Georgian digest and news from the Caucasus
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Subject: Georgian digest and news from the Caucasus
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Georgian digest and news from the Caucasus
ANNOTATED DAILY HEADLINES
OF THE GEORGIAN PRESS
Compiled by the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and
Development (CIPDD)
Text: Tamara Shamil
English version: Guram Dumbadze
Editor: Emil Adelkhanov-Steinberg
November 19, 1998
......................
4. The Mouldy CIS Clinging to Shevardnadze
Boris Berezovsky, the CIS executive secretary, paid his traditional
visit to Tbilisi yesterday for talks with Eduard Shevardnadze. The
subject of his press conference was also traditional: the importance
of talks between Shevardnadze and Ardzinba for reconciliation between
the Georgians and the Abkhaz and for stability in the Caucasus.
However, he proposed something new: a plan to re-organise the CIS,
which provides for creation of a free trade zone. Shevardnadze
supported the idea. It seems that the Russian president still hopes to
transform the decaying CIS into a democratic USSR. In his opinion,
being the most anti-Communist of all former Communists, Shevardnadze
could mediate between him and the presidents of Azerbaijan, Ukraine
and Kazakhstan.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 319, November 19, p. 3
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November 20, 1998
......................
3. The White Legion Made a Rather Serious Ultimatum
A member of the Georgian guerrilla unit White Legion has told
journalists that Abkhaz gunmen took hostage two residents of the
village of Gagida (12-km safety zone controlled by the Russian
peacekeepers), Vazha Pipia and his son, Zurab Pipia, some time ago.
The White Legion demanded the Russian peacekeepers to free the
hostages within 24 hours. Londer Tsaava, the chairman of the
Tbilisi-based Council of Ministers of Abkhazia, says that the hostages
were transferred to an Abkhaz police station, where one of them, Zurab
Pipia, died of beating.
Prime-News agency. "Sakartvelos Gazeti" No. 157, November 20, p. 1
-------------------------
November 24, 1998
1. Idea: a Radio Bridge between Sukhumi and Tbilisi
According to the Abkhaz leader's press service, Vladislav Ardzinba
blamed Tbilisi for the fact that his meeting with Shevardnadze has
twice been postponed: first till November 18, then for undetermined
time.
Prime-News agency. "Sakartvelos Gazeti" No. 160, November 24, p. 2
2. OSCE to Join UN in Abkhazia
Bronislaw Geremek, the OSCE chairman, has visited Tbilisi for talks
with Eduard Shevardnadze. After the meeting he said the OSCE was ready
to take more active part in the conflict settlement in Abkhazia. The
Georgian government that used to criticise the UN for not applying all
the available mechanisms for the settlement, welcomes this decision -
especially as the OSCE's mediation proved successful in South Ossetia.
Toma Chagelashvili. "Sakartvelos Gazeti" No. 160, November 24, p. 2
......................
5. "If the Russian Army Leaves, We Shall Perish"
Commenting on the Russian defence ministry's decision to reduce its
troops in Transcaucasia, Panteleimon Giorgadze, the leader of the
United Communist Party of Georgia, says a withdrawal of the Russian
military bases from Georgia would be a disaster: it would drive the
country into bondage to the West. He puts the blame for Russia's
decision on Georgia's foreign policy, considering it to be clearly
anti-Russian.
BS-Press news agency. "Droni" No. 134, November 21-26, p. 7
-------------------------
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......................
GEORGIA - ABKHAZIA - CONFLICT
POLITICAL ADVISOR OF ABKHAZ LEADER BELIEVES GEORGIA NOT TO BE
INTERESTED IN REGULATION
TBILISI. CAUCASUS PRESS. 11-26-98. "The authorities of Georgia is not
interested in the regulation of the conflict and uses it to withdraw
the public attention from their internal problems, explaining them as
the result of the non-regulated Georgian-Abkhaz conflict", Political
advisor of the Abkhaz leader Astamur Tania said in answer to the
statement of his Georgian colleague Levan Aleksidze. On November 24
the latter said in his interview with INTERFAX that disagreements in
the issues on the return of the refugees to Gali region was the
obstacle for the meeting of President Shevardnadze with Abkhaz leader
Vladislav Ardzinba.
Tania said "the draft mutually acceptable papers have been prepared
during the consultations, which lasted for several months; the above
papers took into consideration the proposals of the Georgian party".
"During the personal meetings of Abkhaz president's representative
Anri Djergenia with Eduard Shevardnadze he was told the Georgian party
had no special claims towards the documents, and they could be signed
in the first half of November, 1998", Tania said. However later the
Georgian party demanded to specify some wordings, which were also
accepted, the political advisor noted. He found it "far from being
right that the refugees cannot return, as they do not believe in the
ability of the Abkhaz power bodies to provide their security. 20
thousand refugees have already returned to Gali region by their own
will (they left the region during the May events), and the process is
still on".
"Thus the hindering of the process of signing the documents is not at
all connected with any serious disagreements, as the Georgian party
has not presented any serious remarks to the texts" Astamur Tania
said. "It is not the first time when the Georgian party keeps from
signing the prepared documents. A similar situation was observed in
June and July of 1997, when the Georgian party refused to sign the
settled "protocol on Georgian-Abkhaz regulation" the representative of
the Abkhaz leader said.
......................
SHEVARDNADZE - ARDZINBA - MEETING - NADAREISHVILI - STATEMENT
TAMAZ NADAREISHVILI "PRESIDENT SHEVARDNADZE WOULD NOT BE LET ALIVE
FROM ABKHAZIA"
TBILISI. CAUCASUS PRESS. 11-26-98. "I'm sure President Shevardnadze
would not be let out of Abkhazia alive; it is not in the interests of
the Abkhazians; and I have the information the jet with the president
could be shot down" Tamaz Nadareishvili, Chairman of Abkhaz Supreme
Council (in exile) said at the press conference on Thursday.
According to his words the planned meeting of the leaders of Georgia
and separatist Abkhazia were not within the interests of the refugees
from Abkhazia and Georgia on the whole, as the documents were planned
to be signed there, which practically recognised the independence of
Abkhazia and allowed Ardzinba to escape from the deadlock, he had
placed himself with his deeds.
Nadareishvili found it inadmissible to raise the sanctions against
Abkhazia before the return of the refugees there, as the Abkhaz powers
could not deal with the economic difficulties, and the discontent of
the local residents was growing daily.
"Today more people die in Abkhazia due to these difficulties, than
during the war" Nadareishvili said. According to his words the
representatives of the Abkhaz Diaspora in Moscow, who supported
contacts with Nadareishvili showed their discontent with the fact that
the Georgian party was constantly making compromises in favour of the
separatists. "Be the policy correct we would be able to an agreement
with these people and solve the problem of Abkhazia" Nadareishvisi
stressed.
......................
ARMENIA - IRAQ - SHELTER
ARMENIANS IN IRAQ ASK FOR SHELTER IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN. NOYAN-TAPAN-CAUCASUS PRESS. 11-26-98. About 20 Armenian
families which arrived in Armenia from Iraq in 1996-1998 asked for
refugee status in Armenia, department for refugees affairs and
migration reports. According to Iraqi Armenians, the number of
Armenians, willing to move to Armenia has grown. Many Armenians are
currently awaiting for a permission to enter Armenia.
......................
TSKHINVALI - CRIMINALS - SITUATION
OPERATIVE SITUATION AGGRAVATED IN SOUTH OSSETIA
TBILISI. CAUCASUS PRESS. 11-26-98. Two Georgians were shot and one
Ossetian wounded during the criminal clearing up close to Tskhinvali
suburbs, major-general Anatoli Makushkin, Commander of the Russian
peace-keeping forces in the region of the Georgian-Osset conflict said
at the traditional trilateral meeting of the law-enforcement bodies of
the conflict parties.
And yesterday, approximately at 22:00 a fire fighting began in the
region of Avnevi village. It was conducted between the passengers of
two "Niva" cars. It is not known whether the sides of the conflict has
any injured, as after the fire fighting the cars disappeared. "We are
worried with the situation on the whole; I believe the incidents
happened not on the ethnic base. Today we are worried with the
funerals of the killed ones. Shida Kartli Governor Irakli Bochoridze
promised to take measures to prevent any incidents between criminal
groups of the conflicting sides. He also applied to the
representatives of the South Ossetian law-enforcement bodies,
participating of the meeting with a request to assist the Georgian
Police in detaining the criminal group of Tutaev Marik. They are
suspected to have taken part in the above incidents.
......................
RUSSIA - CONFLICTS - REASONS - OPINION
ENKINDLING NATIONAL CONFLICTS CONSIDERABLY INFLUENCED BY FOREIGN
INTELLIGENCE SERVICES - RAMAZAN ABDULATIPOV
BAKU. ANS-CAUCASUS PRESS. 11-26-98. Russian Minister for National
Policy Ramazan Abdulatipov is convinced that enkindling national and
religious conflicts in Russia is considerably influenced by the
activities of foreign intelligence services. This was announced by
Abdulatipov when opening the roundtable "Nationalism and religious
extremism in Russia."
According to the minister, a number of foreign countries consider
large Russian regions as zones of their political interests, while the
Chechen conflict is used by the West as "a stronghold of Anti-Russian
activities." The minister thinks that outbreak of extremism happened
with the support of foreign intelligence services, which are
interested in destabilisation of the situation in Russia.
Besides, Abdulatipov links this event with the aggravation of the
socio-economic situation in Russia and upcoming parliamentary and
presidential elections. According to the Russian minister, many
politicians profiteer in national and religious factors and social
discontent of the population for getting votes of electors.
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