NEWS: Georgia News Digest 03-21-08

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)

1. Three options for new parliament structure
2. Opposition ‘compromise proposal’ rejected
3. Burjanadze rejects opposition’s proposal as ‘ultimatum’
4. OCCA to discuss amendments
5. Up to 10 Georgian protestors agree to end hunger strike
6. Opposition leader’s campaign staff resigns en masse
7. Opposition meets head of Georgian Orthodox Church
8. Georgia not a ‘colony,’ say opposition at US Embassy protest
9. The opposition do not learn from their mistakes!
10. Labor Party leader addresses president
11. Burdzhanadze denies talks with widow of late tycoon
12. ‘Return Imedi’ protest to be held March 24
13. Georgia in grips of political crisis, says former minister
14. Okruashvili says president should be peacefully ousted
15. USA confirms support for Georgia's territorial integrity, NATO bid
16. Duma Speaker: If Georgia joins NATO, parliament will become radical about Abkhazia and South Ossetia
17. Saakashvili, Rice discuss Abkhazia, S Ossetia peaceful settlement
18. Foreign Minister comments on Saakashvili-Rice meting
19. Saakashvili hopes for good relations with Medvedev
20. Saakashvili says Kosovo case no analogues
21. Speaker hopes for "sensible" Duma resolution on breakaway regions
22. Ten NATO allies call for Georgia MAP
23. Conflict settlement, Georgia's NATO integration top agenda – FM
24. MPs upbeat on US support for NATO bid
25. Russia "worried" about own citizens if Georgia joins NATO - Duma speaker
26. Russia's NATO envoy criticizes USA for lobbying for Ukraine, Georgia membership
27. Duma Speaker: If Georgia joins NATO, parliament will become radical about Abkhazia and South Ossetia
28. Russia "worried" about own citizens if Georgia joins NATO - Duma speaker
29. Declaration of Russia’s politicis on Abkhazia to come up at Duma
30. Recognition of Georgia's separatists "not in Russia's interests"
31. State Duma urges buildup of peacekeepers in Georgia
32. Abkhazia warns war could break out in region
33. Georgia welcomes resumption of air traffic with Russia
34. Aeroflot starts selling tickets to Georgia-bound flights
35. Burjanadze meets public TV board
36. Nino Burjanadze asked board of GPB to elect director general acceptable for everyone
37. Next parliament should investigate November 7 without delay
38. Account been prepared regarding events taken place in media sphere after “Rose Revolution”
39. Parliament Chairperson met members of GPB Board of Trustees
40. Armenian opposition representatives hiding in Georgia – NGO
41. Georgian, Azeri and Turkish specialists consider Akhalkalaki railway station construction project in Ankara
42. Georgia, Azerbaijan expected to sign gas deal soon
43. The issue of funding of the project of reconstruction of the roads in Samtskhe-Javakheti region to be discussed
44. Heidelberg Cement to construct new cement plant near Tbilisi
45. NBG says market of plastic cards is developing dynamically
46. The cost of goods will continue to rise!
47. Mamuka Kvaratskhelia accuses Nodar Akhalkatsi of embezzling GEL 30 million
48. Prisoner hunger striking in Kutaisi
49. Murder suspect been detained on March 20
50. Georgian folk music

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