Articles

The recognition auction 2009-11-06 15:43 Byelorussia raised the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia once again. As was promised by President Alexander Lukashenko, the two new states' appeal for recognition is submitted for consideration of the autumn session. However, as it turned out, this does not mean that Minsk is going to assert its position by the end of the year.

No farewell to arms 2009-11-05 17:11 Lieutenant-General Alexander Shlyakhturov, Chief of the Military Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation told ITAR-TASS that in view of unpredictable policies of the Georgian leadership repetition of August 2008 events when Georgia launched hostilities against South Ossetia and Abkhazia is likely.

Saakashvili’s trial is ready to go on air 2009-11-03 18:25 Maestro TV Channel with its Cell No. 5 live talk-show, which used to encourage the opposition in spring, is going to start a new project. The People's Court program initiated by leader of the Tetrebi (The White) movement Termur Shashiashvili is going to be launched this month. Will the accusations he has prepared mobilize the people to new protest actions?

Another oppositional ombudsman? 2009-11-03 15:12 Georgia's new ombudsman Georgiy Tugushi is following the example of his predecessor Sozar Subari who was liberal of criticism of the authorities and turned to the opposition after he left office. The official Tbilisi did not conceal its hopes that Tugushi would not support the opposition so openly. However, judging by the ombudsman's first report, the authorities are going to face another struggle.

Saving Imedi 2009-11-03 10:00 Dispersion of the demonstration on November 7 2007 in Tbilisi is not forgotten. The opposition plans to celebrate the date with new protest rallies. For the anniversary the aggrieved Imedi journalists are going to sue the authorities through the European Court of Human Rights. However their colleagues might very well go there too since Imedi is subject to complete transformation so that even the name couldn't remind of the way Saakashvili treated his people two years ago.

A Georgian holiday of an American friend 2009-11-02 16:41 Halloween was celebrated recently. This holiday, which is alien to the Orthodox tradition, is now making its way in Georgia. The Orthodox community and Patriarchy severely criticize such novelty. What does this holiday mean and why does it have its supporters in today's Georgia?

PR technologies in struggle for Caucasus 2009-10-30 17:35 Georgia will speak Russian. What other language is good for dealing with Caucasians? Surely it’s not English. From January 1 2010 the First Caucasian Channel will start operating in Tbilisi to cover the territory of Caucasus. There is a version the authorities are going to bolster anti-Russian forces in North Caucasus. GeorgiaTimes correspondent was trying to find out if the Russian-speaking channel is a new tool of the Georgian authorities in the PR war with Russia.

U.S. frustrating Georgia’s hopes? 2009-10-30 17:17 The first interview of the U.S. new Ambassador to Georgia John Bass turned out to be rather straightforward and not at all in favor of the ruling elite. In his interview to Rustavi-2 TV channel, he promised to continue the policy of non-recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; still, he also gave a bitter pill to swallow by saying that U.S. have got no plans to locate an anti-ballistic missile system in Georgia. On the same day, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Alexander Vershbow hinted at Washington having very small desire to see Georgia and Ukraine in the ranks of the North-Atlantic Alliance.

Georgia forced to comply with WTO rules 2009-10-30 16:32 Ukrainian tobacco producers urge Georgia to lower excise duties on imported cigarettes. The case was submitted to the World Trade Organization that asked Georgia to comply with free trade rules threatening to stop the country’s membership. Before that Georgian tea vanished from the Ukrainian market and the sales of Georgian wines went down.

They are going to pay for firewood 2009-10-30 15:50 The Georgian woodcutters detained in South Ossetia will not be released that soon, as it has been promised by some of the Georgian media with reference to negotiators: they will most probably pay a fine. International observers have made sure that the woodcutters were really sawing wood in the territory of South Ossetia. The only point is that neither EU, nor Georgia is going to admit the border guarded by the Russian military to be the state one.