Death of ex-Georgian prime minister: “there was no any gas poisoning”: Georgian press digest

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While Georgia was freezing, its leaders were traveling Europe

Georgia breathed again: Russia has finally restored the blown up gas pipeline and resumed its gas supplies to Georgia, reports Akhali Taoba Jan 30. The Georgian authorities have thanked their people — something they have actually deserved — for in the last week they have gone through a real big test. “As to the authorities, they have not been very much faithful to their homeland — the country's first and second figures went on visits to Europe, leaving Georgia to freeze. Left without gas the authorities spared no ‘warm’ words with respect to Russia – the country was also lashed by people in queues for kerosene and liquefied gas. Those people also lashed the Georgian authorities, who boasted, amid cold, that we took the crisis calmly. They in Tbilisi have their versions of the blow up,” says the daily.

The first to get gas was the border-line Kazbegi region. Today morning the Russian gas has reached Tbilisi, with the full supplies to be ensured within a week. Armenia will get the gas in the morning. “It is a bit strange to see that the Georgian authorities are more concerned for Armenia than for their own people,” says Akhali Taoba. “Otherwise, the gas sent from Azerbaijan would not be resent to Armenia. Our authorities explain that Armenia needs gas to give us electricity. May be they are right in a way — Georgia needs electricity as much as gas — for also blown up is the Kavkasioni power transmission line, while the Imereti PTL in Western Georgia has been damaged by a later hurricane.”

In the meantime, Georgia has agreed with Iran on gas supplies and has been receiving 2 mln c m a day from there since Jan 30. Thus, “today the country is importing gas simultaneously from three countries — Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran,” says Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri. The gas from Iran is coming via Azerbaijan, with 2.5 mln c m received from Azerbaijan itself. The whole gas supply of Georgia will be restored in some few days — unless Russia gives one more surprise. Even though Russia has resumed its gas supplies, there may well be more breakdowns in Georgia itself. And so the authorities urge people to be careful and to turn off gas well. For their bravery and durability our people have got a gift from nature too: it is sunny again after a week of nasty weather. Experts forecast weather improvement and warm February all over Georgia, concludes Akhali Taoba.

Where the Iranian gas should go — is not clear

Jan 30 Georgian Energy Minister Nika Gilauri personally turned on the pipeline in Gardabani, Tbilisi, a line pumping up gas from Iran, reports Khvalindeli Dge Jan 31. Resumed are also the Russian gas supplies. Now, the country is getting gas from three sources. Gilauri says that the Iranian and Azeri supplies make up 30%-35% of what Georgia totally consumes. This gas will go mostly to Eastern Georgia for 10-15 days, depending on how stable the Russian supplies will be.

The Iranian gas is used basically in force majeure situations, which means that Georgia is never left without gas, says Gilauri. Economic expert Georgy Khukhashvili says that the contract with Iran is vague and consequently politically and economically risky. And so the authorities should clearly say what a deal they have made with Iran, says Khukhashvili. He notes that Gasexport has pledged to supply Georgia with 2.230 bln c m of gas.

Quite enough for Georgia. And so, it is not clear where the Iranian gas should go. The deal with Iran may urge Gasexport to revise its contract with Georgia which will be all but good for the country, says Khukhashvili. He does not believe the authorities who say that Iran is giving Georgia over 2 mln c m of gas at a symbolical price. Even if true, this means that Iran is after some political goals. Everybody knows in what a situation Iran presently is and the purchase of gas from that country will create economic and political problems for Georgia. That's why to dispel all doubts the authorities should clearly specify the terms of the gas deal signed in Tehran, says Khukhashvili. (Khvalindeli Dge)

Georgia gives Iran no money for gas at all

“How much after all is the Iranian gas — $120 or $233?” — everybody wants to know that, says Alia Feb 2-3. While Georgia is keeping secret about its deal with Iran, Russia is not wasting time. “Some Russian sites are making scandalous — but only at first glance — reports that Georgia has just a one-mouth deal with Iran, i.e. in 30 days we will get 30 mln c m for $70 mln.”

The Russians have figured it all out and got that the Georgians are buying gas from Iran for $233." The daily says that they in Tbilisi confirm everything from the contract except the price. The governmental press office refutes the reports, the ministers say that the Russian sites are lying. Reliable sources have told Alia that Georgia is not paying Iran anything at all. This is barter — for gas in winter Georgia will pay in electricity in summer. In the meantime, Georgia is negotiating further gas supplies from Iran. The authorities are taking calmly all that row about the tariff. Quite naturally: however much they might pay for the gas, the tariff will not change — for people either — and so the authorities could as well have bought the gas at a skyscraping price just to bring their country and people out of the energy blockade, says Alia.

The EU police corps can make an important contribution to the peacekeeping mission in Georgia

EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana welcomes the opening of the general headquarters of the European Police Corps in Vincenza (Italy), on the initiative of the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, reports Khvalindeli Dge Jan 31. Solana says that being a force of both police and military action, the corps is one of the trumps of the European security and defense policy. The chairman of the interim parliamentary commission on the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity Shota Malashkhia says that the corps will greatly contribute to the peacekeeping mission in Georgia.

He says that Georgia is ready to receive any structure, except for Russian peacekeepers. He reports Solana as well as the Latvian and Estonian presidents to be ready for the EU to keep peace in ethnic conflicts and believes that the replacement of the Russian peacekeepers by a EU police force is a very serious option. How much does this suit America? Malashkhia says that here America and Europe have similar positions. The conflicts in the Caucasus must be resolved. Quite naturally, the most active here are the Americans, whose military budget and real capacities are much bigger than Europe’s. But instead Europe can contribute to the resolution of the Caucasian conflicts.

This is especially important for Europe as its economic and energy alternatives run via Georgia. And so, the Europeans need stable Georgia. They are the first to need the Asian and Caspian oil and gas as they are very short of it. Malashkhia says that it will be hardly possible to replace the Russians peacekeepers by the European gendarmes within the remaining deadline. One will only have time for withdrawing the Russians.

As regards Abkhazia, the FM is working in different directions. Malakhshia says that the process is developing exactly the way it was expected to several years ago. They are already applying the EU peacekeeping outside the EU borders, and since 2003 in the post-Soviet area, particularly, in Transdnestr. The EU gendarmes seem to be able to successfully keep peace in conflict zones, especially as this is said by as a hugely influential EU official as Solana, notes Malakhshia (Khvalindeli Dge)

The UN Security Council has unanimously extended the mandate of the UN Observers Mission in Abkhazia till Mar 31 2006, reports Rezonansi Feb 4. Earlier UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reported to the SC on his views of the situation in the region and the positions of the sides. He said that in the last months Tbilisi and Sukhumi have started to exchange opinions about joint draft plans on non resumption of war and secure return of refugees. He hopes that this process will be crowned by a Georgian-Abkhazian meeting “on the highest level.”

Annan recommended the SC to extend the mandate of the UN Observers Mission in Georgia till July 31 2006. Why has then Moscow demanded extension for just two months rather than for Annan-proposed half a year? Is Moscow going to turn Abkhazia into Kosovo and is the situation in Abkhazia like the situation in Kosovo? Political scientists Paata Zakareishvili says that by amending the UN SC's decision Russia has shown its strength. The withdrawal of peacekeepers from Tskhinvali is coming up, and Russia has decided to hit Georgia from Abkhazia. Zakareishvili believes that the parliament should not have included both issues in one resolution: the simultaneous opening of two fronts will be used by Russia for manipulations.

Does this mean that in two months the UNOM will leave Abkhazia? Zakareishvili believes that in two months the mandate will be prolonged again for six months — simply Russia wants to show us that we have no chance to neglect its interests. But this is not right: we do have a chance – to carry out a reasonable consistent rather impulsive policy. Zakareishvili believes that our tragedy is our short sight. For example, the direction of the parliament's decision was absolutely right, but its methods and mechanisms absolutely helpless. Russia is capitalizing on our incompetence and has shown once again that it has an influence on the UN and the OSCE.

The key deficiency of our policy is, according to Zakareishvili, that we want to influence Abkhazia from outside. “We should not think that we have all things settled with Abkhazia and now should speak with Russia. We first of all should speak directly with Abkhazians and Ossetians and thereby neutralize Russia's influence on them,” says Zakareishvili. Russia is taking advantage of our reluctance to regard Abkhazians and Ossetians as a party to talks. And by this policy we are well playing into Russia's hands. How dangerous are Putin's statements on Kosovo?

If all this grows into a process we will face additional problems, especially given the lack of effective policy, says Zakareishvili. But the Kosovo problem is not yet resolved and the question is just about giving Kosovo a relatively high level of federate system. Nothing is said about independence. Abkhazians are still in minority. Besides they lack the key trump — they are not backed by an ethno-cultural state. Backing Karabakh is Armenia, Northern Cyprus — Turkey, Kosovo — Albania. “Backing Abkhazia is just imperial Russia who does not care for the Abkhazians themselves. It clearly showed this during the de facto Abkhazian elections. And it is giving them passports exactly to have them assimilated. We should well analyze these factors,” says Zakareishvili. (Rezonansi)

“Goals and tasks of Georgia's foreign policy”

The Georgian authorities are drafting a foreign political guideline for 2006-2009, reports 24 Saati Feb 1. Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili says that the FM will shortly — probably by late Feb — finish a strategic document “Goals and Tasks of Georgia's Foreign Policy.” Bezhuashvili says that already finished is a guideline specifying the FM's priorities and tasks in 2006, which come from the country's key security principles.

The key foreign political priority, according to the document, is to consolidate the international support for restoring Georgia's territorial integrity. Other priorities are to peacefully settle conflicts and to consistently implement peace initiatives as well as to join NATO and the EU. In 2006 Georgia is planning to successfully finish its NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan and to start NATO Membership Action Plan. Also a priority is integration into the EU, says Bezhuashvili.

He says that in 2006 the country will also finish its work on the EU New Neighbors action plan to sign it at the end of the year. The nearest goal of Georgia's foreign policy will be to ensure economic security, to foster economic development, to attract investments, to encourage export, to deepen regional and international economic cooperation. Besides, the FM will continue its work to ensure the country's energy independence and security. Naturally, to achieve this, the authorities will have to develop and improve their diplomatic structures. Bezhuashvili says that by reinforcing democratic institutions inside and outside the country, by enhancing Georgia's role as a democratic state in the post-Soviet area, by protecting and strengthening democratic values inside and outside the region — by all this — we will improve our management and our human resources and will put our ministry in line with the present realities, says Bezhuashvili. (24 Saati)

Giorgy Zhvania: there was no gas poisoning

A year has passed since the death of Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, a death that shocked everybody in Georgia, says Akhali 7 Dge Feb 3, but many still doubt the official version of it, announced by Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. Zhvania was not yet buried that there already were quite contrary versions. “Some people actually believed then that for the sake of ‘democracy’ and ‘justice’ the revolutionary authorities would not spare themselves to find out how the premier had actually died, especially as also concerned was the FBI. But what actually happened is still unknown, the investigation is still searching for facts to prove Merabishvili's version.”

Zhvania's family is displeased and has no hopes to learn the truth under the present regime," says the daily. The opposition does not believe the official version either. The leader of the Right Opposition party, MP Pikria Chikhradze, who knew Zhvania when the national movement was just rising, says that for many years Zhvania was one of the most influential politicians in the country. He was not just the leader of his team, but a mover, whatever this word might mean. After the revolution he was reckoned as an authority people saw sense in talking with. And they in Saakashvili's team always feared lest Zhvania might gradually get stronger. There was a constant rivalry between those two leaders: Zhvania feared that Saakashvili's team would try to push him aside.

Zhvania was a big figure in the government. For the world community he was always bigger than Saakashvili. Zhvania's death and all the following secrecy over it have shattered the reputation of Saakashvili's revolutionary regime in the eyes of the world, says Chikhradze. In fact, there is still nobody to replace Zhvania, nobody to play his role, says Chikhradze. Zhvania's brother Giorgy Zhvania says that the inquiry into his brother's death is as passive today as it was a year before. They are neglecting plenty of facts, they are reacting to nothing at all. Quite the opposite, they are trying to cover up the facts and to forge the evidence. Giorgy Zhvania is sure that the investigators are being pressured by influenced people.

They are not cooperating with Zhvania's family even though it has quite interesting thoughts. Giorgy Zhvania says that he has no hope for the truth to be discovered under the present regime. But there is evidence, and in due time a spade will be called a spade. And a lot of evidence at that: there was no finger-prints of the dead in the flat they were found in, the cigar butts were dubious… The FBI findings are also interesting. Giorgy Zhvania says that it is a very interesting and important document — except for some “no objections” to the official version, the whole of it says that: there was no gas poisoning at all. Too much lie by the testifiers, too many strange actions by the guards, notes the daily. Giorgy Zhvania is deliberately silent about some things — for he has noticed that whatever is made public is then forged by the investigation. Today the whole state machinery is working to hush up the crime, says Giorgy Zhvania.

He says that some people from Zhvania's team are obviously supporting and controlling the inquiry, but he will not name them not to make problems for them. (Akhali 7 Dge)