The News in Brief
Wednesday, June 9
First Georgian company starts trading in US
The UGT telecommunications company has officially announced that it is launching commercial activities in the US, specifically Dallas, Texas. UGT is the first Georgian company to conduct commercial activities in the US in parallel with its Georgian operations.
"UGT’s emergence on the US market creates an opportunity for Georgian IT specialists to gain experience, use innovative IT technologies and ideas in the US and improve their qualifications. The experience UGT has gained through its success in Georgia will be put to good use in the country’s new activities in the US. All this will also help Georgia play an important role in developing modern IT technologies, similar to the roles played by developing Asian countries,” George Chirakadze, President & CEO of UGT, said. (The Messenger)
Sozar Subari appeals to European Court of Human Rights
An application from Georgia’s former Public Defender Sozar Subari has been sent to the European Court of Human Rights by the NGO Human Rights Priority. The application concerns violations of Subari’s rights on 7 November, 2007.
Head of Human Rights Priority Lia Mukhashavria states that Subari is demanding recognition of the violation of several articles of the European Convention: those concerning inhumane treatment, interference in personal and professional activity, limiting freedom of expression, restricting freedom of assembly and granting no right to the legal possibility of a defence. Lia Mukhashavria states that materials prove that Sozar Subari’s rights were violated on 7 November.
An application from Shio Kobidze has also been sent to the European Court. Lia Mukhashavria explains that Kobidze was beaten by riot police as he defended a journalist. (Interpressnews)
Zurab Noghaideli meets Irakli Okruashvili
Leader of Movement for Fair Georgia Zurab Noghaideli, who is visiting Western Europe, has met leader of the Movement for United Georgia Irakli Okruashvili, his Press Service has told Interpressnews.
The political situation in Georgia and cooperation between opposition parties were discussed at the meeting. Full details will be known later. (Interpressnews)
MP Gamsakhurdia asks for extension of commission's term
MP Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, who chairs the State Investigation Commission trying to identify the cause of death of Georgia's first President, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, has asked for an extension of the Commission's deadline. The son of Zviad Gamsakhurdia says that the Commission has obtained new evidence it needs time to work on.
Gamsakhurdia has also proposed to present an interim report on the causes of the first President's death by June 18. The term of the Commission expires on June 23. (Rustavi 2)
Labour Party accuses Government of deliberate depreciation of Lari
The Labour Party has accused the Government of deliberately depreciating the Georgian lari. At a briefing yesterday Paata Jibladze said that President Saakashvili was aiming to "rob" the people of Georgia and regain the 300 million GEL spent on the ruling party's election campaign by depreciating the national currency.
Jibladze said that the Government's plan is to depreciate the lari until it stands at 2.2 in relation to the U.S. dollar as it will regain 500 million GEL by doing this. He added that lari depreciation has already caused the prices of food and necessary items to rise. (Rustavi 2)
IOC President meets Russian PM in Sochi
The International Olympic Committee will do its best to prevent a repetition of the sort of tragic incident in which Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luge athlete, died after crashing on a training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Vancouver, Jacques Rogge announced during his visit to Sochi, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
"Although it will not be on this agenda, we will continue to work with the International Luge Federation and the International Bobsled Federation to take all the measures necessary to prevent a tragic accident like the one involving Nodar Kumaritashvili," he said. After the crash the Luge Federation and the IOC instructed the Sochi organising committee to significantly slow down the track being built on a nearby mountain.
Jacques Rogge arrived in Sochi to view the preparation work for the 2014 Winter Olympics and even met Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin, who in his turn said that Russia was using the Olympic Games to develop infrastructure in the south of the country. (Rustavi 2)
The UGT telecommunications company has officially announced that it is launching commercial activities in the US, specifically Dallas, Texas. UGT is the first Georgian company to conduct commercial activities in the US in parallel with its Georgian operations.
"UGT’s emergence on the US market creates an opportunity for Georgian IT specialists to gain experience, use innovative IT technologies and ideas in the US and improve their qualifications. The experience UGT has gained through its success in Georgia will be put to good use in the country’s new activities in the US. All this will also help Georgia play an important role in developing modern IT technologies, similar to the roles played by developing Asian countries,” George Chirakadze, President & CEO of UGT, said. (The Messenger)
Sozar Subari appeals to European Court of Human Rights
An application from Georgia’s former Public Defender Sozar Subari has been sent to the European Court of Human Rights by the NGO Human Rights Priority. The application concerns violations of Subari’s rights on 7 November, 2007.
Head of Human Rights Priority Lia Mukhashavria states that Subari is demanding recognition of the violation of several articles of the European Convention: those concerning inhumane treatment, interference in personal and professional activity, limiting freedom of expression, restricting freedom of assembly and granting no right to the legal possibility of a defence. Lia Mukhashavria states that materials prove that Sozar Subari’s rights were violated on 7 November.
An application from Shio Kobidze has also been sent to the European Court. Lia Mukhashavria explains that Kobidze was beaten by riot police as he defended a journalist. (Interpressnews)
Zurab Noghaideli meets Irakli Okruashvili
Leader of Movement for Fair Georgia Zurab Noghaideli, who is visiting Western Europe, has met leader of the Movement for United Georgia Irakli Okruashvili, his Press Service has told Interpressnews.
The political situation in Georgia and cooperation between opposition parties were discussed at the meeting. Full details will be known later. (Interpressnews)
MP Gamsakhurdia asks for extension of commission's term
MP Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, who chairs the State Investigation Commission trying to identify the cause of death of Georgia's first President, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, has asked for an extension of the Commission's deadline. The son of Zviad Gamsakhurdia says that the Commission has obtained new evidence it needs time to work on.
Gamsakhurdia has also proposed to present an interim report on the causes of the first President's death by June 18. The term of the Commission expires on June 23. (Rustavi 2)
Labour Party accuses Government of deliberate depreciation of Lari
The Labour Party has accused the Government of deliberately depreciating the Georgian lari. At a briefing yesterday Paata Jibladze said that President Saakashvili was aiming to "rob" the people of Georgia and regain the 300 million GEL spent on the ruling party's election campaign by depreciating the national currency.
Jibladze said that the Government's plan is to depreciate the lari until it stands at 2.2 in relation to the U.S. dollar as it will regain 500 million GEL by doing this. He added that lari depreciation has already caused the prices of food and necessary items to rise. (Rustavi 2)
IOC President meets Russian PM in Sochi
The International Olympic Committee will do its best to prevent a repetition of the sort of tragic incident in which Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian luge athlete, died after crashing on a training run at the Whistler Sliding Centre in Vancouver, Jacques Rogge announced during his visit to Sochi, which will host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
"Although it will not be on this agenda, we will continue to work with the International Luge Federation and the International Bobsled Federation to take all the measures necessary to prevent a tragic accident like the one involving Nodar Kumaritashvili," he said. After the crash the Luge Federation and the IOC instructed the Sochi organising committee to significantly slow down the track being built on a nearby mountain.
Jacques Rogge arrived in Sochi to view the preparation work for the 2014 Winter Olympics and even met Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin, who in his turn said that Russia was using the Olympic Games to develop infrastructure in the south of the country. (Rustavi 2)