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Übersicht >>Archiv - frühere Nachrichten >>Archiv - spätere Nachrichten| 20 Sep. '11 | Präsident Saakashvili ist in New York zur UN-Generalversammlung
Er
hält bilaterale Treffen mit Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Bolivia, Mongolia, Nigeria und Swiss President und Foreign
Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey ab.
In seine Rede wird er auf die
Position Georgiens in Bezug auf die Sicherheit Georgiens und der Region
eingehen sowie die fortgesetzten politischen und ökonomischen Reformen
ansprechen. |
| 17 Sep. '11 | Gesetzesentwurf zum neuen Wahlverfahren herausgegeben
Draft
of the new electoral code, expected to be approved before the end of
this year, was formally initiated in the Parliament on September 19.
The
new 141-page document, which is slated to replace the current 171-page
electoral code amended for 46 times since its approval in 2001, was
drafted by the ruling party lawmakers.
Key changes in the draft
involve those provisions, which have been agreed between the ruling
National Movement party and several opposition parties in June,
including, among others, increasing seats in Parliament from current 150
to 190 (also requiring a constitutional amendment, which has yet to be
initiated) and party campaign funding.
New Electoral System Outlined
According
to ruling party lawmakers the draft of new electoral code, which seems
to be better structured than the existing one, has been sent for an
expertise to the Council of Europe’s advisory body for legal and
constitutional affairs, Venice Commission, last week.
“Although the
draft has been initiated, its discussion will start after the
conclusions by the Venice Commission becomes available; meanwhile, the
society, media and non-governmental sector will have an opportunity to
study it,” Davit Bakradze, the parliamentary chairman, said on September
19.
Other Changes
Several of the proposed changes, other than
those envisaged by the electoral system reform deal, are in line with
the recommendations tabled by the Venice Commission last year; although
not all of those recommendations are addressed in the draft.
The
proposed draft of new code does not envisage voter marking procedure on
the election day. The system of marking a finger with special invisible
ink to avoid multiple voting has been in practice in Georgia since
partially annulled November 2003 parliamentary elections.
A provision
allowing use of CCTV cameras at polling stations with a purpose to
prevent violations and to verify complaints on alleged violations is
also removed from the draft of new code.
Last year the Venice
Commission recommended removing this provision from the code, describing
it as “problematic”, arguing that the use of recording devices in the
polling station, “even if it does not infringe on the secrecy of the
ballot, may appear to do so and can also intimidate some voters.”
Unlike
the current code, the draft does not contain a provision, which obliges
the Central Election Commission to announce a total number of voters
before the election day. It, however, will still have to indicate total
number of voters in a final vote tally.
Rule of composition of
Central Election Commission and lower level election administrations
remains the same. The draft envisages doubling salaries for members and
staff of the Central Election Commission and District Election
Commissions during the electoral period.
If approved the new code
will allow electoral commission chairperson to take a decision regarding
registering of an electoral subject. Such decision is currently taken
collectively by CEC members.
According to the draft, CEC chairperson
and not respective district election commissions will have to take a
decision on whether or not to register a majoritarian MP candidate
running in a single-mandate constituency.
The draft simplifies
procurement procedures for CEC during the electoral period and removes a
provision which currently obliges CEC to submit its financial report to
the Ministry of Finance.
CEC has to approve parliamentary election
final vote tally within 19 days after the elections, instead of current
18 days, according to the draft. In case of presidential election, this
deadline is extended from current 8 to 20 days.
In respect of filing
complaints, the draft allows to appeal a decision of precinct election
commissions not only to district commissions (within two days), but also
directly to the court within four days. But the decision of district
election commissions will still have to be appealed at first to Central
Election Commission and only after that to the court if needed,
according to the draft.
In respect of use of administrative
resources, the draft mainly replicates provisions from the current code.
The draft, like the current code, bans the authorities to undertake any
additional spending, for example for new social and welfare programs,
during an electoral campaign apart from those envisaged in advance in an
annual budget. In this respect the draft adds a provision according to
which an unspecified “authorized person” will have the right to appeal
the court if such additional spending takes place during the electoral
period.
The draft also adds a provision that bans district election
commissions to be housed in administrative buildings of local
authorities.
The election code allows use of administrative resources
for campaign purposes, but it says that the resources should be
accessible equally for all the parties and candidates. In its
recommendations last year, the Venice Commission said that although
“provision appears to adhere to the equal opportunity principle” in
practice the governing party usually have easier access to such resource
and for that reason the code “should expressly prohibit direct or
indirect use of all types of administrative resources – financial,
material, technical, and human resources.”
It was the Venice
Commission’s recommendation to enact a new electoral code rather than
further emending it in order to “help systematise and streamline the
provisions, as well as eliminate ambiguities and inconsistencies between
the Code’s various articles, which possibly have resulted from frequent
amendments in the past years.”
|
| 15 Sep. '11 | Patriarch Ilia II. hofft auf ein 'Wunder' in den georg.-russ. Beziehungen
Neben
Präsident Saakashvili stehend in der kürzlich neu eröffneten Kirche im
Kazbegi Distrikt würdigte er die Bedeutung dieser Kirche wegen der nähe
zur russ. Grenze, da sie sogar als Treffpunkt "für Gespräche zwischen
den Staatsoberhäuptern" dienen könnte.
Er sagte auch: “Ich glaube,
dass diese Kirche uns ein Wunder zeigen wird, und ich glaube, dass
dieses Wunder sich in der Tatsache äußern wird, dass unsere Länder
wieder in einer friedlichen Beziehung sein werden.”
Standing beside
President Saakashvili in a newly opened church close to the Russian
border, head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, hinted
on the need of talks between the Georgian and Russian leaders.
Ilia
II said that the new church in the mountainous Kazbegi district was of
special importance, because of its proximity to the border with Russia,
which could even serve as a venue “for talks between the heads of
states.”
Later in the same speech Ilia II also said: “I think this
church will show us a miracle and I think that this miracle will be
expressed in [the fact] that our countries will again be in peaceful
relationship.”
This part of the Patriarch’s speech was also included
in a press release, which the Georgian President’s administration
released in connect to Saakashvili’s participation in the ceremony of
opening the new church in Dariali gorge. It says: “His Holiness and
Beatitude [Ilia II] expressed hope that with the blessing of this church
the two countries [Georgia and Russia] will restore relations and the
peace will be established again.”
Ilia II, whom former U.S.
ambassador to Georgia John Tefft described in one of the leaked cables
as “astute diplomat”, called on the Georgian and Russian leaders in
March “to show wisdom” and launch talks “on various levels” between the
two countries.
The Georgian Patriarch met with Russia’s President
Dmitri Medvedev in December 2008, when he was in Moscow to attend
funeral of Russian Patriarch Alexy II. President Saakashvili at the time
hailed the Church’s “diplomatic mission.”
According to a December
2008 confidential U.S. embassy cable, released by WikiLeaks, which
details a meeting between then U.S. ambassador and the Georgian
Patriarch, Ilia II “expressed his desire to serve a positive role in
normalizing and stabilizing relations with Russia.”
|
| 15 Aug. '11 | Geostat: 2010 sind die ausländischen Direktinvestitionen angestiegen von 553.1 Mio. USD auf 814
In
its final report on foreign direct investment, released on August 15,
the Georgian state statistics agency, Geostat, revised its preliminary
figures of 2010 FDI upwards from USD 553.1 million to USD 814 million.
Geostat
said that this “sharp difference” between the preliminary and final
data is caused with a new methodology of compiling the report. The new
method, according to Geostat, uses companies’ consolidated financial
statements – an aggregated data of financial position of a parent and
its subsidiaries – making scope of surveyed entities broader.
According
to preliminary figure released in March the FDI in 2010 declined over
previous year by 16%; but the final figure of USD 814 million is 24%
increase year-on-year.
The revised FDI figure made 7% of Georgia’s GDP in 2010, up from 6% in 2009 and down from 12% in 2008.
A breakdown of FDI inflows by country has also been revised in final data.
In
the preliminary data most of the FDI came from companies registered in
the Netherlands – USD 143.2 million; in the final report the figure was
revised down to USD 73.4 million making it on the third place after the
U.S. with USD 135.8 million and Turkey - USD 91.8 million. Other major
sources of FDI, according to final report, in 2010 were UK with USD 59
million; Azerbaijan - USD 58 million; United Arab Emirates - USD 55.5
million.
Breakdown of FDI inflows by sectors has also been revised.
Extraction and processing industry attracted the biggest share of FDI in
2010 with USD 228.8 million or 28.1%, according to final figures;
followed by transport and communication sector USD 215.1 million
(26.4%); real estate - USD 119.3 million; financial sector - USD 107.4
million (17.7%).
|
| 15 Aug. '11 | Intern Vertriebene, die seit 20 Jahren im ehemaligen Hotel 'Abkhazia' untergebracht waren, wurden zwangsgeräumt
A
building in Saburtalo district of Tbilisi, formerly hotel “Abkhazia”,
which for over twenty years was housing families displaced as a result
of conflict in South Ossetia in early 1990s, was emptied on August 15.
Eviction
started in early hours on Monday after police sealed off the area
around the collective center; trucks were sent to transport belongings
of IDP families. Displaced families living in “Abkhazia” have been
protesting in recent days against the eviction, but no incidents and
clashes were reported with the police during the eviction on Monday.
One
part of more than 270 displaced families left the building over the
weekend after agreeing on USD 10,000 compensation offered by the
authorities. As an alternative option to financial compensation, IDP
families were offered a living space in Rustavi, town close to Tbilisi;
an apartment building in Rustavi is currently under construction and the
authorities say they would cover rent fee for those IDP families who
will agree on settlement in Rustavi before the new apartment building is
built there.
Although the authorities launched transferring some of
the collective centers in ownership to IDP families living there, the
same rule does not apply to some other collective centers in Tbilisi,
especially to those, which have high real estate value; “Abkhazia” was
among them, which already has a private investor.
A total of 1,248
displaced families were evicted from various buildings in Tbilisi in two
rounds of evictions, between June 2010 and February 2011. In the new
round of eviction fifty displaced families were evicted from four
temporary shelters in Tbilisi this July as part of, what the authorities
call, resettlement process in which evicted families are offered
housing options in the provinces, mainly in remote areas from the
capital city. In majority of cases alternative houses in the provinces
are rejected by the IDP families, because of absence of proper
livelihood conditions there.
|
| 12 Aug. '11 | Russland wirft Georgien for, Militanten im Nordkaukasus zu helfen
Russia's
National Counter-Terrorism Committee has claimed that Georgia was
providing assistance to one of the Islamist insurgent groups in North
Caucasus in its "terrorism activities."
National Counter-Terrorism
Committee (NAK), which is Russia's government body operating under the
Federal Security Service (FSB) and coordinating anti-terrorism policies ,
leveled the allegation in its written statement on its website on
August 12.
Russia said its security forces killed six militants in
Makhachkala, Dagestan on August 10-11, including the group's leader
Abdulla Mogamedaliyev.
"Through his foreign emissaries Mogamedaliyev
maintained contacts with the Georgian special services, which were
providing him assistance in carrying out terrorist activities," the
statement released by NAK reads, providing no further details of its
allegation.
Russian officials are time after time accusing Georgia of
assisting Islamist insurgents in North Caucasus, or sometimes even
hinting on Georgia's possible involvement in various terrorist acts in
Russia. Those allegations, however, are mainly made in thier verbal
remarks; this recent allegation is a rare case when the allegation has
been voiced through a written statement.
In its recent report on
Russia-Georgia conflict released on the third anniversary of the August
war, the Brussels-based think-tank International Crisis Group wrote that
"the third-country diplomats say they have seen no supporting evidence"
of these sporadic allegations by the Russian officials.
"The
Russians do not seem entirely serious about their allegations, using
them instead perhaps to prepare the ground to blame Georgia should there
be a grave breach of security in Russia, especially around the 2014
Sochi Olympic Games," the report reads.
International Crisis Group
called on Georgia to refrain from responding "nervously to every Russian
politician’s allegation" and urged Russian officials to refrain from
"making unsubstantiated and provocative allegations without firm
evidence."
|
| 10 Aug. '11 | Präsident Saakashvili äußert sich zum Georgien-Interview vom russ. Präsidenten Medvedev
President
Saakashvili said on August 9, that his Russian counterpart, whom he
described as lacking "real power" and being "under the shadow of another
man", was paying too much attention to Georgia and personally to him
which was not "a normal situation."
"Few days ago I've seen on TV the
President of the country, which is hundred-fold larger than [Georgia],"
Saakashvili said referring to a lengthy interview which Medvedev gave
on August 4 to Georgian and Russian media outlets.
He said that his press office "counted" and found out that from 55-minute interview Medvedev "dedicated 39 minutes to me."
"Doesn't
the leader - although with limited powers - of such a huge country have
anything else to do but to think about the Georgian President?"
Saakashvili said. "That's not a normal situation, because we do not want
to be part of various geopolitical games."
He also said that he had not watched Medvedev's interview "in full, because I have many other things to do."
Saakashvili
made the remarks while speaking with a group of young people
participating in the Georgian government-funded Patriotic Camp in
Anaklia on the Black Sea coast close to breakaway Abkhazia.
Also on
August 9 the Georgian Foreign Ministry said that it was "yet another
cynical step" by President Medvedev to submit to Russia's State Duma for
ratification military base treaties with Sokhumi and Tskhinvali on the
eve of the three year anniversary of the 2008 war.
|
| 5 Aug. '11 | Russ. Präsident Medvedev zu den Beziehungen mit Georgien
Russland
sei bereit, den Schweizer Vorschlag zu den WTO-Gesprächen anzunehmen;
mehrere Äußerungen gegen den georg. Präsidenten Saakashvili; aktuell
keine legalen oder faktischen Voraussetzungen für einen Anschluss
Südossetiens an Russland
|
| 30 Jul. '11 | Resolution zur Okkupation im US-Senat verabschiedet
In
der Resolution wird Georgiens territoriale Integrität unterstützt und
Abchasien und Südosseten als "von Russland besetzte Regionen" anerkannt.
...
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed on July 29 a resolution
supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity and recognizing Abkhazia and
South Ossetia as regions “occupied by the Russian Federation”.
The resolution, S. RES. 175,
was sponsored by Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican
Senator Lindsay Graham. The both Senators are co-chair of Georgia Task
Force at the U.S. think-tank Atlantic Council - a bipartisan group aimed
at promoting policy debate on Georgia.
“Today, the Senate spoke with
one voice in support of Georgia’s territorial integrity,” Senator
Shaheen said on July 29. “While I am pleased by the Senate’s action and
the clear message we are sending to Georgia and the Russian Federation,
the situation there remains fragile and unresolved, as Russian troops
are still occupying Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.”
Georgia’s ambassador to the United States, Temur Yakobashvili, praised the resolution.
“This document is a very solid and firm foundation for de-occupation of the Georgian territories,” Yakobashvili said.
- Tbilisi's reaction to the resolution.
The
approved resolution is slightly amended from its initial draft, which
was first referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in
December, 2010; but in essence the document remains the same, calling on
Russia to withdraw troops to pre-August, 2008 war positions.
In one
of the amendments the final text changes term “de facto” in reference to
the authorities in breakaway regions with “the authorities in control
in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia” – a wording used by the
Georgian government in its State Strategy on Occupied Territories.
Among
other amendments introduced in the final text are references to some of
the new developments, which have taken place since December, such as
remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the April 15, 2011
meeting in Berlin between the Foreign Ministers of NATO and Georgia in
which she said that she shared Georgia’s concerns regarding “recent
Russian activities that can negatively affect regional stability.” The
draft also makes a reference to the Russian Foreign Minister’s visits to
Sokhumi and Tskhinvali in April.
The resolution affirms that it is
“the policy of the United States to support the sovereignty,
independence, and territorial integrity of Georgia and the inviolability
of its borders, and to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as regions
of Georgia occupied by the Russian Federation.”
It calls on Moscow,
Tskhinvali and Sokhumi to allow for the full and dignified return of
internally displaced persons and international missions to Abkhazia and
South Ossetia.
The resolution also says that the Senate “supports
peaceful, constructive engagement and confidence-building measures
between the Government of Georgia and the authorities in control in
South Ossetia and Abkhazia and encourages additional people-to-people
contacts.”
“[The Senate] affirms that finding a peaceful resolution
to the conflict is a key priority for the United States in the Caucasus
region and that lasting regional stability can only be achieved through
peaceful means and long-term diplomatic and political dialogue between
all parties,” the resolution says.
The Georgian authorities have been
actively lobbying for this type of resolution, that would refer to
Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied regions, in Washington and other
western capitals, describing the effort as part of “de-occupation
policy”.
Georgian parliamentary committee for foreign relations has
requested lawmakers from 31 countries to “declare the two Georgian
regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as being territories under Russian
occupation and recognise the ethnic cleansing committed by Russia” in
those territories.
"We don’t know what else to call it," he said while speaking at the Global Security 2011 Forum in Bratislava on March 3.
|
| 29 Jul. '11 | Georgien plant 'Denkmal zum Genocide an den Tscherkessen'
Anaklia,
ein Dorf an der Schwarzmeerküste nahe dem abtrünnigen Abchasien, wurde
als Ort für das geplante Denkmal ausgewählt, erklärte Staatsminister
Papuna Davitaia. ...
Georgia, which has become the first country to
recognize 19th century massacre and deportations of Circassians by the
Tsarist Russia as genocide, plans to open a memorial next year to
commemorate the victims.
Anaklia, a Black Sea coast village close to
breakaway Abkhazia, has been selected as a site for the planned
memorial, Papuna Davitaia, Georgia’s state minister for diaspora issues,
said on July 29.
He said that the memorial's design would be
selected through a competition planned to be announced by the state
commission in charge of this issue in September.
The Georgian
government wants to open the memorial in May, 2012 when the Circassian
diaspora will commemorate 148th anniversary of the genocide, Davitaia
said.
The Georgian Parliament passed on May 20 a resolution saying
that mass killings of the Circassians by the Tsarist Russia in second
half of 19th century, accompanied by "deliberate famine and epidemics",
should be recognized as "genocide".
In a separate, July 1 resolution
the Parliament instructed the government to undertake measure for
opening a memorial and also Circassian cultural center.
|
| 29 Jul. '11 | Russland
erklärt, dass Berichte um seine Beteiligung bei dem Anschlag nahe der
US-Botschaft in Tbilisi am 22.09.10 'Propaganda' seien
A report by the Washington Times
that the U.S. intelligence agencies corroborated findings of the
Georgian authorities which traced an explosion close to the U.S. embassy
in Tbilisi to a Russian military officer, is an attempt to stir new
wave of "propaganda hype", Grigory Karasin, the Russian deputy foreign
minister, said on July 28.
An explosive went off
about 60 meters from the U.S. embassy's exterior wall in Tbilisi on
September 22, 2010; police said they destroyed another explosive device
at the same location; no one was injured and no property of the embassy
was damaged.
Series of other explosions took place in Tbilisi in
October and November, 2010 in which an elderly woman was died. In
December, 2010 the Georgian Interior Ministry said it arrested several
Georgian citizens suspected of carrying out these explosions; it said
that the group was acting under the instructions of the Abkhaz-based
Russian military officer.
Late last month court in Tbilisi found 15
people guilty of terrorist in connection to these blasts and sentenced
some of them to a lengthy prison terms. Russian Maj. Yevgeny Borisov,
claimed by Tbilisi to be a mastermind of the blasts, was sentenced to 30
years of jail term in absentia.
On July 21 the Washington Times ran an article
about Georgia's allegations. Republican Senator Mark Kirk told the
newspaper, that if Georgia's claims were true "a Russian-sponsored
attack on a U.S. Embassy would constitute the most serious crisis in
U.S.-Russian relations since the Cold War and put to lie any ‘reset’ in
bilateral relations.”
On July 27 the Washington Times reported in a separate article,
that "highly classified report" by the U.S. intelligence agencies on
the September 22 blast outside the U.S. embassy's exterior wall
confirmed Georgia's allegations that the Russian officer was a
mastermind of the explosion.
The newspaper was quoting as a source two unnamed U.S. officials who had read the classified report.
"It
seems, that this article [by the Washington Times] aims at stirring
second wave of information [campaign] over this issue, which has already
been discussed both with the Americans and with Georgian
representatives in the beginning of this year," Grigory Karasin, the
Russian deputy foreign minister, said in a comment posted on the Russian
Foreign Ministry's website.
He said that because of "an obvious
sensitivity of the issue", Moscow reacted to the allegation that Russia
was involved in the terrorist attacks in Georgia "responsibly".
"We
have carried out a relevant, professional investigation," Karasin said.
"Both the Americans and official representatives of Tbilisi were
informed about results of this work."
"We believe that this kind of
issue should be considered seriously without excessive propaganda hype.
But it seems that's not the goal of those who are behind this campaign,"
Karasin said, adding that channels of communication on this issue "are
still open on our part."
In its most recent, third article on the issue, posted on its website on July 28, the Washington Times reported
that U.S. National Intelligence Council, analytical arm of the Office
of the Director of National Intelligence, provided Congress on Thursday
with a new analysis of the blast. Quoting an unnamed U.S. official, the
Washington Times reported that there was “no consensus” on
responsibility for the Tbilisi blast.
In December, 2010 Georgia asked
Russia to cooperation in the investigation; officials in Tbilisi have
said for number of times, that Russia was not willing to cooperate.
Deputy
spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, Mark C. Toner, declined to
comment on the issue on July 27, saying: "We don’t comment on
investigations into intelligence matters."
|
| 28 Jul. '11 | Tamta Liparteliani wird für tot erklärt: sie wurde unter den Toten des Massakers auf der Insel Utøya in Norwegen identifiziert
Tamta
Liparteliani, 23-year-old Georgian citizen who was reported missing
after a gunman killed 68 at youth camp on Norway's island of Utøya, has
been identified as being among the dead, a Georgian official said on
Thursday.
“Our worst fears were confirmed,” Nino Kalandadze, the
Georgian deputy foreign minister, said on July 28. “We were notified [by
the Norwegian authorities] this morning, that the girl was identified
as being among the dead. It’s a huge tragedy for all of us.”
She said Liparteliani’s parents, who arrived in Oslo on July 27, had been informed about the finding this morning.
Native
of Kutaisi, Georgia's second largest city in western part of the
country, Liparteliani was among participants of the summer camp
organized by the youth wing of the Norway's ruling Labor Party. She was
an activist of Kutaisi branch of movement Young Socialists of Georgia.
Another Georgian participant of the youth camp, Natia Chkhetiani, an activist of the same movement survived in the attack.
The
Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister said that identifying of Liparteliani
was made possible after the Georgian side sent to the Norwegian
authorities her biometric data on July 27.
|
| 25 Jul. '11 | Außenministerium: Maßnahmen zum Schutz von Dokumenten des Ministeriums werden natürlich verstärkt
Following
the photographers’ case, Georgian Foreign Ministry will “naturally
tighten” measures for protecting the ministry’s confidential documents
from unauthorized access, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, Nino
Kalandadze, said.
Giorgi Abdaladze, a freelance photojournalist who
was also working on contract with the Foreign Ministry taking photos of
various events at the ministry, was among the photographers arrested and
charged with espionage for Russia. On July 22 four photojournalists
were found guilty and released after receiving conditional sentences
based on plea agreements reached with the prosecution.
The
prosecution claimed that Abdaladze obtained minutes of a meeting between
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and the Georgian
leadership. In his videotaped confession statement Abdaladze, who was
asked by one of his lawyers how he managed to obtain this secret
document, he said that under the pretext that his computer was not
working and was not able to copy photos, he was able to gain access to
another computer in the Foreign Ministry from where he managed to obtain
the document.
Speaking at a regular Monday press conference on July
25, Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze said that that the ministry
“is studying possible shortcomings, which might have been in place” in
terms of protecting confidential documents. She, however, ruled out
holding any of the ministry’s employees responsible.
“I do not
confirm reports that the issue of responsibility may be raised in
respect of any person. Generally, after… such facts, the security
measures are usually being revised and naturally, the Foreign Ministry
will further tighten such measures,” Kalandadze said.
|
| 24 Jul. '11 | Georgisches Mädchen nach dem Massaker auf der Insel in Norwegen vermisst
Tamta Liparteliani stammt aus Kutaisi, wie auch Natia Chkhetiani, die das Massaker überlebte.
Tamta
Liparteliani, a Georgian girl is among those several people, who are
still missing after a gunman killed at least 85 participants of a youth
camp on Norway's island of Utøya on Friday.
Native of Kutaisi,
Georgia's second largest city in western part of the country,
Liparteliani was among around 700 participants of the summer camp
organized by the youth wing of the Norway's ruling Labor Party.
Another
Georgian participant of the youth camp, Natia Chkhetiani, also from
Kutaisi, survived in the attack, which is the worst in Europe since
Madrid train bombings in 2004.
Both of them are members of Kutaisi branch of movement Young Socialists of Georgia.
Natia
Chkhetiani said the last time when she saw her friend was shortly
before the shooting started. Some were jumping into water trying to
escape the attack; Natia said she too wanted to follow others, but
changed her mind after seeing bullet hitting a boy after jumping into
water. She said she did not know whether her friend, Tamta, jumped into
the water or not.
Tamta Liparteliani's mother said her doughtier could not swim.
Some reports put number of people who are still missing at four or five.
Police in Norway said they were seeking several missing people and the toll from the island attack could rise, Reuters reported.
The
search, using a mini-submarine, will continue for several days, as
currents could have carried the bodies some way away from the island,
BBC reported.
|
| 23 Jul. '11 | Anschlag auf das Jungendcamp in Norwegen: zwei Georgierinnen auf der Insel, eine überlebt, eine wird noch verrmisst
Natia
Chkhetiani berichtet von der Insel Utøya an Rustavi2, dass sie ihre
Freundin Tamta Liparteliani noch kurz vor dem Anschlag gesehen hätte.
Die beiden sind Mitglieder der Jungsozialisten Georgiens und nahmen an
der Veranstaltung auf der Insel teil. Natia Chkhetiani berichtet, sie
habe sich entlang der Küste versteckt, nachdem sie gesehen hatte, wie
ein Junge, der ins Wasser gesprungen war erschossen wurde. Sie traute
sich selbst nach der Ankunft der Polizei mit Booten nicht sofort aus dem
Versteck, da der Angreifer selbst eine Polizeiuniform trug. ...
A
Georgian girl is among survivors and another girl from Georgia is
missing after at least 84 people were shot dead by a gunman disguised as
a policeman at a youth summer camp on Norway's island of Utøya.
Natia
Chkhetiani, who survived in the attack, told Georgia's Rustavi 2 TV by
phone from Oslo late on Saturday, that last time she saw her friend,
Tamta Liparteliani, was shortly before the shooting began.
The two
are members of the movement, Young Socialists of Georgia, and were among
around 700 participants of the summer camp on island of Utøya organized
by the youth wing of the Norway's ruling Labor Party.
Natia
Chkhetiani said that after the shooting started she saw some young
people jumping into water to escape hail of bullets; she said she also
wanted to jump into water, but changed her mind after seeing how one boy
was hit by bullet after jumping into water. She said she was hiding
from one place to another mainly , along the rocky shore of the island.
Chkhetiani also said that after the police boats arrived, she and some
others hiding with her were still afraid to come out of hiding as the
attacker himself was in the police uniform.
The Georgian embassy in
Denmark, which covers Norway, said it was in contact with the Norwegian
police trying to find out the fate of another Georgian girl.
President
Saakashvili said in a letter of condolence to Norway's Prime Minister
Jens Stoltenberg, that "this terrible atrocity once again reminds us
that terrorism remains one of the main common challenges of the world
today".
"For its solution, we have to strengthen our common efforts
in order to ensure peace and stability in the world", Saakashvili the
letter says.
|
| 23 Jul. '11 | Ex-Verteidigungsminister
Irakli Okruashvili Defense kritisiert seinen ehemaligen Verbündeten
Levan Gachechiladze scharf und nennt ihn einen "Verräter" im
Zusammenhang mit den Protesten im Mai
In einem Interview mit
Maestro TV äußert er sich aus seinem franz. Asyl zu den Plänen, wie im
Juni die Regierung Saakashvili "zu einem Ende gebracht" hätte werden
sollen. Die konkreten Pläne seiner Rückkehr nach Georgien und eines
Szenarios zur Ausführung der Tat seien durch Levan Gachechiladze
verraten worden. ...
Er kritisierte auch Ex-Parlamentssprecherin
Nino Burjanadze: “Ich habe nie Hochachtung vor ihr gehabt. Sie hat nie
gerade mal 0.1 Gramm Gehirn gehabt.”...
Ex-defense minister and
co-founder of the opposition Georgian Party, Irakli Okruashvili, said
failure of his party “to put an end” to President Saakashvili’s
government this May was a result of “treason” by his former ally Levan
Gachechiladze, who until early June was co-leader of the Georgian Party.
During
the street protests in late May, Okruashvili, who lives in France after
being granted political asylum there three years ago, announced about
the intention to arrive in Georgia “to put an end to the Saakashvili’s
regime.” Few days after that announcement Okruashvili, however, said he
was dropping plans to return.
“A very concrete plan of my arrival
existed,” Okruashvili said in an interview with Tbilisi-based Maestro
TV, recorded in Paris and aired on July 22. “There was a concrete
scenario to accomplish the deed – that is hitting such a blow to the
authorities that would have put an end to these authorities.”
“The
reason why this scenario has failed and the reason why I was not able to
return to Georgia is treason,” he said. “This scenario – when and how I
was returning and we were planning – was revealed and passed to the
authorities… There is one person whom you can bluntly call a traitor –
that is Levan Gachechiladze.”
Okruashvili, who is wanted in Georgia
as three years ago was sentenced to eleven-year prison in absentia, is
now facing separate, new charges in Georgia. In June he was charged with
formation of illegal armed group.
Okruashvili said that new charges
against him were “ridiculous” and “fabrication.” He accused authorities
of “repressions” against people affiliated with him, saying that the
police arrested about 26 people for fabricated charges “just because
they were my friends.”
He acknowledged that the failure of the
Georgian Party to live up to its promise of “putting an end to the
Saakashvili’s regime” was a blow for him and the Georgian Party. He said
his party now needs to recover from this damage, which would take
several months.
“By mid or late September we will know whether or not we will be able to recover by end of autumn,” Okruashvili said.
In
the same interview he criticized ex-parliamentary speaker Nino
Burjanadze, who led the street protests in May, which came to a violent
end after riot police broke it. Okruashvili said of Burjanadze: “I’ve
never held her in high regard; she has never had even 0.1 grams of
brain.”
In the interview with Maestro TV, Okruashvili also slammed
U.S. ambassador to Georgia, John Bass, suggesting that the latter’s
remarks hours before the demonstration was broken up on May 26 amounted
to giving a green light to the authorities to use force against
protesters.
“The break up of the May [26 protest rally] and other
misfortunes happing today in the country – I mean repressions – is first
and foremost on conscience of John Bass,” Okruashvili said.
A
similar allegation was voiced earlier by chairman of the Georgian Party
Sozar Subari. The U.S. ambassador said in early June that such
allegations were “unfounded”.
|
| 22 Jul. '11 | EU-Erweiterungskommissar Stefan Füle: 'Weitere Untersuchung zu den Ereignissen am 26.Mai notwendig'
EU
Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, Stefan
Füle, said on July 22, that further investigation was needed into
excessive use of force against protesters when the riot police broke up
anti-government rally in Tbilisi on May 26.
“What happened in May in
Tbilisi during the protest rally must never happen again,” Füle said in
his address to an international conference Georgia's European Way in
Batumi.
“I know an investigation into these events has been conducted
but I believe further investigation into these events is needed to
ensure that those responsible for excessive use of force and losses of
human lives are held accountable for any eventual wrong doings,” Füle
said.
|
| 22 Jul. '11 | EU-Erweiterungskommissar Stefan Füle hält Rede auf der Batumi-Konferenz
As prepared
8th International Conference on 'Georgia's European Way'
Batumi, Georgia, 22 July 2011
Mr President, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I
am happy to be here in Batumi with you today. Batumi is a fine symbol
of the great Georgian hospitality that I enjoy so much and remember so
fondly from this same conference two years ago.
I am also happy to be here to discuss openly Georgia’s European way and its aspirations, needs and practices.
Let
me first briefly present to you the main results of the European
Neighbourhood Policy review. This can be summed up in four ideas: deep
democracy, mutual accountability, conditionality and differentiation, or
the "more for more" approach.
Through this renewed approach, the EU
agrees to provide greater support to partners engaged in building deep
and sustainable democracy, to boost inclusive economic development and
to strengthen both the Eastern and the Southern dimensions of the ENP,
in particular in the areas of democracy, human rights and the rule of
law. This increased support will depend on the willingness of partners
to engage and their progress towards reforms.
There is a specific
dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy for the East - the
Eastern Partnership that serves as the platform for engagement with
Georgia and other neighbours in the Eastern parts of Europe.
How will this renewed approach be translated into the Eastern Partnership?
Within the limits of the time available, let me give you just four elements that I consider essential:
First,
the Association Agreements: these are being negotiated with our Eastern
partners and will remain the cornerstone of our relationship. However,
in some cases, these far reaching and very complex agreements take a
long time to negotiate. Under this renewed policy, we will need to
identify tools that will allow us to bridge these long periods and
intensify engagement with our partners.
Second, Civil Society and its
role in pursuing the goals of the Eastern Partnership. The Eastern
Partnership Civil Society Forum and its National Platforms are essential
to promote the Eastern Partnership’s values, and we should strengthen
their involvement. I am personally committed to additional support being
provided to civil society in partner countries. For this purpose, we
intend to establish a Civil Society Facility and a European Endowment
for Democracy, in order to consolidate the role of civil society actors,
including those which have not been able to benefit from EU support so
far. I will also encourage the EU delegations in partner countries to
launch a structured political dialogue with National Platforms.
Third,
conflicts: comprehensive and concerted use of the whole toolbox that is
now at the EU's disposal will allow us to contribute meaningfully to
the resolution of protracted conflicts existing in Eastern Partnership
countries.
Fourth, enhanced regional cooperation: it was actually
President Saakashvili who had inspired us to seriously consider
developping a forum for regular interaction between Eastern Partnership
countries and the EU at the appropriate level and on a wide range of
issues, creating a better connection between bilateral and multilateral
tracks of the Eastern Partnership.
The greatest challenge now lies in
the implementation of this ambitious renewed policy. We will look into
how we jointly – and I underline the word "jointly" - implement it at
the upcoming Eastern Partnership summit in Warsaw. And I will be looking
forward to our fruitful discussion there to which this conference is a
prelude.
Let me now turn to the specific case of Georgia, and its European way.
Georgia
has made its choice for closer integration with the European Union. The
relationship between Georgia and the EU is gradually developing into a
close, strong and dynamic partnership based on clear common objectives.
Good progress has been made on negotiations for the Association
Agreement. We need to move forward towards free trade and more freedom
of movement. None of this is easy and many technical difficulties need
to be solved before the objectives can become reality.
But this
European choice is above anything the choice of adherence to the
universal values of democracy, respect for human rights and rule of law.
In this respect, Georgia has already embarked on a solid path of reform
and has made impressive progress since the Rose Revolution in 2003.
However, there is much still to be done.
Democracy
in Georgia needs to be consolidated. There needs to be a clear system
of checks and balances. There needs to be a more tolerant and
pluralistic political culture.
What happened in May in Tbilisi during
the protest rally must never happen again. I know an investigation into
these events has been conducted but I believe further investigation
into these events is needed to ensure that those responsible for
excessive use of force and losses of human lives are held accountable
for any eventual wrong doings.
Furthermore, democracy in Georgia
needs to be more inclusive. Next year's parliamentary elections and the
2013 presidential elections demand a level playing field to be truly
successful. These elections will be important test cases for Georgian
democracy. In the meantime, all the political forces and also civil
society representatives should engage together on the reform of the
electoral system.
The other fundamental foundation for democratic
development is the independence of justice. Political influence over the
judicial system cannot be tolerated anywhere and this is something the
European Union monitors closely, and here also I believe there is room
for improvement in Georgia.
Second, let me continue to what remains to be done at a socio-economic level.
Batumi
is a great example of how Georgia is developing swiftly. However, I
believe there is another Georgia beyond the splendid boulevards of
Batumi. A Georgia that needs sustainable growth. A Georgia that needs to
reduce social and regional inequalities. A Georgia that needs to create
jobs for its workers and higher standards of living for its people.
This is the European way. If Georgia seriously chooses to pursue this
way, it needs to undergo very comprehensive and resolute reforms. But at
the end of this journey, there will be sustainable, balanced and long
term development for everyone.
The last element that I would like to
emphasise here is conflict resolution. The European Union’s position on
this is well known. We support the security, stability, sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Georgia. We will continue to oppose border
changes brought about through use of military force. We will continue to
engage in conflict resolution through deploying the full range of our
instruments (namely financial assistance, Geneva International
discussions, the European Union Monitoring Mission and the
soon-to-be-appointed new Special Representative). All these elements of
support together provide for the security and stability of Georgia.
Georgia
itself is engaging in the process. It plays a constructive role in the
Geneva discussions. President Saakashvili made a non-use-of-force
commitment in front of the European Parliament last November and we have
all welcomed it.
However, in order to reach reconciliation, serious
and genuine engagement with the communities of the breakaway regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia is essential. The European Union and the
international community can do their part, but it is mostly up to
Georgia itself to find ways to build bridges. Isolation is no
alternative. Georgia must show to these communities, now divided by
conflict, that they are an integral part of Georgian society and will
also benefit from closer political approximation and economic
integration with the European Union. Let us do everything possible
together so that people from both sides of the Administrative Border
Line can again safely travel, trade and invest beyond that line. It is a
way how to extend the benefits of European path to all communities, to
all Georgians.
To conclude, let me confirm that I am a strong
believer in Georgia’s European way, and in a democratic, prosperous and
reunited Georgia. Sharing the universal values of human rights,
democracy and the rule of law. Offering its citizens all the benefits of
modern European society. It might not be an easy choice for this
country - Georgia needs to balance its geopolitical interests. It might
not be the easiest possible way, but let me assure you that the European
way is the real route to political and economic stability for this
country.
We are determined to work towards these goals, and we hope that together, as genuine partners, we can achieve them.
I
look forward to today's discussions being fruitful, and many thanks to
all those involved in organising the event – particularly my friend Gia
Baramidze. Thank you for your attention.
|
| 22 Jul. '11 | Büro des Staatsanwalts hat einer Strafprozessvereinbarung im Fall aller drei verhafteten Fotographen zugestimmt
Haftstrafen
von 2-3 Jahren für die Fotografen Zurab Kurtsikidze, Giorgi Abdaladze
und Irakli Gedenidze, sowie ein halbes Jahr für Gedenidze’s Ehefrau
Natia Gedenidze.
The prosecutor’s office said on July 22 it had
agreed plea bargain terms with arrested photographers, charged with
espionage, and had requested the court to approve those plea agreements.
Under
the terms of the plea agreements all three photographers now remaining
in the police custody will be released after receiving conditional jail
sentence.
According to the motion filed to the court, the prosecution
request two-year conditional sentence for Zurab Kurtsikidze, a
photographer for the Frankfurt-based European Pressphoto Agency (EPA).
The
prosecution wants three-year conditional sentence for Giorgi Abdaladze,
a freelancer who also was a contract photographer with the Georgian
Foreign Ministry and also worked as a stringer for the Associated Press.
Irakli
Gedenidze, personal photographer for President Saakashvili, will
receive three-year conditional sentence, according to the plea agreement
terms.
Gedenidze’s wife, Natia Gedenidze, also a photojournalist
arrested in connection to the same case on July 7 but released on bail
two days later, will receive six-month conditional sentence, according
to the proposed plea agreement.
Plea agreement – a widespread
practice in Georgia’s criminal justice system often criticized by human
rights groups –means that the case will no longer be heard in substance
through main court hearing.
The prosecution says in its motion to the
court that it had decided to agree on plea agreements after the accused
cooperated with the investigation during which they provided Georgia’s
counter-intelligence service “names of some agents” working for the
Russian intelligence.
“Zurab Kurtsikidze, Giorgi Abdaladze and Irakli
Gedenidze not only pleaded guilty, but they also voluntarily and timely
informed the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Counter-Intelligence
Department about the names of some agents of Russian Federation’s
special services and the persons having confidential links with them, as
well as information about concrete intelligence operational tasks of
those agencies; methods, tactics and organization of intelligence
gathering and passing process and also information about organizations
acting under cover of [the Russian intelligence services]. All these
[information] provides a possibility to identify, prevent and neutralize
possible threats to the Georgian state interests,” the prosecution says
in its motion to the court.
“It is noteworthy, that after revealing
the mentioned information, the situation has changed and Zurab
Kurtsikidze, Giorgi Abdaladze, as well as Irakli Gedenidze and Natia
Gedenidze no longer pose a threat to the society,” the prosecution said.
The
prosecution said that apart of confession statements made by the
accused, the investigation obtained number of other evidence to prove
its case against the photographers.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office
released through its website on July 22 several confidential documents
with blacked-out words and phrases, claimed to be retrieved as a result
of search from the houses of the accused photographers.
The
prosecution said that the counter-intelligence unit found that Irakli
Gedenidze, the President Saakashvili’s personal photographer possessed
plan of security measures approved by Interior Minister Vano
Merabishvili for the visit of the Estonian President Toomas Hendrik
Ilves to Georgia earlier this month. It also said that Gedenidze kept
list with personal information and data of employees of a state company
provided various services to the governmental agencies, as well as list
of cleaners working in the presidential administration.
The
prosecution claims that Giorgi Abdaladze, a freelancer who also was a
contract photographer with the Georgian Foreign Ministry and also worked
as a stringer for the Associated Press, kept a transcripts of
conversations of Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov with
President Saakashvili and PM Nika Gilauri during his visit to Georgia in
mid-June. The transcripts, major part of which is blacked-out, was
posted on the Chief Prosecutor’s website. The prosecution said that
Abdaladze also kept list of Georgian citizens working in Georgia’s UN,
OSCE missions, as well as in representation to the Council of Europe.
The
prosecution said that copies of documents found in possession of
Abdaladze and Gedenidze were also kept by Zurab Kurtsikidze, a
photographer for EPA. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office also posted on its
website what it said was telephone records through which the
investigation was claiming that Kurtsikidze was in contact with the
Russian intelligence officers in 2004.
According to Georgia’s
criminal procedure code, plea agreement between prosecution and defense
is approved by court decision and judge should make sure that the plea
bargain deal is not concluded upon coercion; the judge should also
examine the evidence supporting the charges. In the majority of cases
judges approve plea agreements.
Some lawyers from the defense teams
of Abdaladze and Kurtsikidze have said that their clients’ confession
statements were “not made upon their free will” and claimed that they
confessed as a result of “psychological pressure”.
|
| 22 Jul. '11 | Russlands Flughafenbetreiber Novaport übernimmt Flughafen außerhalb von Suchumi im abtrünnigen Abchasien
Russian
airport operator, Novaport, will take over airport outside Sokhumi,
breakaway Abkhazia's capital, according to a preliminary deal, detailed
terms of which have yet to be specified in planned contract.
Memorandum
of understanding "in the sphere of reconstruction and use of airspace
of the Republic of Abkhazia for the international air communication" was
signed between the breakaway region's PM Sergey Shamba and general
director of Novaport, Mikhail Smirnov, in Sokhumi on July 21, Abkhaz
news agency, Apsnipress, reported.
Novaport is a daughter company of
Russia's privately-owned investment conglomerate, AEON Corporation,
which is founded by Roman Trotsenko; the latter is now the president of
Russia's state-run United Shipbuilding Corporation.
Novaport runs seven airports in Russia's cities of Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Barnaul, Tomsk, Chita, Volgograd and Astrakhan.
Shamba
said after signing of the memorandum, that the Abkhaz authorities would
sign a long-term lease agreement with the company on mutually
beneficial terms, details of which would be elaborated later.
"We
will decide on [details of contract terms] later on as we will be
developing investment agreement. Strategically important issue is that
runaways are impossible to either sell or lease. As far as
infrastructure is concerned that will be negotiated," Shamba said.
"We
have studied airport's infrastructure. The runaway, aircraft parking
platform are in a satisfactory condition and do not require any major
renovation. As far as airport terminal, refueling complexes, airport
lighting and air control systems are concerned - all these requires to
be done from scratch," Smirnov said.
He also said that it would take
12-14 months to build this infrastructure and it would take 8 years for
investments to pay off; amount of required investment was not reported.
|
| 21 Jul. '11 | The Batumi Conference – Zwei Monate vor dem Gipfel zur "östlichen Partnerschaft"
Author: Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European neighbourhood Policy
This
July, like in previous years, friends of Georgia from all over Europe
will gather in Batumi for what has become a regular feature of our
relationship. The 8th ‘Georgia’s European Way‘ Conference takes place
this week and is set to be yet a not-to-be-missed event for those who
build, day after day, negotiation after negotiation, the European future
of Georgia.
The choice that Georgia has made to work towards
integration with Europe is a source of pride and hope. It is a source of
pride because it is not an easy choice. It requires resolute reforms to
take place now. It is also a source of hope because no one can doubt
that the benefits will be there. The choice of democracy and the rule of
law, the choice of an open economy are the essential elements of
stability and prosperity. Recent events in the Southern Mediterranean
show us that these values are increasingly seen by citizens, wherever
they live, as their own.
The relationship between Georgia and
the European Union is close, strong and dynamic, and it is based on
clear common objectives, namely the consolidation of democracy and the
affirmation of territorial integrity. We need to move on many fronts,
including towards free trade and more freedom of movement. None of this
is easy these days, and many technical difficulties need to be solved
before the objective can become a tangible reality. What matters most is
that we are making progress, and that we are more than ever determined
to push forward.
The 2011 edition of the Batumi Conference comes at a
crucial time. At the end of September leaders of Georgia and the other
countries of the Eastern Partnership will meet in Warsaw with their
European Union counterparts.
The Eastern Partnership countries and
the European Union have deep common interests. It is important that
leaders jointly and openly discuss their challenges, share ideas and
give new directions to their joint efforts. But we need to move beyond
discussions. We need to renew the commitment made in Prague in 2009 when
the Eastern Partnership was launched, to embrace our shared values of
democracy and the rule of law. And we have to build on what has been
achieved since Prague to do much more, much better, together, in a
spirit of mutual accountability.
The role of the Eastern Partnership
Summit in Warsaw will be to open new avenues of cooperation. We need to
deepen our interaction in many sectors where our interests are closely
knit, such as transport and energy. We must also ensure that citizens in
our partner countries can take advantage as much as possible of the
various initiatives and programmes that the European Union has put in
place for its own citizens and which have been very successful. These
are only a few examples.
All this needs to be done with societies at
large, not just governments. We need to promote interaction between our
people. They have so much to share; they have so much to learn from each
other. The Eastern Partnership will benefit from the input of two
side-events that will bring together representatives of civil society
and business actors, so that their voices are heard, and their concerns
acted upon.
The Warsaw Summit must be a step that gets us closer to
our goal, which is to ensure that our European continent, once divided,
grows together again. We will reach that goal step by step and it may
take a bit of time. What keeps us all going is that one day we will be
able to move freely across the whole continent, to trade, to work and to
enjoy life, to interact in all sorts of ways. This will be the best
guarantee that the very fabric of our continent has been restored and
will stand the test of time.
|
| 21 Jul. '11 | EU-Kommissar für Erweiterung, Stefan Füle, besucht Georgien
Stefan
Füle, the EU commissioner for enlargement and European neighborhood
policy, is visiting Georgian on July 21-22 on the occasion of the eighth
international conference Georgia's European Way in Black Sea resort
town of Batumi.
During the visit Füle will meet with President
Saakashvili; Secretary of National Security Council Secretary Giga
Bokeria; State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze;
State Minister for Reintegration Eka Tkeshelashvili; Deputy Foreign
Minister Tornike Gordadze, who is Georgia’s chief negotiator in
Association Agreement talks with EU; as well as opposition and civil
society representatives.
“The choice that Georgia has made to work
towards integration with Europe is a source of pride and hope,” Füle
wrote in his opinion piece ahead of visit to Georgia. “It is a source of
pride because it is not an easy choice. It requires resolute reforms to
take place now.”
“It is also a source of hope because no one can
doubt that the benefits will be there. The choice of democracy and the
rule of law, the choice of an open economy are the essential elements of
stability and prosperity. Recent events in the Southern Mediterranean
show us that these values are increasingly seen by citizens, wherever
they live, as their own,” Füle wrote.
|
| 21 Jul. '11 | Präsident Saakashvili zum Bekämpfen der 'Sklavenmentalität, eingeimpft durch Russland'
President
Saakashvili said that major development projects in Batumi and other
parts of the country was contributing to destruction of "slave
mentality", which Russia was planting for years to make Georgians
believe that they are losers.
Saakashvili made the remarks while
speaking at a ceremony of opening Radisson Blu hotel in Georgia's Black
Sea resort of Batumi on July 20.
"Today is a historic day for this
city and a very important day for Georgia's most important sector -
tourism." he said. "Not only an architectural masterpiece is being
opened here, but, what is the most important, something that will really
turn into a symbol of Georgia's success, Georgia's development and
Georgia's better future."
He said the new Radisson hotel in Batumi
would be followed by other international brands like Holiday Inn,
Kempinski, Novotel, Hilton, Conrad, Ritz-Carlton and others.
"I am
saying this for those, who do not believe, that it is possible to do it
in Georgia and for those who do not believe, that Georgia is really a
special country," he said.
Saakashvili said that skeptics, who do not
believe that it would be possible to turn Batumi or other places in
Georgia into European standard resorts, "are classical archetypes of a
slave created by Russia in Georgia."
Saakashvili said that this
"slave mentality", involving a wrong notion as if Georgians "are the
most retarded and losers" was "planted into our brains" for hundreds of
years by Russia. He said construction and major facelift process ongoing
in Georgia was now destroying this mentality.
"By the way I was in
Nice [France] few days ago for a business meeting and I want to tell
you, that even already today Batumi with number of components - public
spaces, cultural centers, green space... is better then Nice and in
two-three years it [Batumi] will be better than Nice and Cannes with all
the other parameters too," Saakashvili said.
He said that population
in Batumi would increase to 200,000 by early next year and to 500,000
by 2015. Currently about 124,000 people live in Batumi, according to the
state statistics office.
"My goal is to make all these developments irreversible," Saakashvili said.
"The
country, whose territory's 20% is occupied, the country which is
threatened every day... has turned into an example of the most dynamic
development and reforms in the world. It happens because the government
is not stealing, not a single minister, thier deputies or gamgebeli
[head of the provincial districts] are corrupt... and if there is still
someone who is [corrupt], we will find a proper place for them," he
said.
|
| 15 Jul. '11 | 'Leben in der Vorhölle' - 71-seitiger Bericht von Human Rights Watch zu Gali
Arbitrary
interference by the Abkhaz authorities with the rights of ethnic
Georgians living in Gali district of the breakaway region has been “a
serious obstacle for a larger scale, sustainable returns” of displaced
people, according to a report by the Human Rights Watch released on July
15.
The 71-page report documents key human rights concerns for the
Georgians of Gali, involving “discriminatory” system for enjoying range
of civil and political rights, as well as restrictions on freedom of
movement and access to Georgian-language education.
“Ethnic Georgians
from Gali overwhelmingly conveyed to Human Rights Watch a sense of
acute vulnerability to theft, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery,
extortion and other crimes,” reads the report, which is also based on
interviews with more than hundred of Gali residents conducted on both
sides of the administrative border.
The New-York based rights group
said that a failure from the Abkhaz authorities to recognize and protect
rights of ethnic Georgian returnees in Gali district would “at best
cause tens of thousands of people to live in a constant state of anxiety
and limbo” and “at worst, it could force large numbers of Abkhazia’s
ethnic Georgians to leave their homes forever.”
About 45,000 or
47,000 Georgians are believed to have returned to Gali district
spontaneously. The report notes that there is no reliable system of
registering returnees.
Commuting back and forth across the
administrative boundary line is important for many Georgians in Gali,
because while they may live in the breakaway region, they visit
relatives, receive Georgian government’s social benefits, medical care
and in some cases attend schools on the other side of the administrative
border, mainly in Zugdidi district.
“However, since August 2008 the
Abkhaz authorities have restricted returnees’ ability to commute across
the boundary by eliminating three of the four ‘official’ crossing
points, and by requiring special crossing permits for those who do not
possess Abkhaz passports,” according to the report.
Those willing to
obtain special crossing permits have to go to the town of Gali – an
expensive, time-consuming and burdensome process for those living in the
villages of the district. The report brings an example in which if a
resident of Pirveli Otabaia village, which is less than two kilometers
from the administrative border, wants to get such crossing permit, it
will require a resident to make 28-km drive to the town of Gali, which
will take two hours because of road’s poor condition.
The permit
costs 100 rubles, or about USD 3.5, but in fact anyone willing to cross
the administrative border has to pay twice more in a form of bribe,
according to the report; if the necessary documents expired then the
bribe can be up to USD 35 for crossing the administrative border on the
Enguri bridge, which is now regarded by the Abkhaz authorities as the
only “legal” crossing point.
“Abkhaz border guards do sometimes
solicit bribes from Gali residents to sneak them through Russian patrols
at unofficial border crossings,” according to the report.
The
authorities in Abkhazia say that restrictions on movement is a temporary
measure and there would be five “legal border crossing points” after
the Russian border guards complete development of the border
infrastructure.
The Human Rights Watch says that access to
Georgian-language education for ethnic Georgians in Gali district “is
also restricted.”
“Access to Georgian-language education was a
primary concern to most of those interviewed by Human Rights Watch in
Gali district and largely influences their decision about whether to
stay in Gali or leave,” the report says.
In upper Gali district,
according to the report, Russian gradually replaced Georgian as the main
language of instruction. Several schools in upper Gali, however,
continue to unofficially teach in Georgian, except when they are
inspected by the local authorities.
“[These schools] keep two
registries, one in Russian and the other in Georgian. However teachers
and principals risk disciplinary action, including dismissal, for doing
this,” the report says.
Eleven schools in lower Gali district
continue to teach in Georgian, which is permitted by the local
authorities mainly because they do not have the resources to provide
those schools with Russian-speaking teachers, according to the report.
But their future status as Georgian-language schools remains uncertain.
“Teachers
and parents worry that as the Abkhaz authorities devote more resources
to ensuring Russian as the language of instruction in all schools in
Gali, Georgian-language schools will disappear altogether,” the report
says.
The report also says that although the Abkhaz authorities
emphasize that they do not compel anyone to obtain Abkhaz citizenship,
“by putting in place a system that requires an individual to obtain the
Abkhaz passport in order to enjoy certain rights, the authorities are
arbitrarily interfering with those rights.”
|
| 14 Jul. '11 | Russ. Verteidigungsminister Lavrov: im WTO-Abkommen Georgien und Russland sei 'vieles ausführbar'
Transparency
of trade across Russia’s border with Abkhazia and South Ossetia “can be
ensured the way which satisfies everyone,” Russia’s Foreign Minister,
Sergey Lavrov, said on July 12 in Washington, while commenting on the
Swiss-mediated WTO talks between Tbilisi and Moscow.
Asked about
Tbilisi’s demand for international monitoring of dispute border and
whether he believed that WTO-related issue could be resolved with
Georgia, Lavrov responded: “If we all concentrate on WTO rules and do
not go beyond those rules into some politics, yes it's very much
doable.”
“We responded positively to the Swiss proposal to mediate
those Russian-Georgian discussions to finalize the WTO issues,” the
Russian Foreign Minister said in Washington on July 12, while speaking
at an event co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International
Studies and the Russian embassy in the U.S.
“The Swiss produced a
paper for the Georgians and us to consider,” he continued. “I think the
paper is logical and conceptually it's right, because it does not
deviate from WTO agenda problem.”
“The customs control on the Russian
borders can be transparent. This is what the Swiss suggested. And this
transparency can be ensured the way which satisfies everyone. I don’t
want to go into the details. But yes, if politics don't interfere, it's
not very difficult to do,” Lavrov said.
Georgian and Russian
negotiators held third round of the Swiss-mediated talks over terms of
Russia’s WTO accession in Geneva on July 9-10 in which, according to the
Georgian Foreign Ministry, experts of customs affairs were also
invited.
On July 8, just before the third round of talks, President
Saakashvili said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station,
that accepting Tbilisi's demand for international monitoring of trade
across disputed border will be "minimal price" for Russia to pay for
joining.
He said that the World Customs Organization (WCO), EU or any
regional organization, "where there are at least several serious
countries", could be chosen for carrying out monitoring on border
crossing points at Psou and Roki Tunnel in Abkhazia and South Ossetia,
respectively.
“We do not want to resolve all of our problems at the
expense of [Russia's] WTO [accession]," Saakashvili said. "We understand
it very well that we should not expect any serious changes for better
under the present leadership in Russia and we should not expect
de-occupation of our territories unless present stance is maintained in
the Kremlin."
"But we would like that any of the international
organization... to control movement of goods across the Georgian borders
[in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia], which are recognized by the
entire responsible international community," he said.
"I think this is a minimal price for Russia to pay" for joining WTO, Saakashvili added.
After
a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov in Washington on July 13, the White House said
that President Obama “reaffirmed his strong support for Russia’s efforts
to complete its WTO accession process this year.”
U.S. Secretary of
State, Hillary Clinton, said after meeting with his Russian counterpart
on July 13, that Washington “strongly support[s]” Russia’s WTO
membership.
“Russia’s membership would allow us to increase trade and
deepen our economic ties. This is a high priority, and a priority for
President Obama and the Administration. It’s part of our broader global
effort to promote a rules-based system of economic competition,” she
said.
|
| 10 Jul. '11 | Nach
Gottesdienst in der Sameba-Kirche am Nachmittag wieder Protestmarsch
Gläubiger gegen das Gesetz zum Status religiöser Minderheiten
Patriarch
Ilia II. im Gottesdienst: "... Fälle von Angriffen gegen die Kirche und
das Verletzen der Kirche sind sehr häufig. ...
Heute wollen wir für
unsere Nation und die Kirche predigen, und wir wollen für den Frieden
für unsere Behörden und unsere Nation predigen. ..."
Few thousand of
people, led by priests from the Georgian Orthodox Church, marched for
second day in Tbilisi on Sunday to protest against legislative
amendments on legal status of religious minorities in Georgia.
After
the Saturday’s protest march, which was one of the largest
demonstrations held in Georgia in recent years, Orthodox believers
gathered in the Holy Trinity Cathedral to attend a regular Sunday sermon
by head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II.
“Cases of fighting against the Church and humiliating the Church are very frequent,” Ilia II said in his sermon.
“Those
who have ever humiliated the Church are punished and they will
definitely be punished … The Church will protect you and give you the
strength.”
“Historically the Church has always been protecting
Georgia and our faith; the Church has always been a huge force and it
still is a huge force. This force is not directed against anyone… This
force is for making people happy. So we should take care of the Church,”
the Georgian Orthodox Church leader said.
“Today we want to pray for our nation, church and pray for the peace for the authorities and our nation,” Ilia II added.
Few
hours after the Patriarch’s sermon, few thousand people, led by the
clerics from the Georgian Church, marched towards the Parliament.
By
late afternoon the demonstrators arrived on the Rustaveli Avenue; they
marched around the Parliament building after which the rally dispersed.
It
emerged on Sunday that Holy Synod, a main decision-making body of the
Georgian Orthodox Church, will hold a meeting on July 10. The meeting
was apparently summoned in order to discuss recent developments
surrounding the legislative amendments on religious minority groups’
legal status, which has turned into a source of one of the most serious
showdown between the Georgian Orthodox Church and President
Saakashvili’s administration.
The Georgian Orthodox Church and its
leader, Ilia II, said for number of times in recent days that they were
not against of granting legal status to religious minorities. The
Georgian Church, however, was calling for thorough and lengthy
discussions over the issue and on the other hand it was also insisting
that such move should only have been taken if a similar status was
granted to the Georgian Orthodox Church in neighboring countries, in
particular the focus was made on Armenia.
The Georgian Orthodox
Church's multiple calls on the authorities not to hurry with adoption of
the legislative amendment went unheeded and it was passed with three
readings in a course of five days with second and final voting held on
July 5. The bill was signed into law by President Saakashvili on the
same day and it went into force next day, on July 6.
|
| 10 Jul. '11 | Presserat
der Journalisten, eine selbstorganisierte Körperschaft, plant eine
Kundgebung und ruft zur Freigabe des Falls der verhafteten Fotografen
auf
Journalistic Ethics Charter Council of Georgia, a
self-regulatory body for about couple of hundred journalists united
under the ethics charter, plans to hold a rally outside the Interior
Ministry on Monday to call for declassifying the case of arrested
photojournalists.
“In connection to the photojournalists’ case, the
Council will demand a meeting with Interior Minister [Vano Merabishvili]
and an immediate declassification of the case,” the group said in a
statement, calling on journalists, media organizations and civil society
representatives to participate in the rally.
Nino Zuriashvili, an
investigative reporter and a member of the press council, said that
release by the Interior Ministry of some details of the case against
photographers on July 9 further fueled doubts about credibility of the
charges brought against the photographers. She told Tbilisi-based
Maestro TV, that the case should be declassified as “society’s interest
towards it is huge.”
The case of arrested photographers, who have
been charged with espionage, has been classified as secret; the trial
into the case, which is expected to be launched in September, will be
held behind the closed doors. A lawyer for one of the arrested
photographers has said that the case really contained state secret
materials.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said on
July 9, that one of the arrested photographers, Zurab Kurtsikidze, who
was working for the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), had links with the
Russian military intelligence and two others, including President
Saakashvili’s personal photographer, were providing him with
confidential information, including, among others, photos of technical
drawings of the presidential palace and travel routes of Saakashvili.
The
Interior Ministry released President Saakashvili’s personal
photographer Irakli Gedenidze’s recorded statement to the police, saying
that he was “blackmailed” by Kurtsikidze and agreed to provide him not
only pool photos of various events, but also some confidential
information he was allegedly requesting from Gedenidze. The latter, like
two others – Kurtsikidze and Giorgi Abdaladze – were sent to a
pre-trial detention; Gedenidze’s wife, Natia Gedenidze, who was also
arrested, was released in early hours of July 9. The court said later on
the same day that she was released on GEL 10,000 bail because she had
“confessed her crime” and because of having two children.
The
Interior Ministry also released secretly recorded brief phone
conversations in which Kurtsikidze is asking Gedenidze and Abdaladze to
send via email their bank account details to transfer them money.
Editor-in-chief
of Frankfurt-based EPA, Cengiz Seren, told The Associated Press on July
9, that as part of his work Kurtsikidze “would have had programs of the
president's visit and things like that”.
Seren also said that
Kurtsikidze was asking his fellow photographers for their banking
details so that the agency could wire them money for the photos they
took for EPA. Seren said EPA's accountants were going to find all the
documents related to any money that was transferred to Kurtsikidze and
to other photographers through him and to submit those documents to the
Georgian authorities.
In separate comments to Agence France-Presse
(AFP)Seren said that he believed the authorities had misinterpreted
innocent conversations about payments for photographs.
“They decided
this could be a spy ring but of course it is far, far away from that,”
he said, adding that the allegations were “very easily provable false”
and that he would send evidence from the agency to the Georgian
authorities next week.
The Paris-based media watchdog group,
Reporters Without Borders, said on July 8 that “utmost transparency is
needed to dispel suspicions that these arrests were politically
motivated.”
“The authorities obviously have a duty to protect
national interests but the current fear of spies in Georgia must not be
allowed to fuel a climate of intimidation in the media, and security
imperatives must not override democratic principles,” Reporters Without
Borders said.
Manana Manjgaladze, the Georgian President’s
spokesperson said in a written statement on July 7, that the case was
about “a serious leakage of information from our institutions, not about
journalism or media activities.”
“The people arrested were not at
all known for expressing any political view and it is outrageous to
connect their arrest in any way with the question of freedom of media,”
she said on July 7.
|
| 10 Jul. '11 | Tausende protestieren am 9.7. wegen des Gesetzes zum Status religiöser Minderheiten
Der Marsch über die Rustaveli Straße wurde von Priestern der georgisch-orthodoxen Kirche angeführt. ...
Thousands
of people, led by priests from the Georgian Orthodox Church, marched in
Tbilisi on Saturday evening to protest against legislative amendments
on status of religious minorities in Georgia.
The demonstration was one of the largest held in Georgia in recent years.
Participants
of the demonstration first gathered outside the Kashveti Church on
Rustaveli Avenue and then marched towards the Holy Trinity Cathedral,
passing outside the presidential palace.
"Expression of our faith and
position should be peaceful; that's what the Church is calling on us -
to express what we have to say and to make the authorities hear what we
have to say; let's believe that they will heed to our calls," senior
cleric from the Georgian Orthodox Church, Mitropolitan Daniel, said
while addressing people gathered in the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
The
head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II, made a brief address to
the gathering in the cathedral and said, quoting the New Testament: "Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find."
Some priests
participating in the demonstration were saying the fact that the
legislative amendment was passed with "ignorance" of the Georgian
Church's position was one of the major source of concern for them.
Echoing
remarks by the Georgian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Ilia II, many
participants of the July 9 rally were saying that the adopted
amendments were "dangerous" for the Church and for the country.
The
Georgian Orthodox Church's multiple calls on the authorities not to
hurry with adoption of the legislative amendment went unheeded and it
was passed with three readings in a course of five days with second and
final voting held on July 5. The bill was signed into law by President
Saakashvili on the same day and it went into force next day, on July 6.
Developments
surrounding the legislative amendments, allowing religious minorities
to be registered as legal entities of public law, marked one of the most
serious public confrontations between the Georgian Church and President
Saakashvili's administration.
The Georgian Orthodox Church and its
leader, Ilia II, said for number of times in recent days that they were
not against of granting legal status to religious minorities. The
Georgian Church, however, was calling for thorough and lengthy
discussions over the issue and on the other hand it was also insisting
that such move should only have been taken if a similar status was
granted to the Georgian Orthodox Church in neighboring countries, in
particular the focus was made on Armenia.
Gaining legal status has
been long sought by some religious minority groups. The issue has also
long been a source of criticism by the human rights and international
organizations.
In its April, 2011 resolution on the honoring of
obligations and commitments by Georgia, the Parliamentary Assembly of
Council of Europe said it was "concerned by the lack of a proper legal
status of, and legal protection for, denominations and faiths other than
the Georgian Orthodox Church."
The resolution called on Georgia to
"adopt a specific law on religion that would offer proper and equal
legal status and protection to all faiths and denominations in the
country." Although no specific law on religion was adopted, the
authorities decided to address the issue through amending civil code by
allowing religious minorities to be registered as legal entities of
public law.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, July 9. Photo: Guram Muradov/Civil.ge
|
| 9 Jul. '11 | Innenministerium gibt einige Details des Falls um die verhafteten Fotografen bekannt
The
Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said on July 9, that one of
the arrested photographers had links with the Russian military
intelligence and two others were providing him with confidential
information, including, among others, photos of technical drawings of
the presidential palace and travel routes of President Saakashvili.
In
a statement the ministry said that Zurab Kurtsikidze, a photographer
working for the Frankfurt-based European Pressphoto Agency (EPA), “has
links with employees of the Russian Federation’s military intelligence
[GRU] A. Sinitsin and S. Okrokov, who are wanted by the Georgian law
enforcement agencies for espionage charges.”
Two others, who were
charged with espionage and sent to pre-trial detention on July 9, are
Irakli Gedenidze, who was a personal photographer of President
Saakashvili and Giorgi Abdaladze, a freelancer also working with the
Foreign Ministry.
“It has also been found out, that Zurab Kurtsikidze
had links with citizens of the Russian Federation to whom arrested
people were passing secret information via Zurab Kurtsikidze. In
particular, in exchange of monetary compensation Irakli Gedenidze and
Giorgi Abdaladze, who were state employees, in the process of performing
their professional duties, managed to take pictures of documents, which
contained secret information and then to pass them to Kurtsikidze, who
in turn was sending this information to Moscow,” the Interior Ministry
said.
“During the search, among private belongings of Irakli
Gedenidze and Giorgi Abdaladze, as well as after study of files in their
computers, photos of technical drawings of part of building of the
President’s administration, information about the President’s travel
routes, details about the President’s visits and meetings, as well as
other information containing secret, have been found,” the Interior
Ministry said.
The Interior Ministry has also released a video
recording of Irakli Gedenidze’s testimony in which the Georgian
President’s pool photographer says that he was offered by Kurtsikidze to
provide him with photos of various events involving President
Saakashvili in exchange of payment.
“Some time later he asked me to
also make captions on these photos in exchange for certain payment;
later Zurab [Kurtsikidze] demanded from me to provide other information
too, which was beyond my professional duties of taking photos; at that
point I realized that it was something to do with special services and
my suspicion was further strengthened as I knew that he was sending
those photos to Moscow in a photo agency [Kurtsikidze was working with
the Frankfurt-based EPA’s Moscow bureau]; I refused and told him that I
would not have provided him with those information, but he reminded me
about my signatures, which I was making on payments received for
providing photos and told me that he would have used those signatures
against me; so he used language of blackmail; I got afraid and continued
cooperation. After that Zurab requested my bank accounts for money
transfers,” Gedenidze said.
Gedenidze’s wife, Natia Gedenidze, also a
photojournalist, was arrested together with three others, but she was
released early hours of July 9.
The Interior Ministry has also
released a secretly recorded phone conversation between Gedenidze and
Kurtsikidze in which the latter asks him to send via email his bank
account number in order “to transfer money directly from Frankfurt.” In a
separate recorded phone conversation with Giorgi Abdaladze, Kurtsikidze
also asks him to send his bank account information.
EPA's
editor-in-chief, Cengiz Serem, told ABC News on July 7, that Kurtsikidze
is “absolutely not” a spy and charges against him were “crazy”.
“They
say he sent pictures to Moscow. These were pool pictures and were given
to all agencies... The pictures are even vetted by the President before
they're sent out.”
He also said that Kurtsikidze had never had
troubles with the authorities before. “[He] only covers what he's
officially invited to and authorized to do. We do not have that sort of
investigative journalism there.”
|
| 9 Jul. '11 | Präsident Saakashvili äußert sich zu dem Spionagefall der Fotografen in seiner Umgebung
President
Saakashvili said he was "very upset" when learned that the
counter-intelligence agency was planning to arrest his personal
photographer, who is accused of passing confidential information to an
unspecified spying network.
Irakli Gedenidze and three other photojournalists, including Gedenidze's wife, were arrested overnight on July 7.
In
an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station on July 7, President
Saakashvili said he learned about the police intention to detain his
personal photographer only half an hour before the arrest.
"I really do not know details of the case," Saakashvili said.
He
said, that at the time when he learned about it, "the case has already
been done." He added, that was an example that in Georgia investigations
into such cases were carried out without the President's involvement.
"And
that's the right" approach, because it means that anyone might become
subject to investigation, no matter whether it is President's personal
photographer or President's relative, Saakashvili said.
He also said
that there had been cases when his relatives were also investigated; he,
however, did not elaborate further into details.
"There are no limitations in this regard... it's simply about rule of law," Saakashvili said.
"As
far as my personal photographer is concerned, I was very upset and I am
still very, very upset. But my personal feelings are secondary here;
nothing personal, just business as usual," he added.
|
| 9 Jul. '11 | Präsident Saakashvili äußert sich zu WTO-Gesprächen mit Russland
Die
int. Überwachung des Handels über die strittigen Grenzen sei ein
"minimaler Preis" für den WTO-Beitritt Russland. "Wir wollen nicht alle
unsere Probleme auf Kosten des russ. WTO-Beitritts lösen. ..."
Accepting
Tbilisi's demand for international monitoring of trade across disputed
border will be "minimal price" for Russia to pay for joining the World
Trade Organization, President Saakashvili said in an interview with the
Ekho Moskvy radio station on July 8.
"We do not want to resolve all
of our problems at the expense of [Russia's] WTO [accession],"
Saakashvili said. "We understand it very well that we should not expect
any serious changes for better under the present leadership in Russia
and we should not expect de-occupation of our territories unless present
stance is maintained in the Kremlin."
"But we would like that any of
the international organization... to control movement of good across
the Georgian borders [in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia], which
are recognized by the entire responsible international community," he
said.
"I think this is a minimal price for Russia to pay" for joining WTO, Saakashvili added.
He
said that the World Customs Organization (WCO), EU or any regional
organization, "where there are at least several serious countries",
could be chosen for carrying out monitoring on border crossing points at
Psou and Roki Tunnel in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, respectively.
Russia, however, "refuses to carry out serious negotiate with us," Saakashvili added.
He
also said that initially Russia was hoping that Tbilisi would have been
pushed by its western allies to agree on Moscow's WTO entry, but "it
has been explained to the Russia authorities very well by other
countries, that it is up to them to settle this issue."
"In this
regard I hope that at least to some extent, because of pragmatic
reasons, the Russian [authorities] will come to that [position],"
Saakashvili said.
Georgia and Russia held two rounds of Swiss-mediated talks over Russia's WTO entry terms since March, 2011.
|
| 4 Jul. '11 | Georgien bietet wieder Visa für russ. Bürger am Grenzübergang Zemo Larsi-Kazbegi an
Georgia
has removed a restriction it imposed sixteen months ago and starting
from July 2 Russian citizens are able to obtain Georgian entry visa at
Zemo Larsi-Kazbegi border crossing point.
In late February, 2010,
just few days before reopening of Zemo Larsi-Kazbegi border crossing
point with Russia, Georgia banned issuance of visa at the checkpoint.
In
October, 2010 Georgia allowed 90-day visa-free travel for Russian
citizens registered as residents of Russia’s republics in the North
Caucasus, while other Russian citizens were still able to obtain the
visa upon arrival in Georgian airports. Russia said at the time that
such a selective approach by Tbilisi was “a provocation.”
With the
recent decision of Georgia, residents of the North Caucasus will still
be able to enter and stay in Georgia for 90 days without visa; in
addition, other citizens of Russia, not residing in the North Caucasus,
will be able to obtain visa at the Zemo Larsi-Kazbegi border crossing
point, which was not possible for them earlier.
“This decision is an
additional measure of Georgia's visa policy, whose main aim is to
facilitate the movement of people for tourism, business, medical or
other humanitarian purposes, and to help every citizen save money and
time when travelling,” the Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement
on July 4.
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