Author: Tamazi Donauri

the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video on its Telegram channel, allegedly featuring a Georgian fighter named Giorgi Goglidze, reportedly captured by Russian forces in Ukraine. The Russian MOD claims the captured fighter is affiliated with the 2nd international legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In the video, Goglidze is seen apparently reading from a prepared script in broken Russian, confirming his Georgian citizenship and saying to have been “promised USD 300 for each Russian serviceman killed.” Goglidze has a visible trace of wound on his face. “According to the prisoner of war, he was recruited by the Kiev regime in…

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday extended his gratitude to Mircea Geoană, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, for his leadership in supporting Georgia and commitment to “our common values and trans-Atlantic solidarity”. “His friendship and hospitality have made our interactions not just productive and insightful but also enjoyable”, Papuashvili said in a social media message.  Papuashvili and the alliance official on Wednesday discussed NATO-Georgia relations, regional matters and future plans. Geoană reiterated “unwavering” support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, and Papuashvili pointed out the country would “continue to make progress on the path of North Atlantic integration”. Source : Agenda

Armenia and Azerbaijan issued an unexpected joint statement, the first of its kind that did not bear the signature of any mediator working on the peace process between the two.  According to the statement, Armenia and Azerbaijan “share the view that there is a historical chance to achieve a long-awaited peace in the region.” “The two countries reconfirm their intention to normalize relations and to reach the peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it read. “Following the talks between the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Office of the Prime…

Dunja Mijatović, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe (CoE), published her submission to the Committee of Ministers in the context of the supervision of the execution of the Identoba and Others group of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). This group of judgments relates to discrimination and manifestations of intolerance towards LGBTI people and other minority groups, as well as their right to freedom of assembly and expression. The Commissioner noted improvements in the societal attitudes towards LGBTI people, religious and other minorities. However, she pointed out that authorities haven’t done enough to tackle…

Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said the Hungarian Parliament had voiced its message of “strong” support of Georgia’s European Union integration. Botchorishvili said the Hungarian Government believed Georgia was an “additional value” for the EU and continued to assist the country via political and other forms in its pursuit of membership. She also said bilateral cooperation between the two countries’ legislative bodies was important for Georgia’s European integration process, as well as for strengthening their economic relationship to make the country “firmly” economically connected with EU member states. The lawmaker…

Frankfurt (3/12 – 12) The relatively rapid cohesion of disparate nations, historically competitive or even at war with one another, into the European Union came about in part because of the ongoing threat from the Soviet Union. The specter of a tank invasion from Warsaw Pact nations, today forgotten, was such a reality that the German government kept a major portion of its gold bullion across the Atlantic. The USSR, an ally in World War II after being double-crossed by Hitler – remember the “Non-Aggression Pact signed in Moscow by von Ribbentrop and Molotov – was soon appraised as a…

LONDON — TikTok and Facebook owner Meta are filing legal challenges against new European Union rules designed to counter the dominance of digital giants and make online competition fairer by giving consumers more choice. TikTok said in a blog post Thursday that it’s appealing being classified as an online “gatekeeper” by the Digital Markets Act, arguing that it’s playing the role of a new competitor in social media that is taking on entrenched players. Meta said a day earlier that it disagrees with the 27-nation bloc’s decision to include its Marketplace and Messenger as gateway services under the new rules, adding that it…

Toronto, Atlanta (28/11 – 20) A wise old expression intones “Behind every bad borrower is a bad lender”. Like many such cute, amusing aphorisms, it is accurate as far as it goes … but what if? What if a loan approval is held up, then granted, after a couple of phone calls from the office of the Vice President? What if the borrower is a crony or relative of Mr. Big, which is what practically bankrupted Indonesia, when the Soeharto vampire children took out multi-hundred-million-dollar “loans” (wink wink) for projects whose profit-making potential was near zero? What is the potential…

The European Union and the Republic of Tajikistan held their tenth annual Cooperation Committee meeting on 27 November in Brussels. The meeting took place in an open and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the continued strengthening of relations between the EU and Tajikistan. The Cooperation Committee reviewed the state of play of bilateral relations and addressed political and socio-economic developments, water, environment, energy, trade and investment cooperation, as well as regional and international issues. Both sides exchanged views on the ongoing negotiations for an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which were launched earlier this year, and Tajikistan’s application for the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preference Plus (GSP+)…

When contemplating various scenarios for how the conflict with Russia might end, Ukraine’s leaders can take clear lessons from Moscow’s brutal military campaign against another one-time Soviet state, Georgia. The Russo-Georgian War of 2008 marked a significant moment in the geopolitical landscape of the South Caucasus, with far-reaching implications for Georgia’s territorial integrity and regional stability. But, in reality, that conflict did not start in 2008. Fighting began in 1992–93 instigated by militia groups set up by Russia using its infamous hybrid warfare toolkit in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia. Here, I examine the impact of…