http://georgiatimes.info/?lang=enGeorgiaTimes.infohttp://www.georgiatimes.info/pix/logo100en.gifhttp://georgiatimes.info/?lang=enhttp://www.georgiatimes.info/en/interview/32411.htmlThe Georgian opposition seems to live according to a cyclic people’s calendar. In spring, the calendar orders to demand early resignation of the country’s government and the new presidential and parliamentarian elections. The government provides enough reasons for that. Imedi’s scandalous broadcast about Russia’s attack against Georgia became the last straw in this season. Several parties that have consolidated around Zurab Nogaideli into National Council speak for the peaceful change of the government.Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:34:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/analysis/32410.htmlGeorgia is again in distress - now over mass media. There have been no new fake stories on Georgian TV – apparently due to reproaches from the international community, but a Georgian journalist dared to spoil the reputation of “the beacon of democracy” seeking political asylum for his family to escape threats from authorities.Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:30:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32397.htmlThe 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.Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:16:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32374.htmlGeorgia 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.Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:36:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/interview/32340.htmlThe Mayor’s Office of Tskhinval did not allow the citizens who are not satisfied with the slow rate of the dwellings rehabilitation to hold any meetings. However, the initiators of the action are still intended to bring the people into the streets and obviously demand the resignation of President Eduard Kokoity. The authorities have already made it clear that they are not going to allow any disorder and grew suspicious of the opposition’s connections with the Georgian special services. Both parties are rather determined, so anything may be expected on March 21. GeorgiaTimes tried to figure out the reasons of the confrontation.Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:52:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32338.htmlEuropean 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.Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:38:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32307.htmlDespite 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?Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:05:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32293.htmlPresently 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.Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:07:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32251.htmlTurkish 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.Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:36:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32226.htmlRecently, 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?Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:03:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/analysis/32204.htmlThe scandal with the TV piece about the staged war broadcasted by the Imedi TV channel has not yet faded away and another one is on the verge of breaking out. This is a specific trait of the national policy, which, anyway, seems to be based upon the principle of “no day without a scandal”. The coming frenzy is concentrated around the Georgian media possessing a unique ability of taking over “someone else’s” job, that is, of making politics instead of just covering the processes. As the people have noticed a long time ago, the rumours appearing in the media have got the tendency to be confirmed in a while.Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:52:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32199.htmlOn 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?Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:18:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/interview/32156.htmlThe Georgian opposition is trying to set up a dialogue with Moscow. Meanwhile, the Russian critics from the Kremlin started frequenting Tbilisi. It is notable that the marginal opposition was the first to rush to “make friends” with the Georgian authorities. Since the beginning of the war with South Ossetia, Mikhail Saakashvili has been supported by former advisor to the Russian president and his current vehement opponent Andrey Illarionov. He was joined by Oleg Pamphilov, Yulia Latynina, Vladimir Bukovskiy and Valeria Novodvorskaya. Besides, leader of the United Civil Front Garry Kasparov arrived in Georgia yesterday. What for?Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:27:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32155.htmlGeorgia 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.Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:21:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32154.htmlThe scandal over the program shown on Imedi TV is gathering pace. Media found out a recorded telephone conversation featuring a person whose voice sounds like Georgy Arveladze, the TV company’s director general confirming that the idea to simulate invasion of the Russian troops was coordinated with president of Georgia. Arveladze denies authenticity of the record calling it a provocation arranged by Russian special services.Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:16:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32102.html69 mafiosi from ex socialist countries have been detained in the European Union. Most criminals are Georgia-born, now accused of money laundering, gun and drug dealing, robberies, bribery, money extortion and murder schemes. Teriel Oniani, now incarcerated in Russia can get into the prisoner’s box together with them. The mafia boss who as some sources report once sponsored Mikheil Saakashvili can now be extradited to Spain upon request of the prosecutor’s office.Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:07:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/interview/32052.htmlPolitical analysts in Russia and Georgia provide different opinions on the Imedi broadcast from the point of view of its contents. In Moscow, the report was taken as a provocative action, while in Tbilisi some people consider a scenario of the Russian attack like this to be quite possible. Both the Russian and the Georgian political analysts share the only idea that the political strategists failed to reach all the set purposes.Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:39:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32047.htmlA scandal around the report made by the Imedi Georgian channel and broadcasted on Saturday evening is gradually developing into an international one. Europe and the USA followed the Georgian opposition and the authorities of Russia and South Ossetia in criticizing the provocative actions. However, the masterpiece produced by the Georgian TV-reporters has got its supporters besides the president of the country.Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:07:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/32046.htmlToday is the start of Tbilisi Mayor pre-election campaign. In best traditions of Georgian politics even today it’s absolutely impossible to tell enemies from friends. Only one thing seems to be certain: despite numerous talks, the opposition has failed to get united and present a unique candidate. Each candidate has his own position. Not all of them have their program. But accusations against each other are more than enough. No doubt, the most interesting events are there to come. In the meantime, even the exact number of voters is still unknown.Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:17:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/analysis/32016.htmlA pseudo news item broadcast on Imedi last night – a shock for both Georgia and South Ossetia – was hastily qualified as a bad or even a practical joke. Sure, Georgian TV guys were far not the first with their “sensation” – last century Herbert Wells’ War of the Worlds broadcast on the radio brought forth a wave of panic in the USA. Still this recent attempt at wagging public opinion must be examined in a more detail.Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:06:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/interview/31990.htmlOne of these days, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk has visited Georgia. He discussed the issues of cooperation of the two countries in the fields of economy, energy, transport and tourism with the republican government. GeorgiaTimes correspondent has discussed the common points between Tbilisi and Warsaw, as well as the prospects of the Georgian-Polish dialogue, with the Russian and Georgian political analysts.Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:59:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/analysis/31989.htmlTbilisi is promoting its new strategy of bringing back Abkhazia and South Ossetia, while the authorities of Tskhinval are closing the door to the past: they start delimitating the state border. The demarcation line should bring the republic even more territories than it has got at the moment. The Georgian opposition is appealing to the Kremlin for help to avoid further decay of the country. However, is Moscow able to help, and if so, is there any way to do it?Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:55:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/31988.htmlGeorgian authorities have long been cooperating with the Orthodox Church in rehabilitation of criminals. The convicts on minor crimes are sent to work in monasteries. Well, it is good for one’s soul and beneficial to the state: since the Rose Revolution Georgian prisons have been overloaded despite amnesties and pardons.Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:51:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/31916.htmlA discussion of Georgia’s annual national NATO cooperation program for 2010 is taking place today in NATO HQ in Brussels. The document will be delivered to the bloc members by Georgy Baramidze, state minister for European integration. Will the alliance back continued reformation of Georgia’s current regime?Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:48:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/31868.htmlThe great gas-project confrontation between Europe and Russia in the Caucasus and the Black Sea region may theoretically turn into harmonious cooperation. Eni, an Italian company which is Gazprom’s partner in the South Stream project suggested combining this project with the anti-Russian Nabucco project that is very popular in Georgia. The competition between the future pipes is based not only upon the economic benefit but on political grounds as well, which fact will obviously prevent combining two projects into one.Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:37:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/analysis/31867.htmlHardly is there anyone who doubts abnormality of Russian-Georgian relations. The events of 2008 when two neighboring states turned into enemies for the first time in their history is simply beyond any reasonable explanation. Current developments in bilateral relations of two states are incomprehensible either – at least as far as return of Georgian produce to the Russian market is concerned.Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:41:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/interview/31866.htmlThe Georgian government is going to pass a drugs test at the suggestion of the parliamentary opposition. President Mikhail Saakashvili expressed his readiness to be the first to submit to a hair test, just like in the times when he was Minister of Justice. The humiliating and extravagant way to show that the leader of the country is concerned about the social problem was commented upon by the Georgian and Russian experts.Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:36:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/31865.htmlGeorgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticizes Moscow for violating international law. This time Tbilisi condemns the treaty on a joint Russian military base in the territory of South Ossetia. As we know upon signature of the friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance treaty Russia undertook certain security guarantees toward Ossetians. Georgia still considers Tskhinval its territory refusing to acknowledge that the current situation was caused by the Georgian army’s attack on the sleeping town.Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:29:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/31800.htmlIt seems that the relationship between Moscow and Tbilisi have not yet moved off dead center. The neighboring countries are still lacking the diplomatic relationship. The leaders of the two countries are lavish at using a strong word about each other. Nevertheless, there is a certain tendency, which is rather difficult to define. At least, there has never been such a case in the international practice.Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:52:00 +0300http://www.georgiatimes.info/en/articles/31799.htmlOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is contemplating upon the return of its peacemaking mission to the South Caucasus. This was stated by Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joгo Soares who is currently staying in Georgia. According to him, the issue of resuming the observers’ work is going to be discussed in the course of the PA OSCE session that is going to be held in Oslo. What kind of decision are the European parliamentarians going to make?Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:01:00 +0300