The News in Brief
Friday, April 23
Saakashvili: Highly enriched uranium is being imported to the Caucasus from Russia
Highly enriched uranium is being imported to the Caucasus from Russia, Mikheil Saakashvili has said in an interview with The Associated Press.
According to Saakashvili Russia is creating instability in the region and this suits smugglers. In addition, since so-called South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence they have become "black holes" in the region, the President said.
"Russia is responsible for ensuring the non-proliferation of nuclear arms on the territories it has occupied. Incidents related to the highly enriched uranium create dangers for Georgia," Mikheil Saakashvili said. He added that Russia still hopes to restore the Soviet Union in any form and plays geopolitical games.
Saakashvili talked about highly enriched uranium being smuggled through Georgia at the Washington Nuclear Security Summit. He said that the most recent special operation to neutralise smugglers was conducted in March. (Interpressnews)
NATO open door policy is in force
The position of the NATO towards Georgia has not changed, its Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said before the opening of the NATO Ministerial in Tallinn yesterday. In an interview with Radio Liberty the NATO Secretary General also said that the NATO open door policy remained in force.
600 delegates from 45 countries are attending the two-day Ministerial, including Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze. The key issues to be discussed are NATO's new strategy, its enlargement, nuclear weapons, missile defence systems, the Afghanistan mission and relations with Russia. A session of the NATO-Russia Commission was on the agenda of the Ministerial but Russia has disrupted it saying that it did not receive an official invitation to the event. (Rustavi 2)
Georgia and The Gambia establish diplomatic relations
Georgia and The Gambia have signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic and consular relations. The sides will develop bilateral relations in accordance with the principles of equality, national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
The communique was signed by Permanent Representative of Gambia to the United Nations Susan Wagga-Ogoo and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN Alexander Lomaia at Georgia's Permanent Mission to the UN. In compliance with the international practice of the establishment of diplomatic relations between countries, the sides have sent a joint letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Gambia is the fifth African country with which Georgia has established diplomatic relations in 2010. The others are Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros and Liberia. (Interpressnews)
CDM signs cooperation memorandum with Russian colleagues
The Christian Democratic Movement of Georgia has signed memorandum of cooperation with the Russian Christian Democratic Party, whose members arrived in Georgia yesterday. The memorandum stipulates that the parties will exchange information, hold meetings and consult about further cooperation.
The Georgian Christian Democrats say that their Russian colleagues are former political dissidents and irreconcilable opponents of Russia's current Government. They support the territorial integrity of Georgia. (Rustavi 2)
Nika Ivanishvili: I call on Saakashvili to start negotiations with Russia
Nika Ivanishvili, leader of the People’s Democrats and Tbilisi Mayoral candidate, says that improving relations with Russia is a priority.
"Our priority should be the normalisation of Russia-Georgia relations. Without this the development of Georgia will be put in question," Ivanishvili said.
However the candidate thinks that the Government should carry out negotiations and sign agreements with Russia. "I call on Saakashvili to start negotiations with Russia. The Government should talk to the Russians, as well as the Ossetians and Abkhazians," he said.
Nika Ivanishvili does not rule out a visit to Russia and a meeting with democratic parties there.
"As for meetings with officials, they will be held after we come to power," he added. (Interpressnews)
Nino Kirtadze`s film wins award at Nion film festival
The documentary about Georgia by Nino Kirtadze, a Georgian film director working in France, has won an award at the International Movie Festival. This annual festival has been held in the Swiss city of Nion since 1965.
Something About Georgia by Kirtadze and the Saint Anne Psychiatric Hospital by Ilan Clipper shared the awards for best movie. The awards were voted on by a jury.
Nino Kirtadze plans to visit Georgia in May. In an interview with Rustavi2 she assessed her victory at the international festival as further recognition of the truth. Something About Georgia is about the Russian invasion of South Ossetia. (Rustavi 2)
Highly enriched uranium is being imported to the Caucasus from Russia, Mikheil Saakashvili has said in an interview with The Associated Press.
According to Saakashvili Russia is creating instability in the region and this suits smugglers. In addition, since so-called South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence they have become "black holes" in the region, the President said.
"Russia is responsible for ensuring the non-proliferation of nuclear arms on the territories it has occupied. Incidents related to the highly enriched uranium create dangers for Georgia," Mikheil Saakashvili said. He added that Russia still hopes to restore the Soviet Union in any form and plays geopolitical games.
Saakashvili talked about highly enriched uranium being smuggled through Georgia at the Washington Nuclear Security Summit. He said that the most recent special operation to neutralise smugglers was conducted in March. (Interpressnews)
NATO open door policy is in force
The position of the NATO towards Georgia has not changed, its Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said before the opening of the NATO Ministerial in Tallinn yesterday. In an interview with Radio Liberty the NATO Secretary General also said that the NATO open door policy remained in force.
600 delegates from 45 countries are attending the two-day Ministerial, including Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze. The key issues to be discussed are NATO's new strategy, its enlargement, nuclear weapons, missile defence systems, the Afghanistan mission and relations with Russia. A session of the NATO-Russia Commission was on the agenda of the Ministerial but Russia has disrupted it saying that it did not receive an official invitation to the event. (Rustavi 2)
Georgia and The Gambia establish diplomatic relations
Georgia and The Gambia have signed a joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic and consular relations. The sides will develop bilateral relations in accordance with the principles of equality, national sovereignty, territorial integrity and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
The communique was signed by Permanent Representative of Gambia to the United Nations Susan Wagga-Ogoo and Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN Alexander Lomaia at Georgia's Permanent Mission to the UN. In compliance with the international practice of the establishment of diplomatic relations between countries, the sides have sent a joint letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Gambia is the fifth African country with which Georgia has established diplomatic relations in 2010. The others are Botswana, Cape Verde, Comoros and Liberia. (Interpressnews)
CDM signs cooperation memorandum with Russian colleagues
The Christian Democratic Movement of Georgia has signed memorandum of cooperation with the Russian Christian Democratic Party, whose members arrived in Georgia yesterday. The memorandum stipulates that the parties will exchange information, hold meetings and consult about further cooperation.
The Georgian Christian Democrats say that their Russian colleagues are former political dissidents and irreconcilable opponents of Russia's current Government. They support the territorial integrity of Georgia. (Rustavi 2)
Nika Ivanishvili: I call on Saakashvili to start negotiations with Russia
Nika Ivanishvili, leader of the People’s Democrats and Tbilisi Mayoral candidate, says that improving relations with Russia is a priority.
"Our priority should be the normalisation of Russia-Georgia relations. Without this the development of Georgia will be put in question," Ivanishvili said.
However the candidate thinks that the Government should carry out negotiations and sign agreements with Russia. "I call on Saakashvili to start negotiations with Russia. The Government should talk to the Russians, as well as the Ossetians and Abkhazians," he said.
Nika Ivanishvili does not rule out a visit to Russia and a meeting with democratic parties there.
"As for meetings with officials, they will be held after we come to power," he added. (Interpressnews)
Nino Kirtadze`s film wins award at Nion film festival
The documentary about Georgia by Nino Kirtadze, a Georgian film director working in France, has won an award at the International Movie Festival. This annual festival has been held in the Swiss city of Nion since 1965.
Something About Georgia by Kirtadze and the Saint Anne Psychiatric Hospital by Ilan Clipper shared the awards for best movie. The awards were voted on by a jury.
Nino Kirtadze plans to visit Georgia in May. In an interview with Rustavi2 she assessed her victory at the international festival as further recognition of the truth. Something About Georgia is about the Russian invasion of South Ossetia. (Rustavi 2)