The News in Brief
Friday, March 28
Armenian commenter against Georgian NATO accession
Georgia’s accession to NATO is undesirable for Armenia, says former Armenian defense minister Vaan Shirkhanyan.
Speaking at a seminar on NATO expansion yesterday, Shirkhanyan predicted Georgia will not receive a Membership Action Plan at next week’s Bucharest summit.
If Georgia did join NATO, he said, regional stability would be endangered.
“If Georgia enters the North Atlantic Alliance, two possible scenarios of developments could be predicted. The worst for Armenia is if Georgia starts restoring its territorial integrity…through military means,” he said, according to the news agency News-Armenia.
“Military actions of Georgia may have repercussions in the frozen Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict. It will mean the resumption of the war,” he said.
He suggested the second possible scenario would be Azerbaijan joining NATO.
“Armenia would turn out to be at the point of collision of the two largest military programs in the world—NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization,” Shirkhanyan said. (Black Sea Press)
Sea links resume between Georgia and Russia
Sea links between Georgia and Russia resumed yesterday.
Boats arrived from Sochi to Batumi, with one ferry making regular trips for GEL 100. (Prime News)
Tbilisi court hears Okruashvili case
Tbilisi City Courts will resume hearings in the case of former defense minister Irakli Okruashvili today.
Prosecutors are seeking a 13-year sentence for the ex-minister and would-be opposition leader on corruption charges. Okruashvili is currently under house arrest in France awaiting a decision on extradition. (Prime News)
Bakradze goes to Moscow for CIS meeting
Foreign Affairs Minister Davit Bakradze will be in Moscow tomorrow for a meeting of CIS foreign ministers.
According to the minister, recommendations for leaders of CIS governments will be considered at the meeting. (Prime News)
Tbilisi school libraries get free books
Each public school library in Tbilisi is receiving GEL 1000-worth of books donated by Tbilisi City Hall and the Education and Science Ministry.
According Zaal Samadashvili, a member of the organizing commission, schools will once again have libraries, now equipped with computers and extensive book collections
Schools in rural areas are also getting new books courtesy of the Education Ministry. (Prime News)
Labor demands Eorsi’s recall
The Labor Party is demanding the recall from Georgia of Matyas Eorsi, a co-rapporteur for the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
“The Labor Party expresses once more its categorical position with regard to Matyas Eorsi. This person legitimated the rigged elections in Georgia,” party member Nestan Kirtadze said yesterday.
“The Council of Europe must express the Georgian people’s will, not fulfill the wishes of the Georgian authorities,” she said. (Black Sea Press)
Tbilisi not opposed to Saakashvili-Kokoity meeting
The Georgian government is not against a meeting between the president and the de facto separatist leader of breakaway South Ossetia, according to State Minister for Reintegration Issues Temur Iakobashvili.
“We are not against such a meeting, but we think the meeting must be [properly structured],” Iakobashvili said. (Black Sea Press)
Georgia’s accession to NATO is undesirable for Armenia, says former Armenian defense minister Vaan Shirkhanyan.
Speaking at a seminar on NATO expansion yesterday, Shirkhanyan predicted Georgia will not receive a Membership Action Plan at next week’s Bucharest summit.
If Georgia did join NATO, he said, regional stability would be endangered.
“If Georgia enters the North Atlantic Alliance, two possible scenarios of developments could be predicted. The worst for Armenia is if Georgia starts restoring its territorial integrity…through military means,” he said, according to the news agency News-Armenia.
“Military actions of Georgia may have repercussions in the frozen Karabakh-Azerbaijani conflict. It will mean the resumption of the war,” he said.
He suggested the second possible scenario would be Azerbaijan joining NATO.
“Armenia would turn out to be at the point of collision of the two largest military programs in the world—NATO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization,” Shirkhanyan said. (Black Sea Press)
Sea links resume between Georgia and Russia
Sea links between Georgia and Russia resumed yesterday.
Boats arrived from Sochi to Batumi, with one ferry making regular trips for GEL 100. (Prime News)
Tbilisi court hears Okruashvili case
Tbilisi City Courts will resume hearings in the case of former defense minister Irakli Okruashvili today.
Prosecutors are seeking a 13-year sentence for the ex-minister and would-be opposition leader on corruption charges. Okruashvili is currently under house arrest in France awaiting a decision on extradition. (Prime News)
Bakradze goes to Moscow for CIS meeting
Foreign Affairs Minister Davit Bakradze will be in Moscow tomorrow for a meeting of CIS foreign ministers.
According to the minister, recommendations for leaders of CIS governments will be considered at the meeting. (Prime News)
Tbilisi school libraries get free books
Each public school library in Tbilisi is receiving GEL 1000-worth of books donated by Tbilisi City Hall and the Education and Science Ministry.
According Zaal Samadashvili, a member of the organizing commission, schools will once again have libraries, now equipped with computers and extensive book collections
Schools in rural areas are also getting new books courtesy of the Education Ministry. (Prime News)
Labor demands Eorsi’s recall
The Labor Party is demanding the recall from Georgia of Matyas Eorsi, a co-rapporteur for the monitoring committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
“The Labor Party expresses once more its categorical position with regard to Matyas Eorsi. This person legitimated the rigged elections in Georgia,” party member Nestan Kirtadze said yesterday.
“The Council of Europe must express the Georgian people’s will, not fulfill the wishes of the Georgian authorities,” she said. (Black Sea Press)
Tbilisi not opposed to Saakashvili-Kokoity meeting
The Georgian government is not against a meeting between the president and the de facto separatist leader of breakaway South Ossetia, according to State Minister for Reintegration Issues Temur Iakobashvili.
“We are not against such a meeting, but we think the meeting must be [properly structured],” Iakobashvili said. (Black Sea Press)