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Edward Natapei, the new Prime Minister of Vanuatu, stated that he overturns the government's decision to recognize independence of Abkhazia. Mr Natapei also requested Donald Kalpokas, the representative of Vanuatu at the United Nations, to start the process of establishing official relations with Georgia.

Georgian citizens were detained in South Ossetia for violation of the state border. Now the investigative activities are carried out, told the press service of the KGB of South Ossetia the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On June 19 in the evening in Makhachkala a teenager and a child received tangential wounds in a shootout, while Shamil Paizullaev, who led the "Izberbash" grouping of militants, was killed, informed a source from the MIA of Dagestan.

On June 17, the Russian State Duma ratified the protocol on extension of the 1995 bilateral agreement on the Russian military base deployed in the Armenian city of Gyumri.

Starting July 1, the tourists visiting the capital of Adzharia will be able to use public bicycles. 150 of them have been already brought from France for this purpose.

"The European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe (CoE) will help Armenia to reach the European media standards," Leila Dervishagich, an adviser for the CoE's cooperation division, said in Yerevan.

The Republic of Vanuatu confirms its decision to recognize the independence of Abkhazia, said Alfred Carlot, the Foreign Minister of Vanuatu.

The Criminal-Executive Service of the Ministry of Justice of Armenia announced the release of prisoners under amnesty declared in connection with the 20th anniversary of independence proclamation, and reduction of punishment terms. 455 prisoners have been already released and 54 prisoners face reduced punishment terms.

Close friends and acquaintances of Yuri Budanov, an ex-Colonel of the Russian Army Colonel, will be questioned in the investigation of his murder, said a source from law enforcement bodies.

On June 17 a car was shelled in the village of Bayramaul of Khasavyurt District. A woman was injured and a policeman perished.

On June 17 the Parliament of Georgia in the first reading adopted amendments to the Tax Code of the country. According to these amendments, together with the current taxation system for owners of private hotels a fixed tax is introduced, and now the owners will be able to choose a payment system by themselves.

Russia and Azerbaijan conduct negotiations about renewing the conditions of the lease agreement for the Gabala Radar Station, said Grigory Karasin, the Secretary of State, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation.

As a result of special operation in Dagestan during one day several terror acts were prevented, reported the Information Centre of the National Antiterrorism Committee of Russia (NAC).

The Organizing Committee of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games has registered intellectual property rights to the informal mascot of the Olympics, frog Zoich.

Today, the Nasimin District Court of Baku, chaired by Judge Elman Akhmedov, has completed the trial of Neimat Panakhly, the leader of the Party of National Statehood of Azerbaijan. He was found guilty under two articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan and sentenced to six years in prison.

The country's ruling party "Edinaya Abkhazia" (United Abkhazia) said that at the upcoming early presidential election in August "it would not put forward its own candidate for the president," but would support the candidate who will adhere in his programme to the principles used by Sergey Bagapsh, the deceased party leader and president, in his work. This is stated in the release of the presidium of the political council of the party disseminated today.

On June 17, Dmitry Novikov, earlier accused of fraud and kept in custody for about a year, has been restored in the status of a judge at a sitting of the Disciplinary Judicial Bench in Moscow.

Starting from June 16, a trial is on in Nagorno-Karabakh on the murder case of four soldiers who perished at one of the positions of the Defence Army of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) in November 2010. The next court session is scheduled for June 29.

Today, several villages of Dagestan held rallies in support of the demand to open unimpeded automobile traffic through the above tunnel. The hunger strike in support of the demand was stopped, since it is planned that from July 21 the tunnel will operate for 10 hours a day.

Elena Akhkubekova, wife of Azamat Akhkubekov, a defendant in the criminal case on the events of October 13, 2005, in Kabardino-Balkaria, told rights defenders about bad custody conditions in SIZO-1 of Nalchik.