Europe must help Georgia and Armenia, or Russia will (17 April 2013; The Guardian)

In Georgia and Armenia I saw how vital European integration will be to a fragile post-Soviet spring

I recently travelled to Georgia and Armenia to meet human rights groups. After two days in Georgia we drove east, the hilly landscape gradually turning mountainous, sheep and cattle tended by shepherds in littered, post-Soviet villages. For a long time the road followed a small river, plastic trash snagging on rocks and branches. This could have been a landscape of extraordinary beauty; instead it was depleted and scarred by nearly a century of bad or indifferent governance.
Crossing the border into Armenia, the river was still there, the litter now older, almost indistinguishable from the brown water and grey rock. There were remnants of the Soviet state – giant concrete chutes channelling water from the steep mountains, occasional blocks of flats now, like the rubbish, taking on the colour of the dark earth. In one valley ruins from the earthquake in 1988 stood like archaeological remains.

Saakashvili Wants Improvement in Relations with Russia (17/04/2013; RIA News)

TBILISI, April 17 (RIA Novosti) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Tuesday he was not against mending diplomatic relations with Russia that were severed several years ago.
“I am one of those supporting the improvement of these relations. It was my initiative to lift the visa regime with Russia so that more Russian tourists could visit Georgia,” Saakashvili said in an interview with Rustavi-2 television channel.
“I am also not against improving cultural relations, although some certain rules must be applied, and, moreover, I support trade relations and investments,” he added.
The Georgian president said, however, that in regard to the current situation with Russia “Georgia must be careful.”
Georgia broke off diplomatic relations with Russia following the 2008 war over South Ossetia. Tensions, however, have started to thaw in recent months, with Russia recently lifting its import ban on Georgian wine.

http://en.rian.ru/politics/20130417/180677376/Saakashvili-Wants-Improvement-of-Relations-with-Russia.html

Former Georgian prison chiefs detained in inmate torture case (16/04/2013; RAPSInews.com)

TBILISI, April 16 – RAPSI. The former heads of three prisons in Georgia have been arrested over accusations of torturing prisoners, the News Georgia news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Georgian Prosecutor General Archil Kbilashvili.
Speaking with journalists, Kbilashvili said the arrested people include the former director and two top officials of Ksani Penal Colony No. 15, the former director of Rustavi Penal Colony No. 6 and his deputy, and the former director of Prison No. 2 in Kutaisi.
The detained individuals have been charged with inhumane treatment, torturing and beating inmates.
This is not the first time that officials have been fired over charges of torturing inmates in Georgian prisons.
In October 2012, the Interior Ministry said it had uncovered incidents of prisoners being treated poorly in Gldani Prison No. 8 in Tbilisi. Investigators said a group of prison employees were treating prisoners cruelly, and recorded video materials of their actions. The Prosecutor General's Office said ten Corrections Department employees have been arrested, including the deputy department head and the prison director.
Later, similar acts by administration officials were reported by prison inmates in Kutaisi and Rustavi. Former Corrections and Legal Assistance Minister Khatuna Kalmakhelidze and Interior Minister Bacho Akhalaya resigned due to the incident. Nearly 20 staff members in the colonies were detained or fired. Mass protests spread throughout the country, with people demanding punishment for those accused of torture.    

 

 http://rapsinews.com/judicial_news/20130416/267053726.html

Georgia Fighting a War to Investigate the War (April 15, 2013; Eurasianet.org)

In a controversial undertaking by Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia plans to go down the slippery slope of re-investigating its 2008 war with Russia. But it is unclear if the new investigation is going to leave Georgia with a picture any clearer or more objective.
The proposal caused a stir among Georgian society, heretofore steadily treated to a black-and-white, big-bad-Russia narrative.
Georgia conducted its first probe of the war when President Mikheil Saakashvili and his United National Movement Party still held political court. The parliamentary investigation, predictably, put the then Georgian authorities in the right all around. One attempt to place part of the blame on Tbilisi resulted in an angry outburst by the parliamentary commission, complete with tossing a pen at the lone critic.
But, coming on the heels of dozens of other investigations into past doings under the United National Movement, the repeat investigation is unlikely to avoid the label of bias. It is already seen as part of the ongoing Ivanishvili-Saakashvili war.
The president, who was questioned during the first probe, declared that he will not obey any interrogation requests by the new commission, led by Ivanishvili’s Georgian-Dream coalition. Repeating previous allegations, the president accused the prime minister of being an apologist for Russia, and a new shouting match between the two camps began.
The prime minister’s team claims they do not intend to justify the Russian invasion and the uprooting of thousands of Georgians, but, rather, need to establish the facts. Why that need has moved to the forefront right now is less clear.

Georgia propose joint league with neighbouring countries (Apr 15, 2013; Reuters)

(Reuters) - Georgian soccer chief Zviad Sichinava has proposed launching a joint league with neighbouring countries Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
"This is the plan but we must first get the approval of both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan," Sichinava was quoted as saying by local media.
He did not say how many teams might join the new league or when the project could get started.
Each of the three countries has a top-flight 12-team league at present. Kazakhstan's season runs from March to November while Georgia and Azerbaijan follow a more traditional European calendar.
This was the latest proposal to start a joint league in the former Soviet Union.
In December, several top Russian clubs, including champions Zenit St Petersburg, big-spending Anzhi Makhachkala and CSKA Moscow, unhappy with the way the domestic game is run, unveiled a plan to break away from Russia's top flight and start a joint venture with neighbouring Ukraine as early as next year.
The plan called for the creation of a unified league with 20 teams, 10 from each country, and $1 billion in prize money. The head of Russian energy giant Gazprom said at the time that his company would be the league's major sponsor.
However, that plan is unlikely to get off the ground after it was opposed by both the Russian and Ukrainian soccer federations as well as the world and European governing bodies.

http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/04/15/soccer-georgia-league-idINDEE93E09L20130415?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=sportsNews&rpc=401

Kazakhs cold on united league with Azerbaijan and Georgia ( 15 April 2013; Inside World Football)

By Mark Baber
April 15 - The Kazakhstan football federation has poured cold water on the hopes of Georgian federation president Zviad Sichinava (pictured), who is pushing to submit plans to UEFA for a united football league for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan which he claims would be able to attract significant investment.

According to Sichinav, "Russia and Ukraine already have submitted their [respective] plan. The Baltic States likewise want to have a united league. Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will develop their own plan."

Sichinava said Azerbaijan had agreed to the plan and negotiations with the Kazakhs were ongoing.

However, at the weekend, the Football Federation of Kazakhstan announced that it has no plans to unite with the league of any country.

The planning for a new league, including just Azerbaijan and Georgia to begin with, seems likely to continue as a new league would have higher competitive levels, attracting more interest. The budget for a new league has been estimated at $50 million.

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-football/europe/12329-kazakhs-cold-on-united-league-with-azerbaijan-and-georgia

Film London launches international training programme (15 April, 2013; Screen Daily)

Pilot scheme in Georgia may pave the way for other territories.

Film London is to extend its Microschool training programme outside of the UK and will pilot the scheme in Georgia, Eastern Europe.
Microschool International will be funded by the British Council and the pilot is presented in partnership with the Georgia National Film Center (GNFC) and Batumi International Art-house Film Festival (BIAFF).
Six Georgian film-making teams will be selected for the intensive three-day development workshop, to be held in mid-September at the BIAFF, and a call for applications has begun.
Established teams of directors and producers with feature screenplays in development can apply to the scheme. The deadline for applications in 24 May and will be received by the GNFC in Tbilisi.
The training ‘boot camp’ is based on Film London Microwave’s Microschool, which is made up for seminars, masterclasses and one-on-one sessions, focussing on micro-budget topics alongside specific project development.

Moscow Fuming Over U.S.-Georgia Military Drill (April 15, 2013; The Trumpet)

 More than 350 U.S. marines and several hundred Georgian Army troops angered Moscow by holding a month-long military drill in the former Soviet republic that ended on April 5. The U.S.-Georgia war exercise, code named “Agile Spirit 2013,” prompted the Russians to stage large-scale, unscheduled drills of their own.
“These annual events, which our American partners explain as ‘preparation for the Afghan operations,’ cause concern,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said about Agile Spirit 2013. “Any foreign military assistance to Tbilisi, no matter what the motives are, complicates prospects for strengthening peace and stability in the region,” he said.
The Russians reaction did not end with words.

Georgia acknowledged launching war in 2008 (15.04.2013; Pravda.ru)

Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili admitted responsibility of Georgia for the outbreak of the war in August of 2008. He stated that the actions of the authorities of the country before crossing the border of Georgia by Russian forces were inadequate. This statement will have tangible consequences, first of all, for President Mikhail Saakashvili.

"The political noose" around the Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's neck is getting tighter. He is not yet being investigated, but the new authorities have already talked about the possibility of his interrogation about the events of 2008. The country may begin a new investigation into the five-day war. Prime Minister Ivanishvili spoke in favor of conducting a second investigation of the facts.

During a meeting with the editors of a number of Georgian media outlets, Ivanishvili called the actions of the authorities in August of 2008 inadequate. Georgia's acknowledgement of at least part of its responsibility for the war could seriously affect the country's foreign policy, and above all, the relationship with Russia.

The restoration of Abkhazian railway was only an idea - Georgian FM (April 14 2013; Tred.az)

Georgia has not held any talks on the issue of the restoration of Abkhazian railway, said to Radio Liberty minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Maia Panjikidze during her official visit to Yerevan, Georgia-Online reported.
"We think about this. We have not begun any works in this direction. Considering the interests of Georgia we will try to understand what the benefit of Georgia in this process. After that we are going to establish a working group for exploring the situation, and finally after this we will make a decision. It's too early to speak about the restoration of Abkhazian railway. It was only an idea. This idea was discussed during the prime minister's visit to Yerevan, though nothing concrete was done in this direction," said Panjikidze.
The minister stressed that Georgian side should consider economic and politic apspects of the issue, understand what all of this is able to give to it, and only then establish a working group.
The minister for integration Paata Zakareishvili was the first who raised the issue of the restoration of Abkhazian railway. Later he declared that neither Russia nor Abkhazia showed any interest in this issue, so the issue in removed from the agenda. Later Zakareishvili said that Russia showed no interest in the restoration of Abkhazian railway.
However during the visit of prime minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili to Armenia and the Georgian delegation to Yerevan a declaration has been made on the discussion of the technical details of the project. Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania said March 9 in Yerevan that the first steps on resumption of the operation of the Abkhazian railway will be taken in the near future.

http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/georgia/2138926.html

Ahiska Turks convene İstanbul conference to highlight their problems (14 April 201; Today's Zaman)

The Ahiska Turks, who were forced to emigrate from Georgia between 1944, came together at a conference organized by the Ahiska Students Alumni Association (AHİMED) on Saturday to discuss challenges they face.

Ahiska Turks were forced to leave their homes in the Georgian city of Meskheti in 1944 and have since been unable to return.
In the opening speech of the conference, AHİMED General Coordinator Rüstem Alioğlu said they organized the conference to provide an academic forum to discuss the problems that Ahiska Turks face. Numerous academics and intellectuals participated in the conference along with hundreds of Ahiska Turks.
Also giving a speech during the conference, Habibullah Mürsel, president of the All Ahiska Turks Social Economic Cooperation and Solidarity Association (TASİYAD), said the problems of the Ahiska can only be solved with the contributions of Ahiska scholars, adding that he believes the Ahiska Turks will be able to accomplish their goal of returning to their homeland in the near future with the help of qualified Ahiska intellectuals.
Minera Aliyeva, a professor at Uludağ University, pointed to the fact that over the years, the Ahiska Turks have not been able to preserve their own culture.
An international relations specialist attending the conference, Elşan İzzetgül, said Georgia is at fault, adding that most of the problems can be resolved if Georgia takes the required legal steps to enable Ahiska Turks to return to their homeland. She stated that the rights of Ahiska Turks should be restored, noting that Turkey should use its relationship with Georgia to add some pressure.
The Ahiska Turks, also known as Meskhetian Turks, found themselves in Georgia when the border between Turkey and the Soviet Union was drawn under the Moscow Agreement of March 16, 1921. Concerned by the possible strategic threat posed by the rapprochement between Turkey and the Ahiska Turks, the Russian government deported between 120,000 and 140,000 people to Central Asia on the night of Nov. 15, 1944, leading to the current Ahiska Turk question. Currently, 500,000 Ahiska Turks who live in the former Soviet republics, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation, are unable to return to their land of origin in Georgia; they are also denied citizenship in their current countries of residence. Ahiska Turks are the only people denied a return to their homeland in the former Soviet Union.

http://www.todayszaman.com/news-312623-ahiska-turks-convene-istanbul-conference-to-highlight-their-problems.html 

Turks’ exit fee to Georgia increases 15 times (April/14/2013; Hurriyet Daily News)

 

The exit fee paid by Turkish citizens upon entering Georgia has increased to 15 Turkish Liras from a symbolic 1 Lira following a new regulation on April 13.
Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı said the new regulation’s aim was to make these exits “more trade focused.”
Turks can cross into Georgia through the Sarp border gate near Artvin’s Hopa district.
The abolition of the requirement to show passports at the Turkish-Georgian border in May 2012 had led to a huge influx of Turkish tourists to the border town of Batumi in the Caucasian country to gamble.
“Most of the entries and exits are for some reasons unconnected to trade,” Hayati Yazıcı said.
A total of 5.6 million people have used border according to Yazıcı.
“Locals have been complaining about [the exits not aiming trade.] Furthermore, in this region people’s sensitivity is high. We thought we could succeed in making these exits more trade focused if we increased the money payment. We received our prime minister’s opinion on the issue as well,” Yazıcı said.
Turkey and Georgia allow both countries’ citizens to cross each other’s borders with identity cards only, rather than with passports.
Most of the Turkish tourists crossing into Batum have limited means and take advantage of free food and alcohol at the casinos while playing with the meager sums available to them, according to sources.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turks-exit-fee-to-georgia-increases-15-times-.aspx?pageID=238&nid=44865&NewsCatID=341

СМИ узнали об отмене военного парада в День независимости Грузии (12/04/2013; Lenta.ru)

В Грузии решили не проводить в столице военный парад по случаю предстоящего Дня независимости республики (26 мая). Об этом, ссылаясь на осведомленный источник в грузинском министерстве обороны, пишет газета «Известия».
По данным издания, для граждан в указанный день организуют народные гулянья. Военные, предположительно, будут проводить торжества на территории отдельных частей. Детали мероприятия в настоящее время обсуждает специальная межведомственная комиссия.
Против проведения военного парада в День независимости ранее высказался премьер-министр Бидзина Иванишвиили, заявив, что Грузия «не та страна, которая должна показывать свою военную мощь». Глава правительства, впрочем, пообещал не принимать единолично решение по этому поводу. По данным издания, позицию премьера поддержал вице-спикер парламента от правящей коалиции «Грузинская мечта» Звиад Дзидзигури. Он заявил, что 26 мая не следует делать акцент на военном параде. «Кого в мире мы удивим нашей мощью или какие большие победы нам надо отмечать?», — задался вопросом политик.
В свою очередь, министр обороны Ираклий Аласания пообещал устроить в День независимости «впечатляющий и красивый праздник», сохранив в нем «военный компонент». О каком именно компоненте идет речь, он не уточнил. Как предполагают «Известия», это может быть военный салют или демонстрация образцов грузинского ВПК.

В Грузии потушили трейлер с 30 тоннами армянского коньяка (12/04/2013; Lenta.ru)

Потушен пожар в грузинском тоннеле «Руис» (на центральной автомагистрали Тбилиси-Сенаки-Леселидзе), где загорелся трейлер, перевозивший 30 тонн коньяка из Армении. Об этом сообщает РИА Новости.
«Наши сотрудники вовремя смогли потушить пожар и тем самым предотвратить взрыв, который мог нанести немало ущерба», — заявил начальник противопожарной службы Горийского района Мамука Имерлишвили.
Размер ущерба от пожара пока неизвестен (не сообщается, в частности, в каком состоянии после пожара находится груз).
Что касается водителя трейлера, то он покинул машину сразу же после возгорания («Замигали лампочки в машине, и я сразу остановился, огонь вспыхнул моментально», — рассказал он). Ранее сообщалось, что причиной пожара, возможно, стала неисправность грузовика.
Трейлер с коньяком загорелся в тоннеле утром в пятницу, 12 апреля. Грузовик, по информации агентства, следовал в порт Поти.
Продукция какого именно предприятия перевозилась в трейлере, пока неизвестно. На Ереванском коньячном заводе, как сообщает «Новости-Армения», заявили, что речь идет не об их продукции.

http://lenta.ru/news/2013/04/12/fireoff/

Саакашвили отказался участвовать в расследовании войны в Южной Осетии (12/04/2013; Lenta.ru)

Президент Грузии Михаил Саакашвили не будет отвечать на вопросы спецкомиссии, расследующей события августовской войны 2008 года. Об этом, как передает «Новости-Грузия», глава государства заявил 11 апреля в ходе рабочего визита в Польшу.
«Я не собираюсь сотрудничать с антигосударственным следствием, цель которого — потрясение государственности Грузии», — сказал президент. Как пишет «Вестник Кавказа», Саакашвили также раскритиковал премьер-министра Бидзину Иванишвили за «пророссийскую» позицию в данном вопросе. Президент подчеркнул, что грузинские власти «не должны врать о том, что Грузия начала войну».
Накануне, напомним, глава правительства заявил, что в августе 2008 года «тогдашнее руководство страны во главе с президентом поступили не совсем адекватно». Иванишвили счел неоправданным шагом тот факт, что армейские части были приведены в боевую готовность и начали боевые действия до того, пока российские войска пересекли границы
«Тогда в зоне конфликта стреляли неопределенные бандформирования, в ответ на это было бы абсолютно адекватным со стороны президента и властей Грузии пригласить международных наблюдателей, и этот процесс мог бы завершиться на этом уровне», — пояснил Иванишвили.
На днях, помимо него, о событиях августовской войны высказались еще несколько грузинских чиновников. В частности, генеральный прокурор Арчил Кбилашвили заявил о создании специальной следственной группы для расследования правового аспекта конфликта, а министр юстиции Тея Цулукиани заявила, что в рамках расследования может быть допрошен президент Михаил Саакашвили.

Georgia Offers a Super Bee to Help Ailing American Bees (April 12, 2013; Eurasianet.org)

When it comes to relations between the United States and Georgia, outsiders usually focus on what the US has done for its tiny South Caucasus ally. But, now, it looks like Georgia might have a valuable item for the US – a super bee that could provide some much-needed variety to dwindling American bee colonies.
In 2012, commercial beekeepers in the United States lost between 40 to 50 percent of their hives, the worst year for bee-colony collapse since 2005, according to a March article in The New York Times. A lower bee count reduces the supply of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans dependent on pollination, which, consequently, increases prices, the article noted.
While there is no evidence that Caucasus bees are more resilient either to the mites or the pesticides that could be causing the deaths of American bees, scientists like Washington State University entomologist Walter S. Sheppard have started taking bee semen from Georgia to create more variety in American bee populations.
The gray Caucasus mountain honeybee, one of the world’s three types of honeybees, has a legendary ability to produce large amounts of honey despite cold weather and bad conditions. Georgia is the “central homeland” for the species, although the bees also can be found in eastern Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Georgian Premier Backtracks From Saakashvili War Blame Statement (Apr 12, 2013; Bloomberg)

Georgian Prime MinisterBidzina Ivanishvili backtracked from a statement he made this week, when he blamed President Mikheil Saakashvili for starting a 2008 war against Russia.
Saakashvili still should be investigated for his role in the five-day conflict over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Ivanishvili said in an e-mailed statement today. The premier on April 10 said the probe may lead to legal proceedings against the president. Saakashvili won’t cooperate with such an investigation, he said on public television today.
Tensions have been building between Saakashvili and Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man, who defeated the president’s party in elections last year. He pledged to improve the rule of law, raise living standards and to develop relations with Russia, which routed its southern neighbor in the 2008 war, recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and vowed to defend their borders.
“It was Russia who violated the territorial borders of a sovereign country and carried out aggression,” Ivanishvili said in the statement. “Why did Mr Saakashvili succumb to an obvious provocation? What actions were taken by the commander-in-chief and the government?”
Ivanishvili on April 10 said Saakashvili and the government “acted inadequately” and the Georgian army acted before Russian forces crossed the border.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-12/georgian-premier-backtracks-from-saakashvili-war-blame-statement.html

Georgian Winemakers Look to Russian Drinkers (12 Apr 13; IWPR.net)

Six years on from blanket ban, Moscow is wondering whether wine from its southern neighbour might not be so bad after all.
In what could be a major boost for Georgia’s struggling economy, its famous wines may soon be on sale in Russia again after a six-year ban.
Moscow banned all imports of Georgian wine and mineral water in 2006, saying they were a health hazard and contained dangerous substances. Most analysts interpreted this as a form of punishment for the increasingly confrontational relationship between Russia and the administration of President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Things only began changing after Saakashvili’s party lost its hold on power in the October 2012 parliamentary election.
Another factor that smoothed the way was Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation in August, helped by a Georgian decision not to continue blocking its accession.
Georgia’s National Wine Agency has sent Russia a list of 80 companies that want to export there. Four mineral water companies including the iconic Borjomi and Nabeglavi brands have also expressed an interest.
Russia’s consumer rights agency Rospotrebnadzor has given preliminary approval to 36 of the wine firms, turning 12 others down. Agency chief Gennady Onishchenko says two companies – Kindzmarauli Marani and the Dugladze Wine Company, have cleared all the hurdles, while the others are still being processed.
Prior to 2006, wine was the country’s main export, with 80 per cent of it heading north to Russia, where Georgian wines have long been known and appreciated.

Turkey renovating Georgian church (April/12/2013; Hurriyet Daily News)

 

Authorities are renovating the Ishkhani Georgian church in northeastern Turkey in a bid to boost tourism numbers in the Black Sea province, the Artvin provincial head of culture has said.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview, Hüseyin Ateş, the Artvin provincial head of culture, said the city was taking the example of Trabzon and Van.
“We have decided to begin a renovation process after seeing the examples of the Sümela Monastery in Trabzon and Akdamar Armenian Church in Van. Those places have seen a boost in tourism interest recently,” Ateş said April 12. “Now we are renovating the Ishkani Georgian church. It will also be a gesture toward Turkish-Georgian relations.”
Earlier this week, Armenian website Newz.az claimed that the restoration works on the church in Turkey had been conducted improperly and blamed the people working on the renovation for being negligent, incompetent and damaging ancient frescos.
Ateş, however, denied the claims. “Unfortunately, there are always doubts on these renovation projects, but we are working with an experienced crew,” Ateş said. “We have also assigned archaeologists to follow those claims.”

 

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-renovating-georgian-church.aspx?pageID=238&nid=44802&NewsCatID=375

Saakashvili gets Poland's backing for speedy EU agreement (12.04.2013; Polskie Radio)

Georgia's president Mikheil Saakashvili met with President Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw on Thursday for talks on Georgia's progress towards an associate agreement with the European Union.

Mikheil Saakashvili (left) with Bronislaw Komorowski in Warsaw: photo - PAP/Pawel Supernak

Polish presidential spokesman Jaromir Sokolowski said that President Komorowski assured the Georgian head of state of Poland's continued support for the process and "pointed out that a threat to this process would be a negative development in the internal situation in Georgia”.
Sokolowski added that President Komorowski hoped that “the opposition [in Georgia] will cooperate with implementing reforms necessary to finalize negotiations on the Association Agreement."
President Saakashvili's United National Movement was unexpectedly defeated in parliamentary elections last year, which were won by the Georgian Dream party, led by billionaire businessman and politician Bidzina Ivanishvili.
This is the first time since the so-called 'Rose Revolution' in Georgia ten years ago that the Presidential Palace and Parliament are dominated by opposing political forces.
President Komorowski said yesterday that he hopes that Georgia's Association Agreement with the EU will be finalized before the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in November 2013. (pg)

http://www.thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/132676,Saakashvili-gets-Polands-backing-for-speedy-EU-agreement- 

Georgian PM backs inquiry into Saakashvili’s handling of Russia war (12/04/2013; The Irish Times)

 

Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili wants his fierce rival President Mikheil Saakashvili to be questioned about his handling of the country’s 2008 war with Russia, as part of a broad investigation into a conflict that was disastrous for the Caucasus state.

The two leaders have been at loggerheads since the party formed by billionaire businessman Mr Ivanishvili surprisingly beat Mr Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) in a general election last October.

The bitter mud-slinging that characterised that election campaign has given way to an uneasy cohabitation, with Mr Ivanishvili’s government stripping powers and perks from the president and prosecutors bringing charges against his former ministers and other allies.

Now Mr Ivanishvili wants Mr Saakashvili to explain what started the five-day August 2008 war with Russia and how it was conducted.

The conflict displaced some 100,000 people at its peak, did major damage to Georgian infrastructure and spooked investors. In the wake of the fighting, Russia recognised the rebel Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states, and stationed troops there.

Russia Ends Ban on Georgian Water (April 12, 2013; The St. Petersburg Times)

Russia is lifting a seven-year ban on Borjomi, the popular Georgian mineral water believed by many Russians to cure health ailments.Gennady Onishchenko, Russia's chief sanitary official, has signed the paperwork to allow the resumption of Borjomi imports, Itar-Tass reported Thursday.

"All restrictions have been lifted," Onishchenko said.

A spokesman for IDS Borjomi Georgia, which produces Borjomi, told Izvestia Thursday that his country was waiting for official permission from Onishchenko's office.

IDS Borjomi Georgia is a subsidiary of Alfa Group.

Borjomi, produced in the city of Borjomi in Georgia since the 19th century, was the most popular mineral water brand in the former Soviet Union. It was credited with treating ailments such as kidney problems.

Along with Borjomi, three other Georgian sparkling water producers will be allowed to export to Russia, Itar-Tass reported.

The mineral water ban came amid political tensions between Russia and Georgia in 2006 and was widely seen as a punishment meted out on President Mikhel Saakashvili, a foe of the Kremlin.

Before the ban, IDS Borjomi Georgia had a strong position on the Russian market, with sales growing 30 percent annually. In 2005, the company sold over 10 million bottles in Russia. IDS Borjomi Georgia reported $50 million in revenue for that period.

Russia, which broke diplomatic relations with Georgia in 2008 after a short military conflict, started to re-establish business ties with its northern neighbor after Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili assumed power last year.

http://www.sptimesrussia.com/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=37197 

Russia ready to mend relations with Georgia: FM (April 12, 2013; People's Daily Online)

MOSCOW, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia stands ready to mend bilateral ties with the new Georgian government, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
Moscow was satisfied with Tbilisi's efforts to solve bilateral issues and is ready to expand trade, cultural, humanitarian and sports contact between the two sides, Lavrov said in an interview with a local TV channel published on the ministry's website.
"(Our) people should remember they used to live together and they used to be friends. We always wanted to be friends, to cooperate with our Georgian neighbors," Lavrov said.
The friendship between Russia and Georgia has not disappeared, but it faces very serious challenges, the foreign minister said.
To put their relations back on track, Russia and Georgia have made several high-level contacts in recent months, including a meeting in Switzerland between Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his Georgian counterpart Bidzina Ivanishvili.
However, Lavrov said Moscow would never step back from its position on recognizing Georgia's two breakaway regions as independent states.
He added that the tension between Moscow and Tbilisi was caused by the Georgians and the initiative to cease diplomatic relations between the two countries also came from Georgia.
Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August 2008 following brief armed conflicts with Georgia.
Moscow "saw no other option to guarantee the security and survival" of the people from those territories but to recognize their independence from Tbilisi, Lavrov said.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90777/8204546.html 

Saakashvili Refuses Cooperating with S.Ossetia Investigation (12/04/2013; RIA News)

TBILISI, April 12 (RIA Novosti) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said he would not be cooperating with an investigation into actions of the Georgian authorities during a brief war with Russia over its breakaway republic of South Ossetia in 2008.
Georgia’s new Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said on Wednesday that the previous Georgian government acted inadequately in regard to South Ossetia. He added that Saakashvili could be questioned on the issue. The country’s justice minister also said earlier that the president could be possibly questioned.
“As the president of Georgia I completely disagree with the prime minister’s statement that Georgia started the military actions,” Saakashvili said. “As the citizen of Georgia I will not spare a second cooperating with this anti-governmental investigation. The aim of this investigation is to stagger the statehood of the country and is directed against the territorial integrity.”
Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Alasaniya said earlier that his ministry already began investigating actions taken by the previous government during the war in August of 2008.
Once political allies, Ivanishvili and Saakashvili have become sworn enemies and have over the past few months traded increasingly bitter barbs. The bitterly fought parliamentary election campaign spelled the start to Saakashvili's political decline.
Georgia lost control over one-fifth of its territory after Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away and were recognized by Moscow in the wake of a brief war with Russia in August 2008.
Both had enjoyed de facto independence since the early 1990s, following earlier conflicts with Georgia.

http://en.rian.ru/world/20130412/180595234/Saakashvili-Refuses-Cooperating-with-SOssetia-Investigation.html

ICG: Russian Military Settling In For Long Haul In Abkhazia (April 11, 2013; Eurasianet.org)

Russia is building up its military presence in the breakaway Georgian territory of Abkhazia in a way that suggests that Moscow anticipates a long-term presence there, according to a new report by the International Crisis Group. As is often the case with ICG reports, the whole thing (pdf) -- titled "Abkazia: The Long Road To Reconciliation" is worth reading. But Bug Pit readers will be especially interested in the details it provides on Russia's current military posture in Abkhazia:

The 2008 war with Georgia allowed Russia to greatly enhance its already considerable military presence. Russian officials say there are roughly 5,000 Russian personnel in Abkhazia: 3,500 military and 1,500 Federal Security Service (FSB) officers and “border guards”. Moscow allocated $465 million over four years to the rehabilitation and construction of military infrastructure. This included work on Bombora, the largest military airfield in the South Caucasus, in Gudauta. Though Russian media sources describe significant weapons at the base, Western military officials in late 2012 said intelligence indicated only four fighter craft there on a regular basis – two Sukhoi 27s and two MiG-29s.
The Russians also refurbished a smaller, though strategically and symbolically important naval port in Ochamchire, just 30km from Georgian-controlled territory. Eight Russian “border patrol” boats are reportedly there – including two new craft that arrived in 2012. According to FSB officials, they likewise set up several radar stations along the coast to cover Abkhazia’s “territorial waters” and monitor areas under Georgian naval control.

Protected by Russia, Abkhazia Cautiously Engages Georgia (April 11, 2013; Voice of America)

SUKHUMI, ABKHAZIA — In the aftermath of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Russia recognized Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia, as a fully independent country. Then, Moscow funneled half a billion dollars into Russian air, naval and border defense bases in Abkhazia, an entity almost the size of Kosovo.
Five years after this Russian-imposed peace, a quiet self-confidence is settling over this subtropical land on the Black Sea Coast.
People speak Russian, use Russian rubles, carry Russian passports and receive Russian pensions. The only train goes north to the Russian city of Sochi, and, ultimately, to Moscow.
Reflecting this new stability, two million Russian tourists this year are expected to visit this land of coastal resorts, rushing rivers and forest-clad Caucasus mountains.
In Sukhumi, Abkhazia’s coastal capital, Izida Chania edits Nujnaya Gazeta, a weekly newspaper.
"In the summer it’s really difficult to find a place to stay in a hotel," she said in her office, across the street from a high-rise bombed out during the war. "The resorts and hotels don’t have enough space to fully accommodate the amount of tourist that come to Abkhazia."