EURASIANET PHOTOJOURNALIST DIGEST

Conflict in Georgia: Gori and Tskhinvali

In this photo slideshow, photographer Jonathan Alpeyrie looks at how the Russian-Georgian conflict affected the cities of Gori, on the Georgia-proper side, and Tskhinvali, on the South Ossetian side.

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Latvian President Begins Central Asian Tour to Bolster EU Ties
Latvian President Valdis Zatlers began an eight-day visit to Central Asia on October 2, aiming to strengthen political and economic ties between the region and the European Union.

Georgia: US Plans an Investment Summit in Tbilisi in Late October
BY MOLLY CORSO
The US Department of Commerce is working with two private American-Georgian business associations to stage a trade summit in Tbilisi in late October. The initiative is part of a general effort to bolster investor confidence in Georgia.

Georgia: Separatist Territory of Abkhazia Promotes a "New Era"
A EURASIANET PHOTO ESSAY: TEXT BY ELIZABETH OWEN; PHOTOS BY SOPHIA MIZANTE
September 30 was Independence Day in the disputed territory of Abkhazia, and all the celebratory trappings were on full display: flags, speeches, fireworks and a massive parade. But amid the celebrations of the 15th anniversary of separatist Abkhazia’s defeat of Georgian forces, one unspoken question hung in the air: How independent is the independent Abkhazia?

Armenia: New Speaker Vows to Pursue Conciliatory Policies
BY MARIANNA GRIGORYAN
Hovik Abrahamian, a major force within the governing Republican Party of Armenia, has assumed the leadership of the Caucasus country’s parliament. Seeking to distance himself from a controversial past, Abrahamian has pledged to act as a conciliator. But many opposition leaders remain leery of the selection.

Pakistan Sacks Chief Of Powerful Spy Agency
Pakistan has fired the head of its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, Lieutenant General Nadeem Taj, in an apparent bid to clean up the military spy agency amid Western claims that it secretly backs the Taliban.
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Kazakhstan: Astana Strives to Overhaul the Education System
BY JOANNA LILLIS
With the academic year under way in Kazakhstan, the country’s education system is back in the spotlight. In connection with President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s desire to turn Kazakhstan into one of the world’s 50 most competitive economies, officials want to make rapid progress in raising education standards.

Azerbaijan: Potential Pipeline Deal Could Help Settle Nagorno-Karabakh Issue
BY SHAHIN ABBASOV
Economics may hold the key to breaking the stalemate in the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Turkish and Azerbaijani officials reportedly are seriously mulling the possibility of Armenian participation in the long-planned Nabucco pipeline project as part of a comprehensive Karabakh peace pact.

Georgia: US Congress Approves Reconstruction Aid Package for Georgia
BY JOSHUA KUCERA
Just a few days before the Wall Street bailout plan fizzled, the US Congress approved an aid package for Georgia that could total up to $1 billion over the next two years. The amount of aid would be about 30 times what Georgia has gotten per year from the US government, and three times what the White House proposed to spend on the entire post-Soviet Caucasus and Central Asia over the next year.