Latest Articles about Georgia
MOSCOW KILLS BODEN PAPER, THREATENS TO TERMINATE UNOMIG IN GEORGIA
During his five-day visit to Germany, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told the press that Russia's process of self-definition includes the issue of recognizing where Russia's borders end. In Georgia's case, the unlawful presence of Russian troops within Georgia's borders represents the only real source of... MORE
HEAD OF GEORGIA’S NATIONAL GUARD RESIGNS AFTER 10 DAYS
The Georgian armed forces anticipate two major challenges in 2006. First, Russian peacekeeping troops are expected to withdraw from the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Second, Georgia must redesign its defense system according to NATO standards if it hopes to join that organization.... MORE
TBILISI TURNS TO TEHRAN TO BRIDGE ENERGY DEFICIT
The Russian-Georgian gas crisis following the January 22 explosion of two gas pipelines in Russian territory (see EDM, January 23) seemed to be resolved by a plan to deliver Russian natural gas through Azerbaijan. But on January 24 Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri reported a... MORE
CHANGES IN GEORGIAN MEDIA INDUSTRY REFLECT POLITICAL INFIGHTING
On January 4, two leading Georgian private television companies announced a merger, suggesting to analysts that these changes in the country's media industry reflect domestic political jockeying. According to the deal, most likely concluded behind tightly closed doors, the owner of Rustavi-2 TV has bought... MORE
SAAKASHVILI GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON PRISON MAFIA
A wave of strikes by inmates at prisons across Georgia is part of the criminal world's carefully crafted plan to resist government efforts to assert their authority in the penal system. The first strike began on December 24 in Kutaisi, Georgia's second largest city, and... MORE
NEW HOPE FOR SOUTH OSSETIA?
On December 12, Eduard Kokoiti, the self-styled president of South Ossetia, sent a letter to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and leaders of OSCE countries to familiarize them with an action plan for settling the 15-year old conflict. Three successive stages call... MORE
CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM REGARDING GEORGIAN-ABKHAZ TALKS
Last week the saber rattling that has characterized Georgian-Abkhaz relation subsided as UN- mediated talks about confidence building commenced. Against a backdrop of continuing mutual violence in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia (see EDM, November 8, 29) the talks are intended to demonstrate that a... MORE
JUDGES ALLEGE THAT SAAKASHVILI’S TEAM IS PURGING GEORGIA’S JUDICIAL BENCH
Widespread allegations about restrictions on judicial independence since the Rose Revolution have received new credibility following sensational confessions by four members of the Georgian Supreme Court. Tamaz Iliashvili, Merab Turava, David Sulakvelidze, and Nino Gvenetadze have publicly accused Kote Kublashvili, chairman of the Supreme Court,... MORE
GEORGIA’S ACTION PLAN ON SOUTH OSSETIA: A TEST FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Georgia has begun implementing this month the first phase of its action plan for a political settlement of the South Ossetia conflict. This first phase consists mainly of socio-economic measures, such as humanitarian assistance to South Ossetia's population and laying the groundwork for the post-conflict... MORE
MOSCOW AND OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP BLINDSIDING GEORGIA ON SOUTH OSSETIA
Following Georgia's presentation of a political settlement plan on South Ossetia to the OSCE Permanent Council, the Russian side has apparently enlisted the OSCE Chairmanship's assistance in derailing Georgian initiatives on that issue ahead of the OSCE's year-end ministerial conference. Anxious to avoid controversy at... MORE