The updated composition of the Milli Majlis [Parliament] committees in Azerbaijan has been announced, according to Azernews. A total of 15 committee members have been named, following elections held during a recent parliamentary session.
Month: October 2024
Shuki Journalism Award in Georgia
On September 25th, a formal awards ceremony took place at the popular venue “Fabrika” in Tbilisi, marking the conclusion of the fourth round of the Shuki journalism award (“Light”) and the closing of the project.
The event was attended by representatives of the accredited diplomatic corps in Tbilisi, media organizations, previous winners, and the jury which selected the winners.
Winners of the final round of the Shuki journalism award are:
Eka Kevanishvili, a journalist for Radio Free Europe, for her piece “Who Will Be Left with Bakhmaro?” In this article, she investigates the implications of a multifunctional hotel complex being built by the construction company Orbi in Bakhmaro, a resort. She then explores what the future holds for the area if the project goes forward.
Tako Peikrishvili, a journalist for the regional publication “Southern Gates,” for her investigative report “A Budget for the Village and for ‘Dream’ Supporters—To Whom the Adigeni Mayor Allocated 1.5 Million Lari.” This piece uncovers corrupt dealings within the Adigeni municipal government, revealing that over the past five years, the mayor’s office has distributed 1.5 million lari (approximately $550,000) to companies owned by municipal employees and their relatives through direct procurement.
The third winners are investigative journalists Tskiarla Shermadini and Nino Zuriashvili from “Studio Monitor.” Their film, “The European Life of a ‘Dream’ Official,” delves into the undeclared income of high-ranking Georgian Dream official Romeo Mikautadze and the education of his children at European universities. This investigation aims to answer the question “How did the wife of a former senior official from the Ministry of Economy acquire an apartment in a historic district of Spain’s capital?”
About the award:
The Shuki journalism award has been presented since September 2023. The project was launched by the regional media portal JAMnews and the Estonian Centre for International Development and Cooperation.
The Estonian Centre for International Development and Cooperation (ESTDEV) is a government-funded foundation responsible for managing and implementing Estonia’s international and humanitarian projects.
The project was designed to last one year, featuring a permanent jury composed of Georgian and foreign journalists and media experts. Winners were announced every three months.
Over the course of the year, the Shuki journalism award, which included a cash prize of €1,000, was awarded to 12 journalists for their work.
You can find all the winning journalism on the award’s website.
“This was a very important and supportive project for journalists in this challenging, polarized media landscape. Over the past year, we have seen a wealth of high-quality journalism, making it increasingly difficult to choose the winners, which is certainly very good news,” said jury member and media expert Zviad Khoridze during the project’s closing ceremony.
“I was among those authors, and I never imagined I would be here today. This is a huge motivation and an incredible encouragement,” said journalist Tako Peikrishvili at the awards ceremony. She shared that she was especially nervous, as this was her first piece of journalism.
“While our government fights against everything European, we have found that our officials are creating comfortable lives for themselves in European countries,” noted investigative journalist Tskiarla Shermadini from “Studio Monitor.”
In addition to the award, the project includes a training trip for journalists to Estonia. During this week-long visit, Georgian journalists will familiarize themselves with the practices of central and local media in Estonia.
Shuki Journalism Award in Georgia
Ivanishvili is bringing Georgia closer to Russia
Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili stated on the program “360 Degrees” that Georgia’s informal leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, seeks to repeat history and has long been preparing a “Second Treaty of Georgievsk.”
Furthermore, Khukhashvili labeled Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze’s positive assessment of Lavrov’s statements as “treason.”
He also mentioned the announcement of the “Georgian Dream” electoral program being postponed due to the campaign’s head and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s health, as well as the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to the United States. It was originally scheduled for October 1st.
The analyst claims he has new information showing that Georgian Dream is attempting to establish relations with the administration of U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The Treaty of Georgievsk, also known as the “Treaty of Friendship,” was signed on July 24 (August 4) 1783 at the fortress of Georgievsk in the North Caucasus between Russia and the unified kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti. Under this agreement, the kingdom came under the protection of Russia.
Through this act, King Irakli II of Kartli-Kakheti declared that he would refuse to recognize the supremacy of the Shah of Persia or any other ruler besides the Russian Emperor from that point on. In return, Russia committed to protecting Kartli-Kakheti from external enemies; however, the terms of the treaty were not followed by Russia.
Commentary:
Khukhashvili: “Lavrov has claimed that (Abkhazia and South Ossetia) are states… and they will not cede any territory to us; we will participate separately as subjects. Russia’s strategic goal is to restore a modernized version of the USSR.
“This didn’t begin today. Now, with their technological capabilities, they will approach this in a way that may take a bit longer. First, they will force us to sign the 3+3 format. Then, through the Orthodox Church and other institutions, they will start to evoke the period before 1783, when Irakli II found himself caught between three empires—a situation that could easily be repeated. Afterwards, there will be a significant surge of activity… Bidzina has long been preparing a “Second Treaty of Georgievsk.”
“Moreover, let me tell you why there is a PR campaign surrounding Irakli II. This is no coincidence. Bidzina seeks to replicate the history and status of Irakli II in Georgia, rather than submit to Russia. He wants to stage it as if we have no other choice: the West has abandoned us, and thus the alternative to Turkey and Iran is, after all, a like-minded Russia. This game needs to be played. But for now, Bidzina’s fate resembles that of Ordzhonikidze more closely. His efforts are in vain. He will not succeed in becoming Irakli II.
Trump is also not meeting with them. This creates the illusion that they are somehow “setting things up” with him, and now they are trying to promote that narrative. That is their plan, but the problem is that even Trump is not meeting with them.
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the “Georgian Dream,” spoke in Gori, where he discussed the August War and the country’s territorial integrity. In this context, the informal leader of the country again attributed the start of the 2008 war not to Russia, but to the former government. He also announced a “Nuremberg-style trial” for the “National Movement,” the party of Mikheil Saakashvili.
According to Ivanishvili, the August War was a “deliberately planned external provocation,” which he believes was initiated by the previous authorities. In light of Russia’s attack and subsequent occupation in 2008, Ivanishvili stated that after the elections, “Dream” will “definitely find the strength to apologize for what the ‘National Movement’ sent to the fire in 2008—our Ossetian sisters and brothers.”