Press Digest 01.07.2014
The Ministry of Economy starts selling land
Georgian Military Servants in Central Africa
Look at the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine through the eyes of Georgian soldier who grew up in Ukraine
Mr. Akhvlediani will also be summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office soon
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The Ministry of Economy starts selling land
"The Ministry of Economy has reinvigorated the process of selling agricultural land. The verdict from the Constitutional Court about abrogating the moratorium on selling land to foreigners and the decision from the Ministry coincided with each other in a rather “strange way.” The “Business-Rezonansi” gazette has obtained exclusive information as per which as many as 172 thousand hectares of agricultural land has been offered for sale. The price of a hectare hits 625 GEL. Apparently, foreigners try not to miss such a useful opportunity; they grasp this fertile land in the blink of an eye. And as the present status quo strongly suggests, before the Parliament passes a land management law, thousands of hectares of our land will fall in the hands of foreigners. At the end of 2012, after the Georgian Dream took the helm of the country, they decided to stall the process of privatizing Georgian land until a land code could be elaborated. The Minister of Economy, Dimitri Kumsishvili persistently asserted that the land privatization issue would not be discussed until the enactment of the Land Code,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.
“As they now claim within the National Agency of State treasury, the state-owned agricultural land has already been registered by the Government. “We are getting involved in active cooperation to prevent them from privatizing the land of private owners as well as that of the locals. For this purpose, we are exchanging information with different state agencies as well as local municipalities. Before their legal owners are entitled to run their land, they will be subjected to a thorough looking-over and this process obviously will help the owners in safeguarding their legal rights and interests,” reads the statement from the agency.
"As the Parliament’s Committee Chairperson Zurab Tkhemaladze informs, they will follow through with elaboration of the Land Code as well as other legislations by the end of the year. As it appears, the project has not even been drawn up yet; however, this has not thwarted the Ministry of Economy in reversing its decision by kicking off the land privatization process. Reportedly, the land privatization process was reinvigorated from May, 2014. At this point in time, as many as 187 hectares of agricultural land has been alienated. On top of that, 66 hectares of pasture land has been under a lease. As they claim within the agency, land auctions will also be declared eventually. The price of a hectare of agricultural land runs up to 625 GEL,” the article says.
“Reportedly, after the land privatization process was reinvigorated, the Constitutional Court accepted the lawsuit of an Australian citizen, Mathew Huter, and has declared the moratorium on purchasing our agricultural land by foreigners as unconstitutional. “I want to pass all necessary information on to our people, to our farmers and each and every Georgian that these foreigners, an Indian enterpriser, for instance, can get hold of our land by paying an extremely cheap price. And this will finally immensely wither us, Georgians. I do emphasize our legislation in this direction is to be amended to the core. The Inter Agency Commission that was to tackle this paramount issue has been formed, however, the Constitutional Court has hindered it from accomplishing its responsibilities by making this irrational decision,” declared Zurab Tkhemaladze.
Georgian Military Servants in Central Africa
Look at the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine through the eyes of Georgian soldier who grew up in Ukraine
"Georgia’s armed forces have been involved in the EU-led peacekeeping mission. The military servants of Batumi’s separate light infantry battalion have already left Georgia for Africa...After making an arduous effort, we managed to contact with one of the military servants – who gave us interesting information regarding the situation in Africa -- via social network,” reports military-analytical journal Arsenali.
“We have been carrying out peacekeeping mission in the City of Bang. Climate here is terrible. Georgians have found it extremely difficult to adapt themselves to this enervating heat. As far as we are concerned, Christians and Muslims have countered each other here; however, Christians and Muslims of this land are far cry from the followers of the two religions you have known thus far. These people have been stuck in the bygone days and have remained committed to the customs and rites having been passed upon them from their ancestors. Here Muslims slaughter Christians and their religion lets them perform this terrible deed; likewise, Christians kill Muslims in a brutal manner. And believe it or not, both parties deem themselves to be pious. And most importantly, they have also preserved the practice of eating people. I hope that we will not serve as their nourishment one day. Certainly, I am joking but we must really take all precaution to keep our operation running smoothly,” declares a Georgian serviceman.
"As they say, the French military servants -- who have accumulated a vast experience in communicating with the locals -- will supervise us. Peacekeeping operation Sangaris – this is the name of the mission the most significant portion of which is to be executed by the French servicemen… I have been twice in Afghanistan and I can boldly state that absolutely different kinds of threats were posed to us there. Do you think Cannibals are less dangerous than Taliban? And unlike the locals of Afghanistan, these people are much more developed. That is why I can say that we are running incredible risks in this region. Like Afghans, their interest towards ammunition is immensely great. Even 12 and 13 year-old infants carry guns here. If in Afghanistan people were enveloped in clothes from head to toe, on this land they run naked; their entire body is graced with different jewels though. These people are rather smart, intrepid and heedful. And you know that a smart enemy is not more difficult to defeat than harebrained,” announces the Georgian military servant and adds:
“An active communication with the locals would enable us to study the situation here thoroughly; however, we have not enjoyed this opportunity thus far. One thing is clear even now though – these people cannot be defined as aggressive; they are on good terms with the head of the military base of France … Our remuneration here is higher than in Afghanistan… this mission in Africa is also planned to last for six months time,” concludes the respondent.
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"The former soldier of the Ukraine’s military-naval forces training detachment, a 25-year-old Ramin Daraselia is a citizen of Ukraine and has served in Ukraine’s army. Having received military education, he entered into a contract with the Defense Ministry,” reports military-analytical journal Arsenali in the article under the title a Georgian serviceman of Ukraine’s army.
"I was two years-old when I arrived to Ukraine, city of Kharkov. I am a refugee from Abkhazia. Unfortunately, I don’t remember this place; I have seen only its photos via net. Georgia is my homeland; however Ukraine is my native land too. I have spent my childhood here, and these people have always been there for me. Before the relations with Russia became immensely tensed, I thought that Ukrainians were totally apolitical people. I have been bitterly mistaken though. Patriotism is bread in these people’s bones,” asserts Ramin Daraselia.
“An x-number of Russian servicemen has served along with me. And they were ubiquitous … I have recently signed a second contract and the war broke out soon. As soon as the war was launched, Russian soldiers vanished without trace. We have not hobnobbed with each other, however, when Ukraine was thrown into disarray, one of those Russian soldiers wrote to me via net that they were immensely concerned with the fact that we refused to stand by them. To his remark, I responded that they themselves know perfectly well that conditions in the Russian army cannot really be defined as enviable or at least satisfactory … You know they always suffer from malnutrition; they even lack normal clothes and ammunition. The Russian soldiers are faced with a number of other problems too. .. As my family members informed me, Russia’s banners have been hoisted over their houses; they, in fact, have been hoisted throughout entire Ukraine. Despite this, Ukrainians have refused to leave their flats – they have remained even in those districts where Russians outnumber them. Even today, the two people are being involved in fisticuffs. Recently, these savages have devastated a store … As for my Russian friends, as I have already told you, one beautiful day they have “evaporated” without trace… As we learned later, they have simply moved to those military units that are being controlled by Russia. This is immensely bad; this is characteristic of a war though; they have viewed Ukraine as their homeland.
To the question if the allegation which has been spread in the Russian forums an which says that Ukrainian army has been demoralized ring true, the Georgian serviceman answers:
“This information war is launched by Russian, and it is credible for Russians only. However, I cannot hide the fact that in those areas where Russian soldiers exceeded Ukrainians in number, Ukrainians have surrendered without a fight. It cannot be said regarding all of them though. Ukrainian army has professional military servants in their ranks. These people will fight till their last breath… Simply have a look at ordinary Ukrainians, the people who have always provided us with their backing and who have always picked us up. How can we betray them? How can we leave them alone? As for the fact that we have found it difficult to fight against Russians … Our motivation is at least higher than that of Russians. I cannot take the lid off everything and give away every detail, however, when things wind down, many interesting facts will leak in terms of “undefeatable Russian army”,” concludes the respondent.
Mr. Akhvlediani will also be summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office soon
In 2005, when I served within the Assembly, I personally met with the Hebrew businessmen and led them to Georgia. The same year, a presentation was held, and in 2007, Mr. Ugulava and Mamuka Akhvlediani met with the representatives of the Jewish Company and assisted them in winning the tender. Then Ugulava and Akhvlediani talked the businessmen round to granting them the company’s shares. In a nutshell, they drafted a contract that served their interests. In fact, City Park was the Nationals’ “vicious hole.”For instance, during the elections of 2012, this company financed Giga Nasaridze’s clips aiming to defame Bidzina Ivanishvili and his party. Ugulava has held a corrupt tender thanks to which he got hold of Tbilisi’s budget. I was strongly determined to perform actual deeds and in this way tackle the problems of the city; they got rid of me though. This band of criminals was permanently on the make, and in order to channel astronomical sums into their plus-size pant pockets, they have amended the contract several times,” states Koba Bekauri in his interview with the Alia gazette.
“What could I have achieved by sounding alerts over the issue until 2012. “King” Gigi Ugulava presided over the city then. The investigators have looked into this case, and now I have given testimony to the court as a prime witness. Ugulava has replaced my Jewish Company with a new organization that he registered in 2010. They have inured tender conditions to the contract and started making money. They registered another company in the Virgin islands too,” maintains Mr. Bekauri.
“They must have dissipated astronomical funds and the investigators will find out everything. I am simply one of the witnesses. Their performed misdeeds, their move to forge contracts and change agreements can really not be defined as a nonissue. The investigation is underway and the truth will emerge soon,” claims the respondent.
“Mamuka Akhvlediani haunted Israel each week to make the Hebrews accept his conditions. These people have directly told me that they aimed to sideline me. A relative of Akhvlediani’s spouse serves as chief manager there. The Prosecutor’s Office is also expected to summon Mr. Akhvlediani soon. Everything has its end and Ugulava’s voyages will also be wrapped up in the short run. He will definitely be given his due for appropriating astronomical financial resources from the city’s budget and for plundering his own people,” announces Koba Bekauri.
