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Part of opposition MPs take up their mandates after a six-month political tension
https://agenda.ge/en/news/2021/1120
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President pardons co-founder of Mtavari TV Rurua as opposition enters parliament
https://agenda.ge/en/news/2021/1128
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New Poll Reveals Georgians’ Attitudes Towards West, Minorities, Recent Past
https://civil.ge/archives/416193
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EU Delegation Welcomes Opposition MPs Entering Parliament, Rurua’s Release
https://civil.ge/archives/416405
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29.04.2021 / 21:00AA
US Embassy - We are very disappointed with the ruling party's hasty adoption of changes to the Georgian Administrative Code - the ruling party did not live up to expectations in this case
https://www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/654065-ashsh-is-saelcho-zalian-imedgacruebuli-vart-mmartveli-partiis-mier-sakartvelos-administraciul-kodeksshi-cvlilebebis-nachkarevad-migebis-gamo-mmartvelma-partiam-am-shemtxvevashi-molodini-ar-gaamartla
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EU Posts Bail to Free Jailed Georgia Opposition Leader
https://theglobepost.com/2021/05/08/european-union-georgia-opposition-leader-bail/
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Time to Offer Ukraine and Georgia a Path to NATO Membership
https://cepa.org/time-to-offer-ukraine-and-georgia-a-path-to-nato-membership/
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UNM’s Melia Leaves Prison
https://civil.ge/archives/418793
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In Quotes: Politicians React to Melia’s Release from Custody
https://civil.ge/archives/418745
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17.05.2021 / 23:04AA
Vice-President of the European Parliament - I hope that sooner or later, if possible, we will see Georgia as a member of the European Union sooner
Vice-President of the European Parliament - I hope that sooner or later, if possible, we will see Georgia as a member of the European Union sooner
Making compromises in politics does not necessarily mean our weakness, but on the contrary, it means strength, - said the Vice President of the European Parliament, Clara Dobrev after a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Kakha Kuchava .
"I have high hopes that Georgian politicians will set an example and I would say the same in some EU member states.
The dialogue that started and should continue is very important. "I have high hopes that sooner or later, and if possible, we will see Georgia as a member of the European Union sooner," Klara Dobrev said.
https://www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/656379-evroparlamentis-vice-prezidenti-didi-imedi-makvs-adre-tu-gvian-tu-shesazlebelia-upro-male-sakartvelo-evrokavshiris-cevrad-vixilot
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18.05.2021 / 23:07AA
Rachel Rizzo - Russia can not and will never decide on Georgia's NATO membership
Rachel Rizzo - Russia can not and will never decide on Georgia's NATO membership
"Instead of focusing on possible Russian reactions, we should focus on the significance of NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine and the steps that will be taken for the future of NATO," New American Security researcher Rachel Rizzo told VOA. .
Asked after the Bucharest summit when it was suggested that Georgia and Ukraine should not be given a membership action plan because of the Russian factor, how much does that factor work now, Rachel Rizzo said the countries deciding who to join the alliance are NATO members themselves and Russia .
"I think this topic is getting more and more attention lately. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said that there are countries in NATO that are still guided by the logic that Russia should not be irritated in terms of whether Georgia and Ukraine should be members of the alliance.
However, I think that the recent visit of Secretary of State Blinken to Ukraine and the meeting with President Zelensky are a sign of America's commitment and commitment to the region. He said that America is actively discussing issues of security cooperation and security assistance, so this is all a very good sign.
I think for Georgia and Ukraine, carrying out democratic reforms and continuing to work on the issues that hinder these reforms is the way to NATO. As the NATO Secretary General said, the door to NATO remains open. The countries that decide who will join the alliance are themselves members of NATO. Russia has no right to decide who will join NATO and will never have the right to do so.
We have seen two countries, Northern Macedonia and Montenegro, become members of NATO. So NATO is taking steps to show that Russia has no right to decide who will join the alliance. I doubt the acceptance of these two countries was not a story that was well received by the Kremlin. Most likely, the story of Georgia and Ukraine will be accepted in the same way. However, in the meantime, this is a decision that only the Allies and NATO should make. And it is up to Georgia and Ukraine alone to carry out the democratic reforms needed for integration. As I said before, these countries are working on these changes. "The message is that NATO's door is open," said Rachel Rizzo.
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Part 2
At the same time, as Rachel Rizzo noted, Georgia's future lies in the West. The responsibilities taken by the West for Georgia's security are clear and the country's future lies with the European Union.
"[Dialogue with Russia] will be very difficult to discuss, especially for the West and the United States. "We want to do everything we can to make sure that the responsibilities towards countries like Georgia and Ukraine are very clear," Rizo said.
According to him, the NATO summit scheduled for June 14 is the greatest opportunity for the Biden administration to reaffirm its commitment and commitment to the NATO Alliance, after four turbulent years.
"Jens Stoltenberg said that the Allies will discuss several issues, such as terrorism, cybersecurity and China, but that Russia's aggressive actions will be at the top of the list, so we should expect Russia to be the main topic of discussion. The Allies will discuss the ongoing mobilization of [Russian] troops in Ukraine, the sanctions that the United States has imposed on Russia over the past month, and the role that this process will play in developing relations. So, a lot will be discussed at the next summit, "Rizo said.
https://www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/656576-reichel-rizo-ruseti-ver-cqvets-da-verc-verasdros-gadacqvets-sakartvelos-nato-shi-gacevrianebis-sakitxs
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Posted by Tenners on the FRR bb :-
Not directly related, but the following is an interesting read while we wait. Big political and security games being played in Georgia
https://jamestown.org/program/the-big-game-around-georgias-deep-water-ports/
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20.05.2021 / 09:15AA
Review of the Georgian Press 20.05.2021
Review of the Georgian Press 20.05.2021
"Two new parties that will make early elections inevitable -" Dream "may not even try to get 43%"
"Dream" was alarmed by the activity of Gakharia's team - "Businessmen are deceived that they are" Dream 2 "..."
When and how Georgians who went to Germany will be released from the most difficult conditions
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"Two new parties that will make early elections inevitable -" Dream "may not even try to get 43%"
"The entry of the parties of businessman Levan Vasadze and former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia into the political field significantly increases the chances of holding early parliamentary elections. According to some analysts, these parties will take away some of the supporters of the "Georgian Dream" and it will be difficult for the ruling party to cross the 43% threshold in the local elections. As it is known, according to the Charles Michel agreement, if the "Georgian Dream" fails to win 43% of the local elections in October, early parliamentary elections should be called. Analyst Ramaz SakvarelidzeIn his opinion, this data may even suit the "Dream", as it is expected to get more parliamentary seats in the early elections than it has now. "In his opinion, Vasadze and Gakharia's teams will get more votes in the local elections separately than in the second party, the National Movement, " the Rezonansi newspaper wrote in an article titled " Two New Parties That Will Make Early Elections Unavoidable." Try to get 43%. "
"If the latest ratings with their participation were known, the answer would be closer. However, in my opinion, both Vasadze and Gakharia will have higher ratings separately than the "National Movement" because the UNM rating is mainly on Saakashvili, whose supporters believe in him wordlessly. Vasadze has more or less the same charisma. Vasadze will have a rating for his charisma and also at the expense of the fact that many of the topics he pedals are relevant to various circles. He has not been in power, he has not been reprimanded for not doing or not doing something. "The reprimands are mainly about his relations with Russia, which, as it turned out, may not be of great importance," Ramaz Sakvarelidze told the publication's correspondent .
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"We know that Gakharia had a very high rating when he left the post of Prime Minister and this rating may not be of the same quality today due to passivity, but in any case, he is an attractive figure for certain types of voters, such as those who are focused on Europe and unacceptable." Dream "and" National Movement ". There will be many of them, more than the supporters of the "National Movement". At the same time, both Gakharia and Vasadze will fill the ranks of supporters with people who were passive and refused to run in the elections - that is about 40% of the electorate, which would be a very serious addition to each of them. If today the rating of the "National Movement" has a maximum of 15% and together they got 30%, what will be left for the "Georgian Dream"? There are other parties as well. So i think
If we follow this logic, I think that Gakharia and Vasadze's parties will get a lot of votes, against which the Georgian Dream will find it difficult to gain 43%. But I also think that "Dream" will not try to reach this 43%. He may hold snap elections at the moment, because as long as Vasadze and Gakharia's group is strong, the Dream has a good chance of winning more seats than it has now, and so does the National Movement and the opposition parties that have so far They are known to destabilize by taking a much smaller number of mandates. "Therefore, I think it is too early to say that the Georgian Dream will die if it fails to get 43%, and there is a great chance that it will be in its interest to reach the promised threshold and call early elections," he added.Ramaz Sakvarelidze .
"Dream" was alarmed by the activity of Gakharia's team - "Businessmen are deceived that they are" Dream 2 "..."
According to Irakli Kobakhidze , Chairman of the Georgian Dream , former Prime Minister Giorgi GakhariaThe team members hold meetings with businessmen and political activists, during which they call themselves the new project of the ruling party "Dream 2". The members of the management team are concerned about this trend, although they cannot name the specific time and place of such meetings. "The so-called The team walks in the community, they go there with businessmen, activists, our activists among them and they say that these are "Dream 2" - the second project of "Georgian Dream". They were mixed up in the messages - either they are a "dream" project, by which they are deceiving activists and businessmen, or someone is putting pressure on them. Neither one nor the other is a lie. They are not "Georgian Dream". Accordingly, political posts and leave messages to advise aiblandon not ", - said Irakli Kobakhidze m ", - writes the newspaper "Resonance"In the article titled "Dream", the activity of Gakharia's team was alarming - "Businessmen are lying that they are" Dream 2 "..."
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Georgian Dream members do not know the details of the issue. According to MP Lado Kakhadze , he does not know where, when and what kind of meetings Gakharia's team members hold, but he trusts Irakli Kobakhidze's words. "I can not really say in which regions such meetings were held or what issues were discussed, but this fact is known and Irakli Kobakhidze, As the words of the party chairman I trust. The fact that people take such provocative steps is certainly worrying and very annoying for such actions. I do not know what logic is used to say - "everything came to politics?" In fact, our team takes any step in good faith and our goal is that everything in the country was transparent and credible, not with evil steps, but with goodness, ”said Lado Kakhadze . "Georgian dream", another deputy, Irakli Zarqua 's said that he does not own any details about where and what the content of the meetings Gakharia team members ", - notes the newspaper.
"I do not really know what kind of meetings they hold and where. " Irakli Kobakhidze will be competent in this matter , because he spread information about it," Irakli Zarkua told Rezonansi. It should be noted that Irakli Kobakhidze made a statement about the activation of Gakharia's team members while talking about the resignation of the Zugdidi mayor, which may indicate that similar facts are happening in Samegrelo, where Giorgi Gakharia has a rather high rating, ”the publication adds.
https://www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/656786-kartuli-presis-mimoxilva-20052021
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I'm worried that dream 2 could be a way of securing GD a ruling majority by taking possible votes away from the opposition parties, then forming a coalition with GD and voting with them.
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The split in the GD ranks is a double-edged sword, which atm we don't know the direction of it's strike.
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Georgia, USAID Sign New USD 67 Mln Grant
https://civil.ge/archives/421438
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Former PM Gakharia Inaugurates New Political Party
https://civil.ge/archives/423613
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U.S. Senators Talk Russian Occupation, Georgia’s Western Integration, Reforms
https://civil.ge/archives/424938
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Georgian politics set for shake up as former PM launches new party
https://emerging-europe.com/news/georgian-politics-set-for-shake-up-as-former-pm-launches-new-party/
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23.06.2021 / 19:18AA
Levan Dolidze - It is difficult to see the reaction of the ruling party to the recent meetings of Giorgi Gakharia with representatives of US political circles
Levan Dolidze - It is difficult to see the reaction of the ruling party to the recent meetings of Giorgi Gakharia with representatives of US political circles
It is difficult to see the reaction of the ruling party to the recent meetings of Giorgi Gakharia with representatives of US political circles , - Levan Dolidze, a member of the political union "For Georgia" wrote on the social network, responding to media reports about the third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and " Georgia "Chairman George Gakharia 's meeting.
"I sincerely worry about the reactions that may follow today's meetings. I expect the situation to worsen! :)
"I try to see a small difference between the information propaganda of the current government and the attempts of" Real TV "operating in 2011-2012!", - Levan Dolidze writes.
For reference, "Rustavi 2" reported that a conspiratorial meeting took place between Mikheil Saakashvili and Giorgi Gakharia in Washington .
https://www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/662368-levan-dolize-mzimea-mmartveli-zalis-im-reakciis-xilva-rac-giorgi-gaxarias-ashsh-s-politikuri-creebis-carmomadgenlebtan-bolo-dgeebshi-chatarebul-shexvedrebs-mohqva
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HMS Defender: Russian jets and ships target British warship
Published2 hours ago
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media captionLISTEN: The BBC’s Jonathan Beale, on board HMS Defender, says he heard shots fired but believed they were out of range
More than 20 Russian aircraft and two coastguard ships have shadowed a British warship sailing near Crimea.
Moscow's defence ministry said a patrol ship fired warning shots and a jet dropped bombs in the path of HMS Defender as it sailed some 12 miles (19km) off Crimea's coast.
The UK government rejected Russia's account of the incident and denied that any warning shots had been fired.
A BBC correspondent on the warship said it was harassed by Russia's military.
Aircraft could be heard overhead as BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale filed a report from the deck of HMS Defender in the Black Sea as it sailed to Georgia. He described hostile warnings over the radio as the warship's crew prepared for a possible confrontation.
What will be the fallout from the Black Sea incident?
Our correspondent, who had been invited on board the ship before the incident happened, saw more than 20 aircraft overhead and two Russian coastguard boats which at times were just 100m (328ft) away.
This is at odds with statements from both the British prime minister's office and defence ministry, which denied any confrontation.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
View original tweet on Twitter
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HMS Defender was sailing from Odessa in southern Ukraine to Georgia. To get there, it passed south of the Crimea peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that has not been recognised internationally.
While Moscow claims the peninsula and its waters are Russian territory, the UK says HMS Defender was passing through Ukrainian waters in a commonly used and internationally recognised transit route.
A source told BBC diplomatic correspondent James Landale that the Defender was not there to pick a fight but to make a point - to assert its right to freedom of navigation in international waters.
Russia's defence ministry said the "dangerous actions" of the navy ship entering its waters were a "gross violation" of the UN Convention's sea laws, and called for the crew to be investigated.
Russia and Ukraine: Common questions answered
Crimea: A place that's rather difficult to get into
A later tweet from the Russian embassy in the UK said: "HMS Defender turns HMS Provocateur and violates Russian border. Not exactly a 'routine' transit, is it?"
But a UK government spokesman played down any notion of hostilities, insisting that Russia was doing "gunnery exercises" in the Black Sea.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace added: "As is routine, Russian vessels shadowed [the ship's] passage and she was made aware of training exercises in her wider vicinity."
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Part 2
The British ambassador was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry in Moscow, and met officials on Wednesday afternoon.
a video released by Russia"s Defence Ministry allegedly shows the HMS Defender
IMAGE COPYRIGHTREUTERS
image captionA video released by Russia's defence ministry allegedly shows HMS Defender from a Russian aircraft
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On board HMS Defender
Jonathan Beale, Defence Correspondent
I am on board the warship in the Black Sea.
The crew were already at action stations as they approached the southern tip of Russian-occupied Crimea. Weapons systems on board the Royal Navy destroyer had already been loaded.
This would be a deliberate move to make a point to Russia. HMS Defender was going to sail within the 12 mile (19km) limit of Crimea's territorial waters. The captain insisted he was only seeking safe passage through an internationally recognised shipping lane.
Two Russian coastguard ships that were shadowing the Royal Navy warship, tried to force it to alter its course. At one stage, one of the Russian vessels closed in to about 100m.
Increasingly hostile warnings were issued over the radio - including one that said "if you don't change course I'll fire". We did hear some firing in the distance but they were believed to be well out of range.
As HMS Defender sailed through the shipping lane it was buzzed by Russian jets. The Captain, Vincent Owen, said the ship detected more than 20 military aircraft nearby. Commander Owen said his mission was confident but non-confrontational.
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Map showing Crimea, Ukraine and Russia and the warship's path
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Russia said the incident happened just after midday local time (09:00 GMT) in the Black Sea near Cape Fiolent in the south of Crimea.
According to the Russian military, HMS Defender was told to change course, and when it failed to do so, a Russian border patrol ship sent several warning shots. About ten minutes later, a military jet dropped warning bombs in the path of the destroyer.
This case is reminiscent of a similar incident in November 2020, when Russia accused a US warship of travelling 2km into its waters in the Sea of Japan.
Russia's defence ministry said it had warned the USS John S McCain that it would be rammed if it continued sailing in the territorial waters, before chasing off the warship. However the US Navy said those claims were false, and that its ship had not been "expelled" from the area.
HMS Defender is a Type 45 destroyer that is part of the UK's Carrier Strike Group. It is carrying out missions in the Black Sea, according to the Royal Navy's website.
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Part 3
The warship was in the southern Ukrainian port of Odessa earlier this week, according to the British embassy in Ukraine. It said the UK and Ukraine had signed an agreement to jointly build warships and construct two naval bases.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57583363
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Ex-PM Gakharia Discusses His Party’s Plans, Political Issues with American Partners
by GEORGIA TODAY June 23, 2021 in Politics Reading Time: 2min read
Ex-PM Gakharia Discusses His Party’s Plans, Political Issues with American Partners
Following the Brussels visit, the Chairman of ‘For Georgia,’ Giorgi Gakharia is holding meetings in the United States.
Giorgi Gakharia, Kakhaber Kemoklidze, Member of Political Council of ‘For Georgia’ and Levan Dolidze, Political Adviser, are holding meetings with the representatives of the US State Department, various international organizations, experts and representatives of academic and political circles.
On June 22, the Chairman of ‘For Georgia’ met with an Analyst and Associate Professor at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute, Lincoln Mitchell.
The ongoing political processes in Georgia, as well as the challenges in the region, were discussed at the meeting.
Gakharia met with the Vice President of Programs at International Republican Institute (IRI), Scott Mastic and Regional Program Director for Eurasia at IRI, Stephen Nix.
The political processes in Georgia and the upcoming local elections were discussed at the meeting. Giorgi Gakharia informed Stephen Nix and Scott Mastic regarding his political plans and spoke about his recently established political party.
Giorgi Gakharia thanked IRI for the cooperation and support provided to Georgia within the framework of the institute’s program, the Party’s press office said.
The EX-PM also met with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Kara McDonald.
Giorgi Gakharia
@GakhariaGiorgi
With Kara McDonald at the US State Department, we discussed in detail the democratization process in #Georgia, as well as the challenges in the justice system. We discussed our vision and plan for dealing with the corruption and problems in the human rights field.
9:51 AM · Jun 23, 2021
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Challenges in terms of democratization, human rights, justice and corruption in Georgia were discussed at the meeting. The parties noted with satisfaction the progress made so far and discussed the concrete steps that need to be taken in the future with regards to anti-corruption measures and the building of state institutions.
Gakharia had a working dinner with the US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the European and Eurasian Affairs, George Kent and the Director of the National Security Council’s Eastern Europe and Caucasus Department, Christopher Smith.
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Part 2
The future plans of the party, its reform agenda and the local elections of 2021 were discussed at the meeting.
Gakharia resigned as PM on February 18 due to differences of opinion about the arrest of Nika Melia. However, following his resignation, the former PM announced that he was not going to leave politics. He has recently established a new political force ‘For Georgia.’
Related Story: Ex-PM, Now Opposition Party Chair Gakharia Meets with Western Partners in Brussels
https://georgiatoday.ge/ex-pm-gakharia-discusses-his-partys-plans-political-issues-with-us-partners/
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24.06.2021 / 18:12AA
Giorgi Gakharia met with Senator Jim Rish in the United States
Giorgi Gakharia met with Senator Jim Rish in the United States
Giorgi Gakharia , Chairman of the Party for Georgia, met with Senator Jim Risch. The press service of "Georgia" spreads information about it.
According to them, the meeting focused on the political agenda set by Giorgi Gakharia and the party "For Georgia", which envisages the reforms to be carried out for the development of a strong institutional democracy in Georgia.
"During the meeting with the senator, Gakharia also spoke about the security challenges that are on the agenda of Georgia, both locally and regionally," the party said.
https://www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/662556-giorgi-gaxaria-ashsh-shi-senator-jim-rishs-shexvda
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Seems like the upcoming elections are still going to be compromised by intimidation.
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ka&tl=en&u=https://oc-media.org/gaustumrebeli-khelpasebis-ponze-pronteram-1-milioni-lobistebze-dakharja/?fbclid%3DIwAR1YvZn9STwf1DV3yJgxUpyCHcGnhlsexrQ5ZgzbGWBApSaAm5x1984YmKs