Acting President talks with US Secretary of State

Acting president Nino Burjanadze and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a telephone meeting on December 4, according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

“During the conversation, Nino Burjanadze stated she would spare no efforts to guarantee the election is carried out in line with international standards. She also said Georgian authorities had invited a wide range of international observers to monitor the election,” the Foreign Ministry said.

Burjanadze also discussed the Georgian government’s decision to enforce a media blackout after the November 7 crisis, and expressed her concern regarding recent comments made by senior Russian MP Boris Gryzlov, that the new Russian Duma may discuss recognizing the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in January.

The Secretary of State said America would send numerous observers to monitor the election. “Condoleezza Rice emphasized the importance of democratic elections in Georgia on January 5. She also welcomed the decision [to lift restrictions] on the TV channel Imedi,” the Foreign Ministry statement reads. (Black Sea Press)



People’s Bank and National Airlines to launch VISA card

The People’s Bank and National Airlines signed an agreement to launch a VISA card at the Tbilisi Marriott on December 5.

Cardholders will be able to purchase airline tickets with a five percent discount. (Prime-News)



Government provides security for presidential candidates

Acting president Nino Burjanadze stated that all presidential hopefuls who receive candidacy status will be appointed security teams.

Presidential hopefuls had to submit 50 000 signatures of support to the Central Elections Commission (CEC) by 18:00 yesterday to become official candidates in the presidential race.

According to Mikheil Machavariani, acting speaker of parliament, the government will fund the security teams assigned to each candidate. (Prime-News)



Foreign Ministry holds talks with foreign embassies

Konstantine Surguladze, director of the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, met with senior officials of foreign embassies in Georgia to discuss a number of cooperation issues, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Surguladze called on embassy officials to ensure compliance with international regulations in dealing with visa applications from Georgian citizens, and, in cases of visa refusal, to properly notify the citizens concerned of why their application has been turned down. (Prime-News)



Belgian and Ukrainian observers to monitor election

Belgian and Ukrainian observers will monitor the snap presidential election on January 5, it was confirmed yesterday.

Acting president Nino Burjanadze spoke by telephone to the respective chairmen of the Ukrainian and Belgian parliaments, in which she called on both countries to send observers. She also discussed the current conditions in Georgia. (Prime-News)



“Beeline” increases coverage in Georgia

Cell-phone company Mobitel, which uses the trade name Beeline, has further increased its coverage area in Georgia.

The Beeline network will include Gori, Khashuri, Surami, Lagodekhi, Gurjaani, Akhmeta, Dedoplis Tskaro, and Sachkhere from December 7 onward.

The company, which entered the Georgian cell-phone market in spring, currently caters for the provinces of Adjara, Imereti, and Kvemo Kartli. (Prime-News)



Putin presents award to Georgian tenor

President Vladimir Putin of Russia awarded Zurab Sotkilava, the well-known Georgian tenor, with the Merit of the Fatherland of the Third Degree, “for his huge contribution to the development of musical art.”

Sotkilava, who turned 70 this year, has been performing with the Bolshoy Theater for 35 years. He was born in Sokhumi in 1937, and is a professor at the Moscow Conservatoire.

In his younger days, Sotkilava captained the youth national football team, but his sports career was cut short due to injury. Aged 23, he enrolled at the Tbilisi Conservatoire without any formal musical training. (Black Sea Press)