Day: March 27, 2024

Major General Bettina Boughani has been appointed as the new Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia, the Council of the European Union announced on March 26. She will serve from March 21, 2024 to December 14, 2024, succeeding Dimitrios Karabalis.

Major General Bettina Boughani is an officer of the French National Gendarmerie. She has held various senior positions within the United Nations, the French Gendarmerie and the Ministry of the Interior. Most recently, as Police Commissioner of MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali), she was involved in conflict prevention, mediation and peacekeeping in sensitive political and security contexts.

Also Read:

• 01/02/2023 – New Head of EUMM appointed 
• 16/11/2022 – Germany Pulls Pro-Putin Observer from EUMM Georgia

On March 26, history has been made as Georgia qualified for EURO 2024 after beating Greece in a penalty shoot-out following a tense playoff final that ended 0-0 after extra time. It is the first time that Georgia has qualified for either the European Championship or a major tournament. Georgia will be in Group F in Germany this summer alongside Turkey, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. This historic win sparked huge celebrations across the capital city of Tbilisi.

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Russian state media TASS reported that the Basmannyy Court of Moscow sentenced in absentia a Georgian citizen, Alexander Inasaridze, on charges of committing a “terrorist attack” on the Crimean Bridge in October 2022. Inasaridze allegedly owns the trucking company whose vehicle transported the explosives that later exploded on the bridge. Moscow court sentenced him to two months of preventive detention from the moment of his extradition to Russia.

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In an interview with the Russian newspaper “Argumenty i Fakty,” Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, claims that Russia enjoys “advanced relations” with all the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) except Georgia and Moldova. “As for the rest of the countries, we respect their sovereignty, and at the same time, we remember our common history and economic interdependence that developed during the USSR,” said Peskov.

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The ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers have announced amendments to Georgia’s electoral code, claiming it will improve the efficiency of the country’s electoral system and make elected officials more responsive to local constituencies. However, the proposed amendments have triggered concerns among their critics that the ruling party is clinging to the ousted majoritarian system and are seen as another tactical ploy by the GD to tweak the system to its advantage. In this piece, Civil.ge delves into the GD-proposed amendments.   

Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, visited the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan and made a note in the Memory Book regarding the terrorist act that occurred at “Crocus City Hall”, Azernews reports, citing the press service of the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan.

An event dedicated to the Novruz Holiday was held at the University of Cambridge, Azernews reports.

Georgia’s team at the Euro

Photo: Giorgi ARJEVANIDZE / AFP

Georgia’s national football team won against Greece in the penalty shootout with a 4:2 score in the final match of the Euro 2024 qualifying stage.

The main and extra time of the match ended in a 0:0 draw. The outcome of the match was decided by a penalty shootout.

For the first time in history, Georgia has qualified for the final part of the European Championship. Georgia’s opponents will be Portugal, Turkey, and the Czech Republic.

The European Championship will take place this summer in Germany, from June 14 to July 14.

The match was held at the Dynamo stadium in Tbilisi.

Tickets for the game were sold out within a few hours: more than 300,000 people were waiting in the online queue, according to the service TKT.ge.

The reaction of fans after Nika Kvekveskiri scored the winning penalty:

Fans storm the pitch in celebration after Georgia defeated Greece to qualify for the 2024 Euros

Georgia will play in the Euros for the first time ever pic.twitter.com/rasAQeF9V7

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 26, 2024

The Georgian team after the match in the locker room. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia performs a Georgian dance:

Fans return from the Georgia vs. Greece match. Cars are honking, people are chanting “Sakartvelo,” and people are singing the national team’s anthem in the metro:

The Georgian national team joined fans at Republic Square. Those gathered there were the ones who couldn’t buy tickets for the match.

The football players perform the anthem of Georgia:

Budu Zivzivadze dances on stage in front of the fans:

Members of the Georgian Legion in Ukraine watch the Georgia-Greece match:

President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili and Georgian national team veteran Shota Arveladze:

Fans in Kutaisi:

Gallant seeks to smooth over tensions after PM’s cancellation leaves him alone in DC https://t.co/5Gz0i6RJov

— The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) March 27, 2024

REPORT: There were no vehicles traveling on the Francis Scott Key Bridge when it fell into the ocean thanks to heroic police officers who jumped into action.

It has now been confirmed that the only people on the bridge when it collapsed was a pothole repair crew.

A total of… pic.twitter.com/U6PZPO8SDG

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 26, 2024

🔴 Britain could not fight Russia for more than two months, the Deputy Chief of Defence staff has admitted https://t.co/ZHdvmzUgRP

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 27, 2024

План Путина обвинить Украину в теракте в Крокусе в очередной раз провалился.
На этот раз Лукашенко решил нанести удар в спину Путину и полностью подорвать ключевой аргумент кремлевской пропаганды. Вчера Лукашенко заявил, что террористы пытались убежать из России через Беларусь,… pic.twitter.com/ittLOX9jE0

— gerry Karisson (@KarissonGerry) March 27, 2024

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan blamed the USA and the EU for helping Armenia  radar.am