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Chronology for Russians in Georgia
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| Date(s) |
Item |
| Jan 1991 |
Moscow News publishes a poll of ethnic Russians in Georgia indicating that 62 percent are satisfied with conditions, 22 percent dissatisfied, and that 36 percent wish to remain in Georgia and 37 percent would like to emigrate to the Russian Federation. |
| Jun 21, 1992 |
Russian Vice-President Alexander Rutskoi accuses Georgia of practicing "genocide" against its Russian minority. |
| Jan 11, 1993 |
An opinion poll of ethnic Russians residing in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi indicates the following: 68 percent deny that the civil rights of Russians are violated in Georgia; 7 percent believe that the civil rights of Russians are violated in Georgia; 75 percent do not support the appeals of nationalists in the Russian Parliament to aggressively defend the Russians of Georgia; 58 percent say they will remain in Georgia. |
| May 1, 1993 |
The Georgian Foreign Ministry rejects Russian allegations of discrimination against ethnic Russians in Georgia, but offers to host UN and CSCE experts to investigate such claims. |
| Jul 19, 1993 |
The Chairman of the Congress of Russian Communities, an organization based in Russia and dedicated to the protection of Russian minorities in the Newly Independent States, visits Georgia and meets with Shevardnadze. Georgian radio quotes the head of the Congress as saying that there was "not a single case of discrimination against ethnic Russians in Georgia." |
| Feb 4, 1994 |
The Russian newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta reports that 150,000 ethnic Russians have left Georgia since 1992, although it observes that official policies of the Georgian government do not discriminate against Russians. |
| Sep 1994 |
Rallies are held in Abkhazia to protest against the return of ethnic Georgian refugees from Georgia proper. Allegedly, these rallies are orchestrated by the leadership of the breakaway region and prominently feature Russians in order to create the impression that that ethnic group disapproves of the return of Georgians to Abkhazia. |
| Apr 7, 1995 |
Abkhazian civic organizations, including the Russian community of Gudauta and the Armenian society "Krunk", sponsor a petition campaign addressed to Presidents Yeltsin and Shevardnadze calling for the recognition of Abkhaz independence. |
| May 1995 |
Representatives of the Russian Ministry for Nationalities and the Georgian Committee for Interethnic Relations meet and agree to cooperate on areas of mutual interest. |
| Oct 25, 1995 |
The Chairman of the Abkhaz branch of the "Congress of Russian Communities" (an organization of Russian speakers) states that the region's 70,000 Russians are suffering under a blockade imposed by Russia. |
| Nov 21, 1995 |
President-elect Eduard Shevardnadz said that the outcome of the parliamentary elections would guarantee peace, stability and the rule of law. Over two-thirds of members of parliament support reforms, Sheverdnadze stated(BBC). |
| Nov 29, 1995 |
Georgian and Abkhazian delegations to the ongoing Moscow talks differ mainly over the future status of Abkhazia. Head of the Georgian delegation and Georgian ambassador to Russia, Vazha Lordkipanidze, told the press that his country's stance remained unchanged. And it was: Abkhazia must be an integral part of the Georgian federal state. However, Abkhazia insisted on forming a confederation(BBC). |
| Jan 8, 1996 |
Lt-Gen Vasiliy Yakushev, commander of the CIS joint peacekeeping forces in the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict zone, said in an interview for the New Year issue of the 'Russkoye Slovo' newspaper, published by the Congress of Russian Communities in Abkhazia, that the peacekeeping troops have accomplished their task by help ceasing the war, separating conflicting sides and arranging for the refugees to return home. However, Yakushev noted, the peacekeeper's mandate should be renewed, because "war will resume the moment we leave"(BBC). |
| Jan 13, 1996 |
UN military observers in Georgia reported about a wave of violence near the border with the Abkhazia region, where the conflict formally ended in September 1993. The UN Security Council voted to extend the mandate of a 136-strong observer mission in Georgia until July 12. The Russian peacekeepers' mandate, which officially expired at the end of 1995, is expected to be renewed at a summit meeting of Commonwealth of Independent States leaders. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze pledged to retake Abkhazia in 1996, by peaceful means if possible, by force if necessary. Russian-monitored peace talks broke down in late 1995. As Russian relations with Georgia improved over the past two years Moscow cooled towards the Abkhaz separatists(AFP). |
| Jan 18, 1996 |
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said that Abkhaz rebels in the north of Georgia were "playing with fire" and that he would use both force and political means to regain control in the region. Abkhazia, a historically Moslem region on the northwest Black Sea coast of Georgia, proclaimed independence from mostly Orthodox Christian Georgia in July 1992. Between 3,000 and 10,000 people were killed in subsequent fighting before the separatists, with covert Russian help, defeated Georgian forces in September 1993(AFP). |
| Oct 12, 1996 |
The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the recent decision of the Georgian Parliament as an attempt to "revise the whole complex of Russian-Georgian relations". Georgian members of parliament insisted that the Russian leadership and the State Duma had been giving support to Abkhaz separatists, preventing the restoration of Georgia's territorial unity and integrity. They said that Georgia should revise its accords with Russia and oust Russian military bases from its territory unless the Kremlin changes its attitude to Abkhaz separatists. |
| Oct 18, 1996 |
The Free Georgia union of political parties and organizations was planning to hold a peaceful protest rally outside the Russian Federation Embassy, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Russian occupying army from Georgian territory(BBC). |
| Jan 24, 1997 |
A whole number of Georgian political parties, in particular the National Democratic Party, the Party of Traditionalists, the Republican Party, the National Ideology Party and the Freedom Party, are calling unanimously for a withdrawal of the Russian peacekeeping forces from Georgia. The parties made a statement shortly before the expiration of the mandate of the Russian peacekeeping forces. Nearly all parties believe that in order to restore Georgia's territorial integrity, it is essential that Georgia should find a common language with Abkhazia (BBC). |
| Jun 4, 1997 |
The breakaway region of Abkhazia warned that it would send troops into the buffer zone with Georgia if Russian peacekeepers separating the conflicting sides are withdrawn. The statement was made by the foreign minister of the unrecognized republic, Sergei Shamba. Tbilisi wants the peacekeepers to broaden their role and help more than 200,000 Georgian refugees to return to Abkhazia, which they fled during the war. This demand was rejected by the Abkhaz authorities. The Georgian parliament called on the Russians to leave after their mandate expires if there has not been progress towards a settlement. The Kremlin called the resolution "political blackmail" and suggested it was thinking of pulling out of Abkhazia (AFP). |
| Jun 13, 1997 |
The Russian Federation Council adopted a resolution approving the use until 31st July 1998 of the 3,000-strong contingent of the Russian armed forces as part of the collective peacekeeping forces in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone. A total of 124 members of the chamber voted for the resolution, two voted against and two abstained(BBC). |
| Jul 17, 1998 |
President Boris Yeltsin proposed to the upper house of the Russian parliament to prolong the mandate of the 3,000 Russian peacekeepers in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, saying they were the "only real force which ensures a stable cease-fire and conditions for a political settlement". Russian peacekeepers were deployed in the zone of conflict along the Inguri River in June 1994 and their mandate expired in July 1997. The Council of the CIS Heads of State decided to extend the mandate of the CIS peacekeepers in the zone of conflict up to 31st July 1998 or until the moment when one of the conflicting parties decides that they should be pulled out. All of the peacekeepers are Russian troops. The UN Security Council extended the mandate of its mission in Georgia also until 31st July 1998(BBC). |
| Aug 6, 1998 |
The key condition for the continuation of the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in a political way is the presence of the Russian peacekeeping forces in the region, President of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba believes. Ardzinba believes that the withdrawal of the Russian "blue helmets" will be a step towards another war, because then both sides will deploy artillery and heavy equipment and just one subversive act will be enough to trigger a new war(BBC). |
| Sep 26, 1998 |
Vakhtang Abashidze, the press secretary of the Georgian president, said that certain forces in Russia are trying to destabilize the situation in Georgia in order to move to Georgia uncontrollable processes, which have been developing in the North Caucasus. Abashidze stressed that these forces had a genuine and firm footing in Georgia and relied on support by radical political forces, which include Georgian Communists, the so-called patriotic forces, Zviadists, who are supporters of former president Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and a certain wing of refugees from Abkhazia (BBC). |
| Sep 29, 1998 |
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze is prepared to grant Abkhazia "the highest status of political autonomy within an integral Georgian federative state" , Shevardnadze said in a statement circulated on 27th September to mark the 5th anniversary since Sukhumi was captured by Abkhaz armed formations and the subsequent mass exodus of the Georgian population from Abkhazia (BBC). |
| Oct 15, 1998 |
By deploying 1,300 servicemen at the Inguri river instead of the agreed 365, the Georgian side has breached the terms of an agreement, Nikolay Rusak, the political adviser of the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone, told Kavkasia-Press(BBC). |
| Mar 23, 1999 |
Revaz Adamia, chairman of the Committee for Defence and Security of the Georgian Parliament, believes that the Russian military bases in Gudauta and Vaziani bring nothing but destabilization to Georgia. Adamia told the first joint news conference held by the National Political Club and Prime-News that the Gudauta military base in Abkhazia was a stronghold for the separatist regime. He said that the above base was directly subordinated to Moscow from where planes were flying, military equipment smuggled and withdrawn without the Georgian side's consent. As regards the Vaziani military base, Adamia said that it was linked with terrorist acts carried out in Georgia starting from 1995. He said that arms were being sold illegally, which could hardly be controlled by the Georgian side(BBC). |
| May 26, 1999 |
It is reported that the Abkhaz side officially took over property previously belonging to the Russian Federal Border Guard Service. An agreement on the withdrawal of the Russian border troops from the republic had been reached by the sides one month earlier. Russia insisted on the withdrawal of its border troops because of its binding agreements with Georgia. The chairman of the Abkhaz government commission for taking over the property, Tamaz Gogia, said that seven border checkpoints and the Russian naval base of the Russian Federal Border Guard Service in the town of Ochamchire 45 km south of the capital of Abkhazia have been handed over to the Abkhaz border guards. Commenting on these developments, leading Abkhaz politicians said that the withdrawal of the Russian border troops from Abkhazia had completed Russia's departure from the Black Sea coast of the Transcaucasus area. Russia has only one - civilian - port left in close proximity to the Transcaucasian republics - that of Sochi. Some Russian border servicemen and their families are still remaining at the Sukhumi border detachment of the Russian Federal Border Guard Service, but they will be leaving Abkhazia in the near future(BBC). |
| Jun 14, 1999 |
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said that "nobody is squeezing Russia out of Georgia. He noted that he agreed with the opinion of Georgian parliament speaker Zurab Zhvania that, by many of its actions, Russia was squeezing itself out of Georgia, and called this phenomenon "a self-extraction process". Shevardnadze stated that both Russia and Georgia must take specific steps to establish and develop neighborly and mutually beneficial relations(BBC). |
| Jun 30, 1999 |
Making a forced-march along the main transport artery of the Caucasus, the Transcaucasian highway, a Russian battalion of peacekeeping forces arrived at its destination in the territory of South Ossetia. It is to relieve servicemen from the Moscow Military District who completed their term of service. Lt-Gen Anatoliy Sidyakin, commander of the 58th army, told ITAR-TASS that alongside units of Georgian and South Ossetian peacekeepers, the Russian battalion will be ensuring security of peaceful people and refugees returning to their native places, will be guarding transport communications and national economic facilities and frustrating attempts at armed confrontation between the Georgian and South Ossetian sides. The commander said the status of the operation of the peacekeeper forces in South Ossetia was defined by the quadrilateral mixed control commission for settlement of Georgian - South Ossetian relations with the participation of Russia, Georgia, South Ossetia, North Ossetia, as well as the mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The first peacekeepers set foot in South Ossetia immediately after the conflict eight years ago. These were Russian units, a North Ossetian battalion of the Emergencies Ministry and a Georgian battalion(BBC). |
| Jul 18, 1999 |
It is reported that a Krasnoyarsk Territory government delegation led by governor Aleksandr Lebed arrived in Batumi. Observers believe that Lebed's visit to Ajaria could be connected with the future of the Russian bases in Georgia(BBC). |
| Aug 9, 1999 |
Russia's support for the Abkhaz separatists has rebound against Russia as a boomerang at first in Chechnya and now in Dagestan, the Georgian president's spokesman, Vakhtang Abashidze, told Prime-News. Abashidze said that "Georgian President Shevardnadze warned Russia in what form Russia's support for the Abkhaz separatism would rebound against it". During 1992-93 combat actions in Abkhazia, many Russian politicians supported Sukhumi. Mercenaries from Russia -mainly from the north Caucasus republics -were fighting on the Abkhaz side. They played a pivotal role in driving 300,000 Georgian civilians as well as people of other nationalities from the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (BBC). |
| Aug 14, 1999 |
The National Independence Party (NIP) of Georgia held a protest action outside the Georgian Parliament demanding an immediate withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia. Prime-News was told by the chairman of the NIP, Irakli Tsereteli, that if the party's demand was not met, the party would take wide-scale measures in the near future(BBC). |
| Sep 4, 1999 |
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said that a decision by the Abkhazian authorities to hold a referendum may only detract from the settlement of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Russia, the minister said, strictly adheres to the principle of Georgia's territorial integrity and views Abkhazia as a component part of Georgia. Ivanov also said that Russia, like the world community, does not recognize Abkhazia's self-proclaimed independence. "A referendum, if held, will not alter our stand," he emphasized (BBC). |
| Sep 11, 1999 |
Even if a visa regime is introduced between Georgia and Russia, Russian consulates will not open in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze told journalists that Russian consulates could open in these regions of Georgia only after a final political settlement of the ethnic conflicts there (BBC). |
| Sep 17, 1999 |
The Tbilisi-based Ministry of Security of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia announced that Russian Border Troops had closed the Russian-Georgian border along the river Psou Abkhazia. The decision to close the section of the border was taken after some politicians had indicated that there had been bases for training Chechen terrorists in Abkhazia (BBC). |
| Sep 23, 1999 |
The Georgian newspaper 7 Dghe' reports that before the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Soviet military bases were stationed in almost every town and even in some villages of Georgia. The newspaper points out that the high concentration of military force was due to the fact that Georgia was officially seen as the main bridgehead for containing and repelling a possible attack by Turkish troops on NATO's southern flank. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, some units of the Transcaucasus Military District have left Georgian territory, while others have been incorporated into the Russian armed forces and became Russia's military bases. Russia currently has four military bases on Georgian territory, the newspaper observes. One of them, the 137th base in Vaziani airfield, is a few kilometers away from Tbilisi. Troops deployed in Ajaria are stationed at the 12th military base in Batumi. A third one, the 62nd military base, is in Akhalkalaki and it numbers some 3,000 servicemen. Finally, the 345th parachute regiment is stationed at the military base in Gudauta. The Russian bases are situated in some of the most volatile regions of Georgia and are a means of exerting pressure on Tbilisi, the newspaper notes. The treaty on Russian bases in Georgia was concluded back in 1995. In return for signing the treaty, Georgia was counting on Russian assistance in the restoration of the country's territorial integrity and the development of its armed forces. Neither of these promises has been fulfilled. Ratification of the treaty has been postponed indefinitely. In 1998-99, Russian military policy suffered a series of setbacks in Georgia: the pro-Russian defence minister, Gen Vardiko Nadibaidze, was dismissed, Georgia left the CIS Collective Security Treaty, Russian border guards withdrew from Georgia. Currently, all of the country's land and sea borders are guarded by Georgians. The future will tell if this process is going to develop at the same pace, the newspaper concludes (BBC). |
| Sep 26, 1999 |
The Georgian Foreign Ministry sent the Russian Foreign Ministry a protest note over Moscow's decision to change the border-crossing regime on the Abkhaz section of the Russian-Georgian border. Speaking to Prime-News about the Georgian Foreign Ministry note, First Deputy Foreign Minister Merab Antadze said that the Russian government's decision was an attempt by Moscow to exert pressure on Georgia. He said that Moscow's decision was completely illogical because Russia had imposed the restrictions on its border with Georgia and Azerbaijan in order to ensure that paramilitaries and weapons would not get into Chechnya. "The lifting of these restrictions at a time when hostilities are spreading to new areas in the North Caucasus could be interpreted as a deliberate action on Russia's part," Antadze said (BBC). |
| Oct 3, 1999 |
Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia voted in a presidential election that was expected to secure a second five-year term for Vladislav Ardzinba, first elected by parliament in 1994. Voters were also expected to approve a 1994 constitution which declared Abkhazia a "sovereign, democratic, legal state subject to international law." Abkhazia exists in virtual isolation from the outside world, blocked by Georgia to the east and then by a partial international embargo, and has not been recognized by any government. The international community likewise refuses to recognize the election, as some 200,000 Georgian refugees, close to half of the region's pre-war population, cannot take part(AFP). |
| Oct 6, 1999 |
The Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the Russian State Duma council to send a group of deputies to Abkhazia as observers at the presidential elections in the self-proclaimed republic. "This decision by the State Duma is at variance with Russia's official policy on the question of settling the conflict with Abkhazia and on the Russian leadership's view of the election," says a statement by the Georgian Foreign Ministry circulated in Tbilisi(BBC). |
| Oct 7, 1999 |
Georgian ambassador to Russia said that his country wanted Russian peacekeepers to expand their mandate to ensure tighter control over the conflict zone in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia. The diplomat stressed that his country was ready to receive refugees from Chechnya (BBC). |
| Oct 13, 1999 |
A well-informed source in the Russian Federal Border Guard Service told RIA-Novosti that Russian Border Troops might be sent to guard the border between Georgia and Chechnya from the Georgian side. An agreement on this matter had been reached between Federal Border Guard Service Director Konstantin Totskiy and his Georgian counterpart, Valeri Chkheidze (BBC). |
| Oct 27, 1999 |
It is reported that the Abkhaz section of the Russian-Georgian border has been reopened. It has been decided that the age restrictions for males crossing the border should be lifted(BBC). |
| Nov 10, 1999 |
President Shevardnadze said that Georgia would not accept Moscow's request to let Russian troops use Georgian territory for their operation in Chechnya. He said that Georgia was not acting against Russian interests. The president said that keeping Georgia out of the Chechen conflict worked to the benefit of both countries. Shevardnadze said that Georgia opposed Russia's plan to end reciprocal visa-free travel arrangements. He said that this would make life difficult not only for Georgians in Russia but also for Russian troops in Georgia and their families(BBC). |
| Nov 14, 1999 |
The Georgian newspaper 7 Dghe' said, that the General Staff of Russian armed forces had devised several plans for invading Georgia, which include direct air strikes on Georgia. The paper said that Russia would direct its attack on Georgia, considering that independent Georgia "provokes" the North Caucasus peoples to fight for independence. The paper observed that the West was not likely to provide Georgia with military assistance in a possible Georgian-Russian conflict (BBC). |
| Nov 18, 1999 |
The Georgian Foreign Ministry issued an official statement protesting against a Russian bombing raid on Georgian villages located near the Chechen border. However the Russian side denied that its aircraft had carried out these air strikes and promised to supply video evidence to back up their statement(BBC). |
| Nov 22, 1999 |
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told reporters that Russia and Georgia had agreed to hold comprehensive talks on Russia's military bases.(BBC) |
| Dec 9, 1999 |
The Georgian Parliament made a statement, on the events in the North Caucasus. The statement said that a wide-scale military action, carried out by the Group of Russian Troops in the Transcaucases was threatening Georgia's stability and security and it should not be used as a weapon to fight terrorism. The Georgian Parliament expressed hope that the Russian leadership would manage to settle the conflict by peaceful, political means. Georgian members of parliament also said that certain forces in Russia were doing everything in order to drag Georgia into the North Caucasus conflict. The statement also protested over accusations made by Russian officials that Georgia was allegedly covering Chechen terrorists (BBC). |
| Dec 23, 1999 |
The Georgian Foreign Ministry received a note from the Russian Foreign Ministry in which the Russian side states its readiness to deploy observers on the Chechen section of the Georgian-Russian border and allow Georgia to deploy its observers on the Abkhaz section of the Russian-Georgian border (BBC). |
| Dec 24, 1999 |
Russia again accused Georgia of supporting the Chechens. Russia's latest statement on this issue was particularly aggressive (BBC). |
| Dec 28, 1999 |
At a meeting with political scientists and journalists Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili said that Georgia was considering the necessary procedures and instruments for entering NATO. Menagharishvili observed however that at that point Georgia was not prepared for entry. "We need to come a long way to bring the state's economic and military systems into line with NATO standards," he said. Regarding Georgia's involvement in the CIS, Menagharishvili said, that the latter had lost its function of providing security for Georgia. The only thing that kept Georgia in the CIS was the aspect of economic cooperation, he said (BBC). |
| Jan 21, 2000 |
The 10th round of Georgian-Abkhaz talks began behind closed doors at the UN office in Tbilisi. Preliminary agreement was reached on two key issues. The sides agreed on the stage-by-stage rehabilitation of Inguri hydroelectric power station. After lengthy talks, agreement was also reached on the reburial from Babushera of 47 Georgians. There was an issue on which the sides were unable to reach a compromise. This was the issue of Abkhazia's status which Abkhaz separatist prime minister Vyacheslav Tsugba considered non-negotiable (BBC). |
| Jan 26, 2000 |
Commenting on the opportunity to replace Russian troops stationed in Georgia with NATO's armed forces Col-Gen Leonid Ivashov, head of the Russian Defence Ministry's directorate for international military cooperation, said: "Russia will certainly work against the process of Georgia's association with NATO." According to General Ivashov, Russia "continue to hold the view that the process of NATO expansion and its progression towards our frontiers is a threat to our national security, and Russia is taking steps to neutralize this threat"(BBC). |
| Feb 5, 2000 |
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Georgian Parliament protested against a statement by an "anonymous" top official of Russian troops stationed in Georgia saying that Russia did not intend to withdraw its military bases from Georgia. Russian diplomats and the military grounded their intention referring to an agreement signed during the OSCE Istanbul summit which only concerned conventional arms but said nothing about military bases(BBC). |
| Feb 22, 2000 |
Fierce clashes raged on Chechnya's border with Georgia between Russian forces and separatist rebels trying to break through a tightening noose of advancing government troops. The Georgian leadership angrily denied Russian claims that Georgia had sided with the Chechens in the five-month old conflict and offered refuge to some of the rebel leaders during the war. It is reported that Russia has sent 100 extra soldiers and some two tonnes of supplies to the Chechen-Georgian border to cut off any Chechen escape (AFP). |
| Apr 11, 2000 |
It was reported that Georgian president, Eduard Shevardnadze, achieved a convincing victory in the first round of Georgian presidential elections(BBC). |
| Apr 21, 2000 |
An official Georgian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili arrived in Moscow to take part in talks on questions of military and political cooperation and the implementation of the accords reached in Istanbul in November 1999 on the stage by stage reduction of Russian military bases in Georgia. The Russian and the Georgian delegation to the Moscow talks would discuss the whole range of bilateral relations in the military sphere (BBC). |
| Apr 21, 2000 |
Following Russian -Georgian talks on defense and political matters, Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Ilya Klebanov, told Interfax that Russia intended to honor its commitments made at last December's OSCE summit in Istanbul on closing down its military bases in Gudauta and Vaziani, Georgia. Before the end of the year, Russia and Georgia must agree on the deadlines for closing down two other Russian bases in Batumi and Akhalkalaki, Klebanov said. The two sides would discuss ways of jointly using the assets remaining in the bases following their closure, he said. The next round of talks on Russian military bases in Georgia is expected to be held in June and July 2000(BBC). |
| May 8, 2000 |
According to an article in the Russian newspaper Kommersant, Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze, is "no longer reckoning on reaching an amicable agreement with Moscow over the key problem of Abkhazia". The newspaper uses as evidence Sheverdnadze's announcement that he would not be seeking Vazha Lortkipanidze's reappointment as state minister. Lortkipanidze " had been regarded as Georgia's most pro- Russian politician" (BBC). |
| May 12, 2000 |
It was announced that five amphibious ships were ready to remove the first Russian military equipment from Georgia. The withdrawal of military bases from Georgia is expected to begin from Vaziani in one year. Analysts note that the withdrawal of troops from the Transcaucasus is a costly loss of Russian influence in the region(BBC). |
| May 16, 2000 |
Georgian ambassador to Russia Malkaz Kakabadze said that the question of pulling Russian peacemakers out from the conflict zones in Abkhazia and South Ossetia had not been raised by Tbilisi but rather by the Abkhazian side. "Russia is actively involved in the process, being an intermediary in the settlement in Abkhazia and South Ossetia," he said. The activity of Russian peacemakers in former South Ossetia "deserves the best compliments which cannot be said about Abkhazia. The Georgian ambassador pointed out that Georgia's relations with Russia were very active and Georgia would continue to maintain them(BBC). |
| May 24, 2000 |
The Russian General Staff said that more than 1,500 well-armed people "nurturing plans for a possible breakthrough onto Russian territory" were concentrating outside the Chechen stretch of the Russian-Georgian border. First Deputy Russian Chief of the General Staff, Col Gen Valeriy Manilov, told the press that "... a considerable number of them are people of a combat-ready age, who carry arms and are setting up growing stocks of arms and materiel"(BBC). |
| May 25, 2000 |
Chairman of the Georgian State Border Guard Department Valeri Chkheidze accused Russian News Agencies of misinforming the public. According to Russian Agencies 3000 armed Taleban mercenaries and 1,000 Chechen militants were concentrating in the mountainous areas of Georgia and preparing to cross the border to Chechnya and fight against Russia's federal troops. Information was also spread about Russian air force bombing a convoy of 80 Afghan militants. Georgian General Valeri Chkheidze said that all reports had originated from the Russian military news agency (BBC). |
| Sep 27, 2006 |
Georgia arrests five Russian officers, stationed in Georgia, on charges of spying. (The Telegraph, 09/29/2006, "Russian fury as Tbilisi arrests five for spying") |
| Oct 2 - Dec 31, 2006 |
Russia began an economic blockade of Georgia that would last all year. Russia also suspended all transport and postal links with Georgia. (Pravda, 10/02/2006, "Russia launches economic blockade of Georgia, puts troops on high alert") |
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