NEWS: Georgia News Digest 06-18-08

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)

Foreign relations and conflicts
1. Moscow warns against pulling peacekeepers out of Abkhazia
2. Peacekeepers' withdrawal from Abkhazia potentially dangerous
3. Russian peacekeepers source of tension in Abkhazia
4. Defence Ministry confirms arrest of Russian peacekeepers
5. Russian peacekeepers detained in Zugdidi
6. Four Russian peacekeepers detained close to Abkhazia conflict zone in Georgia
7. video: Russians transport missiles to Abkhazia
8. Georgia holds 14 Russian troops in arms arrest
9. RF Foreign Ministry says peacekeepers necessary
10. FM responds to Russia's "strange" statement
11. Incident with military truck violates agreements
12. Reports on arrest of peacekeepers is Georgia's provocation:
13. Russia warns Georgia against insisting on peacekeepers' withdrawal from Abkhazia
14. Drone incident has nothing to do with Russia
15. Georgia slowing inquiry into drone incident
16. Lithuania defends Georgia
17. EU must press Russia to withdraw troops from Abkhazia
18. FM to attend NATO Council meeting
19. NATO appraisal mission to visit Georgia
20. Vice-Premier to leave for working visit to Rome
21. audio: Role of U.S. changing in new world order
22. Situation in Caucasus may deteriorate without peacekeepers
23. Prospects of war in Transcaucasia and Central Asia
24. Democratization key to conflict resolution in South Caucasus
25. Russia rejects UN observers to monitor alleged military base
26. Baghapsh calls on Tbilisi to refrain from military methods of conflict resolution
27. Abkhaz officials say fear of war increased
28. Separatist leader says Georgia arming to fight against breakaway regions
29. Moscow prefects discuss issues of cooperation in Sokhumi
30. Abkhazia guarantees protection of investment projects
31. S. Ossetia set for criminal case against Tbilisi over shelling
32. Tandemocracy, tandemonarchy, or as you like it [excerpt]
33. Georgia fines Russian cellular phone firm
34. Georgia disappointed by lack of progress under Medvedev
Politics
35. The unsure future of the United Opposition
36. Opposition coalition takes a break
37. Opposition's Waterloo
38. Opposition party proposes taking former president to court
39. Giorgi Targamadze's goal
40. CDM waiting for implementation of memorandum terms
41. Tortladze liked Christian Democratic memorandum
42. Labor Party to renounce MP status, opposition coalition ponders next move
43. Public TV to interview Burjanadze
44. Burjanadze plans ‘democracy foundation’
45. 90% of Georgian respondents think country’s president most powerful person
46. Bagaturia demands to investigate events of November 7, 2007 and presidential and parliamentary elections
Misc.
47. European Commission delegation summed up results of three projects of poverty reduction
48. The Court of Appeals to review journalist-investigator’s lawsuit
49. Imedi TV information service has new head
50. The Ukraine-Georgia Black Sea ferry is no package tour
51. Summer jobs for students—Borjomi’s successful project
52. Media released wrong information about Giorgi Baramidze
53. An inmate died in women’s prison
54. Georgian peacekeepers to stay in Iraq despite losses
55. Georgia’s water pollution
56. Environment Minister assures villagers no radiation threat
57. Former prosecutor general says crime on the up

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