Imedi chronics: a trial over the madmen 2010-03-19 17:16 The authors of the TV piece about the attack that caused panic throughout the country should be put either to prison, or to an asylum. The Georgian opposition assumed the role of claimants and is preparing a petition to the court addressing Director General of the Imedi company Georgiy Arveladze, as well as President of the country Mikhail Saakashvili.

New loans – new hopes 2010-03-19 14:36 Georgia continues its way down to the abyss of debt. This time the republic was granted a EUR 180 mln loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for construction of a high-voltage electric transmission line and relocation of railway station and rail facilities outside the capital. Though President Mikheil Saakashvili calls these projects history-making, Georgia’s foreign debt approaches USD 4 billion figure.

Europe to Georgia: do not provoke a war 2010-03-18 23:38 European Union is moving closer to Georgia at its own risk. An agreement on visa regime facilitation has been reached already, and the negotiations on the association agreement are being prepared at the moment. The tricks of the Georgian players, such as the Imedi broadcast about Russia’s supposed attack, are not at all beneficial for the image of the European partners. Head of European Commission Josй Manuel Barroso called upon Prime Minister Nika Gilauri to prevent the country from any actions that could aggravate the situation.

Saakashvili stakes on army 2010-03-18 17:05 Despite the global financial crisis and a tricky social and economic situation, military budgets in Georgia and other post-Soviet states keep growing. As some Russian newspapers report, Tbilisi’s arms expenditure stands at nearly 5% of GDP. Why does Saakashvili regime need to spend so much?

Geneva expectations 2010-03-18 16:07 Presently the envoys of various international organizations are holding consultations with Georgian and Abkhaz authorities in preparation for the next round of Geneva discussions on security in South Caucasus. Tbilisi hopes to discuss EU-proposed document on new security architecture. The young Transcaucasian republic sets certain hopes for the advance in negotiating process on Anti Turunen, a new UN envoy to the region that recently arrived in the capital of Abkhazia.

Armenians to pay for US blackmail on Ankara 2010-03-17 23:36 Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to deport 100 thousand Armenian migrants from the country as retaliation for the genocide resolution. Turks call Yerevan to “calm down” Armenian diaspora that helps the USA pressurize Ankara threatening to acknowledge massacre of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Well, a creeping genocide is better than a bloody sort-out.

Europe is slightly opening the door 2010-03-17 17:03 Recently, Tbilisi received good news from Brussels. According to Permanent Chairman of European Council Herman Van Rompuy, the visa regime facilitation and readmission agreements may be signed between EU and Georgia in summer. The West believes that Georgia has become the first Transcaucasian country that has successfully completed negotiations on both agreements with Europe. How will the realization of these documents affect the flow of the Georgian migrants to the European countries?

Next stop at OSCE 2010-03-17 15:18 On March 19 Georgia shall present a new strategy on Abkhazia and South Ossetia to OSCE. Official Tbilisi relies on the organization’s support in realization of the document and “application of OSCE approaches in its final draft”. Earlier Georgian representatives presented the strategy to the UN, EU and NATO that gave the green light to the initiative. Will the document endure fourth stage of approval from the West?

Kolerov reminded Georgia about Beslan’s sins 2010-03-16 22:21 Georgia has been accused of being involved in a terrorist act carried out in a North-Ossetian school. In fact, that is a six-year-old accusation which was voiced for the first time as a statement made by the South-Ossetian authorities on 2 September 2004. One of these days, journalist Modest Kolerov reminded about “the little sins of Georgia” in the course of the Moscow-Tbilisi video bridge where the Imedi TV provocation was discussed.