NEWS: Georgia News Digest 08-05-08 (pdf)

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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. Estonia calls for EU peacekeepers in Georgia's breakaway regions
2. The Caucasian conflict in the context of world politics
3. U.S. mediating missions in South Caucasus can provoke escalation of conflicts
4. There is a very high probability of a war, and soon
5. GUAM: A new chance for regional peace initiatives
6. Georgia to work out plan on peaceful settlement of conflicts by September
7. Government sets up body to work on conflict settlement initiative
8. Georgia on the 56th position among failed states
South Ossetia
9. S. Ossetia says Georgia covering up military losses
10. Traffic police post comes under fire in South Ossetia
11. Georgia denies its prepares armed operation against South Ossetia
12. video: Locals flee South Ossetian bloodshed
13. North Ossetia evacuates children from South Ossetia
14. Official slams "hysterical" evacuation of children from South Ossetia
15. Second group of refugees arrives from South Ossetia
16. Tensions flare over breakaway South Ossetia
17. South Ossetia teeters on the brink of war
18. Moscow orchestrates war scare in South Ossetia
19. Situation is calm in S. Ossetia
20. Moscow accuses Tbilisi of ‘disproportionate force’ in S.Ossetia
21. Talk of war gets louder in Georgia's 'bloody little chessboard' of South Ossetia
22. Life in the war zone: “Do Ossetian and Georgian mothers cry differently?!”
23. Georgia, South Ossetia rule out talks on defusing rising tensions
24. Threat of Georgian-Ossetian hostilities real
25. Separatist KGB warns of Georgian terror threat in South Ossetia
26. Leader of Georgian separatist region meets delegation from Russia
27. Separatist leader threatens Georgia with "resolute measures"
28. Senior Russian MP calls for tougher stance from peacekeepers in South Ossetia
29. Rebel region blames USA, Ukraine for helping Georgia in sniper warfare
30. Defence minister denies Ukraine sold sniper rifles to Georgia illegally
31. Russian paratroopers can help peacekeepers in S Ossetia if need be
32. People constantly detained when conflict situation escalates in South Ossetia”
33. Tbilisi-held areas hit worse than separatists in shoot-out
34. Separatist regime slammed for its policy
35. "Volunteers" from Russia coming to breakaway Georgian region
36. Diplomat to visit Russia shortly to discuss S Ossetian conflict
37. Russian, U.S. diplomats discuss S. Ossetia
38. State Department regular news briefing [excerpt]
39. What is Temur Iakobashvili offering to Tskhinvali?
40. South-Ossetian leader says Georgia wants to exclude Russia from talks process
41. No Ossetian negotiation without Russia
42. Russia warns Georgia over breakaway province
43. Russian colonel excludes any connection
Abkhazia
44. paper: Identities, interests and the resolution of the Abkhaz conflict
45. UN blames Georgians for Khurcha incident
46. Separatist announce state of emergency
47. Soft annexation of Abkhazia is the greatest legacy of Putin to his successor: Interview with Thomas de Waal
48. Abkhaz flip-flop on Georgian IDPs reflects leadership split
49. Georgia keeps Abkhazia talks on agenda, despite Russia’s stalling tactics
50. Abkhaz conflict is no longer frozen
51. Tbilisi to table ‘comprehensive’ Abkhaz plan in September
52. Abkhazia evades Berlin meeting, no answer on conflict resolution
53. Separatist leader rejects idea of international force in Georgia
54. Abkhazia says Georgian side reading to unleash hostilities
55. Minister blames "biased stance" on South Ossetia for Abkhaz boycott of UN talks
56. There are no rich oligarchs in the USA buying up Abkhaz beaches
57. Separatist ban teaching in Georgian in Gali
58. Separatists deny forcing Georgians in Gali to take Abkhaz passports
59. video: Abkhazian war orphan’s two families
Business and economics
60. Staff changes in Economy Development Ministry to start from September
61. Number of Georgian banks, created with foreign participation, reached 14 in the first half of 2008
62. As of 1 July, the amount of deposits with commercial banks of Georgia totaled gel 3,0 billion
63. As of the end of June, credit portfolio of commercial banks of Georgia exceeded gel 5,4 billion
64. Banks toughen up credit policy, hike interest rates
65. High inflation dominates increased budget revenues
66. Bank of Georgia receives loan for program expansion
67. EBRD extends credit line to Georgia’s TBC Bank
68. Tbilisi to get new multi-function complex
69. Female-focused fitness franchise to hit Tbilisi
70. Miss World Georgian contestant revealed
71. Number of floors reduced by movement “Do not Wreck” near Freedom Square
72. Developing outer Avlabari district to preserve current, historical layout
Media
73. Journalist from radio “Tavisufleba” will represent media freedom in “Democracy Development Fund”
74. Radio Imedi regional correspondent marginalized before expiration of contract
75. Radio Liberty broadcast restricted in run-up to Adjara Supreme Council elections
76. Journalist assaulted in Sighnaghi District Board of Administration
77. Couldn’t imagined restrictions on the freedom of speech would affect student-news
78. Courier changes, Prime Time returns: Viewers prepare for new and improved TV show selection
79. Georgian TV channels’ rating for June 2008
80. Shalva Ramishvili to lodge complaint against Permanent Commission of Penitentiary Department
Politics
81. “All in Georgia are Mikhail Saakashvili’s prisoners” – one way or another
82. Coalition “For Our Rights” protests arrest of Arnold Benidze, Labor Party member
83. Labors demand their party member's release
84. Pre-election promises on pardons unfulfilled but government reelected anyway
85. Patarkatsishvili’s double life entangles wives in legal battle for estate
Misc.
86. Appeal to international community with respect to the recent events in Akhalkalaki
87. Patriarchate denies religious discrimination in Georgia
88. MP insulted so-called Russian “sect” for not being “ethnic Georgians”
89. Will mother of two children stare over court’s verdict in Gurjaani District?
90. No verdicts of acquittal contradicts UN protected rights of children
91. Mother of nine prefers food for children, not “violets” on Mother’s Day
92. Court ordered school director to issue public information
93. Seven teachers dismissed without justification in Tbilisi
94. Monitoring commissions continue as conditions worsen in Georgian prisons
95. Physically disabled prisoner denied inhalator and walking stick in jail
96. Prisoner hunger striking in Zugdidi Prison # 4 over death of patient
97. Arrests in Akhalkalaki municipality continue
98. Cancer patient starts hunger-strike in front of the Georgian Ministry of Health
99. Socially excluded persons complain about Kakheti agency for social subsidies

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