Nathan Hamm · July, 2006

Latest posts by Nathan Hamm from July, 2006

Georgia: United National Exams

Ana praises Georgia's new higher education entrance exams, which are designed to limit opportunities for corruption and ensure that students entering higher education institutions are adequately educated and prepared for higher degrees.

Georgia: Kodori

Vasili Rukhadze has a detailed and informative post on Georgia's recent capture of the Kodori Gorge from a rebel warlord, noting the significance of the event in Georgian and regional politics. He says that Georgia's success mark the beginning of a new era in Georgian politics.

Uzbekistan: Revoked Licenses

The Long and Winding Road has a report on Uzbek pop musicians losing their licenses to perform in public after a journalist accused their lyrics of not being authentic Uzbek poetry and them of being bad musicians.

Uzbekistan: Privatization

Ben Paarmann discusses plans for land privatization in Uzbekistan that, he says, will not likely do much to improve the economic situation in the country as it will not include the privatization of agricultural land.

Georgia: Excuse to Invade

Matt Jay rounds up news on Georgia's military operations against a local warlord who controls the Kodori Gorge, the only part of the breakaway region of Abkhazia controlled by Tbilisi. The blogger says that the escape of the warlord, Emzar Kvitsiani, into Abkhazia may provide Georgia to invade the region.

Caucasus: BTC & Israel

Ben Paarmann questions those that claim that controlling the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline and accessing Central Asian and Caspian oil is a hidden motive for Israel in its fighting in Lebanon.

Armenia: Open Source

Nessuna reports that the opening of Microsoft's representative office and the passage of a new copyright law may encourage the adoption of open source software by Armenian companies.