Girodivite: Centro Studi Est Europa: synthetic overview of January 26, 2010

Centro Studi Est Europa: synthetic overview of January 26, 2010

Synthetic overview taken from the press releases we received today.

We look for collaborators and partners.

Please, write to:

centrostudi.esteuropa@girodivite.it

Tuesday 26 January 2010, by Emanuele G. - 189 letture

Today news:

* Albanianews (Albania, Italy and Kosovo)

A Bologna, all’inaugurazione della mostra sul codice d’onore albanese

Posted: 25 Jan 2010 04:25 AM PST

Si è inaugurata il 24 gennaio 2010 alle ore 11.00, negli ambienti del Museo Ebraico di Bologna la mostra del fotografo statunitense Norman H. Gershman,"Besa un codice d’onore. Gli Albanesi musulmani che salvarono gli ebrei dalla Shoah".

> For further information: www.albanianews.it

* Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (Bosnia and Balkans)

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Balkan Insight Daily No. 450, January 26, 2010

> For further information: www.birn.eu.com

* Belarus News and Analysis (Belarus and Cis)

Update of January 26, 2010 – 12 new articles

> For further information: www.data.minsk.by/belarusnews/index.html

* Central Asian News Service (Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia)

Daily news report of January 26, 2010

> For further information: www.ca-news.org

* Civil Georgia (Georgia)

Daily news online of January 26, 2010

> For further information: www.civil.ge

* Council of the European Union (Belgium)

Remarks by Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of the European Council, following the meeting with Donald TUSK, Prime Minister of Poland (original version)

> For further information: www.consilium.europa.eu

* Ec Delegation BiH (Bosnia and Belgium)

Closing ceremony of the project “Rehabilitation of the Cantonal and Municipal Courts building in Sarajevo” - Ceremonija povodom zavrsetka projekta “Rekonstrukcija zgrade Kantonalnog i Opcinskog suda u Sarajevu”

Another successful project for mine victims financed by the European Union - Uz podrsku Evropske unije uspjesno zavrsen jos jedan projekt za prezivjele zrtve mina

> For further information: www.europa.eu

* Go Group Media (Georgia)

Weekly update of January 26, 2010:

Margo the Driver by Natia Nebieridze

Who said a woman could not work as a professional driver? Margo is the exellent example of the opposite...

მძღოლი მარგო: ვინ თქვა, რომ ქალი ვერასდროს გახდება პროფესიონალი მძღოლი? მარგოს შემთხვევაში ყველაფერი სხვაგვარად არის. ნათია ნებიერიძის ფილმი, ახალციხე, საქართველო, იანვარი 2010 ნათია ნებიერიძის ფილმი, ახალციხე, საქართველო, იანვარი 2010

Марго-шофёр: Кто сказал, что женщина не может быть профессиональным водителем? Марго служит прекрасным примером обратного. Фильм Натии Небиеридзе, Ахалцихе, Грузия, январь 2010

Face to Face With a Fish by Ramaz Karchava

Every fisherman has his own philosophy and the reason why he loves fishing...

თევზაობა – პირისპირ თევზთან: ყველა მეთევზეს გააჩნია საკუთარი ფილოსოფია და მიზეზი, რის გამოც უყვარს თევზაობა. რამაზ ქარჩავას ფილმი, თბილისი, საქართველო, იანვარი 2010რამაზ ქარჩავას ფილმი, თბილისი, საქართველო, იანვარი 2010

Американец в Кахети: Поговорка гласит - дом там, где ты счастлив. Дом Джона из Балтимора - в Сигнахи. Фильм Звиада Руадзе, Сигнахи, Кахети, Грузия, январь 2010

American in Kakheti by Zviad Ruadze

It is said, the home is where the heart is... John’s heart definitely belongs to Georgia

ამერიკელი კახეთში: ნათქვამია, რომ შენი სახლი იქ არის, სადაც ბედნიერად გრძნობ თავს... ჯონის სახლი ახლა უკვე სიღნაღშია. ზვიად რუაძის ფილმი, სიღნაღი, კახეთი, საქართველო, იანვარი 2010

Chegemskaya Pravda 1/26/2010

“Chegemskaya Pravda” is a popular Russian-language independent weekly newspaper published in Sukhum(i), Abkhazia. Editor-in-Chief - Inal Khashig

"ჩეგემსკაია პრავდა" ყოველკვირეული რუსულენოვანი დამოუკიდებელი გაზეთია, რომელიც გამოდის ქალაქ სოხუმში, აფხაზეთი. გაზეთის მთავარი რედაქტორია ინალ ხაშიგი

"Чегемская правда" - еженедельная русскоязычная независимая газета, выходящая в городе Сухум(и), Абхазия. Главный редактор газеты - Инал Хашиг

> For further information: www.gogroupmedia.net

* Interfax (Russia and Cis)

Interfax Russia & CIS Diplomatic Panorama January 26, 2010

> For further information: www.interfax.com

* Latvian Centre for Human Rights (Latvia)

Newsletter of January 26, 2010

> For further information: www.humanrights.org.lv

* Memorial (Russia and Cis)

The Actions of the Authorities Provoked Disturbances in the Center of Moscow

Statement

Human Rights Center Memorial is saddened to state that 19 January’s actions against Nazism, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the murders of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova, were accompanied by disturbances which the Moscow authorities and the Moscow police are responsible for.

The initial cause of the disturbances was the persistent reluctance of the Moscow authorities to agree to the demonstration, in spite of an appeal that had been submitted beforehand.

The unprofessional and provocative actions by the police led to skirmishes between police officers and participants of the actions.

The participants of the actions violated the law on mass street actions; nevertheless this is no excuse for the OMON officers who used force, special means and mass detentions. Moreover, police officers tried to stop the demonstrators from proclaiming statements in connection with the anniversary of the murders. These actions did not stop the violations but rather provoked the disturbances.

Human Rights Center Memorial appeals to the Russian Ombudsman and to the Moscow Ombudsman to investigate these events.

Nothing of the kind should ever be repeated.

Difficulties of the "Surrender". Negotiations for the Voluntary Surrender of Rumil’ Begeev to Law Enforcement Authorities Have not yet Succeeded

On January 22, 2010 around 11:45 in the morning, deputy-chair of the organization "Mothers of Dagestan for Human Rights" Gulnara Rustamova appealed to HRC Memorial. She reported that in the morning of that day someone had tried to abduct a man in Derbent. According to Rustamova’s account, armed people in masks seized local resident Rumil’ Begeev (DOB 1982) and started beating him including beating his head with the handle of a gun and cutting his head. In the scuffle Begeev managed to grab the gun from one of the abductors, took a shot and escaped. Rustamova said that the young man was ready to voluntarily surrender but that he needed guarantees that it would be in accordance with the law. Rustamova asked to help with the surrender procedure and offered for Memorial to call the young man’s relatives.

HRC Memorial’s member, Ekaterina Sokiryanskaya, immediately got in contact with the young man’s sister, Emma Begeeva, by phone from whom she got the following information.

At 9 am on January 22 Begeev was walking to work along Agaseev Avenue. A silver car approached him and armed people got out of it. They went straight for Begeev and started beating him. Begeev, having decided that he had become a victim of "death squads" managed to escape. Begeeva confirmed the information that Rumil’ had grabbed the gun and took a shot. Then, there was the following dialogue between Sokiryanskaya and Begeeva:

Sokiryanskaya: Did he injure anyone?

Begeeva: I don’t know.

S.: Is it true that he agreed to surrender?

B.: Yes.

S.: Do you have a lawyer?

B.: Yes.

Sokiryanskaya explained to Begeeva that Memorial would try to contact the Russian Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin and intercede in the event that he turned himself in by assisting to ensure his rights. Sokiryanskaya asked Begeev’s sister if she could transmit the information to the mass media. Begeev’s sister answered that she was not against this action. Later, Memorial contacted Begeeva one more time and asked to send to the Russian ombudsman an application.

Sokiryanskaya passed the information about the event in Derbent to the correspondent of Radio "Freedom" Anastasia Kirilenko. Oleg Orlov contacted the radiostation "Echo of Moscow". Later there were some messages in other mass media sources that Memorial hired a lawyer for Begeev. This does not follow suit with what actually happened, and Memorial did not deliver such information to any media source.

Around one o’clock in the afternoon the mass media reported that in the morning an officer of a local riot squad was killed in Derbent. Radio "Freedom" with reference to the information agency Interfax informed that "during the attempted detention, a boevik grabbed the gun from an officer’s hand, shot him and escaped <...> The boevik, a Derbent resident had been previously tried for suspicion of being involved with armed extremist groups"

(http://www.svobodanews.ru/archive/ru_news_zone/20100122/17/17.html?id=1936590).

According to the infromation that the head of the press-service for the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) Mark Tolchinsky gave to Kommersant, Derbent resident Rumil’ Begeev suspected of being connected with boeviks was detained on the street near the 345th motorised infantry division. At the moment when they were placing him in the police car, another vehicle a "Lada Priora" ran into it, because the driver of the car lost control due to the icy conditions. As a result of the accident, policemen were thrown from the car, and Begeev seized this opportunity to grab the gun from one of the policemen lying on the ground, took four shots in the direction of another policeman - Rafik Magomedaliev, sergeant major. Magomedaliev died at the scene and Rumil’ Begeev escaped (http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?fromsearch=e6bcfe6e-c61e-4828-9fda-eb07be866976&docsid=1310123&stamp=634000198320661228).

Mark Tolchinsky told federal and local mass media sources that there was an acting head of the Center dealing with extremism of the Dagestan MIA Akhmed Bataliev in the city police department of Derbent, and that he was ready to personally guarantee that no violence would be used against Begeev.

Around 6 p.m. journalists and human rights activists having arrived at Derbent, along with Begeev’s relatives set off for the GOVD to meet with Akhmed Bataliev. Unexpectedly for the journalists and policemen, Begeev’s wife, Nasiba Asvarova, said that she did not know anything about the whereabouts of her husband and that he was not going to give himself up.

Later Asvarova submitted a written application to HRC Memorial. She explains that her husband did not shoot the policemen. According to their relatives’ words, Emme Begeeva, Rumil’s sister, while talking to human rights activists in the morning made a mistake as she did not have all of the information nor had she talked to Rumil’.

Asvarova writes in the application: "... Begeev had a day off, he was not planning on going anywhere because he was baby-sitting his child. However, an unknown man called him on the phone and invited him to a meeting, offering some work. Four "workers" were already waiting for him at the street of 345th motorised infantry division, not far from where we live. They were in a silver car VAZ 2114, 26th region. One of them wore a mask and the others did not. A scuffle started. They began to beat my husband up. One of the siloviks beat my husband on his head using a gun handle, and while beating my husband, the silovik accidentally fired the gun and hit his colleague. After that my husband got an opportunity to escape. During all of this, the people who were trying to abduct my husband left their fellow worker. He was still alive and grabbed the handle of the departing vehicle, however they tossed him on the side of the road. Then the policemen blocked the road. An hour later when we had arrived at the morgue to verify if the deceased was actually one of the individuals who had attempted to abduct my husband, a worker at the morgue infromed us that policemen had already taken the body."

Begeev’s wife explains that the family decided for the time being not to deliver Rumil’ to the policemen. They are sure that the police would make Begeev touch the weapon by which the policeman was killed in order to leave his fingertips on it.

Relatives have heard more than enough about how no one who has previously been abducted has ever returned home alive. "Therefore decided not to turn my husband over to the siloviks. We do not belive policemen’s promises to investigate the event honestly, so we will hide Rumil’ Begeev till the moment when we are sure that the event will be honestly investigated," - says Asvarova in the application.

Nasiba Asvarova described how before January 22, 2010 her husband had problems with law enforcement authorities. In May of 2009, they tried to institute criminal proceedings against him, but the trial by jury ended the proceedings. The district police officer regularly summoned Begeev for interrogations, and Rumil’ always came on time. "Why did they have to throw my husband into the car and beat him up if he was always ready to communicate with the authorities"? - asks Asvarova in the application.

On January 26 negotiations between Rumil’ Begeev’s relatives and the authorities for the young man to voluntarily turn himself in to law enforcement authorities continued.

Rumil’ Begeev is a follower of Salafism. The law enforcement authorities’ interest in him may be explained by this fact.

For more information (in Russian) visit Memorial’s web-site

> For further information: www.memo.ru

* NotTwo Records (Poland)

NotTwo Records release - Ken Vandermark’s Resonance (10-CD box-set) was honored by All About Jazz New York to be among the best jazz box-set of 2009!

Congratulations to all artists involved...and all the fans whose support made this project possible.

Other box-set selected in this category by editors of AllAboutJazz include:

TOSHIKO AKIYOSHI / LEW TABACKIN BIG BAND-Mosaic Select 33 (Mosaic-RCA)

ELLA FITZGERALD-Twelve Nights in Hollywood (Verve)

DJANGO REINHARDT-IntÃ©grale (1928-1938) (Fremeaux & Associes.)

DENNY ZEITLIN-Mosaic Select 34 (Mosaic-Columbia)

> For further information: www.polishjazz.com

* Nato (Belgium)

Chiefs of Defence in NATO-Russia Council format agree on "NRC-MR Framework for NATO-Russia Military-To-Military Cooperation"

Brussels, 26 January 2010 - In light with the December 2009 Foreign Ministers meeting of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), where it was agreed to revitalise NATO-Russia military-to-military cooperation, today, the Military Committee in NRC-format welcomed the Russian Chief of Defence, General Makarov. All 29 members exchanged views on military cooperation and the way ahead for practical activities in the field of Logistics, Combatting Terrorism, Search and Rescue at Sea and Counter Piracy. This discussion led to agreement of the “NRC-MR Framework for NATO-Russia Military-To-Military Cooperation” which will lead to a work plan of military cooperative activities. The next NRC-MR will take place in May 2010. In preparation of the NRC-MR meeting, the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Di Paola and General Makarov met for bilateral discussions.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan to visit Nato

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Mr. Kanat Saudabayev, will visit NATO Headquarters on Wednesday 27th January 2010. He will meet the Secretary General, Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

There will be no media opportunity.

> For further information: www.nato.int

* Osce (Austria, Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia)

OSCE, EU Ministers meet to discuss Kazakhstan’s Chairmanship priorities, Corfu Process dialogue on European security

BRUSSELS, 26 January 2010 - Kazakhstan’s 2010 OSCE Chairmanship priorities, including Afghanistan, protracted conflicts and advancing the dialogue on European security through the OSCE-anchored Corfu Process, were the focus of a Ministerial meeting between the OSCE and the EU in Brussels today.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Kazakh Secretary of State and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev, informed the EU side about plans to hold eight meetings within the Corfu process this year and stressed the importance of strengthening the co-operation between the OSCE and the EU.

"Today the concept of European security goes far beyond the borders of the European continent and encompasses the vast expanse of Eurasia. The strong co-operation between the EU and the OSCE - the only regional security organization bringing together the states of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian areas - is critical if we are to tackle our common security challenges," Saudabayev said.

Saudabayev emphasized the intention of the Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship to have a summit in 2010 and encouraged the participating States to contribute to shaping its agenda. "The summit’s main topics could include future European security, rehabilitation of Afghanistan and promoting the value of tolerance," he said.

The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office underlined that the co-operation with the EU is vital for seeking diplomatic settlement for the protracted conflicts in the OSCE area, including on the basis of solutions in the humanitarian and economic fields. "This is especially relevant in the light of the constructive role the EU has been playing in peacekeeping on the continent and worldwide," he noted.

He reiterated an invitation to his counterparts to attend an informal meeting of OSCE Foreign Ministers in summer near Almaty.

The EU delegation was led by the Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, representing the Spanish EU Presidency. Minister Saudabayev also met European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton. He will meet the European Parliament Chairman Jerzy Buzek later today.

Tomorrow he will have a meeting with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The OSCE Troika brings together this year’s Chairperson-in-Office with representatives of the previous and incoming Chairmanships. Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas, Political Director from the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, represented the 2011 OSCE Chairmanship, while Greece, which chaired the OSCE in 2009, was represented by Ambassador Mara Marinaki, Permanent Representative of Greece to the OSCE.

All 27 EU Member States are participating States of the OSCE.

Read

> For further information: www.osce.org

* Osservatorio sui Balcani e Caucaso (Italy, Balkans and Caucasus)

Morti silenzionse

In Macedonia la questione delle "morti bianche" e degli infortuni sul lavoro occupa poco spazio nel dibattito pubblico. Questo non significa però che il problema non esista, anche se né le istituzioni né i sindacati riescono a riportarlo in cima all’agenda politica del paese

Read

Commissari

Il 10 febbraio si insedierà la nuova Commissione europea. Chi sono i commissari dei paesi dell’Europa sud orientale? Quali le loro posizioni? Come sono passati all’esame del Parlamento? I dettagli nel resoconto del nostro corrispondente

Read

> For further information: www.osservatoriobalcani.org

* Parliament of Georgia (Georgia)

Weekly updates of January 26, 2010

> For further information: www.parliament.ge

* Polish Institute of International Affairs (Poland)

Please find enclosed next issue of the Bulletin – “Implications of Opening of New Pipelines in Central Asia” by Tomasz Sikorski.

The resumption of gas deliveries from Turkmenistan to Russia, the commissioning of a new gas pipeline to Iraq, and the opening in December 2009 of a gas pipeline to China—all these developments signal the strengthening of Turkmenistan’s position as the largest gas producer in the region. Now that China has provided Turkmenistan with opportunities to diversify its gas exports markets, for several years to come securing Central Asian gas to feed the EU’s priority Nabucco pipeline, is going to be difficult. On the other hand, in the medium term such deliveries are by no means impossible, because Turkmenistan will be less vulnerable to pressures from Russia designed to constrain Turkmenistan’s capacity to expand its west-bound exports.

> For further information: www.pism.pl

* The Presidency of Russian Federation (Russia and Cis)

Weekly news report of January 26, 2010

> For further information: http://president.kremlin.ru/eng

* Sarke (Georgia)

News in brief of January 25, 2010

> For further information: www.sarke.com

* Seenews (Bulgaria and Balkans)

Daily news report of Albania (January 26, 2010)

Read and click ALBANIA on menu bar

Daily news report of Bosnia-Herzegovina (January 26, 2010)

Read and click BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA on menu bar

Daily news report of Bulgaria (January 26, 2010)

Read and click BULGARIA on menu bar

Daily news report of Croatia (January 26, 2010)

Read and click CROATIA on menu bar

Daily news report of Macedonia (January 26, 2010)

Read and click MACEDONIA on menu bar

Daily news report of Moldova (January 26, 2010)

Read and click MOLDOVA on menu bar

Daily news report of Montenegro (January 26, 2010)

Read and click MONTENEGRO on menu bar

Daily news report of Romania (January 26, 2010)

Read and click ROMANIA on menu bar

Daily news report of Serbia (January 26, 2010)

Read and click SERBIA on menu bar

Daily news report of Slovenia (January 26, 2010)

Read and click SLOVENIA on menu bar

> For further information: www.seenews.com

* Transitions Online (Czech Republic, Eastern Europe, Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia)

New at Transitions Online - January 26, 2010: