cafebabel.com

Wine production in Georgia: ‘passport to civilised world’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:14:28 -0000

If you are thinking of going on a wine-tasting holiday, skip the south of France and head to the Caucausus. Wine tourism and industry is booming in Georgia, as it is largely supported by the current government

Journalist Irakli Berulava: ‘Georgia has lost opportunity that rose revolution created’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 10:00:04 -0000

‘Gloomy’ is how the correspondent of reporters without borders (RSF) in Georgia describes the media situation in the South Caucasus countries. Self censorship, governmental pressures and democratical regression after the rose revolution of 2003 are mining the field of journalism, says the man who is also a blogger, film director and producer

Welcome to the Hotel Abkhazia

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:00:25 -0000

The recent wave of eviction of South Ossetian and Abkhazian refugees or 'internally displaced persons' into the Georgian capital Tbilisi is provoking the indignation of human rights associations

Georgia fashion week 2011: open to Europe

('cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:40:20 -0000

Between 13-16 October, Tbilisi will be all blitz and glamour instead of rockets: designers, buyers, models and fashion hype gather in the Georgian capital for the second edition of fashion week

Eurovision 2009: kitsch but politically correct

('Gemma Turner',) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:02:26 -0000

Watching the best party that a flagging Europe is supposed to provide reminds me more of watching the antics at an elderly relative’s birthday party. Extravaganza, my eye. The only aspect that continues to emerge like a beast year in, year out is its political censorship from Spain to Russia

Temuri Iakobashvili: 'Russia loves Georgia; they just don’t love the Georgian state'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:15:33 -0000

Obama in Russia, G8, ‘military exercises’ - the post-August war scene looks set to reach 100 political degrees celsius. The vice prime minister of Georgia, 42, on his young political generation, family and mutual love

Vito Kolelishvili: rugby player on 'unpaid managers and sportsmen' in Georgia

('Nino Gogua',) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:42:15 -0000

In 2004, Vito Kolelishvili became a professional rugby player with Lelos, the national rugby union team. At 19, he is one of the few rugby players nominated ‘best player of 2008’, shortly after the Georgian national tournament ended. Interview

Press review: EU-Russia summit in Nice, friends again?

('euro topics',) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:55:23 -0000

In a 14 November meeting in the southern French city, the EU wants to resume negotiations for a partnership agreement with Russia. Talks had been temporarily broken off after the August conflict in Georgia

Barroso in the land of the rising sun

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:02:57 -0000

Is the EU trying to interfere in Japan? Plus, European troops in Georgia - weekly news from Brussels

LinEa babelblog: caricatures in democracy

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:45:00 -0000

A babelblog where satire is a speciality. Italian and Belgian cartoonists

Voices: a South Ossetian in Turkey

('Ozcan Tikit',) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:13:34 -0000

There is a diaspora of 100, 000 South Ossetians in the EU member candidate country. Engin Polat Tkhostati, 28, was sleeping when war broke out between the Russians and Georgians on 7 August

Georgi Khaindrava: ‘Russia can't remain a member of the G8’

('n- ost',) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:37:34 -0000

Interview with the Georgian opposition leader, who served as minister for conflict resolution with the breakaway regions under Saakashvili but was removed from office in 2006

Poland and others - Europe's reactions to war

('Andrew Burgess',) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0000

'Russia can have only vassals or enemies at its borders.' Reflecting back over the course of centuries of history, George F. Kennan's observation has again proved to be perfectly accurate. Why is EU foreign diplomacy still stuttering?

The Caucasus war viewed through Europe's blogs

('Ole Skambraks',) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:35:50 -0000

Blogospheres are vibrating in the aftermath of the war in the Caucasus. The need to understand and debate is huge, as spin doctors have been manipulating the news on both sides

Abkhazia's Maxim Gunjia: 'the US reaction was openly pro-Georgian'

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:15:00 -0000

Interview and five-date diary from the foreign minister of Georgia’s 'other' breakaway region

Giulietto Chiesa on Russia-Georgia war: ‘Europe is responsible too’

('Benjamin Lasry',) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:15:26 -0000

Three questions to the Italian journalist and MEP, who discusses the South Ossetian conflict, Europe’s mistake and why this was the worst European media coverage since the war in Iraq

Georgia: stepping on 'dictators'

('Temo Bardzimashvili',) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Images from the Georgian capital as its people prepare to vote in a snap presidential election, to be held 5 January

Ahiska: exodus into the unknown

('Ed Saunders',) — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Three years ago the Ahiska/ Meskhetian Turks resettlement programme began, from Russia to the USA. But what is in store for those who haven’t made it over the Atlantic?

Energy - new Russian missile?

Tue, 29 May 2007 03:45:00 -0000

As it plays an increasingly larger role in the relationship between Russia and its neighbours, is energy supply a way of seeing who is in control of the region?

Yuri Khashchevatsky: 'Being Belarusian is fashionable these days'

Fri, 18 May 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Visionary film director Yuri Khashchevatsky, 60, is a principal figure of Belarusian dissent. He criticises ineffective opposition, and talks up the new role the Internet plays in the resistance

Georgian women, invisible citizens

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Women’s rights are neglected in the Caucasus, as illustrated in Tblisi, Georgia's capital