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16:06, 9 August 2003

Membership in the European Union and NATO is what Georgia's foreign policy is aimed at. President Eduard Shevardnadze made a statement to this effect on the national television on Friday night.

16:04, 9 August 2003

Security measures were reinforced on Chechen-Ingush border

The military do not preclude a chance that separatists will break through into Chechnya. A recommendation was issued for local residents of border villages against going to surrounding forests.

16:03, 9 August 2003

Committee of Soldiers' Mothers affirms 12 000 people to be killed in second Chechen war

Such data were given by the responsible secretary of the Union of Russian Committees of Soldiers' Mothers Valentina Melnikova.

16:00, 9 August 2003

Nino Burdjanadze presented her election platform

Foreign diplomats accredited in Georgia, as well as representatives of opposition parties attended the presentation of Nino Burdjanadze's election platform.

15:57, 9 August 2003

Shamil Basayev was pronounced highly dangerous terrorist by the US and included into UN antiterrorist list

According to the US State Department statement circulated in Washington, the US also charged Basayev with having connections with the international terrorist organization "Al-Qaeda" and engineering terrorist acts in Moscow and Grozny.

13:46, 9 August 2003

All garrisons of federal forces were relocated from villages situated at foot of Black Mountains

The population took denudation of the foothills as a signal of forthcoming worsening of the situation.

13:45, 9 August 2003

Nine activists of opposition Democratic Party of Azerbaijan were arrested in Baku

The detained people picketed a building of the Central Election Commission striving for the registration of their party leader Rasul Guliyev as a candidate for the post of the country's president.

13:43, 9 August 2003

Regional Bureau of representatives for human rights under Chechen Ministry of Justice was established in Shali town

According to the words of the organization's chief Abdula Bachayev, the Bureau is under the legal assistance of the International Public Movement "Consolidation".

23:58, 8 August 2003

Khadzhy Bayram Bolat has been abducted in Nalchik

On August 7 a Turkish repatriate Khadzhi Bayram Bolat has been abducted from his house in Nalchik. Earlier Russian authorities tried to deport him beyond the bounds of the Caucasus.

23:55, 8 August 2003

Law-enforcement organs of Stavropol region are conducting interdepartmental complex operational and preventive operation ?Teenager?

It is planned to uncover teenage groups with unsocial orientation, including extremist orientation, as well as adults pushing minors for crime perpetration.

23:50, 8 August 2003

Action of protest of Alkhazurovo settlement inhabitants

Expressing protest against despotism of Russian soldiers, inhabitants of Alkhazurovo completely blocked a motor road passing near the settlement and blocked movement along the federal route ?Rostov-Baku? for several hours.

23:47, 8 August 2003

Council on Adygei language was established in Adygeya

Leading scientists of the republic, public men, well-known writers, school and institute teachers of Adygeya entered into the council.

20:02, 8 August 2003

Lithuania may crack down on Chechen separatists? website

Lithuania's State Security Department will crack down on the website ?Kavkaz-Center? if its activity is found to be in violation of the law.

20:00, 8 August 2003

Government allots 4 million rubles for compensation payments to families of the dead and suffered in terrorist act in Mozdok

In compliance with the government?s decision, one time pecuniary aid in sum of 100 thousand rubles for each of the dead and 14,2 thousand rubles for burial of each of the dead in the terrorist act will be granted to the families of the dead.

19:58, 8 August 2003

Ilykham Aliyev does not regard opposition candidates as worth rivals at election

Aliyev standing for a president said he made his election platform within the line of the country?s president Geydar Aliyev, in particular, he does not see the necessity of changing Baku?s policy in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement.

16:14, 8 August 2003

Two pilots from Mi-8 helicopter brought down in Chechnya survived

Head of the crew Viktor Tyurikov perished, Alexander Orlov and Yuri Potskevich were heavily injured and were taken to hospital, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

16:12, 8 August 2003

Azerbaijan Minister of Foreign Affairs assumes possibility of trilateral negotiations with Armenia and Turkey

?We have no objection to the idea of a trilateral meeting, however, we object to its conversion into goalless discussions. If there are concrete goals, we are ready to discuss them?, said the minister.

16:10, 8 August 2003

11-th Festival of National Cultures will take place in Novorossiysk

Festival conducting is combined with the days of celebration of a town?s jubilee and an anniversary of the liberation of Novorossiysk from fascist invaders.

16:08, 8 August 2003

Rebels shoot down federal Mi-8 helicopter in Chechnya

The helicopter was shot down by a rocket launched from the land during an operation on landing troops in mountainous wood terrain. Three crew members were killed.

16:06, 8 August 2003

Column of federal forces was fired by separatists in Ingushetia, six soldiers were killed

The column was fired on Thursday while the armored group was moving to the place of permanent disposition after convoying a column of federal forces to the administrative border with Chechnya.