NEWS: Georgia News Digest 04-29-08

A service of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

Attached PDF file easily navigable with Bookmarks pane
Archives and associated files at groups.google.com/group/genewsfiles (from February 2008) and groups.google.com/group/genews (before February 2008)

1. upcoming event: Georgia’s Transformation into a Modern Market Democracy
Politics
2. Georgia’s democratic stalemate
3. Lunch with the FT: Mikheil Saakashvili
4. Saakashvili’s new team: Businessmen drafted in
5. Okruashvili receives French political asylum documents
6. MP Tevdoradze to become Deputy State Minister
7. Governor of Imereti replaced
8. Tbilisi Prosecutor involved in blatant violation of election law
Russia-Georgia
9. Georgia challenges Russia's WTO bid
10. Georgia refuses to attend Russia's WTO accession talks
11. Tbilisi skeptical about Russia’s attempt to “normalize relations”
12. Dispute over flight schedules after Russia lifts air embargo
13. Georgia to resume WTO talks with Russia if it cancels April 16 decision
Conflicts
14. Georgia pushing for NATO intercession in row with Russia
15. Georgia to inform NATO Council on situation in breakaway reg
16. Bakradze visits NATO HQ
17. video: Georgia complains of Russian ‘destructive’ actions
18. NATO of protest: Georgia wants NATO to keep Russia in check
19. NATO says use of Russian military force in Abkhazia counterproductive
20. NATO calls for Russian withdrawal from Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia
21. NATO denies it wants RF peacekeepers out of Abkhazia
22. Georgian policy toward Russia provocative - Russian envoy to NATO
23. OSCE to consider Georgian plane incident next week
24. Lithuanian experts to help examine plane incident in Georgia
25. There could be war over Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Moscow's strongest ever warning
26. Russia can use force to defend its citizens in breakaway republics
27. Minister brushes off top Russian legislator's support for use of force
28. Georgia responds to Russian speaker's "threats"
29. Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on Georgia
30. Amid war worries, Abkhazia hails the end of embargo
31. Abkhazia ready to sign military agreement with Russia
32. Russia denies its troops entered Georgia
33. Senior Russian senator says Russia to protect its citizens in Abkhazia
34. Russian peacekeepers stay in Abkhazia
35. Consultations set to begin to replace Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia, as part of peace plan
36. No war between Georgia and Abkhazia
37. Russian TV shows supposed Abkhaz pilot saying he downed Georgian UAV
38. Russian peacekeepers "escort aid convoy" in Georgian breakaway region
Business
39. Tbilisi right place, right time to invest in real estate
40. SOCAR’s new terminal in Georgia to be officially opened on 16 May
41. Turkey to start construction of "Iron Silk Road"
Misc.
42. Kindergarten nurses petition Georgian president and Ministry of Education
43. Residential house that turned into “asylum”
44. TV company “Maestro” blames court for biasness
45. Regional governor takes journalist to court and demands 10,000 GEL

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