Latest Articles about South Caucasus
MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ZHVANIA’S DEATH STILL UNANSWERED
The mysterious death of Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania continues to worry many Georgians because the investigation has yet to fully clarify the circumstances. Zhvania was found dead on February 3 at the home of Raul Usupov, who was about to become deputy governor of... MORE
SAAKASHVILI AND NAZARBAYEV TURN NEW PAGE IN KAZAKH-GEORGIAN RELATIONS
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili made his first visit to Kazakhstan on March 31, marking a new, post-Shevardnadze era in Kazakh-Georgian relations. The young and beaming Saakashvili, a child of the Rose Revolution, sitting together with his aging Kazakh counterpart, a lingering shadow from the communist... MORE
AZERBAIJAN’S ALIEV SEEKS POLISH HELP FOR EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
After visits to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and China, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev reversed course and paid a visit to a European country -- Poland -- on March 30. The trip refuted speculations that Azerbaijan was gradually shifting its foreign policy course towards the East. The... MORE
RISKS IN GEORGIA’S JAVAKHETI PROVINCE CAN BE DEFUSED
Presidents Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia and Robert Kocharian of Armenia met informally on April 1-2 in the Georgian mountain resort of Gudauri, without media coverage. Their agenda included the situation in Akhalkalaki, where two recent rallies by local Armenian residents aired political and economic demands,... MORE
GEORGIAN DEFENSE OFFICIALS ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT
Backstabbing, intrigue, and corruption continue to plague Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's government, despite its repeated statements about centralizing power and eradicating corruption. To the delight of Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, on March 27 the Prosecutor's Office arrested Zurab Khutsishvili, deputy chief of logistics at the... MORE
Georgian Defense Officials Arrested for Embezzlement
Backstabbing, intrigue, and corruption continue to plague Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's government, despite its repeated statements about centralizing power and eradicating corruption. To the delight of Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, on March 27 the Prosecutor's Office arrested Zurab Khutsishvili, deputy chief of logistics at the... MORE
PUTIN VISIT HIGHLIGHTS RUSSIAN INTEREST IN ARMENIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined Armenia's geopolitical importance for Russia as he paid a brief working visit to Yerevan on March 24-25. The visit came against the backdrop of Moscow's loss of influence over its "near abroad," which has been accelerated by a series of... MORE
OPPOSITION SCORES TWO GAINS IN AZERBAIJAN
On March 21, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev signed an amnesty decree, releasing 115 prisoners. The decreed, timed to coincide with the Novruz spring holiday, freed many individuals that the Council of Europe, local, and international human rights organizations considered to be "political prisoners" (ANS TV,... MORE
BALTIC SEA-BLACK SEA “AXIS” ADUMBRATED
On an official visit to Kyiv on March 25-26, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, used the term "Baltic Sea-Black Sea Axis," referring to countries pursuing shared interests in this region: the three Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and Georgia.... MORE
GEORGIAN ADVISORS STEPPING FORWARD IN BISHKEK
Early this week Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sent a formal letter to Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev calling upon him to be more tolerant toward the opposition's demands and offered to personally mediate in negotiations with the opposition forces. Georgian emissaries have reportedly worked with all... MORE