The News in Brief
Friday, October 30
Infant dies of meningococcemia
A six-month old child has died of meningococcemia. The infant was hospitalised in the intensive care department of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases soon after the first symptoms of the disease manifested themselves, but doctors failed to save him.
Doctors said the child had a very complicated form of meningococcemia. The child was from Tbilisi.
This was the 27th recorded case of meningococcemia in Georgia this year, eleven of which have ended in death. (Rustavi 2)
Philip Gordon mentions Georgia while reporting on Obama policy
Philip Gordon, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, touched on the territorial problems of Georgia while reporting on Obama administration policy in Washington yesterday.
Gordon said the United States would try to achieve the reestablishment of the OSCE mandate on the breakaway territories of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia so that its work did not affect the territorial unity of the country. He called upon Russia once again to comply with the commitments it undertook when signing the ceasefire agreements and, like other members of the OSCE, support the resumption of the OSCE’s work in Georgia.
Deputy Defense Secretary Alexander Vershbow also delivered a speech at the same session. Vershbow discussed the chances of Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO and said that their integration into the alliance largely depended on political and military reforms being conducted. (Rustavi 2)
Activities of Russia in 20th Century outlined to MPs
A document entitled ‘The Activities of Russia in the Twentieth Century’ has been presented to MPs at the Temporary Commission on the Restoration of Territorial Integrity. The head of the Commission, MP Shota Malashkhia, said the document gives a detailed account of the activities of the Kremlin during its occupation not only of Georgia but other states - Moldova, Ukraine, Finland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The document includes a chronology of Russian aggression and occupation.
The document will eventually be given to universities and other educational institutions. (Rustavi 2)
Arts education centre to be established in Burjanadze’s former villa
An arts education centre will be set up in the villa in Tskneti previously belonging to Nino Burjanadze, head of the Tbilisi Department of Social Services and Culture Mamuka Katsarava has told Interpressnews.
Alumni of the Gonashvili Arts School in Tskneti have already moved to the villa, says Katsarava. City Hall has presented them with a grand piano and two upright pianos. City Hall will also purchase other instruments for them.
Over 100 children attend the Gonashvili Arts School. 70 of them are alumni of Tskhneti Children’s House.
”We’ll do everything to create an education centre for art in Tskneti. They are the most talented children. I could not attend their rehearsals and concerts and was concerned that they did not have better conditions,” Mamuka Katsarava stated.
Katsarava considers that the decision to make the villa an education centre is fair. Nino Burjanadze’s villa failed to sell at two auctions and was passed to Tbilisi City Hall. (Interpressnews)
Tbilisi-Tel Aviv flights resumed
Tbilisi-Tel Aviv flights resumed yesterday. Interpressnews was informed of this by Nino Giorgobiani, Head of Public Relations of Airzena, who stated that according to an agreement signed by the Governments of Georgia and Israel the Israeli airline Arkia would now be entitled to conduct flights on days also scheduled by Airzena.
Under the deal both companies are entitled to make flights on any day. A Georgian delegation, which returned yesterday, visited Israel to resolve this problem.
The dispute between Airzena and Arkia emerged over the winter schedule. The Israeli aviation authority wouldn’t confirm the flight schedule of Airzena and the Georgian transportation administration would not confirm Arkia’s. Airzena has been making flights to Israel for years but Arkia entered the market three years ago and scheduled its flights to coincide with Airzena’s. Some flights between Tel Aviv and Tbilisi were disrupted due to the problem. (Interpressnews)
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia to be an independent Deputy
Leader of the Freedom Party Konstantine Gamsakhurdia will sit as an independent Deputy, he stated after a meeting with Chair of Parliament Davit Bakradze.
Gamsakhurdia doesn’t intend to become a member of any Parliamentary group. He considers it unreasonable to create his own group as there are not enough independent MPs.
Gamsakhurdia plans to contribute to work on all matters essential to society. He does not know whether the other opposition leaders who initially refused to take the seats they were elected to, as he did, intend to return to Parliament.
Gamsakhurdia said that the issues of reclaiming his seat and the creation of a commission to establish the reason for the death of Georgia’s first President were discussed at his meeting with Bakradze. He added that the composition, Chairmanship and style of work of this commission would be known next week. (Interpressnews)
A six-month old child has died of meningococcemia. The infant was hospitalised in the intensive care department of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases soon after the first symptoms of the disease manifested themselves, but doctors failed to save him.
Doctors said the child had a very complicated form of meningococcemia. The child was from Tbilisi.
This was the 27th recorded case of meningococcemia in Georgia this year, eleven of which have ended in death. (Rustavi 2)
Philip Gordon mentions Georgia while reporting on Obama policy
Philip Gordon, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, touched on the territorial problems of Georgia while reporting on Obama administration policy in Washington yesterday.
Gordon said the United States would try to achieve the reestablishment of the OSCE mandate on the breakaway territories of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia so that its work did not affect the territorial unity of the country. He called upon Russia once again to comply with the commitments it undertook when signing the ceasefire agreements and, like other members of the OSCE, support the resumption of the OSCE’s work in Georgia.
Deputy Defense Secretary Alexander Vershbow also delivered a speech at the same session. Vershbow discussed the chances of Georgia and Ukraine joining NATO and said that their integration into the alliance largely depended on political and military reforms being conducted. (Rustavi 2)
Activities of Russia in 20th Century outlined to MPs
A document entitled ‘The Activities of Russia in the Twentieth Century’ has been presented to MPs at the Temporary Commission on the Restoration of Territorial Integrity. The head of the Commission, MP Shota Malashkhia, said the document gives a detailed account of the activities of the Kremlin during its occupation not only of Georgia but other states - Moldova, Ukraine, Finland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The document includes a chronology of Russian aggression and occupation.
The document will eventually be given to universities and other educational institutions. (Rustavi 2)
Arts education centre to be established in Burjanadze’s former villa
An arts education centre will be set up in the villa in Tskneti previously belonging to Nino Burjanadze, head of the Tbilisi Department of Social Services and Culture Mamuka Katsarava has told Interpressnews.
Alumni of the Gonashvili Arts School in Tskneti have already moved to the villa, says Katsarava. City Hall has presented them with a grand piano and two upright pianos. City Hall will also purchase other instruments for them.
Over 100 children attend the Gonashvili Arts School. 70 of them are alumni of Tskhneti Children’s House.
”We’ll do everything to create an education centre for art in Tskneti. They are the most talented children. I could not attend their rehearsals and concerts and was concerned that they did not have better conditions,” Mamuka Katsarava stated.
Katsarava considers that the decision to make the villa an education centre is fair. Nino Burjanadze’s villa failed to sell at two auctions and was passed to Tbilisi City Hall. (Interpressnews)
Tbilisi-Tel Aviv flights resumed
Tbilisi-Tel Aviv flights resumed yesterday. Interpressnews was informed of this by Nino Giorgobiani, Head of Public Relations of Airzena, who stated that according to an agreement signed by the Governments of Georgia and Israel the Israeli airline Arkia would now be entitled to conduct flights on days also scheduled by Airzena.
Under the deal both companies are entitled to make flights on any day. A Georgian delegation, which returned yesterday, visited Israel to resolve this problem.
The dispute between Airzena and Arkia emerged over the winter schedule. The Israeli aviation authority wouldn’t confirm the flight schedule of Airzena and the Georgian transportation administration would not confirm Arkia’s. Airzena has been making flights to Israel for years but Arkia entered the market three years ago and scheduled its flights to coincide with Airzena’s. Some flights between Tel Aviv and Tbilisi were disrupted due to the problem. (Interpressnews)
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia to be an independent Deputy
Leader of the Freedom Party Konstantine Gamsakhurdia will sit as an independent Deputy, he stated after a meeting with Chair of Parliament Davit Bakradze.
Gamsakhurdia doesn’t intend to become a member of any Parliamentary group. He considers it unreasonable to create his own group as there are not enough independent MPs.
Gamsakhurdia plans to contribute to work on all matters essential to society. He does not know whether the other opposition leaders who initially refused to take the seats they were elected to, as he did, intend to return to Parliament.
Gamsakhurdia said that the issues of reclaiming his seat and the creation of a commission to establish the reason for the death of Georgia’s first President were discussed at his meeting with Bakradze. He added that the composition, Chairmanship and style of work of this commission would be known next week. (Interpressnews)