First it was wine. Then it was mineral water. Russia's punitive moves to cut off imports of Georgian products have policymakers in Tbilisi thinking about withdrawing the country from the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Initial reports of bird flu in the Georgian Black Sea region of Ajara have prompted officials in Tbilisi to introduce a nationwide ban on live poultry sales and to impose a state of emergency in the infected area. While officials maintain that the situation is under control, opposition politicians are complaining that the measures taken could undermine the local economy.
The publication of two human rights reports and recent riots at two Georgian prisons have underscored the ongoing crisis facing Georgia's crumbling penitentiary system. Despite the criticism, the government maintains that it has made progress on penal reform.
A court in Tbilisi on January 11 sentenced Vladimir Arutunian to life in prison for attempting to assassinate US President George W. Bush during the American leader's May 2005 visit to Georgia. The US embassy in Tbilisi has expressed satisfaction with the sentence, saying that it is "gratified to see the rule of law upheld."
In a surprise visit to Georgia on November 19, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili for the accomplishments his administration has achieved in a "relatively short" period of time. Annan also reiterated that the UN will sustain its efforts to achieve a lasting peace settlement in the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
The recent dismissal of Georgia's foreign minister, Salome Zourabichvili, represented the most significant cabinet crisis since the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania in February. Since her departure from office, Zourabichvili has been outspoken about the current state of politics in Georgia.
As US President George W. Bush prepares to visit Georgia in early May, the Georgian government's civil rights record is coming under scrutiny. Recent developments concerning Georgia's rights climate have dented the image of President Mikheil Saakashvili's administration in Tbilisi.
Two weeks after the death of Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania, Georgia's parliament has voted in a new cabinet that pledges to make economic recovery its top priority. The new prime minister, Zurab Noghaideli, indicated that the government's immediate challenge would be reducing unemployment.
The expansion of a US military assistance program in Georgia, along with Washington's promise to assist the Georgian government with the cost of closing down two Russian military bases in the country, could provide President Mikheil Saakashvili administration with a much-needed boost as it promotes the country's integration into the Western security framework.
