The News in Brief
Monday, November 28
Heavy snow spreads across Georgia
It has been snowing for over 18 hours on the Rikoti Pass, dividing Georgia into its eastern and western parts. The snow cover has exceeded 30cm. Traffic movement is going on unimpeded in the reconstructed Rikoti tunnel. Intensive highway clearance works are underway.
Salt and grit has been scattered on the highway. Except articulated vehicles, all other kinds of vehicles are allowed to move along the highway.
All emergency services are working 24 hours to avoid any kind of impediments. Articulated lorries are restricted from traveling on the road sector from Natakhtari to Zestaponi and on the Nakerala Pass.
Articulated vehicles hampered in traveling from the eastern to the western part of the country, are staying at the town of Mtskheta some 30 km from the capital Tbilisi.
Weather forecasters expect the western wind to strengthen in the evening today and that should reduce heavy snowfall throughout Georgia.
The bad weather conditions have caused impediments in Tbilisi International Airport. The Baku-Tbilisi flight has been delayed. Moreover, flights from Tbilisi to Mestia in mountainous Svaneti region have been canceled.
Forecasters expect the temperature to rise to 3 degrees celsius during the day and fall to -4 degrees at night. They also expect the snowfall to intensify.
(Rustavi 2)
President awards Krzysztof Lisek with Order of St. George
President Saakashvili honored Krzysztof Lisek, the reporter on Georgian issues to the European Parliament with the Order of St. Georgia in the president`s palace in Tbilisi on Friday.
The president thanked Lisek for his special support towards Georgia and the contribution made in strengthening the cooperation between Georgia and the EU.
At the ceremony, Mikheil Saakashvili stressed the significance of the European Parliament resolution confirming that the territories of Georgia are occupied by Russia.
"International law - this is our main instrument to fight against injustice. In this regard, our people know how to appreciate friends, and disinterested support. Our nation knows very well how to say thank you. This is a case, when we are to give you a special thank you. Of course this gratitude also belongs to the whole of the European Parliament, as you are representing it here now, but you are also representing your country Poland. I think this is also demonstration of the great friendship linking our nations", Saakashvili said.
"It`s a great honour to have the Order of St. George and this is a very important voice of the almost whole European Parliament. We see Georgia as a European state, we see Georgia as a state, as a country sharing all European values and principles, including democracy, human rights and so on", Krzysztof Lisek said.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgian Beverages Tradeshow and Forum continues in Tsinandali
Georgian Beverages Tradeshow and Forum continues in Tsinandali, Kakheti region in eastern Georgia. The world famous Master of Wine Lisa Perroti Brown of Singapore is also attending the festival.
The tradeshow is organized by the Georgian National Investment Agency under the patronage of Georgia`s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. It is an unprecedented, large-scale forum aimed at the popularization of Georgian beverages.
The forum opened in the Holiday Inn Hotel in Tbilisi on Friday (November 25).
(Rustavi 2)
New Rights call for solution of village problems
The New Rights opposition party disapproves of the ten-point strategic development plan of the government in the village development sector. The opposition party says the problems of the villages are not reflected in the strategic plan.
Pikria Chikhradze of the party gave a briefing about this issue on Sunday. She said the reduction of the imbalance between urban and regional development included in the plan not only fails to solve basic problems, but even does not reflect the problems which are pressing in Georgia`s villages. The New Rights Party says the government should adopt a new law which will determine the legal status of a village and will legalize property which is currently in village possession.
The New Rights also demand allocation of GEL 100 million in the state budget annually, which will be intended for the village infrastructure rehabilitation and development.
(Rustavi 2)
Guram Dochanashvili`s poetic debut
The poetic debut of the famous Georgian prose writer Guram Dochanashvili was held at the TBC Gallery on Thursday evening, where the seventh collection of the masterpieces of the writer was presented. The book includes only poetic compositions called The Mercies, which was written by the writer 40 years ago and was published only now. The new collection also includes the writer`s essays and novels composed by the writer at various times.
(Rustavi 2)
It has been snowing for over 18 hours on the Rikoti Pass, dividing Georgia into its eastern and western parts. The snow cover has exceeded 30cm. Traffic movement is going on unimpeded in the reconstructed Rikoti tunnel. Intensive highway clearance works are underway.
Salt and grit has been scattered on the highway. Except articulated vehicles, all other kinds of vehicles are allowed to move along the highway.
All emergency services are working 24 hours to avoid any kind of impediments. Articulated lorries are restricted from traveling on the road sector from Natakhtari to Zestaponi and on the Nakerala Pass.
Articulated vehicles hampered in traveling from the eastern to the western part of the country, are staying at the town of Mtskheta some 30 km from the capital Tbilisi.
Weather forecasters expect the western wind to strengthen in the evening today and that should reduce heavy snowfall throughout Georgia.
The bad weather conditions have caused impediments in Tbilisi International Airport. The Baku-Tbilisi flight has been delayed. Moreover, flights from Tbilisi to Mestia in mountainous Svaneti region have been canceled.
Forecasters expect the temperature to rise to 3 degrees celsius during the day and fall to -4 degrees at night. They also expect the snowfall to intensify.
(Rustavi 2)
President awards Krzysztof Lisek with Order of St. George
President Saakashvili honored Krzysztof Lisek, the reporter on Georgian issues to the European Parliament with the Order of St. Georgia in the president`s palace in Tbilisi on Friday.
The president thanked Lisek for his special support towards Georgia and the contribution made in strengthening the cooperation between Georgia and the EU.
At the ceremony, Mikheil Saakashvili stressed the significance of the European Parliament resolution confirming that the territories of Georgia are occupied by Russia.
"International law - this is our main instrument to fight against injustice. In this regard, our people know how to appreciate friends, and disinterested support. Our nation knows very well how to say thank you. This is a case, when we are to give you a special thank you. Of course this gratitude also belongs to the whole of the European Parliament, as you are representing it here now, but you are also representing your country Poland. I think this is also demonstration of the great friendship linking our nations", Saakashvili said.
"It`s a great honour to have the Order of St. George and this is a very important voice of the almost whole European Parliament. We see Georgia as a European state, we see Georgia as a state, as a country sharing all European values and principles, including democracy, human rights and so on", Krzysztof Lisek said.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgian Beverages Tradeshow and Forum continues in Tsinandali
Georgian Beverages Tradeshow and Forum continues in Tsinandali, Kakheti region in eastern Georgia. The world famous Master of Wine Lisa Perroti Brown of Singapore is also attending the festival.
The tradeshow is organized by the Georgian National Investment Agency under the patronage of Georgia`s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. It is an unprecedented, large-scale forum aimed at the popularization of Georgian beverages.
The forum opened in the Holiday Inn Hotel in Tbilisi on Friday (November 25).
(Rustavi 2)
New Rights call for solution of village problems
The New Rights opposition party disapproves of the ten-point strategic development plan of the government in the village development sector. The opposition party says the problems of the villages are not reflected in the strategic plan.
Pikria Chikhradze of the party gave a briefing about this issue on Sunday. She said the reduction of the imbalance between urban and regional development included in the plan not only fails to solve basic problems, but even does not reflect the problems which are pressing in Georgia`s villages. The New Rights Party says the government should adopt a new law which will determine the legal status of a village and will legalize property which is currently in village possession.
The New Rights also demand allocation of GEL 100 million in the state budget annually, which will be intended for the village infrastructure rehabilitation and development.
(Rustavi 2)
Guram Dochanashvili`s poetic debut
The poetic debut of the famous Georgian prose writer Guram Dochanashvili was held at the TBC Gallery on Thursday evening, where the seventh collection of the masterpieces of the writer was presented. The book includes only poetic compositions called The Mercies, which was written by the writer 40 years ago and was published only now. The new collection also includes the writer`s essays and novels composed by the writer at various times.
(Rustavi 2)