The News in Brief
Thursday, October 2
Alasania proposes way out of crisis in Georgia
Analysis and a precise assessment of the current situation are necessary in order to overcome the conflict resolution crisis in Georgia, said Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations Irakli Alasania in an interview with Georgian daily 24 Saati (24 Hours). “In order to find the way out, a precise assessment of the situation is required. We must know exactly what we are aiming at,” the Georgian diplomat stated.
Alasania presented his own vision of what Georgia must be striving for. “It is necessary to prevent any form of legalization of the Russian military aggression and ethnic cleansing, to effectively stop the process of the recognition (of Abkhazia and South Ossetia), and to start to create a model for negotiations that would give us the possibility to develop security guarantees, to begin the process of IDP return and create conditions for a direct dialogue with Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Alasania said.
According to Alasania, “more time and patience, as well as well-designed diplomatic steps, will be required, not only on the part of Georgia, but also on the part of Abkhazia and Ossetia. There are upcoming talks within the framework of the six-point ceasefire agreement, scheduled for October in Geneva, which will require competent preparation. Active work needs to be done with the United Nations, the European Union and the OSCE, as well as other parties,” the Georgian diplomat noted. At the same time however he said that “there are difficulties Georgian diplomacy will face in the future.”
According to Alasania, neither Georgia nor Russia, nor the international community, fully utilized diplomatic levers which might have regulated the situation in August. “Diplomacy could have worked more efficiently. Speaking of what happened in August, it is clear, that Russia had been preparing for that for a long time, building a military infrastructure in the North Caucasus and in the conflict zones. Georgia was forced to get involved in conflict by a number of provocative actions. It is difficult to evaluate the decisions made in July when I was in New York. Although it was, probably, possible to have reduced conflict to a minimum, if more time and effort had been spent on diplomacy with Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Alasania emphasized.
Despite the complexity of the current situation, Alasania considers it is quite possible to resolve the conflict and restore the territorial integrity of Georgia, but only in a peaceful way. “The only way to ensure Georgia’s reintegration is a peaceful way. But I do see the prospect of Georgia restoring its territorial integrity, since I believe at a certain stage, in several years time, we will be able not only to find a common language with the Abkhaz and Ossetians, but to raise mutual confidence and relations to a level that will provide for political talks and agreements,” Alasania said. (Black Sea Press)
Situation in Georgia being discussed at Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Estonia
A meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Benelux countries is being held in Estonia from October 1-2.
The Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands will discuss the situation in Georgia, the EU’s relations with Russia, and matters related to the Lisbon Treaty, energy security, and the European Neighbourhood Policy. (Black Sea Press)
Traffic restricted on Zugdidi-Tsalenjikha highway as a result of flood
The floods in Western Georgia have created traffic restrictions on the Zugdidi-Tsalenjiha highway, Imedi TV reported on Wednesday.
The TV company said that rivers in the Zugdidi and Tsalenjikha districts had breached their banks and flooded the roads and ground floors of residential buildings. Traffic has been restricted. Ozurgeti district had been also affected by flood. (Black Sea Press)
Georgian Diaspora of Cyprus sends humanitarian aid to Georgia for IDPs
The Georgian Diasporas of Cyprus has sent humanitarian aid to IDPS who suffered as a result of the Georgian-Russian conflict.
As journalists were told by businessman David Bakhtadze, the freight consignment from Cyprus was intended to address the needs of 500 IDPs and consisted mainly of clothes. The aid will be distributed in the Isani-Samgori district of Tbilisi.
“Cyprus is a small country but the diaspora has managed to assist to our country”, Bakhtadze noted. (Black Sea Press)
Analysis and a precise assessment of the current situation are necessary in order to overcome the conflict resolution crisis in Georgia, said Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations Irakli Alasania in an interview with Georgian daily 24 Saati (24 Hours). “In order to find the way out, a precise assessment of the situation is required. We must know exactly what we are aiming at,” the Georgian diplomat stated.
Alasania presented his own vision of what Georgia must be striving for. “It is necessary to prevent any form of legalization of the Russian military aggression and ethnic cleansing, to effectively stop the process of the recognition (of Abkhazia and South Ossetia), and to start to create a model for negotiations that would give us the possibility to develop security guarantees, to begin the process of IDP return and create conditions for a direct dialogue with Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Alasania said.
According to Alasania, “more time and patience, as well as well-designed diplomatic steps, will be required, not only on the part of Georgia, but also on the part of Abkhazia and Ossetia. There are upcoming talks within the framework of the six-point ceasefire agreement, scheduled for October in Geneva, which will require competent preparation. Active work needs to be done with the United Nations, the European Union and the OSCE, as well as other parties,” the Georgian diplomat noted. At the same time however he said that “there are difficulties Georgian diplomacy will face in the future.”
According to Alasania, neither Georgia nor Russia, nor the international community, fully utilized diplomatic levers which might have regulated the situation in August. “Diplomacy could have worked more efficiently. Speaking of what happened in August, it is clear, that Russia had been preparing for that for a long time, building a military infrastructure in the North Caucasus and in the conflict zones. Georgia was forced to get involved in conflict by a number of provocative actions. It is difficult to evaluate the decisions made in July when I was in New York. Although it was, probably, possible to have reduced conflict to a minimum, if more time and effort had been spent on diplomacy with Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Alasania emphasized.
Despite the complexity of the current situation, Alasania considers it is quite possible to resolve the conflict and restore the territorial integrity of Georgia, but only in a peaceful way. “The only way to ensure Georgia’s reintegration is a peaceful way. But I do see the prospect of Georgia restoring its territorial integrity, since I believe at a certain stage, in several years time, we will be able not only to find a common language with the Abkhaz and Ossetians, but to raise mutual confidence and relations to a level that will provide for political talks and agreements,” Alasania said. (Black Sea Press)
Situation in Georgia being discussed at Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Estonia
A meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Benelux countries is being held in Estonia from October 1-2.
The Foreign Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands will discuss the situation in Georgia, the EU’s relations with Russia, and matters related to the Lisbon Treaty, energy security, and the European Neighbourhood Policy. (Black Sea Press)
Traffic restricted on Zugdidi-Tsalenjikha highway as a result of flood
The floods in Western Georgia have created traffic restrictions on the Zugdidi-Tsalenjiha highway, Imedi TV reported on Wednesday.
The TV company said that rivers in the Zugdidi and Tsalenjikha districts had breached their banks and flooded the roads and ground floors of residential buildings. Traffic has been restricted. Ozurgeti district had been also affected by flood. (Black Sea Press)
Georgian Diaspora of Cyprus sends humanitarian aid to Georgia for IDPs
The Georgian Diasporas of Cyprus has sent humanitarian aid to IDPS who suffered as a result of the Georgian-Russian conflict.
As journalists were told by businessman David Bakhtadze, the freight consignment from Cyprus was intended to address the needs of 500 IDPs and consisted mainly of clothes. The aid will be distributed in the Isani-Samgori district of Tbilisi.
“Cyprus is a small country but the diaspora has managed to assist to our country”, Bakhtadze noted. (Black Sea Press)