Georgian experts discuss country`s security concept
09.17.2009 23:40
Georgian experts discussed the security concept of the country with the Georgian Security Council Secretary on Thursday. The meeting with Eka Tkeshelashvili lasted for two hours.
Eka Tkeshelashvili introduced the methodology of drawing up the country`s security concept to the experts. Working on two documents - the document determining dangers and the country`s security concept - started at the Georgian Security Council in January 2009. The Georgian side, while drawing up the concept, actively gathered experience from its Estonian and British colleagues.
`The document depicts the dangers coming from our neighbouring country. It also depicts the circumstance, that a large part of our country has been occupied by Russia. We are also working on probabilities, in particular, what probabilities exist for carrying out large-scale actions by Russia against Georgia again in the future`, Eka Tkeshelashvili said.
The experts said the process of drawing up the security concept is going on judiciously and they expect the document to be quite realistic. They say correct approaches to problems have been established.
Three groups, working in three directions have been created by the Security Council. They will be actively working together with Georgian experts. As reported, the document determining security will be prepared and presented to the Security Council by November and the security council will be drawn up and presented to the parliament by the end of the current year.
Abkhaz separatists, Russian occupants rob locals in Gali district
09.05.2009 20:51
Seven microbuses were robbed on the separatist-controlled territory in the village of Tagiloni in Gali district on Saturday morning. Drivers of three microbuses could escape. The robbery occurred on the only road, the local population has to pass when going to Zugdidi district of Samegrelo Region by bus. The Abkhaz separatists and Russian occupants were traditionally acting together. They seized money, cell phones and jewelry from the passengers. The occupants forced all the passengers to go out of the buses and lie down on the ground during the robbery.
No casualties have been reported in consequence of the robbery, although several passengers have been beaten. Despite the strict control by the occupants, the escaped drivers were able to take some of the passengers to Zugdidi town.
Parents forced to take children to Russian school in Gali district
09.05.2009 20:50
Pressure on parents of schoolchildren has resumed in Gali district. Russian occupants have started carrying out raids on the villages in the vicinity of the administrative boundary of Georgia`s breakaway region of Abkhazia. The Russian militants are entering the homes of the families, whose children go to school in the village of Tskoushi beyond the so-called boundary, on the Georgian-controlled territory. The occupants categorically demand from the parents to take their children to Russian school, otherwise threaten with forbidding the teenagers to cross the administrative boundary.
The parents say senior schoolchildren will not be able to continue studying in Russian and hence a lot of families may face certain problems. They will have to leave their homes, because the occupants threaten to evict them from there. Identification documents have been seized from all the parents of senior schoolchildren. The documents are being kept in the so-called police of Gali district.
US calls on Russia to respect Georgia`s internationally recognized borders
08.14.2009 15:13
The United States calls on Russia to respect Georgia`s internationally recognized borders. Secretary Assistant Philip Crowley made the statement at the daily briefing. Journalists asked him about Russian Premier Vladimir Putin`s visit to Sukhumi and constructing the military bases in Abkhazia.
`Well, obviously, of greatest concern to us is the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia. We think that Russia and other countries in the region should respect Georgia’s internationally recognized borders. Russia has made commitments as part of the ceasefire agreement, and we hope that they will respect the commitments under that agreement,` Philip Crowley said.
CNN - Cyber attach against Georgian blogger organized by Russian special units hits Twitter, Facebook and Google
08.09.2009 20:02
Georgian Foreign Minister meets with diplomatic corps
08.06.2009 23:36
Georgian Foreign Minister talked about the current situation in Georgia to Foreign Diplomats on Thursday. The anniversary of the Russian-Georgian war and its results were discussed at the meeting. Grigol Vashadze gave the diplomatic corps detailed information about the intensified provocations organized by the Russian aggressors and the separatists at the boundaries of the deputed regions in the recent days.
`Our main concern now is to avoid any renewed hostilities, any renewed provocation. Tomorrow we will commemorate the people who died in the war and we will also discuss how to assist the people who have been especially injured in consequence of the war`, German Ambassador to Georgia Patricia Flor said.
Georgia to increase its contingent in Afghanistan
08.06.2009 23:36
Georgia will increase its mission in Afghanistan. The Georgian parliament unanimously approved the decision on sending Georgian troops to Afghanistan at the extraordinary session on Thursday. From the divisions of the Georgian armed forces that will be sent to participate in the international security assistance forces in Afghanistan, one infantry division will be under command of the French personnel, one - under the US contingent and two military servants will be under the Turkish personnel. Georgian president addressed the parliament with the proposal on Wednesday. Georgian MPs consider the decision a very important step on the way to the country`s integration into NATO.
`Georgia is an important state and it is very actively participating with its allies in overcoming the global challenges facing the world today and terrorism is the first of them. Georgia`s participation in the mission will onsiderably increase political significance of our country`, Akaki Minashvili, the chair of the parliamentary committee for foreign relations said.
NATO`s new prospects for relations with Russia
08.03.2009 16:22
NATO`s new 12th leader calls upon Russia to carry out the international obligations regarding Georgia. Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at his press conference that Moscow should respect territorial integrity and political freedom of its neighbouring countries.
The Secretary General also said one of his priorities would be improving ties with Russia, though he admitted there would be difficulties. As the first anniversary of a brief war between Russia and Georgia looms, Mr. Rasmussen said the conflict had had a `very negative impact of relations between NATO and Russia`.
But NATO`s new leader said the differences between the alliance and Moscow should not overshadow common security concerns, such as terrorism.
`However, I consider it a very important challenge for me to convince the Russian people and Russian leadership that NATO is not an enemy of Russia, NATO is not directed against Russia`, Mr. Rasmussen said.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, in a similar way to his predecessor, he will continue with an open-door policy for the Alliance, and with developing relations with other institutional or national participants in international relations.
Saakashvili: Russia wants to crush Georgia`s statehood
08.03.2009 16:21
Nobody in the world wants new war, Georgian president told Reuters news agency. A year later after the Russian intervention, Mikheil Saakashvili said in his interview that Tbilisi does not intend to restore Georgia`s territorial integrity by military way.
`I am still sitting in this office despite solemn pledges by (Prime Minister Vladimir) Putin to hang me by different parts of my body, to crush Georgia`s statehood, you know and basically it was the miraculous story of survival.
`And this a man who has extremely strong reputation of living up to this kind of promises and keeping this kind of pledges. So of course we have no illusion that he would not keep trying. He will keep trying until he has say in Russian politics.
`The issue is whether anybody in the world wants new war in Europe with the participation of Russia, and obvious answer is `No`, and that`s exactly what Vice President Biden was implying, and more than that we fully share that view.
`It has proven that modern statehood with real developed institutions can exist in this part of (the world), basically in this `terra incognito` for the rest of the world. We have proven that democracy is not an empty word, that it can function and we are building here something hopefully a very big success case in terms of economy and livelihood of the peoples.
`The Soviet Union is being destroyed right now in Georgia and I think we are dealing with last traces of it even if we have what are the heirs to Soviet troops in our territory, but over all this society.. totally has got rid itself of the Soviet legacy and that`s extremely important,` Mikheil Saakashvili Saakashvili said.
Abkhazian legal government hails extension of the EU mandate
07.28.2009 23:07
Abkhazian legal government welcomes the extension of the EU monitoring mission mandate in Georgia and hopes that the EU monitors will soon be able to carry out complete monitoring of Georgia`s conflict regions.
Gia Baramia, the chairman of the government says the European Commission has a particular role after the OSCE and the UN missions have left the conflict regions.
`We hail the extension of the EU monitoring mission to Georgia, especially now when there are no international missions in the conflict zones, but we believe the involvement of the US monitors in this mission will be very fruitful,` Gia Baramia has said.