Ingushetia marked the 22nd anniversary of its formation last week. The Ingushetia paper informs that the main anniversary events were organized near the 100-meter Tower of Consent on the central square in Magas. Ingush Head Yunus-Bek Yevkurov said: “Reforms seen in the republic prove the right path we chose and its prospects. Today, on the Day of the Foundation of the Republic, we are even more sensitive to realization of the importance of those events, their value for consolidation of our multi-ethnic people around patriotism, loyalty to Homeland and responsibility for its fate.”
Folk festivals, exhibitions of national cuisine, concerts of Ingush and NCFD celebrities, fireworks were organized in all municipalities of Ingushetia. Games and contests were held in cultural centers, parks and squares.
Russian celebrities were the main highlight for locals and guests of the celebrations. Art groups, solo singers and circus artistes made performances. Over 50 cultural, recreational and sporting events were organized, including the Fight in the Mountains-3 mixed martial arts competitions, swimming and springboard dives at Armkhi, horse races at the Magas hippodrome, a paintball tournament of the NCFD, the Ingush Games sports and arts festival.
The Shambala-2014 All-Russian BASE Jumping Festival was organized at the bottom of Mt. Tsey-Loam. Jumpers from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok and Krasnodar arrived for the event. They jumped from a height of 3107m. The competition was dedicted to the opening of a sports and health-improvement complex in Jeyrakh.
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Opposition ousted Abkhaz President Alexander Ankvab on May 27. The Abkhaz parliament authorized the Speaker of Parliament, Valery Bganba, to serve as the acting president. The prime minister was impeached. The vice president, two vice prime ministers and the prosecutor general were dismissed. The republic will hold early presidential polls on August 24, 2014.
The Respublika Abkhazia paper published comments of the Department for Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry. It praises Ankvab and other authorities of the republic for keeping peace and preventing violence.
Apsny.ru informs that acting President Valery Bganba was invited to a session of the Public Chamber on Thursday. He denied rumours about a new treaty on integration with Russia. The official said that joining the Customs Union and the Eurasian Union could be a problem because Abkhazia was not recognized by some members of the structures. He assured that Russia will continue supporting Abkhazia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili was reported trying to put an end to disputes over Abkhazia in Georgia. He ruled out chances that Moscow had inspired the crisis in Abkhazia deliberately to prevent the signing of the Georgian-EU Association Agreement. The prime minister urged all his backers to stop speculation about it.
Sergi Kapanadze, the director of the Association of Georgian Reformers, an ex-deputy foreign minister of Georgia, told Georgia Online that the events in Abkhazia were alarming and needed attention and deep analysis. In Abkhazia, Ankvab concentrated power in his hands and it seems many of his backers distanced themselves from him because he would not let them into power, to “warm spots”, that is. Moreover, he allocated high funds to projects that were leaking money, giving no economic benefits. All this made even his closest friends move away,” he explained.
The Novoye Vremya paper of Armenia believes that Ankvab did not form the basis for a new economy, no major federal funds were invested in infrastructure development. Old resorts, exports of wood to Europe, tangerines and bay leaves were the basis of the economy. The opposition got an economic bonus, justifying accusations that the president and the government were responsible for the horrible social situation, economic deadlock and dependence on Russian aid.
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The Delovoy Express paper informs that the Support for Democratic Governance Program financed by the European Union has been launched in Yerevan. It will be in force for 18 months and has a budget of about 1 million euros.
Ambassador Trajan Christea, the head of an EU delegation to Armenia, noted that the main goal of the EU strategy was to strengthen civil society, democratic governance, development of unbiased and independent media. In his words, despite the active role of civil society in formation of Armenian policy, its actions are still limited.
The EU official said that relations between the European Union and Armenia were being reframed in the light of Armenia joining the Customs Union. The Armenian authorities, civil society, structures of the European Union and at least 28 member-states of the EU are involved in the process. The EU will start considering realization of the goals set after negotiations within the framework of the Vilnius Agreements. He emphasized that the EU continued talks on cooperation with ministries so that actions would coincide with the decision Armenia had made on September 3, 2013.
Christea noted that reconsideration of cooperation was still in progress and will affect both certain elements of cooperation and methods. According to the EU official, the Cooperation and Partnership Program was still being realized. He emphasized that Armenia could sign only the full package of the Association Agreement, because deep and pervasive trade was an inseparable part.
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On June 12, Azerbaijan will have exactly a year left before the start of the 2015 European Olympic Games. The Ekho paper informs that the recent qualification round of track and field athletics in Baku was the first test for the European Games. About 700 athletes from Europe competed for the right to take part in the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics. Jose Luis de Carlos, vice president of the European Athletics Competition Commission, praised the tour in Azerbaijan. Organizers of the Olympics were given a chance to test their capacities in the transportation sector, security and other aspects.
The paper notes that the Baku-2015 Organizing Committee and the Tickethour (Greece) service signed a contract yesterday. The Greek company was founded by three functionaries of the Athens-2004 Organizing Committee in 2005. The company became a major distributor on Cyprus and in the Middle East. It has recently started expanding to markets in Western Europe. Tickethour will be an official partner of Baku-2015 to sell tickets for the European Games. Special software will be made to sell tickets online. Management will be formed.
About 1 million tickets will have been sold by the start of the European Games. They will be sold for 320 sessions in 19 types of sports at 20 sports centers, opening and closing of the Games. The ticket program will start in 2015. Tickethour will be responsible for online sales of tickets, their distribution through central offices in Baku.
President of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey said that 15 types of sports had originally been selected for the Games. The list was expanded due to numerous requests from European and international federations. Insider circles reported that sambo may appear on the list as an initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had asked Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan and the head of the National Olympic Committee, to include it on the program during a CICA summit in Shanghai. BEGOC Head Simon Clegg said that the issue was under consideration.
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The Svobodnaya Gruziya paper says that Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili ordered the formation of a system of wages and bonuses for functionaries. The decision was made taking into account higher public interest in wages and bonuses of officials.
Rezonansi reports that wages of Georgian ministries have increased by an average of 3000% in the past 10 years, wages of MPs by 2500%, the president by 1600%. Lawmakers were making 150 laris a month in 2003 and earn 3700 laris today. The average wage of a minister amounted to 165 laris a month, it amounted to 3540 laris under Saakashvili’s presidency and amounts to 5000 laris today. President Eduard Shevardnadze had a salary of 400 laris a month, Mikheil Saakashvili 4700 laris, Georgy Margvelashvili 6900 laris. The National Movement Party explained that the higher salaries were set to prevent corruption and reward functionaries for “good work.”
“A system was finally established in our country to put wages, bonuses and premiums of functionaries and state workers in order. It should be a transparent system so that no one would have any questions left. The system should be standardized taking into account especially hard and risky jobs. I know that work on the issue has already started and the first stage successfully completed,” the prime minister comments on the problem.
The new salary and bonus system will have been introduced by June 21.
Caucasus domestic and foreign political events in local mediaIngushetia marked the 22nd anniversary of its formation last week. The Ingushetia paper informs that the main anniversary events were organized near the 100-meter Tower of Consent on the central square in Magas. Ingush Head Yunus-Bek Yevkurov said: “Reforms seen in the republic prove the right path we chose and its prospects. Today, on the Day of the Foundation of the Republic, we are even more sensitive to realization of the importance of those events, their value for consolidation of our multi-ethnic people around patriotism, loyalty to Homeland and responsibility for its fate.”Folk festivals, exhibitions of national cuisine, concerts of Ingush and NCFD celebrities, fireworks were organized in all municipalities of Ingushetia. Games and contests were held in cultural centers, parks and squares.Russian celebrities were the main highlight for locals and guests of the celebrations. Art groups, solo singers and circus artistes made performances. Over 50 cultural, recreational and sporting events were organized, including the Fight in the Mountains-3 mixed martial arts competitions, swimming and springboard dives at Armkhi, horse races at the Magas hippodrome, a paintball tournament of the NCFD, the Ingush Games sports and arts festival.The Shambala-2014 All-Russian BASE Jumping Festival was organized at the bottom of Mt. Tsey-Loam. Jumpers from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Vladivostok and Krasnodar arrived for the event. They jumped from a height of 3107m. The competition was dedicted to the opening of a sports and health-improvement complex in Jeyrakh.* * *Opposition ousted Abkhaz President Alexander Ankvab on May 27. The Abkhaz parliament authorized the Speaker of Parliament, Valery Bganba, to serve as the acting president. The prime minister was impeached. The vice president, two vice prime ministers and the prosecutor general were dismissed. The republic will hold early presidential polls on August 24, 2014.The Respublika Abkhazia paper published comments of the Department for Information and Press of the Russian Foreign Ministry. It praises Ankvab and other authorities of the republic for keeping peace and preventing violence.Apsny.ru informs that acting President Valery Bganba was invited to a session of the Public Chamber on Thursday. He denied rumours about a new treaty on integration with Russia. The official said that joining the Customs Union and the Eurasian Union could be a problem because Abkhazia was not recognized by some members of the structures. He assured that Russia will continue supporting Abkhazia.Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili was reported trying to put an end to disputes over Abkhazia in Georgia. He ruled out chances that Moscow had inspired the crisis in Abkhazia deliberately to prevent the signing of the Georgian-EU Association Agreement. The prime minister urged all his backers to stop speculation about it.Sergi Kapanadze, the director of the Association of Georgian Reformers, an ex-deputy foreign minister of Georgia, told Georgia Online that the events in Abkhazia were alarming and needed attention and deep analysis. In Abkhazia, Ankvab concentrated power in his hands and it seems many of his backers distanced themselves from him because he would not let them into power, to “warm spots”, that is. Moreover, he allocated high funds to projects that were leaking money, giving no economic benefits. All this made even his closest friends move away,” he explained.The Novoye Vremya paper of Armenia believes that Ankvab did not form the basis for a new economy, no major federal funds were invested in infrastructure development. Old resorts, exports of wood to Europe, tangerines and bay leaves were the basis of the economy. The opposition got an economic bonus, justifying accusations that the president and the government were responsible for the horrible social situation, economic deadlock and dependence on Russian aid.* * *The Delovoy Express paper informs that the Support for Democratic Governance Program financed by the European Union has been launched in Yerevan. It will be in force for 18 months and has a budget of about 1 million euros.Ambassador Trajan Christea, the head of an EU delegation to Armenia, noted that the main goal of the EU strategy was to strengthen civil society, democratic governance, development of unbiased and independent media. In his words, despite the active role of civil society in formation of Armenian policy, its actions are still limited.The EU official said that relations between the European Union and Armenia were being reframed in the light of Armenia joining the Customs Union. The Armenian authorities, civil society, structures of the European Union and at least 28 member-states of the EU are involved in the process. The EU will start considering realization of the goals set after negotiations within the framework of the Vilnius Agreements. He emphasized that the EU continued talks on cooperation with ministries so that actions would coincide with the decision Armenia had made on September 3, 2013.Christea noted that reconsideration of cooperation was still in progress and will affect both certain elements of cooperation and methods. According to the EU official, the Cooperation and Partnership Program was still being realized. He emphasized that Armenia could sign only the full package of the Association Agreement, because deep and pervasive trade was an inseparable part.* * *On June 12, Azerbaijan will have exactly a year left before the start of the 2015 European Olympic Games. The Ekho paper informs that the recent qualification round of track and field athletics in Baku was the first test for the European Games. About 700 athletes from Europe competed for the right to take part in the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics. Jose Luis de Carlos, vice president of the European Athletics Competition Commission, praised the tour in Azerbaijan. Organizers of the Olympics were given a chance to test their capacities in the transportation sector, security and other aspects.The paper notes that the Baku-2015 Organizing Committee and the Tickethour (Greece) service signed a contract yesterday. The Greek company was founded by three functionaries of the Athens-2004 Organizing Committee in 2005. The company became a major distributor on Cyprus and in the Middle East. It has recently started expanding to markets in Western Europe. Tickethour will be an official partner of Baku-2015 to sell tickets for the European Games. Special software will be made to sell tickets online. Management will be formed.About 1 million tickets will have been sold by the start of the European Games. They will be sold for 320 sessions in 19 types of sports at 20 sports centers, opening and closing of the Games. The ticket program will start in 2015. Tickethour will be responsible for online sales of tickets, their distribution through central offices in Baku.President of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey said that 15 types of sports had originally been selected for the Games. The list was expanded due to numerous requests from European and international federations. Insider circles reported that sambo may appear on the list as an initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had asked Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan and the head of the National Olympic Committee, to include it on the program during a CICA summit in Shanghai. BEGOC Head Simon Clegg said that the issue was under consideration.* * *The Svobodnaya Gruziya paper says that Georgian Prime Minister Irakly Garibashvili ordered the formation of a system of wages and bonuses for functionaries. The decision was made taking into account higher public interest in wages and bonuses of officials.Rezonansi reports that wages of Georgian ministries have increased by an average of 3000% in the past 10 years, wages of MPs by 2500%, the president by 1600%. Lawmakers were making 150 laris a month in 2003 and earn 3700 laris today. The average wage of a minister amounted to 165 laris a month, it amounted to 3540 laris under Saakashvili’s presidency and amounts to 5000 laris today. President Eduard Shevardnadze had a salary of 400 laris a month, Mikheil Saakashvili 4700 laris, Georgy Margvelashvili 6900 laris. The National Movement Party explained that the higher salaries were set to prevent corruption and reward functionaries for “good work.”“A system was finally established in our country to put wages, bonuses and premiums of functionaries and state workers in order. It should be a transparent system so that no one would have any questions left. The system should be standardized taking into account especially hard and risky jobs. I know that work on the issue has already started and the first stage successfully completed,” the prime minister comments on the problem.The new salary and bonus system will have been introduced by June 2
