NEWS: Georgia News Digest 06-10-08

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)

Politics
1. New parliament – new expectations
2. Georgian president opened first meeting of new elected parliament
3. Dodging protest, new parliament convenes
4. Parliament surprise start bewilders opposition
5. Government outmaneuvers opposition with parliament’s kick-off session
6. Government wins the round, but the victory is Pyrrhic
7. Past parliament decisions more negative than positive
8. Talks between government, opposition to be "open and transparent"
9. Two MPs quit opposition umbrella group
10. Labourites to join Georgian Parliament only after abolition of two regions’ elections outcomes
11. Two members quit opposition coalition
12. New Rights Party figure quits politics
13. Elene Tevdoradze welcomes Targamadze’s decision
14. Third drug test clears opposition leader
15. Christian-Democrats to offer ‘anti-crisis memorandum’
16. Ruling majority offers consultations to opposition
17. Opposition bloc annuls party list, refuses to recognise election results
Foreign relations and conflicts
18. Medvedev, Saakashvili interchanged implications
19. No breakthroughs in first Saakashvili-Medvedev meeting
20. No Medvedev-Saakashvili talks in near future – Lavrov
21. Talk of new Russian-Georgian summit still premature – Lavrov
22. Expecting changes...
23. Improved Georgia, Russia relations in the near future?
24. MPs slam Moscow Mayor remarks on breakaway regions
25. MPs critical of Moscow mayor's remarks on breakaway regions
26. Moscow mayor says Tbilisi should recognize separatist independence
27. Georgia to call Luzhkov persona non grata after Ukraine
28. NATO’s global aspirations: The dispute over enlargement reflects uncertainties about NATO’s function [excerpt]
29. Georgia, Russia and NATO
30. Press gaggle by Dana Perino [excerpt]
31. McCain: To Russia, without love [excerpt]
32. Europe looks at Putin with prudence and respect, and at Bush with indifference [excerpt]
33. Armageddon renaissance likely [excerpt]
34. Ignore Abkhazia at your own risk
35. Georgia-Abkhazia peace talks depend on Tbilisi says Russia
36. EU hastens to uphold stability in contentious Abkhazia
37. Abkhazia will ask Russia to repair railroad from Sukhumi to Sochi
38. Russia welcomes Abkhazia's conflict resolution plan
39. Statement on Georgian-Abkhaz settlement
40. Russian FM welcomes Western diplomats' desire to assess situation in Abkhazia
41. Moscow supports separatists' plan for Georgian-Abkhaz settlement
42. Radio commentator warns Russia against war with Georgia over Abkhazia
43. Abkhazia not to renounce foreign policy of multiple vectors
44. Abkhaz separatists deny Russian railway troops to stay longer than planned
45. Separatists reject US proposal of joint Georgian-Abkhaz patrolling
46. Eduard Kokoity invites all ambassadors in Georgia to Tskhinvali
Business and economics
47. Tied to Euro?
48. Austrian and Georgian companies seek closer relations
49. ERBD investing heavily in Basisbank
50. Georgia’s shrinking agriculture sector
51. Construction of Akhaltsikhe-Borchkha line to increase import-export of electricity between Georgia and Turkey
52. Magti general director takes over AmCham presidency
53. The U.S Magti general manager to give a shot as the president of AmCham
Misc.
54. Imedi TV to resume news in late June
55. Inga Grigolia considers Prime Time’s leave as inexpedient
56. US Embassy does not share Subari’s views
57. Georgian hunters hardly regulated
58. Ethnic groups in Georgia #16 – Estonians
59. What Georgia uncovers in everyone else

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