Near Tbilisi, in the village of Ponichala-Soganlugi densely populated by Azerbaijanis, the construction of a new mosque has started. It has become a bone of contention between local Azerbaijanis, dividing the population into good and bad, into the Shia, Sunni or Salafi. Many believe that Wahhabis are constructing it. Why some residents are convinced that the new mosque is the abode of evil, and what is Wahhabism in their opinion? READ MORE

On the second day of a visit to Georgia, the North Atlantic Council met with President Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi and praised Georgia’s role as a special partner of the Alliance. READ MORE

Next year, Georgia will host large-scale military exercises in which, perhaps, will participate region partner countries, said on Friday Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania after the demonstration exercises at a military base in Vaziani. READ MORE

Minister of Defense and First Deputy Prime Minister Irakli Alasania, who does not conceal his plans to participate in the presidential elections in October 2013, revealed several important initiatives for reforming the Georgian army and future cooperation with the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Alasania proposed switching to an all-contract service army by 2016. “No one needs to serve in the army against his will. On the contrary, the service should be prestigious and not accessible to all. Only people who received professional education and are prepared to give up their lives for their country must serve in the army,” the minister stated on January 7, in an interview with the Georgian paper Kviris Palitra. READ MORE