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Georgia (South Ossetia)
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Timeline
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2011 30 December
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Law enforcement/Human security: Organisers of a protest against the arrest of supporters of Alla Jioyeva are arrested in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia.
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2011 21 December
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Political developments: The de facto foreign ministry of South Ossetia objects to a US defence authorisation bill requiring the resumption of arms sales to Georgia, saying the law would be responsible for ‘encouraging [Georgian President Mikheil] Saakashvili to a new aggression’.
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2011 19 December
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Political developments: Russian federal construction agency Spetsstroy announces that two towns in Abkhazia and South Ossetia housing Russian troops are 90% complete and will be ready for use in 2012.
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2011 17 December
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Political developments/Foreign relations: The US Senate passes a military spending bill that includes a provision requiring the US to ‘normalise’ military relations with Georgia. Such normalisation would include the sale of weapons, and the bill tasks the Department of Defence with assessing Georgia’s defensive needs.
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2011 14 December
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Political developments: The South Ossetian parliament fails to approve the dismissal of prosecutor general Taymuraz Khugayev and supreme court chairman Atsamaz Bichenov, whose removal was guaranteed under an agreement reached between former president Eduard Kokoity and opposition candidate Alla Jioyeva.
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2011 10 December
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Political developments: South Ossetian president Eduard Kokoity resigns and several of his key officials are dismissed in order to end protests over the region’s contested presidential elections. Opposition candidate Alla Jioyeva cedes her demands to be recognised as president and agrees to run in another presidential vote scheduled for March, but asks that her supporters be included in the interim government led by prime minister Vadim Brovtsev.
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2011 9 December
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Political developments: Opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva proposes a compromise to the disagreement over the presidential elections, wherein she would stop her supporters’ public protests if current leader Eduard Kokoity steps down and acknowledges her as interim president. She would then guarantee the holding of a repeat election.
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2011 8 December
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Political developments: The term of South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity expires, with no one officially slated to take his place.
Foreign relations: The final statement of a NATO foreign ministerial meeting lists Georgia as an ‘aspirant partner’, to which Georgia’s deputy prime minister responds positively and which Russia’s foreign minister criticises.
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2011 6 December
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Armed clashes/Violent incidents: The South Ossetian prosecutor general’s house is fired on by unknown assailants with a grenade launcher.
Political developments: The supreme court upholds its ruling invalidating the results of the 27 November presidential election, in response to an appeal by opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva.
Human security: Supporters of opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva say they are targets of ‘repressions’ by authorities. Two supporters are arrested for illegal possession of arms, but Dzhioyeva says the charges are fabricated.
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2011 5 December
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Foreign relations/Political developments: The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds negatively to the opening of electoral stations in Abkhazia and South Ossetia for Russia’s State Duma (parliamentary) elections.
Political developments: Representatives of opposition candidate Alla Dzhioyeva say her inauguration will be held on 10 December, regardless of whether the supreme court has overturned its annulment of the 27 November elections by then.
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2011 3 December
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Political developments: In discussions with Russian representatives, opposition presidential candidate Alla Dzhioyeva states three demands: that the results of the 27 November elections be recognised; that South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity, the supreme court chairman, and general prosecutor resign; and that political prisoners be released.
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2011 2 December
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Political developments: Supporters of Alla Dzhioyeva plan to collect 10,000 signatures to petition for the resignation of parliament. Leader Eduard Kokoity says Dzhioyeva should be allowed to run in the election rescheduled for 25 March, which Dzhioyeva says she will not do.
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2011 1 December
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Political developments: Alla Dzhioyeva has told her supporters, who have gathered in Tskhinvali’s main square, to go home while she continues talks with South Ossetian government officials. Special forces (OMON) brought armoured vehicles to the city centre to monitor the protests. Dzhioyeva asked that South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity recognise her as the election winner by the end of the day, which Kokoity refused to do.
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2011 30 November
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Political developments: Former education minister Alla Dzhioyeva declares herself president, contradicting the supreme court ruling invalidating the results of the run-off election. Dzhioyeva sets up a ten-person government council, which she says ‘will operate until a legitimate government is formed’.
Foreign relations/Political developments: Russia recognises the annulment of South Ossetia’s presidential run-off election. Alla Dzhioyeva, who has declared herself the winner of the election, meets with Russian officials in Tskhinvali and sends an open letter of appeal to Russian president Dmitri Medvedev.
Civil unrest: An estimated 700 to 1,000 protestors have gathered in Tskhinvali’s main square to support Alla Dzhioyeva and demand official election results be published. South Ossetian security services fire warning shots at protestors, who a government source says were trying to force entry into the central election commission’s headquarters. No injuries are reported.
Military developments/Foreign relations: Georgia announces it will cease its commitments under the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) as regards Russia. Georgia will no longer provide military-related information to Russia in the CFE’s annual exchange and will not accept Russian inspections of Georgian military facilities.
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2011 29 November
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Political developments: The South Ossetian supreme court annuls the run-off vote for the presidential elections, after the ruling Unity party files complaints alleging violations. A new election is scheduled for 25 March, in which former education minister Alla Dzhioyeva is barred from participating. The official outcome of the run-off poll remains unannounced.
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2011 28 November
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Political developments: The central election commission announces that former education minister Alla Dzhioyeva received 56.74% of the run-off vote with 74 of 85 districts counted, with opponent Anatoly Bibilov receiving 40%. Bibilov claims he has a 7% lead over Dzhioyeva.
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2011 27 November
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Political developments: South Ossetia holds a run-off vote for its presidential elections. Election observers, including some from the Russian State Duma, declare the vote to be free, fair and transparent, with no violations.
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2011 26 November
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Human security: According to Caucasian Knot (Kavkazsky Uzel), the chair of South Ossetia’s central election committee received death threats against her and her family regarding the upcoming run-off vote for the presidential election.
Economic developments/Foreign relations: The South Ossetian parliament ratifies an agreement with Russia on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs issues.
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2011 23 November
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Political developments/Foreign relations: A Swiss company, SGS, is commissioned with monitoring of cargo at the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, under an agreement reached between Georgia and Russia for the latter’s accession to the WTO.
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2011 17 November
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Political developments/Foreign relations: The European parliament adopts a resolution calling on the EU to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia as ‘occupied territories’.
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2011 16 November
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Political developments/Foreign relations: EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton visits Tbilisi. According to Georgian press, the EU and Georgia will soon begin talks on visa-free travel and free trade agreements.
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2011 13 November
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Political developments: South Ossetia’s presidential elections see 99.5% voter turnout, but do not produce a clear winner; a run-off election between emergency situations minister Anatoly Bibilov (24.9%) and former education minister Alla Jioyeva (24.8%) is scheduled for 27 November. Georgia, the US and the EU do not recognise the elections. A referendum to make Russian an official language of South Ossetia passes.
Human security: During the day of presidential elections in South Ossetia, the Akhalgori crossing point on the administrative boundary line (ABL) is closed to those seeking to enter the region.
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2011 9 November
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Georgia and Russia sign an agreement on the latter’s accession to the WTO. The agreement allows for a private company, who reports to Switzerland, to monitor cargo transport across the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
In his visit to Tbilisi, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says Georgia has come ‘a lot closer’ to joining the organisation, but that it still needs to make more progress in numerous areas.
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2011 3 November
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Political developments: Responding to reports about Georgia’s and Russia’s agreement over the latter’s WTO accession, leader Eduard Kokoity says South Ossetia will not allow international observers to monitor its borders.
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2011 3 November
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Georgian officials decline to confirm reports that Russia and Georgia have reached an agreement on the former’s accession to the WTO. Georgia’s deputy foreign minister says talks with Russia are still ongoing. However, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says the agreement is a ‘diplomatic victory’.
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2011 2 November
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Russia and Georgia reach a bilateral agreement for Russia’s WTO accession. The agreement allows for monitoring by neutral actors of cargo transport from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, according to the Georgian deputy foreign minister.
Political developments/Military developments: The Georgian foreign ministry expresses concern over Russia’s new military deployments in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. According to the Ministry’s website, the Russian military has deployed new T-90A tanks in Abkhazia.
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2011 31 October
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Russia has responded to Georgia’s proposal for an agreement on the former’s WTO accession, asking for only ‘minor changes to the wording’ of the compromise.
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2011 27 October
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Georgia’s negotiator at the Swiss-mediated talks for Russia’s WTO accession says that Georgia has accepted a final compromise proposed by the Swiss. According to the Georgian negotiator, the compromise proposal still includes provisions for international monitoring of and electronic data exchange regarding trade in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia’s negotiator says he will respond to the proposal in the coming week.
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2011 21 October
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Political developments/Foreign relations: The latest round of talks between Russia and Georgia on the former’s WTO accession end with no agreement. Talks will resume in the coming week.
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2011 20 October
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Foreign relations: In an open letter sent to US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, US Senators Roy Blunt and James Inhofe say the US should reconsider its support for Russia’s WTO accession, since this could ‘be considered tantamount to international ratification of a new border arrangement’.
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2011 19 October
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Military developments/Foreign relations: The parliament of South Ossetia ratifies a military agreement with Russia, allowing Russia to build, use and improve military bases in South Ossetia for 49 years with the option of extensions. The Russian legislature has already ratified its version of the agreement.
Political developments: The central election commission in South Ossetia finishes registering candidates for the 13 November presidential elections, with 17 candidates approved and 13 denied registration. The commission reports that 86 polling stations will open on election day.
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2011 14 October
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Political developments/Violent incidents: A would-be candidate for the South Ossetian presidential elections is shot and killed in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, in Russia. He is killed two days after being denied registration as a candidate by the South Ossetian central election commission (TsIK). Of the 30 candidates who applied for registration, TsIK has approved 17, many of whom are current members of the government.
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2011 13 October
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Political developments: The presidential candidate whose denied bid for registration for the upcoming elections started protests in Tskhinvali is ‘taken out of the republic’ to Russia by security services.
Foreign relations: A task force headed by two US senators releases a report recommending that Russian forces withdraw from Abkhazia and South Ossetia, to be replaced by an international security presence; renewed US support for Georgia’s NATO accession; increasing US military presence in Georgia; renewing US defensive arms sales to Georgia; and US and other third party involvement in the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM).
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2011 12 October
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Civil unrest: Demonstrators gather in Tskhinvali, South Ossetia, protesting the denial of registration to a presidential candidate on the day his case is being reviewed by the supreme court. A special purpose unit is present at the demonstration. So far over 100 demonstrators have been detained. The supreme court upholds the decision of the central election commission to deny the candidate registration.
Political developments: An opinion poll shows that 65.1% of South Ossetians find the pace and quality of reconstruction in the region ‘unsatisfactory’; 23.8% find it ‘satisfactory’. The poll interviewed 700 people.
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2011 11 October
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Law enforcement: South Ossetian law enforcement has released all detainees held in connection with the 30 September protests concerning the denial of registration to a presidential candidate.
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2011 8 October
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Economic developments/Foreign relations: Swiss-mediated negotiations between Georgia and Russia regarding the latter’s accession to the WTO break down. Georgia says it will not continue holding talks with Russia until the issue of South Ossetian and Abkhazian trade is addressed.
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2011 7 October
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Foreign relations: French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered the ceasefire agreement for the 2008 conflicts, visits Tbilisi during his tour of the south Caucasus. Sarkozy states his support for Georgia’s accession to Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Political developments: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili states his willingness to start dialogue with Russian Prime Minister and presidential nominee Vladimir Putin, but only if the two nations meet on ‘equal’ terms.
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2011 6 October
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Military developments: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ratifies agreements establishing a military base in South Ossetia with an initial term of 49 years and possible extensions for an additional 15 years. The agreement was ratified by the State Duma and Federation Council in September. The Georgian Foreign Ministry says the agreement is ‘an illegal and irresponsible legitimisation of the Russian military presence’ in the region.
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2011 4 October
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Political developments/Foreign relations: The seventeenth round of Geneva negotiations ends ‘without any progress’, says a Georgian negotiator. According to negotiators, the main obstacles to progress remain the issues of non-use of force, Russia’s status as a ‘guarantor’ of peace and the political status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 3 October
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Political developments: An opposition leader and potential presidential candidate tells Caucasus Knot (Kavkazsky Uzel) that he is reconsidering running for president after being taken to a Tskhinvali police station and beaten.
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2011 1 October
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International aid: The de facto South Ossetian government has extended the stay of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to 1 October 2012.
Political developments: The South Ossetian prosecutor-general delivers formal charges of ‘organising mass unrest’ to an opposition leader and would-be presidential candidate, after his supporters attempted to forcibly enter Central Election Commission offices the day before.
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2011 30 September
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Political developments/Civil unrest: The Central Election Commission (TsIK) denies registration for the upcoming presidential election to an opposition leader on the grounds that he has not lived in South Ossetia for the last 10 years. This requirement was added to election law in April, a move that the opposition leader says was intended to prevent him personally from running in the election. Around 150 supporters of the opposition leader attempted to forcibly enter TsIK offices, but were rebuffed by Interior Ministry Special Forces.
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2011 28 September
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Political developments: In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov restates Russia’s intention to ‘act as a guarantor of arrangements on non-use of force between Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia’, and adds that Russia ‘would welcome it if the United States and the European Union made similar commitments’.
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2011 27 September
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Military developments: South Ossetian media reports that Russian and South Ossetian forces are participating in joint military exercises in South Ossetia.
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2011 25 September
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Russia and Tuvalu establish diplomatic relations when the Russian foreign minister and the Tuvaluan prime minister meet on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly.
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2011 23 September
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Regional media report that the Republic of Tuvalu has recognised South Ossetia as an independent state. South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity and Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Willy Telavi signed a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tuvalu and South Ossetia in Sukhumi, Abkhazia, on 19 September.
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2011 22 September
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Regional media report that the Republic of Tuvalu has recognised South Ossetia as an independent state. South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity and Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Willy Telavi signed a joint statement on the establishment of diplomatic relations between Tuvalu and South Ossetia in Sukhumi, Abkhazia, on 19 September.
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2011 20 September
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Political developments: The Ossetian People’s Front (OPF) announces that over 900 South Ossetians have joined its movement. The OPF is linked rhetorically with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s All-Russia People’s Front, and the group says that ‘people are joining…because the unification of Ossetia within Russia is the dream of the entire Ossetian people’.
Political developments/Economic developments: Russian President Dmitri Medvedev submits a proposal to the State Duma regarding coordination of customs regimes with South Ossetia. A similar proposal on customs issues with Abkhazia was submitted to the Duma in July.
Political developments/Foreign relations: In New York, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze meets with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as Russia’s military presence and alleged human rights violations in the regions.
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2011 19 September
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze says that Georgia is interested in Russia’s quick accession to the WTO, because it will ‘place Russia within certain frameworks…and Russia will have to become a civilised player’.
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2011 18 September
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Political developments: South Ossetian political party Yedinstvo (Unity) nominates current Minister for Emergency Situations Anatoliy Bibilov as its candidate for the 13 November presidential elections.
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2011 13 September
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Political developments: Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze says the fifth round of negotiations for Russia’s WTO accession ‘ended without results’. Further details are not released, in keeping with an agreement by both sides not to discuss publicly the negotiating process.
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2011 12 September
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Political developments: Russian and Georgian negotiators meet in Switzerland for the fifth round of talks on Russia’s WTO accession. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergi Kapanadze says Georgia will seek measures to ensure transparency of trade across the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 8 September
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Military developments: The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that three Russian military Mi-8 helicopters crossed into Georgian airspace near the border with Chechnya for 15 minutes on the night of 7 September. The Russian Ministry of Defence says no Russian military aircraft conducted flights near the Russia-Georgia border on 7 September.
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2011 2 September
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Political developments: The Central Election Commission (CEC) of South Ossetia receives the first nomination documents for a presidential candidate from supporters of Alan Kochiev, leader of the socio-political movement Rukhs Fidan (Bright Future). Kochiev, however, is under arrest for the assault of a member of the South Ossetian parliament. South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said he will support Taimuraz Khugaev and Anatoly Bibilov as candidates for the presidential election to be held on 13 November.
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2011 1 September
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Political developments: Philippe Lefort assumes his duties as EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the Crisis in Georgia. Lefort was appointed to the post after Swedish diplomat Peter Semneby’s mandate as EU Special Representative expired on 28 February 2011.
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2011 26 August
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Political developments: Foreign minister Murat Dzhioyev says South Ossetia is ready to cooperate with whoever wins the presidential election in Abkhazia. A South Ossetian parliamentary delegation is in Abkhazia as observers.
Political developments: South Ossetia marks the third anniversary of Russia's recognition of it as a state. 26 August has been declared a state holiday.
Law enforcement/Foreign relations: According to the Mtskheta-Mtianeti information centre, South Ossetian forces arrest three Georgians suspected of crossing the border.
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2011 23 August
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Foreign relations: The business centre Ostozhenka demands that the Georgian Interests Section at the Swiss embassy in Moscow leave the building it occupies.
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2011 22 August
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Georgia’s Foreign Minister meets with World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy in Austria to discuss cooperation and the state of the ongoing Swiss-brokered negotiations between Georgia and Russia over the latter's accession to the WTO.
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2011 19 August
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Political developments/Foreign relations: The leader of the Georgian opposition Free Democrat party, Irakli Alasania, states that the issue of Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization could put Georgia-Russia dialogue on a more positive track.
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2011 17 August
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Foreign relations/Political developments: Despite repeated Georgian appeals, the power supply to the building housing the Georgian Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Moscow is cut, suspending consular services for the second time this month.
Political developments: The South Ossetian parliament schedules the presidential election for 13 November 2011.
Political developments: South Ossetian presidential envoy Boris Chochiyev says Georgia is preparing ‘a large-scale provocation’ on the border with South Ossetia at the end of August.
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2011 16 August
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Political developments: South Ossetian presidential envoy Boris Chochiyev says Georgia is preparing ‘a large-scale provocation’ on the border with South Ossetia at the end of August.
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2011 12 August
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Foreign relations/Political developments: South Ossetian president Eduard Kokoity talks of a plan to award land plots to Russian Cossacks in a bid to develop agriculture and defence structures and attract investment. The Cossacks are to be given a 99-year lease on the land.
Foreign relations/Political developments: Georgia asks Russia to ensure that the work of the Georgian Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Moscow remains unimpeded.
Military developments: Russia opens a border guard post in South Ossetia. Located at Disey in Tskhinvali District, it is the eighth to date. A further 11 facilities are to be built by the end of this year.
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2011 8 August
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Military developments: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev submits to the State Duma two agreements between the Russia and the Georgian breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on joint Russian military bases in their territories for ratification.
Political developments: A Russian official says that Georgia is not cooperating with Russian law enforcement agencies in investigating the alleged genocide of Russian citizens and peacekeepers in South Ossetia in August 2008.
Political developments: The Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for International Affairs says diplomatic ties between Russia and Georgia can only be resumed if Tbilisi signs a legally binding document on the non-use of force against South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Political developments: President Medvedev visits the base of a special forces brigade that was one of the first to clash with Georgian troops in August 2008. Seventy-six of its soldiers have been awarded orders and medals for courage, while one soldier was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
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2011 7 August
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Political developments: South Ossetian president Eduard Kokoity suggests that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili should be tried by an international tribunal for crimes against humanity.
Political developments: On the third anniversary of the start of the Georgian-Russian war in 2008, Parliamentary Speaker Davit Bakradze expresses Georgia's desire to mend relations with Russia and its willingness to offer broad autonomy to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 5 August
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Political developments: A poll suggests that 53% of Russians believe Abkhazia and South Ossetia should be independent states, compared to 40% two years ago. The number of Russians supporting Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's joining the Russian Federation has fallen from 35% to 25% and 23%, respectively.
Political developments/Foreign relations: Aleksandr Torshin, acting speaker of the Federation Council, expresses doubt that Georgia will restore diplomatic ties with Russia and lift its objections to Russia's WTO accession.
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2011 4 August
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Foreign relations: President Medvedev says Russia hopes to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by the end of 2011, but will not yield to Georgia's political demands as a price for doing so.
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2011 30 July
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Political developments: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says that the decision on whether South Ossetia should become part of the Russian Federation will depend on the Ossetian people.
Political developments/Foreign relations: The US Senate unanimously adopts a resolution on Russia’s ‘occupation’ of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The resolution expresses support for Georgia's territorial integrity and calls on Russia to withdraw its forces.
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2011 27 July
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Military developments: A five-day live-fire exercise involving over 80 military vehicles and 300 personnel is held at the Russian military base in South Ossetia.
Foreign relations/Political developments: Russian Patriarch Kirill says the Russian Orthodox Church recognises the Georgian Orthodox Church's jurisdiction over Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Foreign relations: Russia proposes that the United States and the European Union jointly provide international guarantees for Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Georgia’s possible commitment to not using force.
Political developments: The president of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoity, reiterates that he will not run for president for a third time.
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2011 20 July
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Foreign relations: Russian Regional Development Minister Viktor Basargin says that autonomous power supply lines have been extended from Russia to South Ossetia, settling power supply issues to South Ossetia.
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2011 14 July
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Political developments: South Ossetia marks the 19th anniversary of the introduction of Russian peacekeepers into the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.
Political developments/Foreign relations: President Medvedev’s envoy to the North Caucasus, Aleksandr Khloponin, says that Georgia – having a geopolitical interest in Abkhazia and South Ossetia – is playing the ‘Circassian card’ to its advantage in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014.
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2011 12 July
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Foreign relations: Ukraine says it considers Georgia an important partner and will not recognise the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 1 July
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Political developments/Foreign relations: South Ossetia decides not to participate in the work of the 2nd working group discussing problems of refugees and forcibly displaced persons within the framework of the Geneva negotiations on security in the South Caucasus. The decision comes after the 65th UN General Assembly adopted on 29 June a Georgian-sponsored resolution granting all refugees and displaced persons and their descendants the right to return to their homes in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
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2011 30 June
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Political developments: South Ossetia’s foreign ministry says Georgia is planning to organise a ‘mass unauthorised crossing of the Ossetian-Georgian border’ by Georgians who left South Ossetia in 2008.
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2011 29 June
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Political developments: A fifth border post for Russian guards is opened in the village of Grom, South Ossetia.
Foreign relations: The UN General Assembly votes on a draft resolution on the problem of refugees and internally displaced persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The majority of states either abstained or were absent. Russia voted against the resolution.
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2011 28 June
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Political developments: South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity announces that he will not run for a third term as president, and will not allow anybody to tailor the constitution to his needs.
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2011 27 June
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Political developments/Foreign relations: Georgia invites Russia to negotiations to resolve disputes arising from Russia’s breaches of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
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2011 24 June
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Civil unrest: Five hundred opposition members rally in Vladikavkaz, capital of Russia's North Ossetia, demanding that a free and fair presidential election be held in South Ossetia.
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2011 23 June
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Law enforcement: South Ossetia says the Georgian Interior Ministry requested South Ossetia to detain Georgian citizens who allegedly escaped to the republic after committing crimes in Georgia. Two of the three suspects were arrested and transferred to the South Ossetian KGB's border directorate.
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2011 20 June
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Law enforcement: Ten Georgian citizens who were detained near the village of Koz in South Ossetia's Dzaurskiy Java District for crossing the South Ossetian border are under investigation. The South Ossetian state security committee says the Georgian citizens penetrated four kilometres into South Ossetian territory.
Political developments/Foreign relations: Commenting on the arrest of ten Georgian citizens in South Ossetia, Georgian Parliament Speaker Davit Bakradze urges the international community to compel Russia to fulfil the obligations it undertook within the framework of the 2008 ceasefire agreement with Georgia.
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2011 19 June
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Human security: Local residents say that unknown South Ossetian and Russian individuals arrested eleven residents of Ghari village in Georgia's Oni District who were celebrating a religious holiday in a temple now under the control of South Ossetia. At the same time, a Georgian Interior Ministry official informs that eight people have disappeared, and that an investigation is underway.
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2011 18 June
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Military developments: Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs/State Secretary Grigoriy Karasin says that in recent months, Georgian secret services have caused a number of incidents on the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 16 June
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Armed clashes/Violent incidents: The head of the State Duma's International Affairs Committee, Konstantin Kosachev, believes that forces inside South Ossetia and Russia were involved in the attempt to block the parliament, demanding that MPs revise the South Ossetian constitution to remove the limit on the number of presidential terms a person can serve. Among the participants were retired military persons as well as officials of the Defence Ministry and other departments.
Political developments: Eduard Kokoity, the president of South Ossetia, urges his supporters to refrain from holding any actions or putting forward initiatives to support him as the candidate for a third consecutive presidential term.
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2011 15 June
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Political developments: Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze denies reports on Georgia's possible withdrawal from the Geneva talks on security in the South Caucasus.
Political developments/Foreign relations: During a joint news briefing with Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt in Tbilisi, Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze announces that Georgia will not block talks on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.
Political developments/Foreign relations: Russia says Switzerland’s mediation activities between Russia and Georgia ‘are becoming increasingly important’.
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2011 8 June
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Political developments: According to Georgia’s Prime Minster Nika Gilauri, Georgia and Russia have not made any ‘substantial’ progress in three months of talks on Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organisation. Georgia cites disputes over customs checkpoints in South Ossetia and Abkhazia as reasons to withhold its approval for Russian WTO membership.
Political developments: Abkhazia and South Ossetia reject a Georgia-sponsored draft UN resolution according to which refugees from the breakaway regions have the right to return to their homes. Approximately 26,000 people who fled the regions during and after the 2008 war are unable to return to their homes. Representatives of Abkhazia and South Ossetia say that through this resolution – as through the previous ones – Georgia is attempting to revive its claims to the territories.
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2011 7 June
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Political developments/Foreign relations: During the Geneva talks on security and stability in the Trans-Caucasus, Georgia demands that Russia immediately stops the state-sponsored terror campaign against it. Tbilisi warns that it would not participate in the next round of Geneva talks in October if Russia ‘continues terrorist attempts’.
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2011 4 June
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Economic developments: According to the Georgian state statistics office, annual inflation in Georgia accelerated to 14.3% in May, after dipping slightly to 13.5% in April.
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2011 3 June
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Political development: John Bass, the US ambassador to Georgia, calls for a serious investigation of excesses during the disruption of the Tbilisi street protests on May 26, and says such a step would be very important for the credibility of the government.
Law enforcement: The Georgian Interior Ministry announces that it prevented a terrorist attack on the NATO information centre in Tbilisi. According to Georgian officials, the suspected terrorists are from Abkhazia, and Russian security forces in South Ossetia arranged the plot.
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2011 1 June
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Foreign relations: US Vice President Joe Biden meets with Georgian President Saakashvili in Rome. Biden expressed his support for the talks between Georgia and Russia on Russian accession to the WTO.
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2011 31 May
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Foreign relations: Swiss-mediated talks between Russia and Georgia are postponed due to ‘technical reasons’, according to the Georgian government.
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2011 30 May
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Political developments: The Georgian Interior Ministry says 24 armed men were arrested during the recent street protests. The men allegedly intended to ‘stage armed provocations’ within Georgia, and were part of the armed group established by Temur Khachishvili.
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2011 28 May
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Kidnappings/Abductions/Disappearances: The Georgian Interior Ministry announces that it is searching for Irakli Batiashvili, one of the leaders of the recent street protests in Tbilisi, whose whereabouts are unknown.
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2011 27 May
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Civil unrest/Foreign relations: Between 500-1,000 protestors participate in a rally in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, against the South Ossetian government. Jambulat Tedeyev says at the rally that he is willing to run for the presidency.
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2011 26 May
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Law enforcement: Police in downtown Tbilisi forcibly disperse a makeshift camp erected as part of anti-government protests. There were approximately 500 demonstrators. Over 90 of these are arrested, and 37 hospitalised.
Human security: Georgian Public Defender (ombudsman) Giorgi Tugushi calls the police crackdown on protesters ‘excessive’ and ‘disproportionate’.
Foreign relations: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says that the protests in Tiblisi were instigated by Russia, the ‘enemy and occupant’. Saakashvili says that Georgia ‘will not step back… and will always respond adequately to any provocation’.
Foreign relations: US Ambassador to Georgia, John Bass, expresses concern about reports of excessive force used by Georgian police against protestors in Tbilisi. Human Rights Watch says an investigation into the events should be launched immediately.
Foreign relations/Law enforcement: The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia increases its presence along the administrative boundary line between South Ossetia and Georgia in light of the protests in Tbilisi.
Armed clashes/Violent incidents/Foreign relations: The dean of the Ossetian Language Department at North Ossetian State University, Shamil Jikkaev, is found dead in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia. Jikkaev’s throat had been slit. An anti-Islamic poem written by Jikkaev is being blamed as the reason behind the murder, and police are searching for Muslim convert David Murashev, who is the prime suspect.
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2011 23 May
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Civil unrest: The Russian Foreign Ministry releases a statement encouraging the protestors in Tbilisi. The statement says protesters espouse popular grievances, and that the Georgian government is intent on suppressing civil rights through force. 10,000 people attended the first day of the protests, but this number dwindled significantly in the following days.
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2011 21 May
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Civil unrest: Anti-government demonstrations begin in Tbilisi. A Georgian party calling itself the People’s Assembly is organising the rally with the intent to topple the government. A ‘Day of Rage’ is planned for 25 May. Eurasia Daily Monitor argues that the protest leaders are attempting to ‘create moral justification for using force’ through forcing the government to use violent repression.
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2011 20 May
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Armed clashes/Violent incidents: Two of South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity’s bodyguards are killed at the airport In Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia. A local boxer shot the two men after an argument.
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2011 19 May
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Foreign relations: The South Ossetian government releases the four people detained after a shooting incident along the border with Georgia. An ad hoc session of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism is held in the village of Dvani between representatives of Russian, Georgia and South Ossetia.
Foreign relations: Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili says ‘degenerated former separatists’ and ‘former politicians running around the streets’ are used by Russia to regain influence over Georgia. Saakashvili also denigrates Russian President Medvedev’s comments that the 2008 conflict made Russia strong, saying Russia’s aim of destroying Georgia failed.
Political developments: The Georgian parliament endorses a draft resolution that recognises the massacre and deportation of Circassian civilians by Tsarist Russia as ‘genocide’.
Economic developments: The South Ossetian Energy Resources department urges the population to use water economically during the summer.
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2011 18 May
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Armed clashes/Violent incidents: South Ossetian soldiers fire on a group of Georgian civilians. Georgia says that two people were injured and four were detained. The soldiers opened fire after the group escaped initial attempts to detain them. The incident occurred in the vicinity of the administrative boundary between Georgia and South Ossetia. South Ossetian authorities say the group entered South Ossetia illegally, and that they fired on the South Ossetian troops after some were detained. South Ossetia says it will release the four detained civilians.
Foreign relations: The US Embassy in Georgia expresses concern over the clash, and urges restraint.
Foreign relations: The US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Philip Gordon, says at a hearing of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Russian military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia ‘is a problem’. Gordon also complained that there is no international presence in the region to monitor the situation.
Foreign relations: Russian President Dmitri Medvedev says the Russian-Georgian conflict of 2008 made Russia ‘feel strong’.
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2011 16 May
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Foreign relations: The Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, arrives in the North Caucasus. In North Ossetia, Hammarberg meets with IDPs from the Georgian-Russian conflict in 2008.
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2011 13 May
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Insurgency/Non-state armed groups: Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda quotes a source in the Russian special services as saying that Caucasus Emirate Emir Doku Umarov is hiding in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge.
Political developments: A report presented to the Georgian parliament asserts that Russian actions against Circassians in the nineteenth century should be classified as genocide.
Human security: Amnesty International releases its annual report on human rights abuses in the world. The report states that neither Georgia, Russia, nor South Ossetia conducted investigations into reports of human rights abuses during the 2008 conflict. The report also says that the forced eviction of 500 IDPs from the 2008 conflict in 2010 breached international standards.
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2011 11 May
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Political developments: South Ossetian opposition leader Oleg Teziev says he will now campaign from Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia. Deeming Tskhinvali too dangerous, Teziev said that the Kokoity regime had eliminated several members of the opposition in recent years.
Foreign relations: US senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduce a US Senate resolution that affirms US support for Georgian sovereignty and calls on Russia to remove its occupying forces from Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Law enforcement: A South Ossetian resident is detained when attempting to cross into Russia with 50 rocket-propelled grenades.
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2011 10 May
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Foreign relations: Russian President Dmitri Medvedev congratulates the Georgian people on the 66th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, saying Russia wants Georgia to be a ‘prosperous and free state’ in a message on his website. Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze dismisses the message as an act of ‘clownery’, saying that ‘when Russia is a normal and democratic state, we will celebrate it together’.
Military developments: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s airplane is reportedly targeted by Russian mobile anti-aircraft batteries after taking off from Zugdidi airport. The batteries did not fire.
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2011 5 May
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Political developments: Political opponents of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili announce they will hold massive rallies from 9 May, with regime change the stated aim.
Political developments: South Ossetian Defence Minister Ibragim Gaseev proposes a referendum to allow President Eduard Kokoity to run for a third term.
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2011 4 May
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Foreign relations: In talks between Russia and Georgia over Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organisation, the two sides ‘seriously’ discuss a mechanism to provide transparency for goods moved between Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Russia.
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2011 2 May
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Foreign relations: The South Ossetian foreign minister expresses concern that the European Union is beginning to support Georgian claims to South Ossetian territory, recognised by Russia as a sovereign state after the 2008 conflict.
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2011 28 April
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Foreign relations: Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze protests Russian FM Sergei Lavrov’s comment that Russia does not need Georgia’s consent to join the World Trade Organisation. Vashadze said Georgia was still willing to engage, despite strained relations after the 2008 conflict.
Foreign relations: EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton says that Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Abkhazia and South Ossetia is not compatible with the EU’s principle of territorial integrity.
Foreign relations: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin decreed that funds transferred by the Russian government to South Ossetia will be inspected.
Political developments: A group of civic organisations in Georgia request that Georgian parliamentarians hold an official hearing over the International Court of Justice’s ruling on the complaint brought by Georgia against Russia. The organisations contend Russia violated of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination during the 2008 conflict.
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2011 27 April
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Foreign relations: Georgia’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Tina Kaidanow, says Georgia has legitimate trade concerns regarding Russia’s accession to the WTO.
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2011 26 April
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Foreign relations: During his visit to South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia is willing to do anything to protect South Ossetia from Georgian military provocation, and that Russia can join the WTO without Georgia’s consent.
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2011 25 April
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Foreign relations: Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze says there is no pressure on Georgia from its Western partners to soften its stance in its talks with Russia over Moscow’s accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
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2011 20 April
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Foreign relations: US Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), head of a US Senate delegation in Georgia, says in Tbilisi that the relationship between the United States and Russia should not be improved by sacrificing the interests of ‘allies and friends’.
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2011 19 April
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Foreign relations: The Russian foreign ministry says the joint statement of the NATO-Georgia Commission is biased, and does not reflect the reality of the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 14 April
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Human security: A human rights activist is threatened by three men at her home. They insisted she stop her activities, saying they work for the South Ossetian defence ministry.
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2011 13 April
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Political developments: The Council of the European Parliament Assembly adopts a resolution honouring Georgia’s commitment to better civil practices, but says problems regarding political pluralism, a fair justice system and corruption hinder progress. The resolution also condemned the continuing human rights violations occurring due to the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 11 April
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Foreign relations: The Georgian government states that it disagrees with certain parts of the US State Department’s human rights report on Georgia, and that any issues pale in comparison to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
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2011 9 April
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Human security: The US State Department releases its annual Human Rights Report for Georgia. The report said abuse of prisoners, arbitrary detentions, selective application of the rule of law and pressure on private business were the most glaring problems in the country.
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2011 8 April
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Foreign relations: Cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko says a training and rehabilitation base for cosmonauts could be set up in the Tskhinvali region, as the region’s altitude makes it useful for this purpose.
Foreign relations: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko says Abkhazia and South Ossetia are part of Georgia, condemning the use of force by both sides and urging a legal settlement to the conflict.
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2011 3 April
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Law enforcement/Military developments: Russian troops detain two Georgian citizens for crossing the demarcation line between Georgia and South Ossetia.
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2011 1 April
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Political developments: The International Court of Justice rules that it can proceed with Georgia’s case against Russia. Georgia claims Russia violated the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination during the 2008 Russian intervention in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
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2011 29 March
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Foreign relations: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s representative for terrorism, Anatoly Safonov, says Chechen militants who escape to Georgia may pose a threat to Russia.
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2011 24 March
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Foreign relations: The Russian State Duma debates the ratification of a visa-free regime with South Ossetia. Meanwhile, First Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov admits that he does not expect widespread recognition of the independence of South Ossetia.
Peace process: The head of the EU Monitoring in Georgia, Hansjörg Haber, states that Russia lost leverage over Georgia when it recognised the independence of Abkhazia.
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2011 7 March
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Foreign Relations: Georgia has agreed to support Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organisation if Russia agrees to Georgian supervision of customs checkpoints in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Military developments: Russia deployed a tactical-operational missile unit with Tochka-U rockets in South Ossetia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin claimed they were there “temporarily” for training purposes.
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2011 5 March
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Peace process: Russia has announced it will guarantee the non-aggression statements made by the presidents of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia as long as it is a joint guarantee with the European Union and the United States.
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2011 4 March
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Foreign relations: The International Narcotics Control Strategy by the US State Department noted that South Ossetia has become a major transit route for drug trafficking.
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2011 2 March
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Foreign Relations: Alexander Torshin, the Deputy Speaker of the Russian Federation Council claimed Georgia was behind the 24 January 2011 attacked on the Domodedovo Airport near Moscow. The Caucasus Emirate has previously claimed responsibility for the attack.
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2011 1 March
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Military Developments: Russia announces an extra 300 Russian soldiers have entered South Ossetia.
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2011 25 February
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Economic Developments: The Interdepartmental Commission between Russia and South Ossetia announced that 6.8 billion rubles will be used to implement the agreement between the two nations.
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2011 21 February
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Law Enforcement: Georgia and South Ossetia exchange 14 detainees captured during recent hostilities.
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2011 18 February
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Peace Process: Alexander Lukashevich, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson calls the statement by Georgian President Saakashhvili’s on his willingness to engage in dialogue with Russia ‘clumsy’ and a ‘PR move.’
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2011 17 February
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Human Security: Eight Georgian NGOs criticise UNHCR over its 3 February 2011 statement that the eviction of IDP families in January was not a ‘major violation of international law or standards.’
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2011 14 February
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Foreign Relations: Vladimir Voronkov, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s European cooperation department said that comments from NATO leaders on Georgia joining the alliance provoked the Georgian attack on South Ossetia.
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2011 7 February
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Peace Process: Alan Pliyev, the South Ossetian Deputy Foreign Minister dismisses the pledge by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili not to use force to reintegrate South Ossetia.
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2011 31 January
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Military development: Russian troops in South Ossetia launch joint military exercises with the local South Ossetian militias. The five-day exercises aim at fostering coordinated actions between various military units during the combat operations.
Political development: The Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) says it will make monitoring of the consequence of the war between Georgia and Russia part of regular ongoing monitoring.
Political Developments: Expert Mamuka Areshidze claims that de facto South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity will move to Russia when his term ends in November 2011 to guarantee immunity from prosecution on corruption charges.
Military Developments: South Ossetian and Russian troops begin a joint military exercise to test combat deployment procedures of all law enforcement agencies in South Ossetia.
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