Saakashvili attends presentation of reconstructed Old Tbilisi

Several renewed objects opened in the framework of the New Life of Old Tbilisi Project in Kalaubani district of Georgia`s capital Tbilisi on Sunday. The Georgian president attended the opening ceremony. Mikheil Saakashvili, along with Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, also opened a renewed underground passage. The New Life of Old Tbilisi Project intends reconstruction of the old districts of the Georgian capital.

Czech MPs Visit Georgia

Members of the Parliament of the Czech Republic have arrived in Georgia today. They will meet deputy chairman of the Parliament of Georgia Mikhail Machavariani, chairman of the foreign affairs committee Akaki Minashvili, representatives of the parliamentary opposition, chairman of the human rights and civic integration committee Giorgi Arsenishvili and Parliament speaker Davit Bakradze. The MPs will also meet deputy minister of foreign affairs Davit Jalaghania, minister of corrections and legal assistance Dimitri Shashkini and state minister for reintegration issues Temur Iakobashvili today. The meetings in the Parliament will continue on 25 November too. The guests will be received by the chairman of the interim commission for restorqtion of territorial integrity, Shota Malashkhia, and the chairman of the committee for European integration, Davit Darchiashvili.
Before leaving Georgia, the guests will visit the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, the Jvari Monastery, and the ‘Monastery of Mothers’ in the town of Mtskheta, while the Museum of Arts and ‘Karvasla’ in Tbilisi. The Czech MPs, members of the committee backing democratic development worldwide, will leave Georgia on 27 November.

Tskhinvali Prosecutor’s Office Ends Investigation into Case of Detained Georgian Juveniles

The Tskhinvali Prosecutor’s Office has ended investigation into the case of detained Georgian juveniles, – the deputy representative of the de-facto President in post-conflict regulation issues, Merab Chigoev, told InterpressNews. ‘I am informed that the investigation has been over and the case will be transmitted to the court. A trial might be held in the nearest days. This is all that I know’, Chigoev stated. The so-called MIA staff of the Tskhinvali mode detained pupils of Tirdznisi secondary school: Giorgi Romelashvili (Born in 1995), Aleko Sabadze (born in 1995), Viktor Buchukuri (born in 1993) and Levan Khmiadashvili (born in 1992) on charges of illegal crossing of the administrative border on 4 November.

Detained Russian Citizens to be Handed over to Russian Side in Village Ergneti

The Russian citizens, detained by Georgian law-enforcers in the village of Nikozi, Gori district, will be handed over to the Russian side by the European Union Monitoring Mission in the village of Ergneti at 12:00. The corresponding statement was made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. According to the Ministry, the Russian citizens – Alexander Borkov (born in 1988), Alexander Popov (born in 1990) and Maxim Berezin (born in 1988) – were detained for illegal crossing of the administrative border and violation of the visa regime at 16:30 yesterday.

Three Policemen Detained in Moscow on Suspicion of Committing Murder

Policemen, suspected of murder of a resident of Abkhazia, have been detained in Moscow, Interfax informs.
All three police officers, suspected of having beaten to death Abkhaz Eduard Gurtskaya, 19, in Moscow on Monday evening, have been detained. The city’s police patrol crews were alerted and instructed to detain the suspects immediately after the incident was reported, a source in Moscow law enforcement services told Interfax on Tuesday. ‘The suspects were wearing police jackets. All three were detained in southeastern Moscow,’ the source said. The detainees – Anvar Ibragimov, Alexei Chernikov and Viktor Kuznetsov – serve in the Moscow police department’s Second Operational Regiment, according to the source. They were drunk when they were being detained. They have confessed to having committed the murder and are being questioned. Moscow Police spokesman Viktor Biryukov has confirmed to Interfax that police officers of the Second Operational Regiment have been detained on suspicion of committing a murder.

President opens new sector of central highway

Georgian president has opened another sector of the central highway. Mikheil Saakashvili drove a formula 3 on the Gori-Sveneti sector of the highway to check up the quality of the new road. President said the construction of the highway was underway within the scheduled terms. Within the visit to the Shida Kartli Region, Georgian president has also attended the presentation of a new police station in Gori. The new building was constructed on the territory of the former tank battalion of Gori. Afterwards, president Saakashvili attended the opening of two new bridges in the region. The Igoeti Bridge is 200 meters-long and the bridge on Lekhura River is 120 meters in length. Both constructions meet the international standards.

Former Spanish PM visits Georgia

Former Spanish prime minister José Maria Aznar pays a two-day visit to Georgia. Former Spanish PM arrived in Tbilisi late last night. Georgian Minister of Economic Development, Zurab Pololikashvili greeted the guest at the Tbilisi airport. Today, the guest will arrive in the Tserovani settlement, where the IDPs from the Shida Kartli Region reside. Meeting with the president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili is also on the agenda. After the closed meeting, the president and the Spanish politician will hold a joint briefing for media.

Latinina hails reforms in Georgia

Russian journalist Yulia Latinina talked about the political and economic reforms and the situation in Georgia after her visit to Georgia in the air of the Radio Echo Moskvy, where the journalist was invited to the studio of the program the Access Code. The journalist hailed how briefly Georgia managed to carry out successful reforms. Russian journalist said that Georgia should become an example for Russia too. Latinina, who is popular for her activities aiming at protecting the human rights, focused on the problems of law enforcement structures in Russia Latinina spoke about the changes in Georgian police, where seven years ago they were participants of crimes, but today, they are guarding the security of their citizens. In her radio interview, Latinina denied the reports on the possible presence of terrorists in the Pankisi valley and said people lived in peace there.

Андрей Пионтковский о «ермоловщине» и путинизме без Путина

ПРАГА — “Сегодня в России существует опасность возникновения такого явления, как «Путинизм без Путина», – заявил в интервью радио «Эхо Кавказа» известный политолог Андрей Пионтковский”.

…Одними из самых активных политиков возрождавшегося в девяностые годы Кавказского конфедеративного движения, были представители Абхазии. Как Вы полагаете, существует ли опасность того, что признание Россией независимости Абхазии и Южной Осетии по истечении лет ударит обухом по самой политике Кремля на Кавказе, создавшего в новейшей истории страны такой прецедент? С этого вопроса началась наша беседа с членом руководства российской партии «Яблоко» Андреем Пионтковским.

PACE rapporteurs call for immediate release of Georgian teenagers

The four underaged Georgian citizens have been sent to the two-month preliminary custody. The two co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the war between Georgia and Russia today called on the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali to release without delay the four Georgian teenagers arrested on 4 November 2009. “The arrest and prolonged detention of these young people will only increase the tensions and bad blood between the people in this bitterly divided region,” said the co-rapporteurs, Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, ALDE) and Luc Van den Brande (Belgium, EPP/CD). “Moreover, this incident once more underscores the need for full and unimpeded access for international monitors on both sides of the administrative boundary of the breakaway region of South Ossetia, as we have repeatedly called for in our reports and Assembly resolutions.”

Belarusian parliamentary delegation holds meetings in Georgia

Delegation of the Belarusian parliament arrived in the Georgian village of Ergneti close to the so-called border of Georgia`s breakaway region of South Ossetia. The delegation members received information about the situation developed in the country in consequence of the Russia-Georgia war from Dmitry Sanakoev, the head of the temporary administrative unit. Prior to it, the representatives of teh Belarusian National Assembly held several meeting s with their Georgian counterparts. They discussed Minsk`s possible position on the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with Georgian Speaker Davit Bakradze, representatives of the parliamentary majority and minority. The delegation visited the Georgian Foreign ministry as well.

EUMM releases official statement

EUMM regrets the decision of South Ossetian participants not to attend the meeting of the Incident Prevention and Reaction Mechanism scheduled for 19 November, the official statement released by the mission says. `Continued dialogue is the only way forward`, Head of EUMM Ambassador Haber stated. `Despite the frustration caused by procedural divergences challenging the effectiveness of the mechanism, all participants should value the significance of this forum as an instrument to exchange information and to deal with concrete cases on the ground`. Regular exchanges among Georgian, Russian, South Ossetian, OSCE and EU participants within the framework of the Incident Prevention and Reaction Mechanism have helped bring home a number of people detained on both sides of the administrative boundary line. `We hope that the mechanism will be in a position to keep performing this important role`, Ambassador Haber added. `We call on all participants to fulfil their responsibilities towards the civilian population exposed to the problems of the post-conflict situation and we encourage them to return to the talks as soon as possible.`

Occupants arrest European tourists

Russian occupants have detained a group of European tourists. Two Polish reporters and tourists from Germany, France and Latvia were travelling to Georgia`s breakaway Abkhazia. An Abkhazian border guard, Tariel Samanchia had promised them to assist in crossing the boundary line, however, the Russian soldiers arrested them after passing the Engury bridge after they failed to submit Russian visas.

NATO-Georgia commission to publish independent report

The NATO Secretariat will publish an independent report about Georgia – Georgian State Minister for European Integration, Vice Premier Giorgi Baramidze has announced. Baramidze says he is familiar with the content of the report and it is positive for Georgia. The implementation of Annual Action Plan for Georgia will be discussed at the Georgia-NATO commission session in Brussels today. State Minister Giorgi Baramidze represents Georgia in the alliance. He will meet with the NATO Secretary General later today.

Incident prevention mechanism group meets but fails to agree

The group of incident prevention and the response mechanisms, formed within the Geneva consultations, ended its ninth meeting in Gali today without specific result. The representatives of Georgia and Russian governments, EU, UN, Abkhazian legal government and the puppet regime were discussing the variety of issues, including oppression of ethnic Georgians and numerous kidnappings in the occupied Abkhazia, Georgia. But the sides failed to take any specific decision even after four-hour negotiations.

Georgia hails EU proposal on satellite monitoring of its regions

Georgia demands conduct of satellite monitoring on Georgia`s occupied regions. Georgian deputy foreign minister, Nino Kalandadze voiced the position of the government at the briefing today. She said as far as Georgia and the EU monitors fail to carry out monitoring of the occupied areas, the issue of controlling the situation in the breakaway regions by satellite becomes topical. Nino Kalandadze said that Georgia voiced the same demand six months ago, however, no one had yet responded to the initiative. She also said the recent statement by the EUMM head, Hansjorg Habber that theoretically it is possible to monitor the movement of armed forces and military hardware in the occupied regions, must be motivated by the frequent facts of human kidnapping. According to the deputy minister, technical and financial issues have to be agreed with the EU member states for beginning the satellite monitoring of the conflict areas. The satellite monitoring will allow the EU to get unbiased reports about the situation in Georgia`s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where the EU monitors fail to conduct monitoring.

Georgian peacekeepers depart for Afghanistan

Departure ceremony of the company of the Georgian peacekeepers for Afghanistan has been held at the Vaziani Military Base today. Military servicemen of the 23rd Battalion of the Second Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Land Forces will perform peacekeeping mission under the International Security Assistance Force – ISAF together with the French contingent. The ceremony has been attended by high-ranking representatives of MoD and JS of GAF.

Red Cross delivers letters of kidnapped juveniles

The representatives of the Red Cross international organization have handed over the letters of the four Georgian juveniles, who were arrested by the occupants for alleged crossing of so-called South Ossetia border on November 4, to their parents. The children wrote that they would be back home soon. The parents say nothing else was written in the letters. Kakha Kakhiashvili, the director of the school where the four teenagers went, says that each boy wrote separate letters to their relatives. Four juveniles, Giorgi Romelashvili, Aleko Sanadze, Viktor Buchukuri and Levan Khmiadashvili remain in the captivity of South Ossetian separatists, who accuse them of carrying arms and other explosive to the so-called South Ossetia region.

State Minister delivers speech at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Georgian State Minister for European Integration, Giorgi Baramidze delivered a speech at the 55-th session of the NATO parliamentary assembly. His report covered the issues of security in Georgia, the ongoing ethnic cleansing in the occupied regions and numerous facts of human rights violation. Giorgi Baramidze also focused on the process of Georgia`s integration into the alliance and the ongoing reforms in this process. Georgian State Minister, who also occupies the position of the Vice Premier, called upon the alliance member states, to intensify their activities for the protection of the human rights in the occupied regions. He reported the numerous kidnappings and oppression of ethnic Georgians in the breakaway regions. Within the visit, the Georgian minister held meetings with the president of the NATO parliamentary assembly, Secretary General, the head of the Great Britain`s delegation and the co-chairmen of the Georgia-NATO parliamentary council.

Tina Kaidanow pays working visit to Georgia

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Tina Kaidanow pays working visit to Georgia. The U.S. senior official has already begun meetings in Tbilisi. She has already discussed topical issues with Prime Minister Nika Gilauri, Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze and the Deputy Minister Giga Bokeria. The topical issues discussed at the meetings were the situation in the occupied regions, numerous kidnappings, including the kidnapping of four Georgian juveniles, who are still held in the separatists` captivity. The implementation of the Strategic Partnership Plan is also on the agenda. Within the discussion of the plan, members of the democratic group will arrive in Georgia tomorrow. They will hold meetings with Georgian political parties, media and the public figures.