The News in Brief
Wednesday, April 21
Turkish representatives bring Tbilisi’s proposals to Sokhumi
Turkish representatives have taken the Georgian State Strategy on the Occupied Territories to Sokhumi and offered to mediate between the Abkhazian side and the Georgian Government, news agency Apsnypress states. The document was presented to Abkhazian Foreign Minister Maxim Ghvinjia by Nurdan Bairaktar Golder, head of the South Caucasus Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, who arrived in Sokhumi with Levent Murat Burhan, Ambassador of Turkey to Georgia, yesterday.
"I have nothing to say about the Georgian State Strategy", Ghvinjia said after the meeting.
The Turkish delegation also met the so-called Abkhazian Premier Sergey Shamba, who said that Sokhumi would talk about Abkhazian-Georgian relations only with Georgia itself.
The Georgian State Strategy on the Occupied Territories, subtitled Engagement Through Cooperation, was adopted by the Georgian Government on 27 January. It rules out resolving the conflict by force. (Interpressnews)
Tbilisi Airport restores flights
After a four-day long pause caused by the ash cloud from the Iceland volcanic eruption Tbilisi Airport has restored some flights to Europe. Airzena has made flights to all its destinations in Europe except Munich, Amsterdam and London.
One plane left for Paris yesterday and the company was waiting for confirmation from Frankfurt. Flights have been made to Kiev, Baku, Minsk and Istanbul. (Rustavi 2)
Heavy rain inflicts damage on Kakheti region
Non-stop rain has inflicted serious damage on the Gurjaani district of Kakheti. The Akhtala ravine has swollen and flooded the ground floors of houses on Sarajishvili and Vazha-Pshavela Streets.
Locals say that poultry and cattle have been killed by the downpour and the harvest destroyed. Since the first days of heavy rain they have tried to fight the disaster themselves. Movement on the Gurjaani-Lagodekhi-Tbilisi highway stopped for a couple of hours.
The local administration has not quantified the damage so far. They are inspecting the region to determine the funds which need to be allocated to assist those affected by the disaster. (Rustavi 2)
First-year student Bacho Abralava dies in Republican Hospital
First-year student Bacho Abralava, having jumped from the roof of Tbilisi State University, has died in Republican Hospital. Despite one-hour resuscitation measures, doctors could not save him.
University Rector Giorgi Khubua and Abralava’s friends and relatives attended the hospital. They said that Abralava had financial problems and had recently split up with his girlfriend.
Students say Abralava had said he was going to commit suicide. He had a notebook in his hands when he jumped. On its last page was written "now you will rest".
Lecturers gave positive opinions of the student, who was a poet. He was scheduled to give a soiree on Friday. (Interpressnews)
Labour Party urges President to fund agricultural sector
The Labour Party has urged the Government to focus on the problems in the agricultural sector. Its Secretary General Ioseb Shatberashvili held a briefing on this yesterday and called upon the Government to help villagers carry out agricultural work and allocate 30-35 million GEL from the President's reserve funds for this purpose.
The Labour Party also accused the Government of spreading false information and said that the tractors which they presented to the public, have been taken away and kept for a new PR campaign rather than being given to villagers. (Rustavi 2)
Police detains suspect for church robbery
Officers of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Main Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have detained resident of Zugdidi Datiko Tsurtsumia. The detainee is suspected of committing a church robbery on April 16, 2010. Ecclesiastical items such as a crucifix were stolen. The items were found by police in a cemetery situated near Zugdidi.
An investigation is being conducted by officers of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Main Division of the MIA under Article 177 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. (Interpressnews)
Enterprise Management Agency has new chief
Minister of Economic Development of Georgia Zurab Pololikashvili has presented the new head of the Enterprise Management Agency, Aleksandre Khojevanishvili, who was appointed a few days ago. Khojevanishvili was previously Chair of the General Inspection of the Ministry of Economy.
The Minister said at the presentation that the agency had had serious problems over the past few years which had pushed it to draft a new strategy of control. "We have decided to work out a new strategy in order to make the work of enterprises more effective. Now the agency has a new chief," Zurab Pololikashvili said.
Khojevanishvili promised to present the new strategy of the agency in a few weeks and added that it would undertake a reform which would mean that some enterprises will be closed, some made bankrupt and others sold off. (Rustavi 2)
Turkish representatives have taken the Georgian State Strategy on the Occupied Territories to Sokhumi and offered to mediate between the Abkhazian side and the Georgian Government, news agency Apsnypress states. The document was presented to Abkhazian Foreign Minister Maxim Ghvinjia by Nurdan Bairaktar Golder, head of the South Caucasus Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, who arrived in Sokhumi with Levent Murat Burhan, Ambassador of Turkey to Georgia, yesterday.
"I have nothing to say about the Georgian State Strategy", Ghvinjia said after the meeting.
The Turkish delegation also met the so-called Abkhazian Premier Sergey Shamba, who said that Sokhumi would talk about Abkhazian-Georgian relations only with Georgia itself.
The Georgian State Strategy on the Occupied Territories, subtitled Engagement Through Cooperation, was adopted by the Georgian Government on 27 January. It rules out resolving the conflict by force. (Interpressnews)
Tbilisi Airport restores flights
After a four-day long pause caused by the ash cloud from the Iceland volcanic eruption Tbilisi Airport has restored some flights to Europe. Airzena has made flights to all its destinations in Europe except Munich, Amsterdam and London.
One plane left for Paris yesterday and the company was waiting for confirmation from Frankfurt. Flights have been made to Kiev, Baku, Minsk and Istanbul. (Rustavi 2)
Heavy rain inflicts damage on Kakheti region
Non-stop rain has inflicted serious damage on the Gurjaani district of Kakheti. The Akhtala ravine has swollen and flooded the ground floors of houses on Sarajishvili and Vazha-Pshavela Streets.
Locals say that poultry and cattle have been killed by the downpour and the harvest destroyed. Since the first days of heavy rain they have tried to fight the disaster themselves. Movement on the Gurjaani-Lagodekhi-Tbilisi highway stopped for a couple of hours.
The local administration has not quantified the damage so far. They are inspecting the region to determine the funds which need to be allocated to assist those affected by the disaster. (Rustavi 2)
First-year student Bacho Abralava dies in Republican Hospital
First-year student Bacho Abralava, having jumped from the roof of Tbilisi State University, has died in Republican Hospital. Despite one-hour resuscitation measures, doctors could not save him.
University Rector Giorgi Khubua and Abralava’s friends and relatives attended the hospital. They said that Abralava had financial problems and had recently split up with his girlfriend.
Students say Abralava had said he was going to commit suicide. He had a notebook in his hands when he jumped. On its last page was written "now you will rest".
Lecturers gave positive opinions of the student, who was a poet. He was scheduled to give a soiree on Friday. (Interpressnews)
Labour Party urges President to fund agricultural sector
The Labour Party has urged the Government to focus on the problems in the agricultural sector. Its Secretary General Ioseb Shatberashvili held a briefing on this yesterday and called upon the Government to help villagers carry out agricultural work and allocate 30-35 million GEL from the President's reserve funds for this purpose.
The Labour Party also accused the Government of spreading false information and said that the tractors which they presented to the public, have been taken away and kept for a new PR campaign rather than being given to villagers. (Rustavi 2)
Police detains suspect for church robbery
Officers of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Main Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have detained resident of Zugdidi Datiko Tsurtsumia. The detainee is suspected of committing a church robbery on April 16, 2010. Ecclesiastical items such as a crucifix were stolen. The items were found by police in a cemetery situated near Zugdidi.
An investigation is being conducted by officers of the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Regional Main Division of the MIA under Article 177 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. (Interpressnews)
Enterprise Management Agency has new chief
Minister of Economic Development of Georgia Zurab Pololikashvili has presented the new head of the Enterprise Management Agency, Aleksandre Khojevanishvili, who was appointed a few days ago. Khojevanishvili was previously Chair of the General Inspection of the Ministry of Economy.
The Minister said at the presentation that the agency had had serious problems over the past few years which had pushed it to draft a new strategy of control. "We have decided to work out a new strategy in order to make the work of enterprises more effective. Now the agency has a new chief," Zurab Pololikashvili said.
Khojevanishvili promised to present the new strategy of the agency in a few weeks and added that it would undertake a reform which would mean that some enterprises will be closed, some made bankrupt and others sold off. (Rustavi 2)