On November 16, Georgian media reported that Ossetian checkpoints at the Georgian village of Perevi were placed under Russian command. According to Shota Utiashvili, a spokesperson for the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the return of Russian forces occurred after EU representatives urged Moscow to take action to foster stability in Perevi.
When Russian forces occupied South Ossetia in August, a two-year initative by Tbilisi to win back the hearts and minds of Ossetians seemed to collapse instantaneously. The primary instrument in those efforts was the Tbilisi-backed administration of Dmitri Sanakoyev, who claimed authority over mainly Georgian-populated pockets of the separatist-minded territory.
The US government has announced multi-million-dollar loans to four Georgian businesses as a part of its "clear and unequivocal signal" of support for Georgia's reconstruction. Among the loans is a potential $30 million credit to a real estate development firm that plans to build a Hyatt Hotel in Tbilisi.
The list of former lieutenants who are rising to challenge President Mikheil Saakashvili keeps growing in Georgia. Former Georgian prime minister Zurab Noghaideli seems set to become the latest high-profile politician to announce the establishment of an opposition party.
The Georgian government is counting on an October 22 donor conference in Brussels to provide billions of dollars to keep the country's economy afloat following its August war with Russia. While the European Union and the United States have already announced major aid packages for Georgia, some observers believe the money will not be enough to stop the country's economic slide.
The Georgian government is counting on an October 22 donor conference in Brussels to provide billions of dollars to keep the country's economy afloat following its August war with Russia. While the European Union and the United States have already announced major aid packages for Georgia, some observers believe the money will not be enough to stop the country's economic slide.
European diplomats are downplaying the failure of October 15 peace talks between Russia and Georgia. But Georgian observers believe there is little hope that Tbilisi and Moscow can resolve their problems anytime soon.
Georgian villagers are slowly returning home in the wake of the Russian army's withdrawal from checkpoints in the so-called "buffer zone" outside breakaway South Ossetia. While most are happy to be back, the hard reality of rebuilding their lives in time for winter is daunting.
Georgian political experts and politicians are applauding the adoption of a resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe concerning Russia's August incursion into Georgia.
