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http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2002/10/2-TCA/tca-171002.asp Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 17, 2002 -Parliament deputy Sandro Bregadze, who represents Abashidze's Revival Union, told parliament on 16 October that Shevardnadze's warning to the Adjar leadership was "dangerous," inappropriate coming from the president, and "aimed at splitting the country," NATO COMMANDER VISITS AZERBAIJAN On a one-day visit to Baku on 16 October, General Joseph Ralston, who is NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, met with Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev, who assured him of Baku's intention to expand cooperation with NATO, Interfax reported. Ralston also met with Foreign Minister Vilyat Quliev and Defense Minister Colonel General Safar Abiev. Ralston advocated a peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict, saying force should be used only as a last resort. He added that NATO does not intend to become involved in mediating a solution to that conflict. LF GEORGIAN PRESIDENT WARNS ADJAR LEADER... Addressing a government session in Tbilisi on 16 October, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze harshly criticized the leadership of the Adjar Autonomous Republic for its chronic failure to transfer tax revenues to the central budget, Caucasus Press and Interfax reported. Interfax quoted him as warning that "whoever in Adjaria is dreaming about breaking away from Georgia must forget [such aspirations]." Georgian Finance Minister Mirian Gogiashvili said Adjaria's failure to transfer 3 million laris ($1.38 million) to Tbilisi last month was one of the reasons for Georgia's failure to meet its budget revenue targets in September. (The total shortfall was 8 million laris.) Georgian Minister of State Avtandil Djorbenadze traveled to Batumi last month in an apparently unsuccessful attempt to persuade Adjar State Council Chairman Aslan Abashidze to meet his financial commitments to the central budget. LF ... WHOSE SUPPORTERS RETALIATE Parliament deputy Sandro Bregadze, who represents Abashidze's Revival Union, told parliament on 16 October that Shevardnadze's warning to the Adjar leadership was "dangerous," inappropriate coming from the president, and "aimed at splitting the country," ITAR-TASS and Caucasus Press reported. He added that he intends to raise in parliament the question of Shevardnadze's impeachment. But Revival Union faction head Djemal Gogitidze expressed doubts that a majority of parliament deputies would support a bid to impeach the president, Caucasus Press reported. He predicted that they are more likely to favor amending the constitution to allow Shevardnadze to seek a third presidential term. LF GEORGIA DEPLOYS MORE POLICE ON INTERNAL BORDER WITH SOUTH OSSETIA Three more police checkpoints have been set up in Gori Raion, which borders on the unrecognized republic of South Ossetia, Georgian Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili said on 16 October, according to Interfax. He said the increased Georgian police presence in the district is intended to prevent the smuggling of stolen cars and will facilitate the detention of Georgian-Ossetian criminal gangs. At the same time, he stressed that the Georgian action is on a much smaller scale than the ongoing anticrime sweep in the Pankisi Gorge. Narchemashvili welcomed reports that the South Ossetian police have launched their own anticrime operation (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 October 2002). Also on 16 October, Caucasus Press quoted North Ossetian President Aleksandr Dzasokhov as saying that Georgia will not launch a Pankisi-style anticrime and antiterrorism operation in South Ossetia. He added that during talks in Tbilisi on 12 October, he assured Shevardnadze that the joint Russian-Georgian peacekeeping force in South Ossetia is perfectly capable of keeping crime in check. LF ABKHAZIA ACCUSES GEORGIA OF DEPLOYING WEAPONRY IN KODORI GORGE Georgia has moved air-defense systems and other military equipment into the upper reaches of the Kodori Gorge, Interfax on 16 October quoted Abkhaz First Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Raul Khadjimba as saying. Khadjimba said the Abkhaz leadership interprets that deployment as preparation for large-scale hostilities against Abkhazia. LF __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Faith Hill - Exclusive Performances, Videos & More http://faith.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
