Georgian press digest: excerpts
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Subject: Georgian press digest: excerpts
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Georgian press digest: excerpts
ANNOTATED DAILY HEADLINES
OF THE GEORGIAN PRESS
Compiled by the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and
Development (CIPDD)
Text: Irma Mosiashvili
English version: Guram Dumbadze
Editor: Emil Adelkhanov-Steinberg
August 16, 1999
.....................
3. MOSCOW EXPERTS SAY RUSSIAN FIGHTERS DID NOT BOMB THE GEORGIAN
VILLAGE
The only conclusion of the experts from the Russian defence ministry,
who visited Georgia a day or two ago: the village of Zemo Omalo had
really been bombed on August 9 and unidentified fighters had dropped
140 anti-personnel mines there. Boris Mosyagin, deputy chief navigator
of the Russian Air Force, says identification of the fighters requires
a more careful investigation, including examination of "black boxes".
Only afterwards, in his words, the Russian government and defence
ministry would be able to make an official statement.
Prime-News agency. "Shvidi Dge" No. 96, August 16-17, p. 3
4. THE LAST RUSSIAN FRONTIER GUARD TO LEAVE GEORGIA ON NOVEMBER 1
A delegation of the Russian federal frontier service negotiated the
terms of the withdrawal of Russian frontier troops from Georgia and
the problem of their property with the State Department of Frontier
Defence of Georgia. The Russians must leave by November 1 (except
those who will join the Georgian frontier troops). Some other tidings:
Georgia has strengthened frontier control at the Chechen sector of the
Russian-Georgian border, Valeri Chkheidze, the SDFD chairman, says;
Russia is not going to soften the strict regime at the border
check-point "Veseloye" (the Abkhaz sector of the Russian-Georgian
border): men of the age of 18 to 65 are prohibited to cross the border
unless special cases arranged with the Russian foreign ministry,
Alexander Manilov, deputy director of the Russian federal frontier
service, says.
Medea Korsantia. "Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 187, August 14, p. 1
5. CHIBIROV REJECTED BRITISH SERVICE IN THE ROKI GORGE
Ludvig Chibirov, the president of the self-proclaimed South Ossetian
Republic, still objects to the British company ITS's taking over the
customs control of the Russian border in the Roki gorge. (The Georgian
government farmed out the control of the whole Georgian border to the
company.) According to the newspaper, however, Chibirov may acquiesce,
provided Tbilisi cancels the 1991 decision (which is still valid) to
abolish then South-Ossetian Autonomous Region. His other claim, that
on the village of Ergneti in the Gori district, the market centre for
goods smuggled from Russia, is quite unrealistic. Earlier, Chibirov
demanded to open a customs office in the village.
George Kalandadze. "Resonance" No. 222, August 16, pp. 1, 2
----------------------------------
August 18, 1999
.....................
5. THE PROBLEM OF MESKHETIAN TURKS TO BE DISCUSSED IN MESKHETI
MP Guram Sharadze, the leader of the political movement "Georgia Above
All", is going to visit the Meskheti region to discuss the problem of
Muslim Meskhetians with local population. In his words, the locals are
alarmed with the fact that some politicians, like Guram Mamulia,
promised the Council of Europe to repatriate up to 300 thousand Muslim
Meskhetians (deported in 1944) to the region.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 225, August 17, p. 2
----------------------------------
August 19, 1999
1. RUSSIA APOLOGISES TO GEORGIA FOR RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT HAVING DROPPED
ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES AROUND THE VILLAGE OF OMALO BY MISTAKE
A joint Russian-Georgian expert commission concluded that the fighters
that dropped the mines near the village of Zemo Omalo on August 9 were
Russian. According to the Russian foreign ministry, they were carrying
out a mining mission over mountainous passes from Chechnya to
Daghestan to prevent penetration of terrorists.
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 190, August 19, p. 1
2. TWO GEORGIAN CAPTIVES TO BE FREED IN A DAY OR TWO
Although the Georgian procurator's office has instituted five legal
proceedings on kidnapping of Georgian citizens to Chechnya, official
Tbilisi has achieved nothing about the problem so far, the newspaper
claims. The youth organisation of the Citizens' Union of Georgia
(close to the Establishment) raised up, however, this question at its
meeting with the Chechen president's representative in Georgia Hizri
Aldamov on Aug. 18. He told them that Chechen authorities were going
to transfer two hostages to Georgia. He refused to specify their names
or how they would be transferred or due to whose intercession - for
their safety reasons, he said. As to the other Georgian hostages, if
Georgia considers Chechnya a part of the Russian Federation, it should
apply to Moscow, not to us; if not, we may come to terms, he said.
Zviad Pochkhua. "Resonance" No. 225, August 19, pp. 1, 2
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