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Luke Terpstra

Georgia, Russia may continue WTO talks in April : Ukraine News by UNIAN - 0 views

  • Georgian-Russian talks on Russia`s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) could continue in April, a spokesman for the Georgian government said Friday
  • The talks resumed on Thursday in Switzerland after being suspended for almost three years following Russia`s decision to lift economic sanctions against Georgia`s breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Os
  • setia in April 2008
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  • Russia has been in membership talks with the 153-nation WTO for 17 years and remains the only major economy still outside it.
  • However, Georgia says it will not allow Russia to join the global free trade club unless it cedes control of customs in the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
  • U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Washington supported Russia`s WTO bid and had tried to talk Georgia out of blocking Russia`s accession,
  • Georgia severed diplomatic relations with Russia in August 2008 when Moscow recognized the independence of the two former Georgian republics following a five-day war, which started when Georgia attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control.
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    "Georgia, Russia may continue WTO talks in April." Russia Information Agency 11 Mar. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2011. . Summary: Georgia is denying Russia it's membership into the WTO because of it's fight with russia. They wish to get a deal with russia by blackmailing them into giving back what Georgia lost in the 2008-present fight with Russia, and plans to use this as a bargaining chip. Most of the current members of the WTO do not like this and asked Russia a Georgia to settle it quickly so as to make Russia a member. Reflection: I think Georgia should use what ever tool of pursuasion they can against Russia. Russia had no business in Georgia from the start, and do not deserve anything in return but retribution. The people of Georgia have endured Russian opression for decades, and deserve a full withdrawl of russian troops from their land. It almost seems as if Russia is still hostile to it's former satilite nations, and as if none care for them, the world turns a blind eye and trades their freedom for oil, and other goods. The sattilite nations of the former soviet union are not completely washed away from these countries, and a lot of them are communist nations with a bad economy. Questions: 1. Why are the former soviet break-away nations so similar in the form of government and economic status as Russia? 2. Does Russia still play a big role in these countries? If so, how? 3. Does Georgia give a good mirror example for the american revolution? explain?
Won Geun Jung

South Ossetia News - Breaking World South Ossetia News - The New York Times - 1 views

  • South Ossetia is a small enclave in the Caucasus Mountains that falls within the borders of Georgia but has been all but independent
  • Whatever vestige of control Georgia had it lost in a short war in August 2008, in which its forces were routed by Russian troops. Afterward, it was recognized by Russia as a sovereign nation, a designation not supported by most of the rest of the international community.
  • Russia has supported South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, as quasi-satellites since the wars in the 1990s ended in stalemates.
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  • In 2005 Georgia's president, Mikheil Saakashvili offered significant autonomy and economic development to South Ossetia if it renounced independence. South Ossetia's president rejected the plan "developed by a neighboring country'' sight unseen. Mr. Saakashvili had made national reunification a centerpiece of his administration.
  • In 2008, tensions between Georgia and Russia rose steadily and during the summer artillery fire was exchanged across the South Ossetian border.
  • In the event, a massive Russian invasion soon followed, and the Georgians were not only driven from Tskhinvali, but lost control of the approaches to Abkhazia and, for a time, large swaths of its own northern territory.
  • Russians saw the attack on Tskhinvali, which they call by its Ossetian name, Tskhinval, as a watershed moment akin to the Sept. 11 attacks, and aid pledges flooded in.
  • But reconstruction has proceeded slowly in this patch of rural land that had a prewar population of 70,000. A report released in December by Russia's federal auditing agency found that of about $55 million in priority aid pledged by Russia, only about $15 million had been delivered and only $1.4 million spent. It also found that of 111 structures scheduled for renovation by the end of 2008, 8 had been completed and 38 had not yet been touched.
  • On July 14, 2009, the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, made a surprise visit to breakaway South Ossetia, inspecting a new Russian military base there and promising citizens that Russia would rebuild neighborhoods destroyed during the brief war between Russia and Georgia.
  • The visit, coming just after President Obama's visit to Moscow, underscored Russian support and the gulf that remained between it and the United States over the breakaway republics. The "reset" of relations has sidestepped the issue of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
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    South Ossetia News - Breaking World South Ossetia News - The New York Times http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/georgia/south_ossetia/index.html?scp=10&sq=south&st=cse Summary: South Ossetia is a small enclave in the Caucasus Mountains that falls within the borders of Georgia but has been all but independent.  Since 1990, South Ossetia and the rest of the regions declared independence from Georgia, and Russia were supported them.  In 2005, Georgia's president Mikhail Saakashvili would support them if it renounced independence but South Ossetia's president rejected.  Then in 2008, Georgia and Russia had a short war and their regions was invaded.  Then Russia pledged that they will support South Ossetia but the reconstruction has proceeded slowly.  In 2009, Russia president visited to South Ossetia after President Obama visited to Russia.  South Ossetia will be sidestepped by Russia and U.S. Reflection:  I think that South Ossetia and the other regions were really dangerous places between Russia and Georgia.  Also, this relationship between Russia and US would be affected because of Russia's president's visit.  If Russia really want to help South Ossetia, then they have to help the reconstruction of South Ossetia and the other parts which was invaded. Question:1) Why Georgia's president helped their economic problems and why South Ossetia's president rejected.                 2) Why Russia president surprise visit to South Ossetia?                 3) Why Russia did not help South Ossetia's reconstruction?
Luke Terpstra

Georgia Blames Border Shootout on Russian-Fueled 'Criminality' - Bloomberg - 0 views

  • Georgia said Russia’s support for “black holes of criminality” in the country’s two disputed provinces led to a clash that killed a Russian border guard last week.
  • The shootout in the breakaway region of Abkhazia on April 8 killed one Russian border guard and two Georgians, one of whom was a wanted criminal
  • Russia routed Georgia’s army in a five-day war in August 2008 over South Ossetia, another breakaway region in the Black Sea nation. Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states after the conflict and agreed to defend their borders.
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  • The local Abkhaz prosecutor’s office opened a criminal case for terrorism, Russia’s state-run news service RIA Novosti reported on April 8, adding that the two killed Georgians were members of the Interior Ministry’s special forces.
  • Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s government continues to claim sovereignty over the regions and says Russia has occupied them.
  • The Georgian Foreign Ministry said shootouts between the Russian forces and criminals over the division of spheres of influence and money have become a fact of life in the two regions.
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    Bedwell, Helen. "Georgia Blames Border Shootout on Russian-Fueled 'Criminality'." Bloomberg News 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .  Summary:  Georgia is claiming that Russia's melting pots of crime led to the deaths of a Russian border guard and two Georgians. This happened on April 8th in Abkhazia. The prosecutor's office in the local Abkhaz area opened up a case on terrorism for the incident, but Russia said the two Georgians that were killed were members of the Ministry of the Interior's special forces.   Reflections:  I think they are both still hot-headed countries, and need to reach a peace. What I mean is a peace that will last, and is imprinted in their minds. If they do not do this, things like this will keep on happening.  Questions:  1. Why do you think Georgia & Russia still show quite a bit of hostilities towards each other?  2. Out of the two countries, is one country in particular at fault for the conflict? Why or Why not?  3. When do you think a permanent resolution to this conflict will come? For how long will it last, if not permanent?
Luke Terpstra

Georgia names Russia enemy number one: Voice of Russia - 0 views

  • Georgia has unveiled its new national security strategy, declaring Russia its major enemy. 
  • Actually, there seems to be nothing new about the document. The Saakashvili regime has just stopped beating around the bush
  • After the 2008 conflict when Georgia invaded its breakaway republic of South Ossetia and Russia sent its troops there to protect the local population, as well as that of neighboring Abkhazia, official Tbilisi has made its choice.
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  • It was already clear in 2006
  • And it has become absolutely evident by now that Tbilisi is ready to officially put Russia on its blacklist."
  • The document was submitted to parliament, inviting parties to deliver their take on the problem of national security
  • It is clear, however, that the president will get the document he wants.
  • In case he decides to launch another military campaign, he will use this document as justification.
  • Vladimir Zharikhin explained to the VOR what stands behind the newly unveiled national security strategy:"By designating Russia its major enemy, Georgia has actually unveiled its plans for revenge. And all promises it has made to the EU, primarily about the non-application of force to restore its territorial integrity, no longer sound truthful."
  • At the latest UN Human Rights Council session, Georgia was criticized for a lack of independence of its judiciary system, suppression of the opposition and journalists, as well as Georgian nationalism and anti-Russian propaganda.
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    Vatutin, Alexander. "Georgia names Russia enemy number one." Voice of Russia (2011): n. pag. Web. 17 Feb 2011.   Summary:       Georgia is officially declaring Russia an enemy of state. They have an official document in the works and it seems there is nothing stoping it's passage through Georgia's parliment. Russia is saying that Georgia has always been this way and claims that it has always known this.       My big thing is why would Russia need to go out and state that they already knew it. If you would think about it from both sides, I'm sure you could come up with a lot of different stuff. But one thing is for sure it is the agressivness of both sides that got them in this fist fight. If after the civil war they did lots of peace talks and negotiations they might be friends by now.  Questions:  1. What caused the hurt between the two countries?  2. Why is Russia not giving Georgia its space?  3. What does this mean for peace talks?
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