Day: November 11, 2023

A 20-year-old sergeant Lior Azizov, a soldier of Azerbaijani origin, died on October 7 in battles against Hamas. According to his mother, Natalie, all his life Lior was inspired by the heroic story of his grandfather, Vahid Azizov, who died heroically during the First Karabakh War in 1992 and was buried in the Alley of Martyrs.

“Lior has always been interested in his identity, wondering who he really was. And I’d always tell him, your grandfather is Muslim, your grandmother is Jewish, your mom is Christian, you have the whole world contained in you and you have to be proud of it.” recalls his mother.

He served in Golan and trained a lot to perfect the strength of his body and spirit to be ready to protect his family, and his people, and to be a warrior of light.

“Our army is not killing anyone, they are just protecting us so that we can safely raise our kids here,” adds Natalie. 

Lior often asked about his grandfather and his father, who served in the Israeli military as well. According to his mother, his grandfather, Vahid Azizov,  played an important role in shaping Lior’s worldview.

“We know that his grandfather is a hero and that there is a school named after him, where there is a small museum, ensuring people remember their heroes.”

There aren’t many details yet, but from what the family could gather from his surviving friends, his commander and almost all his close friends also lost their lives on that day. The survivors said that Lior was brave until the very end: he was wounded in his right arm but still continued to fight, and help the wounded. Despite still being in critical condition, people who have survived thanks to Lior, send his family messages thanking him for saving their lives.

“We don’t know what awaits us in this state of war, but we know our nation is strong, just like the Azerbaijani nation, and we thank you for all your support, and for understanding us just like we understand you. We are together, the powers of good shall win. I believe in it sincerely, and our sons, fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers – they didn’t die in vain, they sacrificed their lives so that we could live a happy life,” says Lior’s mother. 

On Saturday, the first day of the war, she had a short phone call with him. He said: “There’s a shootout here, but I’m fine, don’t worry Mom, I’ll call you back, I promise. Love you”.

That was their last conversation.

The post Lior Azizov – a soldier of Azerbaijani origin was killed in a fight with Hamas militants appeared first on Azerbaijan In Focus.

Tamaz Ginturi’s was buried today with military honors in the village of Kirbali, a few hundred meters from where he was killed during an attempted illegal detention by the Russian occupying forces on November 6. Ginturi’s relatives, friends, fellow villagers, politicians, activists and human rights activists also came to pay their respects and bid him farewell.

Tamaz Ginturi, 58, a resident of Kirbali, was a veteran of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war and a former member of the Karaleti Special Forces. He was shot multiple times, including in the back, by Russian occupation forces near St. George of Lomisi Church near the village of Kirbali.

Nikoloz Ginturi, the brother of the killed said: “This is a very hard day for us… my brother had a great respect for the church and … he went to the Lomisi temple to light candles, the door was sealed and he opened it. They [Russians] ambushed him… I give a promise this door won’t be ever sealed again….” He also said that the family’s only request is for perpetrators of the killing to be duly punished.

Ginturi’s fellow villager Levan Dotiashvili, who was with him at the time of the killing, and got illegally detained by the Russian occupying forces, was handed over to the Georgian side on November 9.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that an investigation into the murder of a Georgian citizen and the abduction of a person has been opened under Articles 109 and 143 of the Criminal Code of Georgia on “premeditated murder” and “illegal deprivation of liberty”.

Both the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and President Salome Zurabishvili attended the Paris Peace Forum 2023. They took part in the panel discussions.

President Salome Zurabishvili’s Address

During her speech at the panel “From Multicrisis to Multiconflicts: how to stop the vicious circle” President Zurabishvili highlighted the European Commission’s positive recommendation for Georgia’s candidate status. As she spoke about the importance of this decision she noted: “The next day there was an opinion poll that showed not the usual 80% of supporters for the European Union, but 85%. I don’t know whether we can do better. But what’s more interesting is that 75% are in favor of the European Union because of security”.

President Zurabishvili highlighted the persistent challenge of occupied territories, drawing attention to a recent incident in which Russian occupying forces killed a Georgian citizen and took another hostage. Expressing concern over Russia’s actions in occupied Abkhazia, she recalled the recent takeover of the airport and the ongoing works towards transformation of one of the ports on the Black Sea into a military base for its fleet.

“So that is Russia. And the hope is there with the European Union. And there is no doubt in the minds of the Georgians that security, the President said adding: “So, it will take time, probably as long as it will take for us to become a full member. But the process is there, and the European Union is seen from the outside as the place where you are finally secure. And I’m sure that this is the case for our partners in the eastern part of the European Union that joined a few years ago.” .

If asked to draw a map of their country, some Russians, according to President Zurabishvili, would include Ukraine or Georgia out of lack of knowledge. She stressed: “And it’s our duty, the duty of the European Union if it wants tomorrow to reconstruct some form of architecture on the continent of Europe” to make sure that Russia finally understands the importance of respecting borders.

Speaking of the main objective of the eventual peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, President stressed: “…We all have to make sure that Russia leaves all occupied territories and recognizes where its borders are.”

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s Address

During the panel discussion titled “Insights on Cooperation in a World of Rivalry: Crafting Peace and Building a Safer World: The Case of Caucasus” PM Garibashvili highlighted ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Middle East and “frozen conflict in Georgia” saying: “So, therefore, the solution and answer to all these crises and conflicts must be peace. We – governments – must do everything to achieve peace”. He added: Of course, the challenge related to the occupation is still there. It has not disappeared, but we chose a policy of strategic patience.”

He talked at length about “Georgia’s success story” since the Georgian Dream came to power: “..Under every leadership in Georgia we had conflicts, we had wars, we had a civil war and we were losing territories. This is the only period when Georgia did not have any war, we were not losing territories and we are growing, making our country stronger and we are getting richer. This is something that brings prosperity to our population, to our people” he noted.

He emphasized that peace is crucial and the world currently requires fewer warmongers and more peacemakers. According to him, big countries, “superpowers” are capable of solving these problems.

He expressed confidence that through prudent, very careful, and wise policies, the de-occupation of the Georgian territories is achievable.

Regarding the Azebaijan-Armenian conflict, he noted: “Georgia has a strategic partnership and friendly relations with Azerbaijan. Georgia has a strategic partnership and friendly relationship with our brotherly nation – Armenia. Therefore, Georgia cannot be biased in this situation. Georgia is neutral”. PM also recalled that two years ago Georgia mediated a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, saying: “Two years ago we successfully mediated – I would say that it was the first mediation and a precedent we created together with Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev – when Azerbaijan released 15 detainees through Georgian mediation and Armenia gave maps of mined territories” adding: “I want to safeguard our neutrality and our unbiased position in our region. I think this is in the interests of the 3 of us”

He concluded his speech expressing concern over the situation in Israel and by condemning terrorism and terrorist attacks on civilians.

The sixth annual Paris Peace Forum takes place on November 10-11 brings together representatives from states, international organizations, businesses, development banks to foundations and NGOs and more from around the world to find multilateral solutions for today’s challenges. This year’s theme is Seeking Common Ground in the World of Rivalry

Also Read:

• 10/11/2023 – President Zurabishvili Speaks to French Media
• 09/11/2023 – PM Garibashvili Meets French President Macron

It was one of those many nights in Tbilisi when you take a routine walk after work and run into history in the making. The area in front of Orbeliani Palace, the residence of the Georgian president, is not that big. So, late on November 8, it got easily crowded. Part of the public had to observe the development from a dark, dimly lit park across the street – making it hard to discern the true scale of the gathering. Still, when Salome Zurabishvili left the building to address the public, she could see many things clearly. She could see flying flags of Georgia, the EU, and (of course) the ones featuring ex-President Saakashvili’s posterized face. She could see the Tbilisi TV tower, lit European blue-and-yellow, shimmering in the distance. And she could see hope, long-awaited hope.

Locals, opposition politicians, diplomats, watchdog heads, activists, teenagers, and Georgian seniors all showed up after the President called to gather at her place to mark the important date for the nation. Many wanted to celebrate the EU Commission finally recommending their country for the much-desired candidacy, and perhaps the Orbeliani palace seemed to be the only right place to do the cheering. Or, who knows, maybe they came to celebrate her: posing in front of a colorful collage assembled from works of Georgian artists, Zurabishvili’s long-famous aesthetic sense gave backing vocals to her newly – and surprisingly – discovered fame. And who would have thought that popularity would be that easy, or the crowds so fickle? All it takes in Georgia is an official mandate and the ability to act normal. Because, as this week would again show, “normal” is a condition that the ever-tumultuous country is desperately striving to achieve.

Here is Nini and our weekly Dispatch, to talk about bittersweet days that this November offered in Georgia

What happens after it happens

This week would have been a rare week of joy if it hadn’t started with a tragic event. On Monday, Russian occupation forces shot and killed Georgian citizen, Tamaz Ginturi, as they tried to apprehend him near the occupation line they patrol. Ginturi, a 2008 war veteran, had gone with his friends to pray at St George of Lomisi Church, a sacred place for many locals that had been sealed shut by Russian/South Ossetian forces months ago. Another Georgian citizen was abducted during the incident but eventually released. 

The shocking report was met in Tbilisi with grief, anger, and questions. The first question was why it happened. Was it an inevitable outcome of the tense security situation on the ground? Or was it a deliberate escalation from Moscow ahead of the much-awaited decision from Brussels? Or is the answer much simpler and much more gruesome: they just killed him because they could, as they do daily in Ukraine? The latter, unsettling answer triggered another imminent question: what now?! Do we shoot back? Or fall back on usual condemnation? Do we call the enemy by its name? Do we make frantic calls to foreign friends (if we still have any)? 

While the ruling party and its opponents traded usual accusations, the answer to those questions is boring and anti-climactic – we don’t know. We may know how the government will react. We may know that we won’t like it. We may know what is wrong, but we hardly know what is right. Yes, still, we do not know, even though the matter has topped Georgia’s political discussions.

As for this latest development, there were more bitter cries than there were battle cries from all sides. Serious and uncomfortable conversations were once again swept under the carpet, with a vague hope they would take place at some appropriate juncture – and with a dull pang of realization that they won’t.

In the meantime, the impotent anger against the government is only matched by the despairing irritation at those who present themselves as their opposition. Less than a year is left before the next general elections. It is obvious, that the ruling party will try – again – to cash in the credit for maintaining “peace,” even though the latest tragedy demonstrated the extent of “peace” that one can buy from Russia even paying the price of appeasement, if not collaboration. So, how could the opposition convince the public that it can come up with a less shameful – but still responsible – Russia strategy?

Think outside borders?

“Sadly, the approved response model (calls on various international organizations, blaming opponents and many others) is less effective, and it rather resembles self-deception than a predefined strategy. Most importantly, it doesn’t yield any valuable results,” Kornely Kakachia, a Georgian political analyst, wrote on Facebook as he reflected on how to respond to similar incidents. “A small, occupied state that presently is not part of any alliance, has very little resources to defend itself. Due to military disbalance and many other factors, a weak state will find it difficult to deliver an asymmetrical response to an aggressor.”

But Dr. Kakachia still believes there is a way if there is “unity and political consensus.” The solution, the analyst says, can be found in the “irreversible Europeization” of the country so that “we can strategically cut ourselves off from the source of threat.” 

This brings Kakachia and probably many other Georgians to November 8, when Georgia got one small step closer to becoming part of the European Union. There has never been a shortage of EU flags in Tbilisi, but on that night, every blank space was covered with yellow stars on a blue background. The news about being recommended for EU membership candidacy by Brussels, after the botched first attempt, took social media by storm. Georgian netizens, in turn, stormed the official EU social media accounts to let the world know how happy (or desperate?) they were and maybe also to boost Brussels’ ego.

Snooze Button

What are they so excited about? One expectation can indeed be eventual protection from military threats, even though the EU is not a military or security alliance. Others may be cheering for the recognition of their hard work. Others still – as a recognition of their European identity.

But let us be honest: waking up in the cold mornings, it’s not the question of whether they are European or Asian that first comes to mind of many Georgians. Instead, they worry about work – or its absence, the future – or its dreaded absence – for their kids, health, safety, traffic jams, or degrading public transport.

In short, they yearn for a “normal life,” normal in it conveying individual dignity and free of at least some of today’s threats and paralyzing uncertainty. So, whether or not one is familiar with arcane ways of functioning of the European institutions, there is that hope that this “normal” life is within reach, and it may come from more reforms, more motivation, and more assistance and pressure from Brussels.

But in the mornings, even before those thoughts come flooding in, there is a reflex – hitting that snooze button after the alarm clock goes off. The emotions from November 8 will subside, and will be left wondering – did Georgia actually move forward on its EU path? Or did it collectively hit the snooze button to postpone the hard work that is required to secure the flagpole in Brussels? Many of the conditioned reforms are still to be implemented and the government does not exactly radiate the political will to get on with the work.

Repeatedly hitting the snooze button can be a tempting way to claim five additional minutes from facing the ugly reality. But we all know how it often ends: at one point, half-asleep, one makes the wrong move and dismisses the alarm for good – indefinitely protracting one’s slumber.