Page 11 - GEORptAug19

Both the Russian and Georgian delegations confirmed there had been no major breakthrough in their initial discussion.
Separately, Tass reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov as saying in an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty daily that Moscow would review the possibility of lifting its measures against Georgia, including the temporary suspension of flights, when all threats to its citizens were eliminated.
The protests in Tbilisi broke out after word spread that a visiting Russian MP was to address parliament from the speaker’s chair. Police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against protesters.
"We hope Georgian authorities would eventually be able to stabilise the social and political situation in the country and eliminate the existing threats to the safety of Russians," Lavrov was cited as saying, adding: "If this takes place, necessary conditions will be created for reviewing the possibility of cancelling Russia’s precautionary measures, including the ban on flights to Georgia. We are looking forward to friendship and cooperation to the benefit of the citizens of Russia and Georgia."
Lavrov was also cited as saying: "However, we cannot help but remain concerned about attempts of several radically minded members of the Georgian political elite to foster Russophobic sentiments and to drive a wedge between our peoples. Those people hardly reflect about their actions and the damage that they deal to their own country, to the well-being of their people, which to a significant extent depends on the quality of economic and humanitarian ties with Russia."
Moscow expected the Georgian government to realise the "danger and ineffectiveness of continuing to fuel the anti-Russian hysteria" as soon as possible, Lavrov said, also remarking: "It is also important that the Tbilisi authorities eventually find the strength to condemn the shameful act by a local TV station, which aired assaults aimed at the president of Russia, which caused an outcry in Georgian society itself."
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree, which imposed a temporary ban on passenger flights to Georgia from July 8.
Russia and Georgia fought a short war over breakaway territories in 2008.
2.6 Georgia’s pro-opposition TV channel changes ownership after ECHR ruling
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on July 18 upheld a March 2017 decision of Georgia’s Supreme Court to re-instate former owner and government ally Kibar Khalvashi as majority owner of the country’s main TV broadcaster Rustavi 2, known for taking a pro-opposition editorial line.
The decision comes in the context of Georgia’s ruling party Georgian Dream headed by billionaire and ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili losing ground ahead of the 2020 parliamentary elections. Ivanishvili, faced with massive anti-government protests in July, had to accept protesters’ demands for a proportional voting sytem in the national poll scheduled for next year after his favoured candidate,
11 GEORGIA Country Report August 2019 www.intellinews.com