Kavkaz

MOSCOW, March 6 – Georgia’s armed forces are building fortified structures near the border with South Ossetia, as well as new firing positions, the South Ossetian president said on Friday. “As of now, there are 35 Georgian armed checkpoints in the zone of European observers’ responsibility. Overall, there are about …

Prime minister denies feeling abandoned by EU’s and NATO’s renewal of normal relations with Russia. Nika Gilauri, the prime minister of Georgia, has warned the European Union and NATO not to “let Russia get away” with its recognition of two breakaway territories in Georgia, warning that it would then risk …

Ahead of talks with her Russian counterpart Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made clear Washington’s continuing stand on its relations with Georgia, saying, Washington’s engagement with Moscow in no way lessened its support for Tbilisi. She was answering questions on the future of US-EU relations and other …

TSKHINVAL, March 6 – An independent inquiry mission of the European Union, which will investigate the facts of the conflict in South Ossetia, arrived in the republic on Friday with Heidi Tagliavini at the head. EU emissaries will meet with South Ossetian presidential Plenipotentiary Representative on Issues of Post-Conflict Settlement …

TBILISI, March 6 – Erosi Kitsmarishvili, ex-Ambassador of Georgia to Russia, believes time has come for the beginning of a dialogue on the settlement of relations between the two countries. He spoke about it in an interview with Itar-Tass on Friday. “I think both Tbilisi and Moscow realise perfectly well …

TBILISI/MOSCOW, March 5  – The Swiss embassy in Georgia began on Thursday accepting applications for Russian entry visas from Georgian nationals. Georgia severed diplomatic ties with Russia in late August 2008 after Moscow recognized its former republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Recognition followed a five-day war …

TBILISI, Georgia: A leading Georgian opposition party is putting forth its leader to challenge President Mikhail Saakashvili. Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili’s decision comes as opposition groups struggle to force Saakashvili to hold new elections.

MOSCOW  – Russia has embarked on a risky political game with new U.S. President Barack Obama by forcing its ally Kyrgyzstan to close a U.S. military base while keeping up overtures to establish warmer relations with Washington. The Manas air base near the capital of the Central Asian state is …

ST PETERSBURG, Russia – Three activists stormed an office of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s political party in St Petersburg on Thursday to accuse him of ignoring the plight of ordinary people in the economic slowdown. Two members of the banned National Bolshevik Party handcuffed themselves to a radiator while …

MOSCOW  – Russia may base warplanes in Georgia’s rebel Abkhazia region in support of a naval base soon to be constructed there, Interfax news agency quoted a Russian official as saying on Thursday. NATO countries expressed concern on Wednesday at reports on Interfax quoting unnamned military sources that Russia planned …