Day: March 1, 2024
ban of LGBT propaganda in Georgia
“Talks of LGBT propaganda are as absurd as the notion that someone is dragging us into war. It’s only done to win votes, and it’s just another Russian law, [representatives of the ruling party have repeatedly stated that the West and Ukraine are allegedly trying to drag Georgia into the war and force it to open a second front in Abkhazia – JAMnews]” political scientist Paata Zakareishvili stated on the news show “News of the day,” commenting on the ruling party of Georgia‘s intention to adopt a law against “LGBT propaganda.”
Exactly one year ago, the Georgian government already attempted to pass a law on foreign agents, similar to the Russian one. And now, the ruling party “Georgian dream” is initiating a new “Russian” law — against so-called LGBT propaganda. This was announced at a special briefing on February 29 by the executive secretary of the “Georgian dream,” Mamuka Mdinaradze.
According to Mdinaradze, the ruling party is preparing a bill that will protect society from “pseudo-liberal ideology and its inevitable harmful consequences.”
A similar law was adopted in Russia in 2022.
Paata Zakareishvili: “This is a misconception, just like the misconception that someone is dragging us into war. It has absolutely nothing to do with reality. Clearly, this is part of the pre-election campaign (parliamentary elections are to be held in Georgia in October 2024 — JAMnews), because they want to attract the right-wing, ultra-right, conservative segment of the population.
Because they know perfectly well that pro-European, pro-democratic voters do not vote for ‘Georgian Dream,’ or they vote at a minimal level. There is no danger; no one can dictate what values we should adhere to.”
- Why haven’t the organizers of the assault on journalists in Tbilisi on July 5, 2021, been punished?
- The history of Georgia’s LGBT+ community’s struggle for equal rights and non-discrimination
- “Why is your jacket unbuttoned?” – Homophobic attack in Tbilisi
This topic is not relevant in Georgia. Nobody in Georgia talks about this. No political party says that if it comes to power, it will definitely carry out reforms regarding the LGBT community. This is a fabrication!
Similarly, no one talks about war. But they create an illusion [as if someone is dragging us into war]. This is done only to win voters, and this is yet another Russian law”.
The Government of Cyprus will finance the construction of two greenhouses for families forcibly displaced from Artsakh, the Armenian Embassy in Greece informs.
The construction of 40 greenhouses was initiated by My Step Charitable Foundation on plots owned by families forcibly displaced as a result of the last Artsakh war, in rural communities, where the latter are currently settled. The residents of the regions will also benefit from the program.
The price for each greenhouse is 17,300 euros, with a total cost of around 700,000 euros.
Responding to the call for donations, thanks to the efforts of the State Representative of the Armenian Cypriot Community, Vardges Mahtesyan, the Government of Cyprus created an opportunity to cover the costs of the construction of 10 greenhouses.
Armenia’s Parliamentary Speaker, Alen Simonyan, has stated that Armenia should ‘definitely’ be granted membership of the European Union.
‘We are ready and will move in the direction that will provide us with maximum security. Today, democracy, being a democratic country, can be said to be our biggest security system’, said Simonyan.
While Simonyan did not state whether Armenia will officially submit an EU membership request, Armenia has sought closer diplomatic and security relations with the European Union and the West as its relations with Russia remain in freefall.
Last month, the EU announced that it was launching an ‘ambitious’ partnership agenda with Armenia which includes visa liberalisation, trade, and security cooperation. In October 2023 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the European Parliament that Armenia was ready to be closer to the European Union, ‘as much as the European Union considers it possible.’
During the briefing, Simonyan also criticised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russia-led security bloc to which Armenia is party, as an organisation that ‘does not work’.
His criticism of the CSTO came a week after Pashinyan told France 24 that Armenia had ‘basically frozen’ its participation in the CSTO for its refusal to come to Armenia’s defence against Azerbaijani attacks on the border.
[Read more: Pashinyan: Armenia has ‘frozen’ its participation in the CSTO]
While Armenia has not formally left the organisation, Simonyan did not exclude his country leaving the CSTO, as ‘with more than a dozen episodes, it has become obvious that our ally is not helping us’.
Armenia has recently been diversifying its security partners, purchasing weaponry and defence systems from France and India.
Simonyan also accused Russia of collaborating with Turkey and Azerbaijan, suggesting that the three countries might have agreed on military action before the 2020 war.
Simonyan expressed concern over the possibility of another pre-coordinated escalation.
‘Our biggest concern is where the attack will come from. It is obvious that this attack is carried out by the hands of Azerbaijan and is directed against our sovereignty,’ said Simonyan.
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