Press Digest 02.12.2014

Russia may use Tskhinvali as a military corridor to Armenia

Nothing at all is being done to save our territories today – Gia Maisashvili

Former Georgian authorities joining Ukrainian Government

***

Russia may use Tskhinvali as a military corridor to Armenia

"The region of Tskhinvali is a kind of military foothold that could be used as a corridor to connect Giurmi military base with that of Tskhinvali. In this way, Armenia will be directly attached to Russia,” this is what experts think regarding a presumable creation of the Tskhinvali-Russia military union,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.”Apart from Russia’s desire to complete a deal on integration with Tskhinvali, the de-facto government has also offered the Kremlin to form a military alliance. A statement regarding this was made by head of the so-called President’s Administration of South Ossetia Boris Chochiev. “What can we do in the present state of play when along with the USA, EU and UNO, Georgia has refused to give us a guarantee that they will not subject us to its military aggression? The Government of South Ossetia is naturally obliged to protect its country and people which is why we have petitioned to the Government of Russia to negotiate a deal that will help us in solving our problems as well as ensuring our security,” declared Mr. Chochiev. 

“The Head of the Committee of antiparliamentary relations and Internal Policy Committee of the Republic of South Ossetia, Igor Kochiev announced that Tskhinvali plans to complete a deal with Moscow on dual-citizenship. “An international treaty is literally compulsory for the citizens of South Ossetia today. According to the legislation of Russia, a foreigner is not entitled to serve in a state agency. We face different problems in the medical sphere, in our military system etc.” With these words, Mr. Kocheiv addressed the Russian Government at the Caucasian Parliamentary Forum. “As expert in Caucasian Affairs, Aleko Kvakhadze maintains, after military ties are developed between Russia and Tskhinvali, military infrastructure can be built in Tskhinvali soon afterwards. “According to them, they intend to use the region of Tskhinvali as a kind of military corridor that will join the Giurmi military base to that of Tskhinvali. This military agreement will only officially register our relations with Russia. Everyone knows that the Russian troops rolled into our region long ago. This is nothing new and the only thing this deal can do is that it can only even more increase our military contingents. We also do not exclude that after this agreement in finalized, Russia will also set up a military infrastructure in our region,” states Mr. Kvavavdze.

“As leader of European Democrats, Paata Davitaia claims, the region of Tskhinvali is a kind of military foothold, and the Russian leader may now be planning to use it as a corridor between Russia and the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. In this way, it will be instantly attached to Armenia. “Russian troops even dominate the locals in number here. To tell the truth, Tskhinvali is a large military base. It’s an actual fact that this region serves as a kind of military foothold for Russia, which is now striving to merge with this region. They definitely need this corridor that is 70 or 100 km section of area that will be stretched from Tskhinvali to Javakheti. This foothold will obviously create further problems for Georgia since it can easily result in the blocking of the highway between West and East Georgia. The present developments in the regions of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia will definitely lead us to a dead-end critical situation, and immensely woeful is the fact that the present authorities don’t share this position today. I’ve reiterated that the situation in Tskhinvali would have proven to be more serious than in Abkhazia. Whether this way or that the actual fact is that they are now talking regarding a full integration with this region. Therefore, there is not even a shadow of doubt that both agreements will finally result in full integration of these two regions with Russia,” concludes Mr. Davitaia.

Nothing at all is being done to save our territories today – Gia Maisashvili

A great deal of tools to fight against criminals and crime in Georgia is in the hands of MIA today. Thus, it is apt to adopt really effectively measures to substantially decrease the crime rate in our country; however, the fact that the so-called surveillance key has been given to this body is extremely dangerous. A body that can find the most advantageous balance between human rights and our security is not operating in our country; however, for me personally, the right to lead a personal life as well the right to enjoy freedom are the two most inviolable rights of an inpidual,” declared Head of the Leaders’ School, Gia Maisashvili.

“Personally I do approve the decision of the President to veto the surveillance bill that is strongly expected to precipitate downfall in our country. A country like ours cannot accept similar bill; it may work perfectly well in Africa, Asia in Arabia but definitely not in Georgia, especially, today when we are striving to build a democratic state. If we are really strongly determined to find our niche in the large western family we must reject such bills immediately and without hesitation,” contends Mr. Maiasashvili.  

“Once again I repeat, all tools to decrease or uproot crime in Georgia is in the hands of MIA today; however, leaving this key to this body is nothing good as the right to freely lead personal life is a fundamental right of each and every inpidual without exception…It is nothing new that these deputies are not oriented on the people’s rights; they, in fact, are not politicians; we all know how they slipped in the parliament. What can a slew of unmotivated and incompetent MPs can bring to us or our parliament?! All right, let’s for the sake of argument assume that we can somehow deal with the issue of incompetence but tell me what we can do under the present circumstances when our deputies are so easily controllable. I emphasize when the parliament is manned with such unqualified and weak-willed politicians nothing on earth will see us through the present critical situation,” claims the respondent.

“There could be a way out of this critical situation though. If this bill awakes our people and spurs them to action, I would then say that it was worth enacting… However, today it’s pretty clear that our country is going trough an extremely rough patch: Georgia has become a country of tenuous importance for the West; the process of our annexation is underway and, to put it in a nutshell, our future is under a huge question mark at this point in time,” concludes the respondent.

Former Georgian authorities joining Ukrainian Government

"As rumors have it, Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili is expected to take a high post in Ukraine. These rumors have stimulated discrepancy from the Ukrainian people,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“Some political experts think that really hard times have come in Ukraine and its state agencies are in desperate need of new blood and new qualified personnel. Accordingly, desperate and frustrated Ukrainians have gotten down to seeking reformer politicians outside the country. However, in the country there are still people who think that the country is not in such great hardship to pin hopes on foreign criminal officials and to grant high posts to them. However, everyone unanimously admits that if the Ukrainian leadership allows our criminal former officials to get hold of their high posts, the amiable relations between the two countries will definitely become hostile,” says the article.

“I don’t rule out that Russia is the country that is emboldening the Ukrainian authorities to grant high posts to the former criminal Georgian top officials. I do not really think that Mr. Poroshenko can see any difference between the foreign professionals and the people who are wanted by Interpol,” political expert Soso Tsiskarishvili has released this statement regarding the recently spread information and expressed hope that these rumors have nothing to do with the truth.

"Political expert Tornike Sharashenidze has also evaluated the current developments in Ukraine and has announced that tensions are still running high in the region. According to him, the country is being put to the test as it has to take one option from the suggested two: it must either pass really effective reforms and lead itself out of crises or slide into catastrophe. To the question, what made the Ukrainian authorities help foreign officials in perching on their high posts, Sharashenidze says that as it seems they cannot simply see any other way out from the impasse they are trying to get over today.

“They are unable to independently pass reforms that will bring any positive change in their lives. This is the reason why they are searching for people who will do their job. Naturally, Georgia, which is the former SU state, knows their situation better than others. Their problems are not alien to us,” declares the political expert.

"I do not really want to in any way insult Ukraine or belittle the Ukrainian authorities but I cannot simply get how such a huge country can lack resources. How can the Ukrainian state fail to find resources to rule their own country without foreigners’ assistance? How can they stoop to, let’s say, borrowing high officials from Georgia? How can they fight against the Russian dictatorship by installing Georgian dictators in their country? It’s something totally irrational,” states expert Khatuna Lagazidze.