russia
In his address to the UN General Assembly Session on September 21 Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili reiterated Georgia’s commitment to deal with the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia "through solely peaceful means" and proposed a "stage-by-stage conflict settlement plan." In his 25 minute long speech Mikheil Saakashvili also spoke of relations with Russia …
Businessman’s Relative Kidnapped
Reports say that an unknown gunmen kidnapped Zaza Tordia, nephew of Pantiko Tordia, chief of the Tbilisi aircraft factory TbilAviaMsheni, in the western Georgian town of Zugdidi late on September 21. According to the unofficial reports kidnappers have already demanded a ransom of USD 500,000. This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
Georgia Hunts for Friends, But Comes up Short
Reposted from EurasiaNetRussia, post-Beslan, has gone on the hunt for culprits, and in its sights, many Georgian observers fear, lies Georgia. While talk of preemptive strikes against suspected terrorist bases in third countries rumbles out of the Kremlin, old complaints that terrorists roam the Pankisi Gorge, the narrow strip of land bordering Georgia and Chechnya, …
Georgia Proposes ‘New Mechanics’ for Relations with Russia
President Mikheil Saakashvili proposed to set up a joint Russian-Georgian anti-terrorism center to help be part of the “mechanics of new relations” between the two countries. “The time has come for Georgia and Russia to enter a new stage of cooperation that will have as its goal the defeat of this common enemy [terrorism],” Saakashvili said, while …
Saakashvili: Georgia Will Not Have Any Foreign Military Base
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said while speaking at the UN General Assembly Session on September 21 ?the Georgia has a very firm position and will not have any new foreign military bases on its territory.? He added that the Russian military bases on the Georgian soil are ?left over from a period that no longer exists. …
Georgian Troops in Iraq to Serve in UN Mission Protection Forces
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on September 21 that Georgia will send ?fresh troops to Iraq to serve in the special protection force for the UN Mission in Iraq.? However, Mikheil Saakashvili, who was speaking at the UN General Assembly Session, did not specify in his speech how many soldiers will be sent to Iraq or …
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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)