Global Voices Online

The Tbilisi Blues comments on preparations for the New Year festivities in Georgia. Although events started at the beginning of December, the New Year will lead into Christmas celebrated on 7 January. From the beginning of the year, however, Georgians will visit relatives until 14 January and particularly enjoy their food and drink. Ben Sweeney’s Weblog understands why. Every meal is the best he's ever had, the blogger writes.

Recent Links also in Central Asia & Caucasus

Musafirbek says that the president of Uzbekistan officially thanked the cotton-growers for gathering the harvest of this strategic product for Uzbekistan. However, those who sweat away, collecting this cotton (including children) were not mentioned in the president’s address.

Alexander Visotzky writes about the opening of a monument in Astana, the new capital of Kazakhstan, where the authorities uncovered a 15-foot high bronze statue of incumbent president Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Dafydd reports that the EU has lifted the arms embargo on Uzbekistan. Reasons given are abolishment of the death penalty and release of political prisoners.