NEWS: Georgia News Digest 04-22-08

A service of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

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Archives and associated files at groups.google.com/group/genewsfiles (from February 2008) and groups.google.com/group/genews (before February 2008)

1. Parliamentary speaker withdraws from May election
2. Burjanadze’s statement on refusal to run for reelection
3. Saakashvili’s response to Burjanadze’s decision
4. President "not satisfied" with Speaker's decision
5. CEC agrees to show ruling party’s list of MP candidates
6. Parties to unveil list of MP candidates
7. Republicans unveil party list
8. Opposition wants ruling party to be banned from running
9. Opposition wants ruling party to be banned from running
10. Opposition demands removal of ruling party from parliamentary election
11. Bakradze to become new speaker if ruling party wins
12. video: Russian jet 'shoots down' Georgian spy plane
13. Russian fighter jet shot down unmanned Georgia spy plane: Georgian air force
14. Georgia-Russia tension escalates over downed drone
15. Georgia accuses Russia of 'aggression' over drone shooting
16. FM intends to give proof to UN SC over air incident
17. U.S. ‘very concerned’ over Russo Georgian tensions
18. Putin ‘bewildered’ over Georgia’s spy planes over Abkhazia
19. President accuses Russia of aggression
20. video: Putin blames Georgia for raising tensions in Abkhazia
21. Putin surprised by Georgian military flights over Abkhazia
22. Georgian drones fly in Abkhazian conflict zone in breach of accords – diplomat
23. RF Ambassador summoned to Georgian FM over air incident
24. German diplomat urges dialogue between Georgia, Abkhazia
25. Downed Georgian spy plane's fragments found - separatist official
26. Debris of Georgian drone shot down over Abkhazia shown to reporters
27. Abkhazia determined to prevent violations of its skies
28. Press release on reported military build-up in security zone
29. video: Georgian-Abkhazian border ‘stable but tense’
30. Abkhazia disproves force concentration in the conflict zone
31. Georgia cuts off power supply for Russian peacekeepers - media officer
32. UN Observer Mission urges Abkhazia, Georgia to resume security dialogue
33. Georgia ignores UN SC recommendations - Abkhazian FM
34. UN Security Council to meet over Abkhazia situation on Wednesday
35. video: Abkhazia awaits UN reaction to Russia’s overtures
36. U.N. council to discuss Georgia-Russia dispute
37. Press conference by Georgia
38. Georgia actions not conducive to confidence between sides-Bagapsh
39. Georgia favours Abkhazia, S Ossetia peaceful settlement – minister
40. Minister urges direct talks with Abkhaz separatists
41. Minister says Russia's decisions pose threat to Abkhaz people
42. State minister meets foreign ambassadors
43. U.S. Helsinki Commission troubled by Russia's move to strengthen ties with separatists regions of Georgia
44. Baltics back Georgian integrity
45. West won't restore Georgia's right to lost territories
46. Saakashvili tells Putin to rescind steps on Georgian regions
47. Russian steps re Abkhazia, S Ossetia completely lawful – Putin
48. Putin, Georgian leader discuss relations by phone -Kremlin's version
49. First Georgian-Abkhazian web page created
Center for Human Rights has been implementing the project "Sorry" since 2007. The main purpose of the project, according to the organization is to restore relations between Georgian and Abkhazians and admit mistakes made. Within the frames of the campaign Center for Human Rights published Georgian-Abkhazian newspaper Sorry Campaign and a web page was created as well: www.apsni.org .

50. Abkhazia way
51. Separatist leader says to abolish taxes for Georgians in South Ossetia
52. Russia re-opens postal links with Georgia after 2.5-year freeze
53. video: Russia restores postal service to Georgia
54. Direct postal communication resuming between Georgia and Russia
55. Three more Russian airlines to start flights to Georgia soon
56. Russian Embassy welcomes Putin's decision
57. Russia ends trade war with Georgia
58. Tbilisi rejects Russian move to lift Georgian embargo
59. Moscow reasserts dominance: Russia continues to play it hot and cold [excerpt]
60. Moscow presents carrots after sticks
61. Russia entering period of instability and disarray - independent radio [excerpt]
62. An emboldened Russia, a grave danger
63. The backbone of bad luck: The Soviet Union is about to be reincarnated in all of its glory [excerpt]
64. An illusion or a thawing in Russia-Georgia ties?
65. What I say, not what I do [excerpt]
66. Energy, empire and Ukraine
67. A perilous tale of 2 lions and lots of jackals [excerpt]
68. "I have urged President Bush to negotiate a free trade agreement with Georgia" - Sen. Richard Lugar
69. “I consider myself a good friend of Georgia”: Sen. Richard Lugar
70. New state program Renewable Energy 2008 approved
71. The U.S. assists Georgia’s economy through MCG
72. Tamar Kintsurashvili appointed as president’s adviser
73. Minister attacks journalists
74. Will pre-election censor work overtime in blocking websites?
75. Video patrol vs. human rights
76. [letter]
77. Real estate prices in Georgia Higher than in Eastern Europe [excerpt]
78. Young Republicans held a demonstration supporting Imedi and Maestro televisions
79. Ar Daidardo radio station is leading in Kutaisi
80. Georgian Public Broadcaster to start a new television season from October
81. Police from Zugdidi beat sixty-four-year-old woman
82. Living homeless in the expectation of the president’s resolution
83. An allowance will be given to a poor family under the recommendation of the Public Defender of Georgia
84. Ceremonies devoted to Alexander Shirvanzade’s 150 anniversary
85. Ethnic groups in Georgia #11 – Armenians (part 2)
86. Survey finds expectations exceeded for tourists to Georgia
87. Come on, be reasonable if the modern world is the only one
88. Lomaia’s parapsychology centre, first in Caucasus

Jonathan Kulick, Ph.D., Director of Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, 3a Chitadze, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia (Republic), jonathan.kulick@gfsis.org, office: +995 32 47 35 55, mobile: +995 95 33 33 40, USA voicemail: 310.928.6814