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.

Georgia to use international mechanisms

Georgia will use internationally approved legal mechanisms against the adoption of Russian telephone codes in Georgia`s breakaway Abkhazia. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nino Kalnadadze told media today that Tbilisi has applied to all relevant measures, which are necessary to block the granting of independent telephone code to the occupied Abkhazia. Tbilisi has already sent protest notes to Switzerland, which mediates in diplomatic relations of Georgia and Russia. In addition, Georgia has addressed the international agency of telecommunications for adequate response on the fact. Abkhazia, recognized as an independent state by Russia, has cut another of its ties with Georgia by adopting Russia`s international dialing code. Russia recognized pro-Western Georgia`s rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which rely heavily on it for economic and military backing, as independent after crushing a Georgian assault on South Ossetia last year. Abkhazia began using Russia`s +7 dialing code on Sunday.