The News in Brief
Thursday, August 13
Lomisi monastery abbot rules out any confrontation with Russian soldiers
Russian soldiers have visited the Lomisi Fathers’ Monastery in the Mleta village.
As the monastery abbot Mate Julakhidze told InterPressNews, Russian soldiers often come to pray at the Lomisi monastery, but there has never been confrontation to speak of.
"They often come to us and we have amiable relations with them. This time they had dogs with them that got into fight with our own dogs.
“The soldiers were trying to calm the dogs down when a child took a photo of them, and spread it on the internet as proof of Russian soldiers oppressing the monks. I’ve already talked to this child and he removed the photo. Information about the confrontation is not true.
“They come to us only if we invite them. Otherwise, they don’t disturb us,” the abbot said.
Information about the confrontation between the Russian soldiers and monks was released couple of days ago. (IPN)
Georgian, Turkish Presidents Speak by Phone
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on August 11 and “expressed support towards Turkey” amid “recent terrorist acts” in Istanbul and in the south-east provinces of the country, the Georgian president’s office said.
It said that “Georgia unequivocally condemns terrorism and continues to fight against this one of the greatest threats along with the international community.”
The two presidents have also discussed other issues of bilateral and regional cooperation, the Georgian president’s office said. (Civil.ge)
Two policemen wounded in shooting in Tbilisi
Two policemen were wounded during a special operation in Tbilisi on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two employees of the central criminal police were wounded in Ponichala, a suburb in the eastern part of the capital during a drugs-related operation.
One of the policemen soon left the hospital. The other underwent surgery.
One person, allegedly a member of an organized crime group, was detained. He is accused of illegal purchase and possession of drugs.
According to MIA, police stopped a Toyota in Ponichala, but the driver disobeyed police orders and crashed into and opened fire at the police car. The one who was later detained was sitting in the car and resisted the police, while one other person, the one who shot at the police, managed to escape.
An investigation has been launched for resisting police, illegal purchase and possession of drugs. (DF watch)
UNM member links permanent relocation of so-called border to softening of international pressure
" A permanent relocation of the so-called border is linked to softening of international pressure "- stated Zurab Chiaberashvili. The member of United National Movement underlined that the documents have been placed on a special portal by the Security Council.
Zurab Chiaberashvili said that this is the part of the capitulating policy. (Rustavi2)
Tbilisi Condemns New ‘Border’ Signposts at S.Ossetia Administrative Boundary
Georgian Foreign Ministry has condemned placement of new signposts marking breakaway South Ossetia’s “state border” and said that the move left farmlands of several local residents beyond the new markers.
The new signposts, it said, were placed by the Russian occupation forces close to the villages of Tamarasheni and Tseronisi in the Kareli municipality, which are located in southwest from Tskhinvali. Some locals told journalists that about 6-7 hectares of farmland fell beyond the new signpost.
“The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns Moscow’s yet another provocative act, which poses threat to security and stability and grossly violates local residents’ fundamental rights,” it said. “Georgia call on the Russian Federation once again to fulfill its international commitments and to refrain from actions directed towards escalation of situation.”
“The Foreign Ministry calls on the international community to assess appropriately Russia’s illegal policy directed against Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to take adequate measures for maintaining security and stability on the ground.”
Defense Minister, Tina Khidasheli, said on August 11 that Georgia should not yield to these provocations by Russia, which, she said, would continue. Khidasheli said that she expects more such signposts to be placed by Russia at various locations along the breakaway region’s boundary line as Georgia continues its Euro-Atlantic integration. “I can name six or seven other locations where Russia will continue these actions – presumably because of JTEC, because of our NATO integration and because of many other reasons,” she said, using an abbreviation for planned NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center, which is expected to be opened this year. (Civil.ge)
Russian soldiers have visited the Lomisi Fathers’ Monastery in the Mleta village.
As the monastery abbot Mate Julakhidze told InterPressNews, Russian soldiers often come to pray at the Lomisi monastery, but there has never been confrontation to speak of.
"They often come to us and we have amiable relations with them. This time they had dogs with them that got into fight with our own dogs.
“The soldiers were trying to calm the dogs down when a child took a photo of them, and spread it on the internet as proof of Russian soldiers oppressing the monks. I’ve already talked to this child and he removed the photo. Information about the confrontation is not true.
“They come to us only if we invite them. Otherwise, they don’t disturb us,” the abbot said.
Information about the confrontation between the Russian soldiers and monks was released couple of days ago. (IPN)
Georgian, Turkish Presidents Speak by Phone
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on August 11 and “expressed support towards Turkey” amid “recent terrorist acts” in Istanbul and in the south-east provinces of the country, the Georgian president’s office said.
It said that “Georgia unequivocally condemns terrorism and continues to fight against this one of the greatest threats along with the international community.”
The two presidents have also discussed other issues of bilateral and regional cooperation, the Georgian president’s office said. (Civil.ge)
Two policemen wounded in shooting in Tbilisi
Two policemen were wounded during a special operation in Tbilisi on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, two employees of the central criminal police were wounded in Ponichala, a suburb in the eastern part of the capital during a drugs-related operation.
One of the policemen soon left the hospital. The other underwent surgery.
One person, allegedly a member of an organized crime group, was detained. He is accused of illegal purchase and possession of drugs.
According to MIA, police stopped a Toyota in Ponichala, but the driver disobeyed police orders and crashed into and opened fire at the police car. The one who was later detained was sitting in the car and resisted the police, while one other person, the one who shot at the police, managed to escape.
An investigation has been launched for resisting police, illegal purchase and possession of drugs. (DF watch)
UNM member links permanent relocation of so-called border to softening of international pressure
" A permanent relocation of the so-called border is linked to softening of international pressure "- stated Zurab Chiaberashvili. The member of United National Movement underlined that the documents have been placed on a special portal by the Security Council.
Zurab Chiaberashvili said that this is the part of the capitulating policy. (Rustavi2)
Tbilisi Condemns New ‘Border’ Signposts at S.Ossetia Administrative Boundary
Georgian Foreign Ministry has condemned placement of new signposts marking breakaway South Ossetia’s “state border” and said that the move left farmlands of several local residents beyond the new markers.
The new signposts, it said, were placed by the Russian occupation forces close to the villages of Tamarasheni and Tseronisi in the Kareli municipality, which are located in southwest from Tskhinvali. Some locals told journalists that about 6-7 hectares of farmland fell beyond the new signpost.
“The Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns Moscow’s yet another provocative act, which poses threat to security and stability and grossly violates local residents’ fundamental rights,” it said. “Georgia call on the Russian Federation once again to fulfill its international commitments and to refrain from actions directed towards escalation of situation.”
“The Foreign Ministry calls on the international community to assess appropriately Russia’s illegal policy directed against Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to take adequate measures for maintaining security and stability on the ground.”
Defense Minister, Tina Khidasheli, said on August 11 that Georgia should not yield to these provocations by Russia, which, she said, would continue. Khidasheli said that she expects more such signposts to be placed by Russia at various locations along the breakaway region’s boundary line as Georgia continues its Euro-Atlantic integration. “I can name six or seven other locations where Russia will continue these actions – presumably because of JTEC, because of our NATO integration and because of many other reasons,” she said, using an abbreviation for planned NATO-Georgia Joint Training and Evaluation Center, which is expected to be opened this year. (Civil.ge)