The News in Brief
Thursday, September 26
Russia will have to withdraw its troops from the Caucasus - Mikheil Saakashvili
Russia will have to withdraw its troops from the Caucasus, President Mikheil Saakashvili said in New York. President Saakashvili talked about Russia’s aggressive policy at the meeting with Georgians living in New York. According to him, withdrawal of Russian troops from the region is inevitable in the nearest years. “Russia conquered many countries in the 20th century through inner provocations and other means. The developments underway in Georgia are not new. Georgia has a rich experience in relations with this conqueror. Officially or unofficially Russia will have to withdraw its troops from the Caucasus and leave the region. This is absolutely inevitable in the nearest years,” Saakashvili said. (IPN)
MIA: We are interested in restoring IPRM meetings
Georgian Interior Ministry (MIA) responded to a statement of a group of nongovernmental organizations at restoring Incidents Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings in Gali. In a statement released late on September 24, the Interior Ministry said that the MIA is interested in restoring the IPRM format meetings, describing it as an "effective mechanism to avoid and regulate local problems and various incidents." IPRM meetings were stopped in April 2012 after the de facto Abkhazian authorities announced former head of EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Andrzej Tyszkiewicz as a persona non-grata, the MIA said in the statement.
"The Interior Ministry has been actively cooperating with co-chairs of the Geneva negotiations to restore IPRM meetings, and hopes that after the arrival of a new head of EUMM Mr. Toivo Klaar to Georgia, with the help of the UN representatives, it will be possible to organize the above mentioned meeting in Gali region," the statement reads.
On September 24, the group of 18 NGOs appealed to Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili with a request to restore the IPRM meetings in Gali. According to the NGOs, the de facto Abkhazian authorities have started annulling Abkhazian passports in the Gali region, which, the NGOs said, will further deteriorate the lives of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia. (Tabula)
Baku-Supsa pipeline section may be found beyond occupation line
Tabula TV has reported that a one kilometer section of the Baku-Supsa pipeline may be found beyond the occupation line in case the Russian occupant forces and the South Ossetia puppet regime continues installing barbed wire fences in accordance with the USSR administrative map. According to the Russian plan, the administrative boundary line will pass through the village of Karapila.
Officials of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources say that the pipeline passes a kilometer away from the village of Karapila. However, even if it is found beyond the occupation line, its operation will face no threat.
According to the ministry, a five hundred meter section of the same pipeline is already beyond the occupation line in the section of the village Ortchosani. The government of Georgia lost control of this sector after 2008 war. (Rustavi 2)
One of the defendants of the murder case of Sandro Girgvliani released from prison
Davit Chkhitunidze, one of the defendants of the murder case of Sandro Girgvliani, has been released from prison in Athens, Chkhitunidze’s lawyer, Vakhtang Talakvadze, stated.
According to the lawyer, Chkhitunidze was going to arrive in Georgia and give testimony to the investigation in order to prove his innocence.
Talakvadze says he presented documents to the Greek side that Chkhitunidze`s diplomatic passport was not expired.
Chkhitunidze is accused of granting privileges to the four former officers of the MIA convicted in the murder of Sandro Girgvliani. He was sentenced in absentia. Chkhitunidze is wanted by Interpol. (Front News)
Landslide covers five houses in Mestia
Heavy rain has caused landslide in Georgia`s remote region of Mestia in Svaneti on Tuesday night. The ground floors of five houses in the village of Lakhamula have been covered with soil. Local government officials have evacuated the residents of the village as there is the danger of more landslides, which may afterwards cause a mudslide and flood, which will affect half of the village.
The landslide has damaged several bridges in the village. The disaster has caused the suspension of classes at the village school as the landslide fell near the school building. Rescuers and road department brigades are working in the village to halt the disaster and eradicate the results. They have also blocked movement on rhe Zugdidi-Mestia highway. Tourists and local passengers are stuck on the highway due to the disaster. (Rustavi 2)
Former municipal official arrested in Italy
Former chief of the Development Foundation of the Tbilisi Development, Giorgi Sabanadze has been arrested by Italian police under the operative information provided by the Tbilisi Bureau of Interpol. Sabanadze was arrested in Florence. Giorgi Sabanadze was wanted by Interpol`s red circuit with the extradition goal since August 19, 2013. He was accused of misappropriation-the embezzlement of large amounts of state funds. According to the investigation, the case is about the transfer of municipal funds from the Tbilisi Development Foundation to the accounts of that-time ruling party United National Movement. The funds were embezzled by several municipal officials from the salary accounts of the municipal employees. The embezzled sum in total is 34, 328, 463 GEL. Italian police sent Sabanadze to pre-extradition insulator. The law enforcers are now passing necessary procedures for extradition. (Rustavi 2)
Russia will have to withdraw its troops from the Caucasus, President Mikheil Saakashvili said in New York. President Saakashvili talked about Russia’s aggressive policy at the meeting with Georgians living in New York. According to him, withdrawal of Russian troops from the region is inevitable in the nearest years. “Russia conquered many countries in the 20th century through inner provocations and other means. The developments underway in Georgia are not new. Georgia has a rich experience in relations with this conqueror. Officially or unofficially Russia will have to withdraw its troops from the Caucasus and leave the region. This is absolutely inevitable in the nearest years,” Saakashvili said. (IPN)
MIA: We are interested in restoring IPRM meetings
Georgian Interior Ministry (MIA) responded to a statement of a group of nongovernmental organizations at restoring Incidents Prevention and Response Mechanism meetings in Gali. In a statement released late on September 24, the Interior Ministry said that the MIA is interested in restoring the IPRM format meetings, describing it as an "effective mechanism to avoid and regulate local problems and various incidents." IPRM meetings were stopped in April 2012 after the de facto Abkhazian authorities announced former head of EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Andrzej Tyszkiewicz as a persona non-grata, the MIA said in the statement.
"The Interior Ministry has been actively cooperating with co-chairs of the Geneva negotiations to restore IPRM meetings, and hopes that after the arrival of a new head of EUMM Mr. Toivo Klaar to Georgia, with the help of the UN representatives, it will be possible to organize the above mentioned meeting in Gali region," the statement reads.
On September 24, the group of 18 NGOs appealed to Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili with a request to restore the IPRM meetings in Gali. According to the NGOs, the de facto Abkhazian authorities have started annulling Abkhazian passports in the Gali region, which, the NGOs said, will further deteriorate the lives of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia. (Tabula)
Baku-Supsa pipeline section may be found beyond occupation line
Tabula TV has reported that a one kilometer section of the Baku-Supsa pipeline may be found beyond the occupation line in case the Russian occupant forces and the South Ossetia puppet regime continues installing barbed wire fences in accordance with the USSR administrative map. According to the Russian plan, the administrative boundary line will pass through the village of Karapila.
Officials of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources say that the pipeline passes a kilometer away from the village of Karapila. However, even if it is found beyond the occupation line, its operation will face no threat.
According to the ministry, a five hundred meter section of the same pipeline is already beyond the occupation line in the section of the village Ortchosani. The government of Georgia lost control of this sector after 2008 war. (Rustavi 2)
One of the defendants of the murder case of Sandro Girgvliani released from prison
Davit Chkhitunidze, one of the defendants of the murder case of Sandro Girgvliani, has been released from prison in Athens, Chkhitunidze’s lawyer, Vakhtang Talakvadze, stated.
According to the lawyer, Chkhitunidze was going to arrive in Georgia and give testimony to the investigation in order to prove his innocence.
Talakvadze says he presented documents to the Greek side that Chkhitunidze`s diplomatic passport was not expired.
Chkhitunidze is accused of granting privileges to the four former officers of the MIA convicted in the murder of Sandro Girgvliani. He was sentenced in absentia. Chkhitunidze is wanted by Interpol. (Front News)
Landslide covers five houses in Mestia
Heavy rain has caused landslide in Georgia`s remote region of Mestia in Svaneti on Tuesday night. The ground floors of five houses in the village of Lakhamula have been covered with soil. Local government officials have evacuated the residents of the village as there is the danger of more landslides, which may afterwards cause a mudslide and flood, which will affect half of the village.
The landslide has damaged several bridges in the village. The disaster has caused the suspension of classes at the village school as the landslide fell near the school building. Rescuers and road department brigades are working in the village to halt the disaster and eradicate the results. They have also blocked movement on rhe Zugdidi-Mestia highway. Tourists and local passengers are stuck on the highway due to the disaster. (Rustavi 2)
Former municipal official arrested in Italy
Former chief of the Development Foundation of the Tbilisi Development, Giorgi Sabanadze has been arrested by Italian police under the operative information provided by the Tbilisi Bureau of Interpol. Sabanadze was arrested in Florence. Giorgi Sabanadze was wanted by Interpol`s red circuit with the extradition goal since August 19, 2013. He was accused of misappropriation-the embezzlement of large amounts of state funds. According to the investigation, the case is about the transfer of municipal funds from the Tbilisi Development Foundation to the accounts of that-time ruling party United National Movement. The funds were embezzled by several municipal officials from the salary accounts of the municipal employees. The embezzled sum in total is 34, 328, 463 GEL. Italian police sent Sabanadze to pre-extradition insulator. The law enforcers are now passing necessary procedures for extradition. (Rustavi 2)