The News in Brief
Wednesday, October 27
Georgia outlines priorities for OSCE summit
The Georgian delegation has outlined the priority issues for the OSCE summit, which will be held in Kazakhstan on December 1-2, 2010. The preparatory conference held in Vienna ended yesterday, where the Georgian government delegation spoke about the issues of access of the OSCE mission to the occupied territories and fulfillment of the French-brokered six-point document signed on August 12, 2008. The Georgian delegation says every member of the organisation agrees with the Georgia’s demands except Russia.
“In their statements the representatives of the United States and the European Union have underlined that the complete restoration of the OSCE mission to Georgia was one of the key priorities of their work and the issue should be one of the most important topics for discussion at the Astana summit. Russia’s position remains the same. At the conference we spoke about many issues that refer to Georgia, including restoring the OSCE mission, Geneva negotiations, fulfillment of the August 12 ceasefire agreement and the intensification of OSCE role in the process of conflict resolution and the restoration of trust between the sides,” the director of the international organisations’ department of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Sergi Kapanadze said. (Rustavi 2)
Siberia waiting for permission to continue Charter Flights
Siberia, the first Russian carrier to resume flights between Russia and Georgia, is waiting for permission from Moscow to continue flights between the two countries, stated Paata Kamarauli, the company’s representative in Georgia.
Siberia received permission to conduct direct charter flights on the route Moscow-Tbilisi-Moscow through until October 30. The company resumed its flights (three times a week) from August 23.
“We are waiting for permission from the Russian side to continue flights. The Georgian side has already issued a permit,” said Kamarauli.
According to information of Tbilisi International airport’s booking office, tickets on direct charter flights up to the end of November are available for sale.
Along with Siberia, charter flights between Georgia and Russia are also periodically carried out by Airzena - Georgian Airways.
Direct flights between Russia and Georgia were aborted in 2006 after worsening relations between the two countries. The flights were temporarily reinstated in 2008 and again cancelled after the 2008 Russian-Georgian August war. (Prime-News)
Approximately GEL 300 000 spent on Tbilisoba
The Tbilisi municipality spent approximately GEL 300 000 on the organisation and cultural events for the Tbilisoba 2010 festival.
The Tbilisoba festival has been marked in the capital of Georgia since 1978.
Cultural events in Tbilisi began October 21 and will continue until October 30. (Prime-News)
Healthcare Ministry works on new draft law
Doctors will be fined for making individual deals with pharmaceutical companies; the government of Georgia will launch special measures to regulate conflicts of interest in the medical field. According to a new draft law, soon to be proposed to parliament by the government, the doctors will be prohibited from promoting medications produced or imported by specific pharmaceutical companies, from which they have previously been enjoying bonuses. Doctors will be also be prohibited from signing blank prescriptions with the logo and seals of specific companies. Instead, the doctors will be obliged to propose a wide choice of medicines to patients. The parliament of Georgia will begin to debate the draft law in a few weeks. (Prime-News)
Saint Maximus the Confessor buried in Mestia
French anthropologists have confirmed that the grave of Saint Maximus the Confessor is in Tsageri, Svaneti Region, Georgia. A special conference dedicated to the discovery was held in the Youth Centre of the Saint Trinity Cathedral yesterday. Participants discussed the details of the discovery and history of the Saint Maximus. They said the only other holy part of Saint Maximus’ body to be found so far is currently held in Israel.
French scientists presume that after publishing the discovery, the grave of the Saint Maximus and the Tsageri monastery will become a place of pilgrimage for many worshippers. (Prime-News)
The Georgian delegation has outlined the priority issues for the OSCE summit, which will be held in Kazakhstan on December 1-2, 2010. The preparatory conference held in Vienna ended yesterday, where the Georgian government delegation spoke about the issues of access of the OSCE mission to the occupied territories and fulfillment of the French-brokered six-point document signed on August 12, 2008. The Georgian delegation says every member of the organisation agrees with the Georgia’s demands except Russia.
“In their statements the representatives of the United States and the European Union have underlined that the complete restoration of the OSCE mission to Georgia was one of the key priorities of their work and the issue should be one of the most important topics for discussion at the Astana summit. Russia’s position remains the same. At the conference we spoke about many issues that refer to Georgia, including restoring the OSCE mission, Geneva negotiations, fulfillment of the August 12 ceasefire agreement and the intensification of OSCE role in the process of conflict resolution and the restoration of trust between the sides,” the director of the international organisations’ department of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, Sergi Kapanadze said. (Rustavi 2)
Siberia waiting for permission to continue Charter Flights
Siberia, the first Russian carrier to resume flights between Russia and Georgia, is waiting for permission from Moscow to continue flights between the two countries, stated Paata Kamarauli, the company’s representative in Georgia.
Siberia received permission to conduct direct charter flights on the route Moscow-Tbilisi-Moscow through until October 30. The company resumed its flights (three times a week) from August 23.
“We are waiting for permission from the Russian side to continue flights. The Georgian side has already issued a permit,” said Kamarauli.
According to information of Tbilisi International airport’s booking office, tickets on direct charter flights up to the end of November are available for sale.
Along with Siberia, charter flights between Georgia and Russia are also periodically carried out by Airzena - Georgian Airways.
Direct flights between Russia and Georgia were aborted in 2006 after worsening relations between the two countries. The flights were temporarily reinstated in 2008 and again cancelled after the 2008 Russian-Georgian August war. (Prime-News)
Approximately GEL 300 000 spent on Tbilisoba
The Tbilisi municipality spent approximately GEL 300 000 on the organisation and cultural events for the Tbilisoba 2010 festival.
The Tbilisoba festival has been marked in the capital of Georgia since 1978.
Cultural events in Tbilisi began October 21 and will continue until October 30. (Prime-News)
Healthcare Ministry works on new draft law
Doctors will be fined for making individual deals with pharmaceutical companies; the government of Georgia will launch special measures to regulate conflicts of interest in the medical field. According to a new draft law, soon to be proposed to parliament by the government, the doctors will be prohibited from promoting medications produced or imported by specific pharmaceutical companies, from which they have previously been enjoying bonuses. Doctors will be also be prohibited from signing blank prescriptions with the logo and seals of specific companies. Instead, the doctors will be obliged to propose a wide choice of medicines to patients. The parliament of Georgia will begin to debate the draft law in a few weeks. (Prime-News)
Saint Maximus the Confessor buried in Mestia
French anthropologists have confirmed that the grave of Saint Maximus the Confessor is in Tsageri, Svaneti Region, Georgia. A special conference dedicated to the discovery was held in the Youth Centre of the Saint Trinity Cathedral yesterday. Participants discussed the details of the discovery and history of the Saint Maximus. They said the only other holy part of Saint Maximus’ body to be found so far is currently held in Israel.
French scientists presume that after publishing the discovery, the grave of the Saint Maximus and the Tsageri monastery will become a place of pilgrimage for many worshippers. (Prime-News)