Veteran energy ministry official Igor Kiriushin (59) is accused of embezzlement of over 2 billion hryvnia. (Kievgrad.) TBILISI, DFWatch–An ally of the exiled former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich has been detained in Tbilisi by Interpol on suspicion of corruption. Igor Kiriushin (59), a veteran official at the Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy, was detained at Tbilisi airport on Saturday […]
Zurab Adeishvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili, who has been wanted for more than a year and is subject to an Interpol Red Alert, was recently spotted in Ukraine. The Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office has now asked the Ukrainian government […]
Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The de facto South Ossetian government on June 18 recognized the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic. The Lugansk republic, comprising a land area in the southeast of Ukraine, was established on April 27 after a referendum held on May 11. […]
Kakha Bendukidze, a former economy minister for Saakashvili, will be adviser for Petro Poroshenko’s new economy council. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is not to advise the new Ukrainian government, but his economy minister, Kakha Bendukidze, confirms that he has been appointed as an adviser to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko. […]
Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Speculation that the new Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, might hire former Georgian leader Mikheil Saakashvili as an advisor, is cheered by the latter’s supporters in Tbilisi. It has not been possible for DF Watch to confirm a claim […]
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is to start a center for the study of reforms in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Saakashvili, who is currently in Kiev, said in an interview with a TV channel there that he wants to share his experiences […]
EU leaders will sign treaties with Georgia and Moldova no later than June 2014, Barroso wrote on Twitter. (Official photo.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The European Council accelerates the process of signing association agreements with two former Soviet republics, Georgia and Moldova. The move comes amid an escalating crisis in Ukraine, where there is a threat of unrest spreading in the eastern […]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Supporters and opponents of the referendum in Crimea clashed in Tbilisi Sunday. A group called “Eurasian Choice” tried to hold a demonstration on Cholokashvili Street in front of the old Russian embassy building at 15:00, but were pushed away […]
Alexandra Hall Hall is Britain’s Ambassador to Georgia. A choice isn’t a choice when it is made with a gun to your head. Yet on Sunday, the people of Crimea will be asked to make an impossible choice: to vote to become subjugated by Russia; or to vote for independence – with no guarantee that Russia will show any more […]
Sergey Bezrukov. (Kremlin.ru.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A theater play featuring Russian actor Sergei Bezrukov has been canceled in Tbilisi, because of his support for Russia’s policy toward Crimea. The background is a petition signed by artists living and working in Russia who support President Putin’s […]
Defense Minister Irakli Alasania with Georgian soldiers. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia may move one step closer to joining NATO as a result of the Ukraine crisis. If Russia annexes Crimea, NATO will offer Georgia a Membership Action Plan (MAP), Russian daily Kommersant reported on Tuesday. The paper based its report on sources […]
Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili said the debate about the Ukraine resolution was one of his most difficult days in parliament. TBILISI, DFWatch–Parliament in Georgia Wednesday passed a resolution condemning Russia’s deployment of military forces in Crimea, which it says is a threat to all of Europe. The resolution says Georgia became a victim of Russian military aggression in the war in 2008, […]
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili claims former President Mikheil Saakashvili is being used as an adviser by the new interim authorities in Ukraine. Appearing on a TV show Wednesday evening, he warned Ukrainian leaders not to trust the […]
President of Turkey Abdullah Gül. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The presidents of Georgia and Turkey have spoken on phone about the latest events in Ukraine. President of Turkey, Abdullah Gül, and the Georgian President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, underlined the importance of supporting the territorial integrity […]
Georgia’s Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s defense and foreign ministers on Monday spoke by phone with Ukraine’s acting defense and foreign ministers. In the phone conversation, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze expressed deep concern about the events taking place […]
Laurent Fabius (left) and Frank-Walter Steinmeier when they announced the trip in January. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The foreign ministers of France and Germany and an EU commissioner have postponed their visits to Georgia due to the latest developments in Ukraine. EU Commissioner Stefan Fule should have visited Georgia on Monday while Laurent Fabius and Frank […]
The demonstration started outside Ukraine’s embassy and continued across the street at the former Russian embassy. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people demonstrated in support of Ukraine on Sunday outside the Ukrainian embassy in Tbilisi. Some came carrying Ukrainian flags and some were dressed in yellow and blue. Their posters bore slogans like “Save Ukraine”, “Russia go […]
Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says Russia’s actions in Crimea are a brutal intervention in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state and calls on the international community to not allow a new conflict to escalate in Europe. The Georgian […]
The ones who died in the fighting in Kiev were remembered in Tbilisi on Sunday. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians gathered at the old parliament building in Tbilisi on Sunday to pay tribute to those who died during the recent clashes in Ukraine. Activists also started a campaign to collect money to pay for treatment of those who were wounded. At least […]
Davit Usupashvili, Speaker of Parliament. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The speaker of parliament in Georgia says there are currently no threats against the country. Gubaz Sanikidze, a member of parliament for the Georgian Dream coalition, said Friday that ‘it will be Georgia’s turn after Ukraine’ and begged the […]
Gvantsa Chkhivadze wanted to tell the Georgian president that there is a war for Ukraine, which is also a war for Georgia. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One lone woman demonstrated in support of Ukraine in front of Georgia’s parliament on Friday. Georgians are showing solidarity in a number of ways after the bloodbath in Kiev. Gvantsa Chkhivadze, who represents Movement for Independence and Euro- […]
President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch--Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili says no government has ever been forgiven for using weapons against its own people. Margvelashvili said he was shocked by seeing footage from Thursday's events in Ukraine. “Events are developing in a tragic way in Ukraine, and we are completely shocked by what [...]
(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One more Georgian citizen died in Kiev on February 21. Davit Kipiani, a young National Movement activist, was found dead at Khreshchatnik. His bullet proof vest had two bullet holes after he was hit by a sniper. Mikheil Saakashvili, the former […]
One Georgian is among the 26 who have died in violent clashes in Kiev the last few days. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–One Georgian citizen died in Kiev on February 18 during clashes between activists and Interior Ministry troops. Zurab Khurtsia, 54, was one of 26 people who have died since the violence reignited two days ago. Besik Shamugia, head of the association […]
People gathered in Zugdidi to show support for those Ukrainians who are struggling for closer integration with Europe. (Photo: Odishi.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tens of people Saturday gathered in Zugdidi, a town in western Georgia’s Samegrelo region, to express solidarity with people in Ukraine. The crowd brought with them Ukrainian flags and Georgian flags and posters saying Freedom to Ukraine, Victory is […]
Georgian parliamentarians Thursday expressed concern about the violence in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, as people continued to rally outside the old parliament in Tbilisi to show support. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia on Thursday passed a resolution expressing concern about the use of force against peaceful citizens in Ukraine. 118 representatives voted for, none voted against. The minimum number of votes to pass such a resolution is 60. […]
Several hundred people gathered in front of the old parliament building in Tbilisi Wednesday to show support for Ukraine after the violence in Kiev, (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Wednesday evening, several hundred people demonstrated at the old parliament building in Tbilisi in support of Ukrainians who want integration with Europe. Students, journalists, politicians, artists, singers and others filled the square in front […]
Mikheil Saakashvili addressing the protesters in Kyiv December 7, 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Ukrainian government has barred former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvil from entering the country after he visited the protesters in Kyiv. Saakashvili’s name appears along with 29 Georgians on a list published by the Ukrainian foreign […]
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Tbilisi Wednesday evening in solidarity with the protesters in Ukraine. (DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Hundreds of people demonstrated in the streets of Tbilisi Wednesday to support the protesters in Kyiv. Georgians, as well as Ukrainians living in Georgia, gathered in the evening outside Tbilisi concert hall, waving the flags of Ukraine, EU and Georgia, […]
As parliament expressed full support for Ukraine’s EU integration, there was a street rally to show solidarity with Ukrainians. (DFWatch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The parliament in Georgia Wednesday passed a statement supporting the demonstrations in the Ukrainian capital. “The Georgian parliament declares its complete solidarity with the Ukrainian people in its struggle for freedom of choice. It expresses […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–A physical scuffle broke out in the Georgian parliament on Wednesday. Soso Jachvliani, MP from the Georgian Dream coalition, scolded Giorgi Baramidze from the National Movement. His microphone was switched off. This lead to a physical confrontation […]
Georgians have been gathering every day at the same place since the protests started in Ukraine. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Supporters of the protesters in Ukraine gathered Sunday in Tbilisi to support a mass mobilization in the Ukrainian capital. The gathering outside the former parliament building started at 14:00, the same time as the demonstration in Ukraine. Georgians […]
Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili on Saturday addressed the protesters gathered in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. His speech to the movement which started two weeks ago, when President Viktor Yanukovich refused to sign an Association Agreement with the […]
(DF Watch.) TBILISI, DFWatch–People gathered in Tbilisi again on Tuesday to show support for Ukraine despite the frosty temperatures and cold wind. About 50 people showed up outside the old parliament building carrying Ukrainian flags to express support for the Ukrainian people, […]
TBILISI, DFWatch–Ukrainian opposition MP, Ruslan Koshulinski, who is deputy speaker of parliament, broke off his visit to Georgia due to the protests in Kyiv. Koshulinski visited Georgia in order to attend the sixth session of the parliamentary assembly of GUAM; […]
(Photo: Davit Mikheil Shubladze.) TBILISI, DFWatch–People rallied in Tbilisi again Monday in support of the Ukrainian people. As on Sunday, they gathered in front of the old parliament building, and vowed to continue protesting and also hold support rallies in other parts of Georgia. Participants […]
People rallied outside the old parliament building in Tbilisi to show support for the Ukrainian people. (Photo: Elene Khachapuridze.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tens of people gathered on Sunday in Tbilisi wearing yellow and blue to support people in Ukraine and express solidarity with them after a violent dispersal in Kyiv. “Our Ukrainian friends need support, they mustn’t be alone facing impudent violence,” […]
