NEWS: Georgia News Digest 07-30-08

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
1. video: Non-violence essential for Georgia and its breakaways regions, says Russia
2. War fears rise over Russia Georgia tension
3. Poking the bear
4. Georgian, Russian diplomats discuss relations
5. Tbilisi should stop provocative acts, seek political solution
6. Irrespective of Georgia’s membership in NATO its relations with Armenia doomed to be dissatisfactory
7. Georgia among Azerbaijani and Turkish forces
Abkhazia
8. report: Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia (S/2008/480)
9. MFA comment regarding the Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia
10. UN Security Council to discuss Abkhazia
11. Separatists speak on Berlin's meeting
12. Abkhazia, Germany in talks over date of Berlin meeting
13. Shamba against changing of Georgian, Abkhaz negotiation format
14. Abkhaz opposition group warns against international control over Kodori
15. UN observers on polling day Abkhaz shooting
16. Russian railway troops start withdrawal from Abkhazia
17. Pulling back from the brink in Abkhazia
18. Abkhazia prepares for Olympics with a little help from its friends
South Ossetia
19. video: Gunmen in South Ossetia turn on monitors
20. Georgians fire on South Ossetian villages
21. Georgia reports shootout in S. Ossetia
22. Tskhinvali, Tbilisi accuse each other of opening fire
23. Russian peacekeepers, OSCE reps attacked in South Ossetia
24. Tbilisi calls ‘misinformation’ reported attack on military observers
25. Georgia suffers no casualties in shooting in breakaway region
26. Georgia to take "radical measures" if separatists repeat shooting
27. General on "appropriate response" to separatists' fire attack
28. Russian peacekeepers, OSCE reps attacked in South Ossetia
29. South Ossetia wants North Ossetia in negotiating process
30. No talks possible with Tbilisi if N. Ossetia not involved
31. Kokoity calls on Ossetians to prevent a split
32. Kokoyty wants number of peacekeepers increased
33. S. Ossetia accuses Georgia of disrupting reconstruction program
34. Tskhinvali again without water
35. Delegation of U.S. Embassy visits Tskhinvali
Politics and military
36. Okruashvili is a man who will destroy Saakashvili morally
37. Lawyer to appeal to upper instance court
38. Prosecutor’s suspicion of Labor Party and their leader
39. Black Sea basin states' Coast Guard services sign anti-proliferation accord
40. Kezerashvili is Saakashvili's personal accountant
41. Military academy to be restored. Experts assume that it may become leading academy in South Caucasus
42. Bloggers roundtable on Georgia training exercise
43. Exercise helps partner nations overcome cultural barriers
Misc.
44. Public Defender requests to restore journalist’s right
45. One of Imedi TV top jobs occupied by Mze TV former director general
46. Hardliner priest freed from jail
47. Father Basili, thug or hero, casts glare on Georgian contradictions
48. Georgia still net importer of wheat
49. Gas supply restored in Samgori district
50. Georgia to start exporting Borjomi mineral water to Japan in August
51. Computer hacker community proud and growing

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