Olympic luger Kumaritashvili buried at home

On 20 February the funeral of Nodar Kumaritashvili took place in his home town Bakuriani. He had died during a training run at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. The 21-year-old luger came off the Whistler track at high speed and crashed into metal pillars just a few hours before the opening ceremony.  The Georgian Olympic Committee said safety standards had not been met and is deciding whether to take action.

Under clear skies mourners, who included President Mikheil Saakashvili and other top officials, gathered outside Kumaritashvili 's home to lay flowers and pay their respects.

Family and friends had gathered earlier for a traditional funeral feast at the Kumaritashvili family home, where a small choir sang Georgian chants. The athlete's father, David Kumaritashvili, gazed at a portrait of his son and said: "I wanted to throw a wedding feast for you. Instead, we have a funeral."

Much still remains unexplained about the accident that led to Nodar Kumaritashvili's death. His sled struck the inside of the track's last turn during his sixth and final training run, sending his body into the air and over a concrete wall. Georgian Olympic officials say his death was caused by a lack of attention to safety standards. But his parents did not blame anyone - they want Nodar remembered as a heroic athlete who represented his country.

The luge competition went ahead last Saturday after probes by the Coroners Service of British Columbia and the International Luge Federation concluded the track was not deficient but that the athlete “did not compensate properly” going into a bend. The track at Whistler, which is shared by the sports of luge, skeleton and bobsleigh, has the reputation of being one of the fastest - and most dangerous - in the world. Speeds of 150 kph are achieved.

Secessionist president inaugurated for second term

Abkhaz leader, Sergey Bagapsh, was inaugurated on 12 February as president of the secessionist region. Two months earlier he had been re-elected for a second term with up to 60% of the votes in Abkhazia.

Foreign guests participating in the inauguration ceremony in Sokhumi, the region’s capital, included Sergey Mironov, chairman of Russia’s upper house of the Parliament, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, as well as heads and governors of Russia’s southern provinces and officials from Venezuela and Nicaragua – the only two countries to have recognised Abkhazia, other than Russia and Nauru. Nauru is the world's smallest island nation, situated in the Pacific. The decision to recognise the independence of Abhazia seems to have been linked with Russian aid of $50 million.

Following the inauguration changes in the region’s cabinet were anticipated. Sergey Shamba, a long-time foreign minister, was thought likely to be appointed as prime minister.

Demolition of WW2 memorial stirs ill-feeling

In late December a memorial to World War 2 heroes in Georgia's second largest city, Kutaisi, was demolished. The authorities in Kutaisi had started demolishing the memorial several days earlier, until two people were killed in an explosion, said to have resulted from ignoring safety regulations. The monument was being cleared to make way for the construction of a new parliament building. Apparently the demolition process had been hurried to complete the work symbolically by 21 December, President Mikheil Saakashvili's birthday.

The government has said that the relocation of the Georgian parliament from Tbilisi to Kutaisi was aimed at boosting the development of western Georgia, but the move has sparked protests among Kutaisi residents and from the Georgian opposition.

Sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili, the creator of the war memorial, said the demolition had been an insult to the memory of thousands of Georgian soldiers who gave their lives in World War 2. The forces would then have been part of the Soviet war effort. Russia has condemned the demolition as an act of barbarism and state vandalism.  The Russian Foreign Ministry said the Georgian authorities "have committed an act of state vandalism, offending the feelings of any civilised person."

The Georgian authorities have, however, pledged to erect a new memorial, saying that the old one was already partially destroyed and could not be restored.

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Right-wing parties still far ahead in opinion poll

It was reported on 12 February that support for the opposition party Fidesz had fallen from 63% of decided voters in January to 58% this month (February). Fidesz, however, still maintained a huge lead over the Socialists, whose standing rose slightly from 21% to 22%, according to the latest survey by Szonda Ipsos.

Support for far-right party Jobbik grew from 12% to 14%, while no other party registered the 5% necessary to gain entry into Parliament. The MDF (Magyar Democratic Forum) had 2% support, Politics Can Be Different and the SzDSz (Free Democrats) had 1% each, and other parties 2%, while support for the Christian Democrats was too small to be measured.

Some 43% of respondents remained undecided, but only 46% of respondents said they would be voting in April, a figure actually a little up from 43% last month. Among committed voters 76% among Jobbik supporters said they would definitely vote, alongside 67% among Fidesz sympathisers and 61% among Socialist voters.

Fidesz has about 2.8 million supporters, of whom about 1.8 million can be counted on to vote and a further 700,000 are highly likely to turn out. A further 200,000-300,000 will require more persuading.

The Socialists have 700,000 hardcore supporters and can convince a further 300,000 of the need to vote. With strong canvassing the Socialists could mobilise a further 100,000 potential supporters who might otherwise be likely to stay home.

Government and IMF deny report of new austerity measures

The Finance Ministry denied on 11 February reports that the IMF has been urging the government to implement further austerity measures to keep the budget deficit target at 3.8% of GDP.

IMF and the EU delegations were currently in Hungary for the quarterly revision of the country's public finances. They have warned of increasing risks of possible revenue shortfalls and higher expenditures in the 2010 budget, totalling 250-300 billion forints. This would mean a 1% overshoot of the deficit target.

Finance Minister Péter Oszkó called the report a fabrication and the IMF denied making any comment to the press.

Media reports had pointed to possible risk factors in meeting the deficit goals, which include the drawing of guarantees by state-owned companies, lower than expected VAT revenues, and the consolidation of state-owned companies. Both the government and the IMF believe that the 3.8% target is achievable, although there are threats to meeting this goal.

A recent ruling by the Constitutional Court to abolish property tax and include family allowances in the tax base suggested there would be substantial shortfalls in the revenue budget.

The daily newspaper Népszabadság commented that the government's sizeable 200 billion forint reserve couild cover the revenue losses. It also pointed out that pensioners switching from private to state-owned health schemes had led to an unexpected surplus in the budget figures for January.

Bank guarantee must provide liquidity for Malév airline

The government will enforce the €32 million bank guarantee from Russian bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) in order to provide quick liquidity to troubled airline Malév.

The state asset manager (MNV) has been asked by its executive arm, the national asset management council, to take immediate steps to enforce the bank guarantee. The move has become necessary due to AirBridge's failure to meet commitments set out in the Malév privatisation agreement in 2007. AirBridge is 49% owned by VEB.

Miklós Kamarás, CEO of MNV, said on 10 February that his organisation would wait two weeks and take legal action if Vnesheconombank failed to meet its commitments. The MNV will also request that no steps are taken to collect Malév’s 6.5 billion forint overdue debts (equivalent to £20.8 million).

Malév has convened a new EGM for 26 February.

Government and Russian bank discuss future of Malév airline

Cabinet wants to extend land sale moratorium

The cabinet will extend the moratorium banning foreigners from purchasing land in Hungary by three further years to 2014. Agriculture Minister József Gráf said on 10 February that the proposal would have to be supported by the EU. Gráf said cheap land prices and a need to amend legislation necessitated extending the 7-year moratorium.

Hungary, along with other central European countries when joining the EU in 2004, was given a 7-year delay on land being subject to the EU free market. This was to protect the country from being bought up by citizens from richer EU countries. It had been expected that national economies would have levelled out within the first seven years.

Holocaust survivors families sue state railway

Families of Hungary’s Holocaust victims are suing the Hungarian state railways MÁV in a United States court for $240 million damages and $1 billion non-asset compensation for its part in the deportation of Jews in World War 2. The lawsuit was filed with Illinois northern district court on 9 February and a judge has already been selected for the case.

The plaintiffs are saying that MÁV knowingly provided trains for the deportation to Auschwitz of nearly 437,000 Hungarian Jews from March to October 1944, and took the assets and valuables of the later victims, in violation of an international convention banning genocide.

Most of the plaintiffs are resident in the US or Israel, with one each in the UK, Brazil and Hungary.

Government and Russian bank discuss future of Malév airline

The government may choose to convert loans owed by Malév airlines (Magyar Légiközlekedési Vállalat) into equity rather than call on the €32 million bank guarantee issued by Russia’s Vneshekonombank (VEB). The two sides having been negotiating to resolve the airline’s finances.

In March 2009 the Russian state-owned VEB took a minority stake of 49% in AirBridge which holds the shares of the struggling airline. The majority, 51%, remained in Hungarian ownership. The managing control was however to be taken over by Aeroflot – the Russian national airline. VEB has said it is ready to finance the airline’s operations, if the Hungarian side is ready to contribute.

Malév is believed to have negative equity of 14.4 billion forints (about £47.5 million). One condition might be that the Russian bank could lend an amount similar to €32 million to Malév to guarantee the operation of the airline in 2010. Alternatively the government could again become a majority shareholder in Malév by converting part of the airline's 19 billion forints of outstanding debt into equity, according to a government order issued this week, which sets 31 January as the date for the transaction.

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Lithuania rejects offer of partnership in Kaliningrad power project

Russia has been planning to build its own nuclear plant in Kaliningrad, located just a few kilometres from the Lithuanian border. Lithuanian support had been sought for a joint project, but on 12 February the Lithuanian president rejected the offer.

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Belarus warns Russia of power cut

Belarus and Russia eventually ratified on 12 February a new agreement on Russian oil deliveries for 2010. Prolonged delay had led Belarus to threaten to cut the supply of electricity crossing its territory to Kaliningrad.

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MEP suggests EU integration depends on domestic leadership

On 7 February European Parliament member Doris Pack said on local TV that Kosovo would need 12 to 18 months to meet the EU criteria before it can benefit from visa liberalisation. "It depends on politics. If Kosovo authorities work faster, the processes can move faster too." She said progress had generally been uneven. However she did more positively note that many Serbs had participated in the November municipal elections, and thought their involvement would be key to future progress.

PM reveals plans for Serb-language TV channel

The time has come for a TV channel that broadcasts in Serbian, International Civilian Representative (ICO) Pieter Feith and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci jointly announced in late 2009. "The ICO and the government of Kosovo are," the two officials in a joint statement said they were committed to establishing an independent broadcaster.

"Work in the media sector for the past year has shown that Serbian speakers in Kosovo want to receive information and entertainment produced here in Kosovo, in their own language," Feith was quoted as saying. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said he supported "freedom of expression in a mother tongue as a constitutional obligation and an inalienable human right for all".

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State Revenue Service still without a director

The government dismissed State Revenue Service chief Dzintars Jakans, accused of corruption, in order to replace him eventually with a protégé of the prime minister’s New Era party. Political analysts, however, suggested on 10 February that the corruption suspicions raised against Jakans had been exploited as an excuse to weed him out because of his affiliation to the People’s Party. Despite the economic crisis, the State Revenue Service had already been working for four months without a director.

High mistrust of politicians, poll shows

According to a study commissioned by Eurobarometer Standard, an overwhelming majority 95% of Latvian citizens do not trust the country’s political parties. This statistic accentuated the ongoing topic of general mistrust among the Latvian public. The same study showed slightly less distrust of parliament and government, though these still came out at 92% and 88% respectively.

Soviet military ghost town auctioned off for $3 million

Latvia's privatisation agency has sold an entire town once used by the Soviet military as a base. The deserted town once known as Skrunda-1 was auctioned off to a Russian firm for $3 million (£1.9 million). Officials said that was about 10 times its listed price.

The lot includes 45 hectares of land, 10 apartment blocks, two nightclubs, a shopping centre, a kindergarten, barracks and a sauna.

The town, about 150 km west of Riga, was abandoned after Russian troops withdrew from Latvia in 1994, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The area was sold to the Aleksejevskoje-Serviss company, the privatisation agency which carried out the auction said on 5 February.

Skrunda-1 was a closed settlement not marked on Soviet-era maps because it was used as anti-missile radar base. The base itself was dismantled in the late 1990s.

Allegations of toxic waste dumping near Sweden

The Defence Ministry commented in early February that it was not ruling out the possibility that military containers may have been sunk in the Baltic Sea when the Russian army was withdrawing from Latvia. Sveriges Television (Swedish TV) reported on 3 February that the Russian military was suspected of having dumped chemical weapons and radioactive waste off the Swedish island of Gotland in the early 1990s.

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Russian nuclear plant proposal rejected

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite rejected on 12 February an offer from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of joint co-operation in constructing a new nuclear power plant to meet the energy needs of the region.

After EU demands over safety concerns forced the closure of its Soviet-era nuclear power plant at Ignalina, Lithuania had drastically to increase its energy imports. There have been long-standing plans to build a new nuclear facility to meet Baltic energy needs, but the international project has faced numerous delays following economic difficulties and arguments over quota of power to be distributed among the potential partners.

Russia has been planning to build its own nuclear plant in Kaliningrad, located just a few kilometres from the Lithuanian border.
It was looking for Lithuanian support for the project. But foreign affairs adviser Darius Semaska reported that "President Grybauskaite told the Russians bluntly that Lithuania is not interested in joining in building a nuclear power plant in Kaliningrad, because we are going to build our own plant."

The government has narrowed the list of potential commercial partners for its own nuclear power plant project down to five companies, but is not expected to make a final decision until summer 2010.

Lithuanian Government website

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EU urged to set date for Macedonia accession talks

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a draft resolution on 27 January urging that during their March summit EU leaders should set a date for accession negotiations with Macedonia to begin.

The EP Rapporteur on Macedonia, Zoran Thaler, said after the vote "I see this as a positive development for Macedonia." In the resolution, the EP "calls on the Council to confirm the Commission's recommendation without further delay at the summit in March 2010 and expects the negotiations to begin in the near future". The document drawn up by Zoran Thaler, a Slovenian member of the EP, was approved in a 56-5 vote following a debate on more than 80 amendments.

The final draft gave a positive overall assessment of the efforts Macedonia made in 2009 towards meeting EU entry requirements. If Macedonia is to stay on track for membership, it said, the government in Skopje must do a better job fighting corruption, while improving the rights of women and people of all ethnic backgrounds, not just those that are officially recognised.

The document called on Macedonia to take the necessary measures to discourage "hate speech" in regard to neighbouring states, whether in the media or in school textbooks.

The EC recommended last October that the EU open accession talks with the government in Skopje, noting that Macedonia "sufficiently fulfils the political criteria" for membership of the EU.

EU urged to get more involved in settling name dispute

Late in 2009 the EU postponed talks on Macedonia’s accession after Greece opposed it because of a twenty year-old dispute over the name of Macedonia. There was then a promise to revisit the issue during Spain's 6-month term supporting the Presidency of the Union, which runs from January to June 2010.

EU foreign ministers had urged both governments to "redouble their efforts" towards finding a mutually acceptable solution to the name dispute, and subsequently the European Parliament stressed that the EU must be ready to engage more actively in the UN-led negotiations on the name issue between the two countries.

Macedonian Government website

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Moldova moving toward Brussels agreement

MEP Monica Macovei, who chairs the European Parliament joint EU-Moldova committee, said in mid February that Moldova could conclude EU association talks by the end of 2010 and sign an association agreement with Brussels early in 2011. In a radio interview she acknowledged that some "old" EU members were wary of bringing new countries closer to membership, particularly after the bloc "had problems" absorbing poorer members like Romania and Bulgaria.

Monica Macovei, a Romanian MEP, has been credited with bringing crucial reforms to her own country when she served as justice minister. She said that upgrading Moldova's legal system would be key to its European integration.

Moldova is one of the former Soviet republics included in the EU Eastern Partnership programme, which promises better ties and more freedom to travel in exchange for democratic reforms. It does not however provide any guarantee of future EU membership. The new government in Moldova has said it wants full membership, and has welcomed the partnership programme as a step in that direction.

Russian troops to stay in Transdnestr region

Transdnestran leader Igor Smirnov said on 17 February that the Russian government had given him assurances that its troops would stay in the region until a final solution is reached on its status. He claimed that the 500 Russian troops provide security against "provocations" from Moldovan authorities.

The narrow sliver of territory on the eastern border of Moldova broke away in 1990 and in 1992 war between Moldovan forces and separatists left 1,500 people dead.

In 1999, Russia promised to withdraw its troops at a summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The status of those troops and their role in the 1,500-man peacekeeping force based in Transdnestr has become significant in negotiations with NATO over a major treaty that would govern the presence and movement of military forces around Europe.

At his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Foreign Minister Yuriy Zubakov, Igor Smirnov asked for the consolidation of the military strength of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in the region, with an increase in the number of Russian peacekeepers. He pointed out that according to the agreement signed in Odessa (Ukraine) in 1998, the maximum number of Russian peacekeepers was to be 2,400. But now only about 500 Russian forces were participating in the peacekeeping operation.
In particular he wanted a Russian helicopter squadron to be re-established there.

Smirnov referred to a referendum in September 2006 when most Transdnestr residents voted for independence from Moldova and subsequent accession to Russia. “The presence of Russian troops has no other goal but the preservation of peace,” Smirnov emphasised.

Out of Moldova's 4.1 million population, some 500,000 live in the Transdnestr region.

Gagauz minority wants Russian to be an official language

The Gagauz authorities said in early February that a proposal would be made to the Chisinau government to change the Constitution so that Russian language would become a recognised state language in Moldova.

Initially a draft law would be submitted for adoption by the People’s Assembly of Gagauzia – the legislative body of the autonomous region. After that the proposal would be forwarded for approval in the Moldovan Parliament.

Mihai Formuzal, governor of the Gaugaz region, said he believed making Russian language an official language of the country would encourage inter-ethnic harmony throughout Moldova. In Gaugazia there are already three official languages – Moldovan, Gagauz and Russian.

IMF approves $574 million for Moldova

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 29 January approved 3-year arrangements for the Republic of Moldova under the Extended Credit Facility and the Extended Fund Facility, each providing an equal amount. The combined financial assistance will be equivalent to about $574.4 million) and would be targeted at supporting the country’s economy, restoring fiscal and external sustainability, preserving financial stability, reducing poverty and encouraging growth.

The new arrangements follow a previous IMF 3-year Poverty Reduction and Growth programme, which ran from May 2006 and expired in May 2009.

Romanian President urges Moldova to join the EU

During a visit to Moldova, Romania's President Traian Băsescu on 28 January urged Moldovans to carry out reforms to join the European Union. "I tell you, Moldova's place is in the EU. You need to take a decisive road to the EU," he told students at a university. "This means sacrifices - to be accepted by the political class and the population... but these are worth it because the EU means you can aspire to prosperity," he said. Romania joined the EU in 2007.

Băsescu said EU membership would bring foreign investments.

Moldova was part of Romania until 1940 when it was annexed by the Soviet Union, and more than 80% of the population is ethnic Romanian. The country has mostly been governed since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union by communists and loyalties to the Kremlin remain strong.

Before taking his flight to Chişinău Traian Băsescu had explained that joint projects worth €130 million, offered by the EU, must be agreed between officials of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. His visit had been arranged for completing bilateral negotiations on 12 agreements.

First visit by PM to United States

Prime Minister Vladimir Filat was in Washington in late January to sign an agreement with the Millennium Challenge Corporation for $262 million in aid. He also met senior US officials, including Vice-President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Filat’s arrival marks the first official visit of a Moldovan prime minister to the United States in memory – a historic change.

For years, Moldova has held the unfortunate distinction of being Europe’s poorest country, known for problems of corruption, trafficking in persons, and the separatist region of Transdnestr.

The parliamentary elections in July 2009 ended eight years of communist party rule. The new government, which assumed office in late September, is a coalition of parties which formed the Alliance for European Integration. The Communists nevertheless have enough parliamentary seats to block election of a new president. Moldova has been without a president since Vladimir Voronin came to the end of his maximum term of office. The votes of at least 61 MPs in the 101-seat parliament are needed to choose a president and the Communists still have 48 seats leaving the coalition parties 8 votes short. The resulting stalemate means that Moldova must hold elections again later this year. This is a prime motive for western nations to help the reformist parties sooner rather than later.

Links:

Country information and history
The Parliament of Moldova
Independent Moldovan website and news service

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PM wants to avoid foreign interference in drug dealer case

Montenegro wants co-operation in fighting against organised crime, but would not be taking orders from other countries, said Prime Minister Milo Ðukanović on 17 February.

He was commenting on the case of Darko Šarić, wanted on an Interpol arrest warrant. Ðukanović stated that his government was ready to co-operate with all countries in combating organised crime. But, as he put it, Montenegro “did not take orders from other addresses”.

There has been for several days a tug of war between Montenegro and Serbia, when it became apparent that legal and police procedures were not co-operating in the case of Darko Šarić. It appeared that, after being arrested in Montenegro, associates of Šaric had been released from custody.

Serbian Special Prosecutor for Organised Crime Miljko Radisavljević stated that it is possible that Šarić, who is wanted on drug trafficking charges, was currently located in Montenegro, adding also that "Slovakia is investigating how the suspect obtained its citizenship".

After a meeting with Belgian PM Yves Leterme, PM Ðukanović protested that his country "was not treated as a partner in the fight against organised crime". It was certainly ready to fight crime. “Everybody must understand that Montenegro is an independent country,” Ðukanović said.

But leaders of the opposition have been accusing Ðukanović of being “vitally interested in keeping Šarić and his helpers at large because of fear of their possible testimonies before the court.”  Šarić is a Montenegrin native who holds a Serbian passport issued to him in 2005. His gang is suspected of attempting to smuggle more than two tons of cocaine from South America into Europe.

At the same time the Slovak Interior Ministry has also been dealing with the case of Darko Šarić. It has been investigating how a man wanted by Interpol had also managed to receive Slovak citizenship. Slovakia has announced that it was working closely with Serbian police on the case.

Montenegro shortlisted in World Tourism Award

In 2003 the World Travel and Tourism Council established the prestigious Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognising best practice in sustainable tourism in four different categories - Destination Stewardship, Conservation, Community Benefit and the Global Tourism Business. Over 160 entries were received this year from 45 countries, and 3 final nominations were shortlisted in each category.

Montenegro’s Ministry of Tourism won a nomination in the Destination Stewardship category and was shortlisted among the three finalists.

The 12 finalists uin all four categories this year were selected in early February by an international team of independent tourism experts from Australia, USA, Mexico, Denmark, Kenya, Uganda, India, Malaysia and China.

Previous winners over past years in the same Destination Stewardship category include: Blackstone Valley in the USA (2008), a famous marine park with over 2 million visitors a year; the Great Barrier Reef in Australia (2007), the UK’s “Jurassic Coast” (2006) and Sierra Gorda in Mexico in 2005.

Nikica the hippo returns home

Nikica, currently the world's most famous hippopotamus, made international headlines on 12 January when her compound on Skadar Lake flooded after weeks of torrential rains, allowing her to swim over the barrier and wander into nearby villages. There were fears that the 11-year-old, two-tonne hippo might trigger an international border incident by crossing into Albania, which shares Skadar Lake with Montenegro and is only 15km from the Plavnica resort where she is penned. She had been checked in her pool as night fell, then the waters rose and she made her escape.

The authorities in Montenegro promised not to harm Nikica unless she attacked somebody. "When the water warms up and does not seem so threatening, she will return of her own free will," said one zookeeper. "She loves mud more than life itself."

A week later she made her own way back to the resort at Plavnica, where she has lived since she was three years old. "Nikica can survive on a diet of grass, but she has a fondness for bread, so started home when she got hungry," said Dragan Pejović, owner of the resort. Nikica has been known to eat as much as 50kg of bread a day.

There was good reason to be concerned about this hippopotamus being on the loose. Several years ago  Vienna Zoo sent a young male hippopotamus to Plavnica to be her companion. The attempt at match-making failed when Nikica killed her suitor. Owner Pejović said the romance was ill-fated. "Nikica rejected him right from the start, but he persisted."

Elizabeth Roberts: Realm of the Black Mountain - a history of Montenegro.  Hurst & Co. London 2007

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