‘MEDVEDEV IS LEAVING; PUTIN IS COMING BACK’
30 September, 2010

* Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili took part in a talk show of Al-Jazeera TV.


In answer to the question regarding Medvedev’s statetment that he would start negotiations with a new leader of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili answered: My own vision is that Medvedev is leaving, and Putin is planning to come back. Liberal Medvedev may have such wishes, but it contradicts the plans of ‘bad guy’ Putin.
According to Saakashvili, despite the fact that Russia has occupied 20 % of territories of Georgia, he is ready for a dialogue without any pre-conditions.

* However, before ‘Mevedev leaves and Putin comes back’, President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree and fired powerful Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.
The decree stated that Luzhkov, 74, was dischared because he had lost ‘the trust of the President of the Russian Federation’.
Lately Luzhkov has been facing harsh criticism on the part of the Kremlin.
Russia’s constitution allows the President to fire Moscow’s mayor and regional governors and appoint successors without elections.

* NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen will pay an official visit to Georgia on September 30.
Mr. Rasmussen will meet President Mikheil Saakashvili, Chairman of the Parliament Davit Bakradze, PM Nika Gilauri and Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze.
The Secretary General will also attend the inauguration of NATO cooperation office.
The officials will further discuss the issues that were lately discussed at the sitting of NATO-Georgia Commission.

* Ceremonies dedicated to the memory of soldiers, killed in Abkhazia were held in Tbilisi and Ganmukhuri on September 27.
17 years have passed since the fall of Sokhumi. Events started in Tbilisi and Ganmukhuri at night of September 27 in honor of the memory of perished soldiers.
‘We Have a Single Heart’ was the motto of the event, held at the Square of Heroes.
Vice Prime Minister Gia Baramidze and Dimitri Sanakoev, Head of South Ossetian interim administration, laid a wreath at the memorial to the heroes.
A theatrical performance, ‘Address to the World’, was held on the Peace Bridge in Ganmukhuri. The event was aimed to remind the international community the results of the Russian aggression.

* Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, Bernard Kouchner, considers his resignation. As French ‘Le Figaro’ writes, Mr. Kouchner confirmed his presumable resignation in the interview with TV channel RTL.
‘I know that I have to go,’ Kouchner said.
As ‘Le Figaro’ informs, 71-year-old Kouchner noted in private talks that he sent a letter of resignation to President Nicolas Sarkozy in August.

*An appeal signed by 14 opposition parties will be sent to the CoE and Venice Commission, requesting them to block Georgian constitutional amendments.
As chairman of Labor Party Shalva Natelashvili stated at the press conference, ‘their position regarding constitutional changes, is shared by all main opposition powers in Georgia and they believe that this process is aimed to prolong Mikheil Saakashvili’s rule.
Natelashvili states that the only solution is to make special amendments to the constitution, according to which President will not be allowed to take the post of Prime Minister, Speaker of the Parliament, Chairman of Supreme Court or Constitutional Court after the two terms of presidency.
The appeal sent to the said organizations was joined by ‘Democratic Movement – United Georgia’, Movement of Whites’, ‘Protect Georgia’, ‘Movement for Just Georgia’, ‘Industry will save Georgia’, ‘National Forum’, ‘Conservative Party’, ‘Green Party’, ‘Social-Democratic Movement’, ‘Kartuli Dasi’, ‘Women’s Party’, ‘Our Georgia – Free Democrats’ and ‘People’s Party’.

*‘Georgia, on the rebound, challenges Moscow to take down ‘new Iron Curtain’’ is a title of the article, published by WorldTribune.com.
John Metzler, author of the article, offers analysis of  Georgian President’s speech at the 65th UN assembly.
‘Georgia’s president strongly exhorted Russia to act as a “rational international player and not a revisionist; to become a country that chose cooperation instead of occupation, open markets rather than embargos, tolerance instead of crackdowns,’ the article says.
The author also points out that the Georgian President called on the international community to stay committed and ensure peace not only in Georgia but in the entire unstable Caucasian region. But most importantly, President Mikheil Saakashvili implored, ‘I personally want Russia as a partner and not as an enemy’. This aspiration may remain his biggest challenge, the article said.
The author also highlighted how Georgia managed to recover after the war of 2008.

Other Stories
Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Palace Spied from TV Tower

Recently it has become known that before the Parliamentary elections all offices of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream, including his business centre, was spied on, their phone lines bugged and email boxes scanned. It turns out that for almost one year a powerful CCTV camera was operating from the highest illuminated TV tower of the capital.

 Eka Beselia – The parliamentary control will be carried out in order to prevent illegal arrests

Parliamentary control will be carried out in order to prevent illegal arrests, - said the Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Eka Beselia.

Large-scale children Institutions, or Post-Soviet orphanages, are being closed and turned gradually into the Small Group Homes (SGH), as we were writing in previous issues. However, this article is about the positive initiative of the Foundation Natakhtari and Association “Our House-Georgia” s joint project “Care for Future”, whose main aim is to care for the orphans and those who lack the parental care and help them to get prepared to the independent life. 

 Mikheil Saakashvili Meets U.S. Congress Delegation in Prague

The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has already met the U.S. congress delegation in Prague, the President’s official Facebook page informs.

 According to President’s Decision, Giorgi Kalandadze Continues to Work as Chief of Joint Staff

By the decision of President of Georgia, Giorgi Kalandadze will continue to work as Chief of the Joint Staff.

 Bacho Akhalaia remanded into custody, Giorgi Kalandadze and Zurab Shamatava released on bail

Bacho Akhalaia has been remanded into custody, while Giorgi Kalandadze and Zurab Shamatava were released on 20,000 GEL bail.

 Poti Port Employees still on Strike

Poti port employees continue to strike. They demand improvement of the working conditions, salary increases and labor contracts.

 Presidential Administration Funding Cut to 9 m. GEL

According to the 2013 budget project, funding of the Presidential Administration of Georgia has decreased from 14.160,000 GEl to 9.230,000.

 Pasi Koistinen to Head Geocell

Chief Manager of Geocell Osman Turan will move to work in Nepal. Osman Turan said at a press conference at Tbilisi Marriott hotel today, that by the decision of the Turkish company “Teliasonera” , he’ll continue work in Nepal.

Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith at Georgian Museum

Recently, Georgian National Museum hosted an extraordinary exhibition. Together with the British Council and as a matter of fact,  on its initiative, the exhibition called “Reconstruction: Cultural Heritage and the Making Contemporary Fashion”. 

 U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland Opens Tenth Annual U.S. Education Fair

U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland will open Tenth Annual U.S. Education Fair at the Georgian National Library (7, L. Gudiashvili street) on October 30, 2012 at 13:00.

 Data and Bacho Akhalaia are on Holiday

Data and Bacho Akhalaia are on holiday, their father Roland Akhalaia told InterPressNews.

Terminated TV Channels and New TV Companies

What future for Georgian media landscape?

No one knows about possible new incarnation of former so called pro-governmental TV companies Imedi TV, Rustavi 2, Real TV and PIK. Experts suppose that these companies would emerge as carriers of different interests for various political groups.

 MIA Department to Carry out CSD and SOD Functions

"Constitutional security and special operative Departments will be abolished and other structures of MIA will carry out their functions", candidate for Minister of Internal Affairs Irakli Gharibashvili said during the joint session of legal issues and human rights committees of parliament.

 Format of Participation in Afghanistan Mission and number of Contingent May Change

Candidate for Minister of Foreign Affairs Maia Panjikidze doesn’t rule out the possibility of changing the format of Georgia’s participation in the Afghanistan mission in 2014 and also the number of the contingent.

GJ Editor's comment
Funny Habits
01 August, 2013
Last week, I started giving these hints and tips to my foreign friends and the tourists and my compatriots too because I don’t want them to be overly surprised and embarrassed when they inevitably come across those habits of ours while they have to do with this culture (look for the first 10 tips in previous issue):
Also on the Web
Ben Affleck to play Batman in 2015 Superman sequel
Warner Bros. announced Thursday that the 41-year-old actor-director will star as a new incarnation of the Dark Knight in a film bringing Batman and Superman together.
Mikheil Saakashvili hosted family members of fallen Georgian soldiers
Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili invited the family members of fallen soldiers of the August 2008
300: Rise of an Empire – new epic saga in 2014
300: Rise of an Empire is an upcoming 2014 American-Israeli action film directed by Noam Murro. It is a follow-up to the 2007 film 300, taking place before, during, and after the events of that film.
Mikheil Saakashvili’s motorcade followed by protesters in Zugdidi
A Protest was held outside the presidential residence in Zugdidi yesterday. The protest was organized by one of the founders
Rescuers saved two Czech tourists in Mestia
A MIA Rescue team saved two tourists in Mestia. Ministry of Internal Affairs informs that on Chatini Mountain, at a 2200 meter height
Syria's 'chemical' attack: Distressing footage analysed
There is growing diplomatic pressure to allow United Nations inspectors to visit the site of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria where hundreds of people are reported to have been killed.
Dinamo Tbilisi 0:5 Tottenham – Goal moments
Dinamo Tbilisi played in the first leg of UEFA Europe League play-offs match at Dinamo Arena against Tottenham Hotspur and was defeated
Dramatic suicide attempt in China
A firefighter has dramatically saved a woman who had planned to throw herself off a building in Tongren City in China’s Guizhou Province.
‘The majority of them were not professionals’ – Ivanishvili about TV 9 journalists
Journalists on TV 9 had not come from BBC or CNN; many of them were not professionals; they studied a lot of things on TV 9
Dinamo VS Tottenham - pre-match training in Tbilisi
Dinamo Tbilisi will play first leg of UEFA Europe League play-off against Tottenham Hotspur
«« August 2013 »»
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
GEL Exchange
GBP
1
GBP
2.5862
RUB
100
RUB
5.0041
TRY
1
TRY
0.8364
EUR
1
EUR
2.2105
USD
1
USD
1.6609