The News in Brief
Monday, October 11
Georgia and US discuss Power Supply to Iraq
Georgia and the US are discussing the issue of exporting of power to Iraq, stated the Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri during his speech at the United States North Atlantic Council.
The power will transit via Turkey.
According to Gilauri, this issue has been already discussed with the US Deputy Minister of Energy.
“This discussion indicates that Georgia may become a small regional energy centre,” said Gilauri and mentioned that the proposed project is interesting for the United States, Iraq, Georgia and Turkey, while other countries in the region may join the project in the future.
(Prime-News)
Employees of Social Service Agency detained
Employees of Samegrelo Regional Branch of Social Service Agency and Liberty Bank have been detained by the Constitutional Security Department.
Officers of the Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained Davit Gakharia, the head of the unit of the Samegrelo regional branch of the Social Service Agency of the Ministry of Healthcare, as well as Gela Natchkebia, an employee of the unit, together with employees of Liberty Bank – Vakhtang Chitaia, Varlam Sakhuria, Leila Mikava, Pridon Chitaia and Bejan Papava.
The detainees are suspected of financial misconduct - illegally appropriating GEL 95 000 from pensioners.
The sentence for the crime envisages up to 11 years imprisonment.
The investigation is being conducted by officers of Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
(Prime-News)
Proposal to give Special Status to residents next to Conflict Zones
Persons, living near the occupied territories of Georgia should be granted special status and should be given social assistance from the government. This proposal was initiated by the PM and the leader of “Kartuli Dasi”, Jondi Baghaturia and was addressed to the parliamentary committee on healthcare issues.
“These people are heroes and they should have a special status. I raised this issue at the Security Council of Georgia and was supported by the President of Georgia, who instructed parliament to solve the issue,” Jondi Baghaturia told reporters.
Commenting on the initiative of Baghaturia the vice-speaker of Georgian parliament, Gigi Tsereteli said that the government had been informed about the situation and is now working to solve this issue.
(Prime-News)
Georgian IDPs’ 'Message to Civilized world' continues through Europe
The 'Message to the Civilized world' continues in European countries. The symbolic roll, which was signed by internally displaced people throughout Georgia over a number of weeks, has already been sent to Germany.
A protest rally was held Sunday outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin. After the signing process is finished in Germany, the roll will be sent to Greece.
In the symbolic message, IDPs call on the world to force Russia to withdraw its armed forces from Georgia in order for the IDPs to be able to return to their homes in Georgia’s two occupied regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
(Rustavi 2)
Windstorm damages homes in Western Georgia
Sudden windstorms damaged the homes of internally displaced people in the town of Tsalenjikha in Western Georgia on Sunday morning. Strong winds lifted the roof of houses, broke window panes and uprooted trees.
Local government has formed a special commission to assess the situation. Repairs to the damaged homes will start within a few days.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgian sailors stranded on ship in Egypt
Georgian sailors have been stranded on a vessel docked in Port Said, Egypt for two weeks. They have been left without money and food. They are waiting for the owner to fulfill the terms of the contracts, but the Turkish ship owner is refusing to pay the crew members. The Georgian embassy is providing the sailors with food.
The six Georgian sailors, along with nine Turkish nationals, set off from Istanbul to Egypt aboard the vessel, Zeyno sailing under Panamanian flag six months ago. During this time the crew members have received no pay. When they arrived at the destination, the Turkish owner refused to pay them even to returning to Istanbul.
The sailors requested help from the Turkish and Georgian embassies in Egypt. The Georgian Foreign Ministry has so far refrained from making any comment.
Relatives of the sailors say the Turkish owner of the ship has a bank loan and the vessel has been sequestrated. The relatives do have the money to send the sailors for them to return home.
The crew members of Zeyno ship suppose the Turkish owner does not care about them as his bank loan is long-standing.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgia and the US are discussing the issue of exporting of power to Iraq, stated the Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri during his speech at the United States North Atlantic Council.
The power will transit via Turkey.
According to Gilauri, this issue has been already discussed with the US Deputy Minister of Energy.
“This discussion indicates that Georgia may become a small regional energy centre,” said Gilauri and mentioned that the proposed project is interesting for the United States, Iraq, Georgia and Turkey, while other countries in the region may join the project in the future.
(Prime-News)
Employees of Social Service Agency detained
Employees of Samegrelo Regional Branch of Social Service Agency and Liberty Bank have been detained by the Constitutional Security Department.
Officers of the Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained Davit Gakharia, the head of the unit of the Samegrelo regional branch of the Social Service Agency of the Ministry of Healthcare, as well as Gela Natchkebia, an employee of the unit, together with employees of Liberty Bank – Vakhtang Chitaia, Varlam Sakhuria, Leila Mikava, Pridon Chitaia and Bejan Papava.
The detainees are suspected of financial misconduct - illegally appropriating GEL 95 000 from pensioners.
The sentence for the crime envisages up to 11 years imprisonment.
The investigation is being conducted by officers of Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
(Prime-News)
Proposal to give Special Status to residents next to Conflict Zones
Persons, living near the occupied territories of Georgia should be granted special status and should be given social assistance from the government. This proposal was initiated by the PM and the leader of “Kartuli Dasi”, Jondi Baghaturia and was addressed to the parliamentary committee on healthcare issues.
“These people are heroes and they should have a special status. I raised this issue at the Security Council of Georgia and was supported by the President of Georgia, who instructed parliament to solve the issue,” Jondi Baghaturia told reporters.
Commenting on the initiative of Baghaturia the vice-speaker of Georgian parliament, Gigi Tsereteli said that the government had been informed about the situation and is now working to solve this issue.
(Prime-News)
Georgian IDPs’ 'Message to Civilized world' continues through Europe
The 'Message to the Civilized world' continues in European countries. The symbolic roll, which was signed by internally displaced people throughout Georgia over a number of weeks, has already been sent to Germany.
A protest rally was held Sunday outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin. After the signing process is finished in Germany, the roll will be sent to Greece.
In the symbolic message, IDPs call on the world to force Russia to withdraw its armed forces from Georgia in order for the IDPs to be able to return to their homes in Georgia’s two occupied regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
(Rustavi 2)
Windstorm damages homes in Western Georgia
Sudden windstorms damaged the homes of internally displaced people in the town of Tsalenjikha in Western Georgia on Sunday morning. Strong winds lifted the roof of houses, broke window panes and uprooted trees.
Local government has formed a special commission to assess the situation. Repairs to the damaged homes will start within a few days.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgian sailors stranded on ship in Egypt
Georgian sailors have been stranded on a vessel docked in Port Said, Egypt for two weeks. They have been left without money and food. They are waiting for the owner to fulfill the terms of the contracts, but the Turkish ship owner is refusing to pay the crew members. The Georgian embassy is providing the sailors with food.
The six Georgian sailors, along with nine Turkish nationals, set off from Istanbul to Egypt aboard the vessel, Zeyno sailing under Panamanian flag six months ago. During this time the crew members have received no pay. When they arrived at the destination, the Turkish owner refused to pay them even to returning to Istanbul.
The sailors requested help from the Turkish and Georgian embassies in Egypt. The Georgian Foreign Ministry has so far refrained from making any comment.
Relatives of the sailors say the Turkish owner of the ship has a bank loan and the vessel has been sequestrated. The relatives do have the money to send the sailors for them to return home.
The crew members of Zeyno ship suppose the Turkish owner does not care about them as his bank loan is long-standing.
(Rustavi 2)