The News in Brief
Wednesday, February 6
Government will not attend President’s speech in Parliament
The government will not attend the presentation of the President’s annual report to parliament, the Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said during his press conference on Tuesday.
“We do not intend to go to Kutaisi. Does he have something new to say? He will probably bring new falsehoods,” Ivanishvili stated. He said that he will debate with Saakashvili only when the president changes his position and becomes a normal opponent. Ivanishvili commented about whether the majority plans to prepare some type of changes before the presidential elections.
"Certain MPs expressed their opinion, but the majority did not discuss this, so we are not going to initiate it, though concerning other changes, it will continue of course, as the constitution is in awful condition. We have to fit it to our country’s perspective,” Ivanishvili said. The President of Georgia will visit Parliament on February 8. (IPN)
Deputy mayor interrogated by the Investigation Service of MoF
The officers of the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance interrogated the deputy mayor of Tbilisi and two employs of the Tbilservice group until late last night. The officials were questioned about the work of the municipal company. They said after the interrogation that the investigators had many questions– mostly about how informed the mayor was about the work of this company. (Rustavi 2)
Bus drivers go on strike in Batumi
Bus drivers went on strike in Batumi. The drivers demand a salary increase according on par with the standard hourly wage. The bus drivers told InterPressNews that they will hold negotiations with City Hall representatives and if they fail to agree, the protests will be wide ranging. The drivers said the hourly wage was 2.60 GEL and it had to be increased to 4.50 GEL, though they were deceived and they only receive 3.09 GEL per hour.
The drivers introduced their 10-point demand to Batumi City Hall representatives. (IPN)
Karasin and Abashidze will hold second meeting later this month
The second meeting between the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Gregory Karasin and the special representative of the prime minister of Georgia, Zurab Abashidze, will be held by the end of February, Zurab Abashidze announced on Monday without specifying the date and the place of the meeting. However, he said the negotiations will refer to various issues, including the return of Georgian products to the Russian market. “We held a meeting on November 14, 2012 and by the end of this month we will meet again. So the dialogue is underway and it is rather interesting,” Abashidze said. (Rustavi 2)
EU Delegation to Georgia Awards Contest Winners
On February 2 the EU Delegation to Georgia awarded three winners of mobile short film competition "EU 3 Minutes Film Festival." The awards ceremony was held at the Tbilisi National Youth Palace.
The finalists of the festival include:
First prize: Lasha Meskhi, Strength in Unity
Second prize: Nini Bezhanidze, Emancipation
Third prize: Tekle Kvaratskhelia, Neighbors
The winners were awarded by Boris Yaroshevich, acting Head of the EU Delegation. Speaking at the awards ceremony he pointed out: “I love the idea young Georgians tell stories. They represented a new vision of EU support for Georgia. We are going to continue cooperation with them. Their voices are going to tell us more about the European Union.”
In October of 2012 the EU Delegation to Georgia announced a mobile competition targeted at Georgian youths. The delegation invited them to develop short films (max. 3 minutes) on their mobile phones around the topic "The EU in my Neighborhood". The competition ran from the 21st of October, 2012 until the 16th November, 2012. The EU 3 Minute Film Festival is a new undertaking by the European Union which asks Georgian youth to tell about the outcome of EU-Georgia relations.
For more detailed information about the festival please visit www.eu3min.ge. (Media.Ge)
The government will not attend the presentation of the President’s annual report to parliament, the Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said during his press conference on Tuesday.
“We do not intend to go to Kutaisi. Does he have something new to say? He will probably bring new falsehoods,” Ivanishvili stated. He said that he will debate with Saakashvili only when the president changes his position and becomes a normal opponent. Ivanishvili commented about whether the majority plans to prepare some type of changes before the presidential elections.
"Certain MPs expressed their opinion, but the majority did not discuss this, so we are not going to initiate it, though concerning other changes, it will continue of course, as the constitution is in awful condition. We have to fit it to our country’s perspective,” Ivanishvili said. The President of Georgia will visit Parliament on February 8. (IPN)
Deputy mayor interrogated by the Investigation Service of MoF
The officers of the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance interrogated the deputy mayor of Tbilisi and two employs of the Tbilservice group until late last night. The officials were questioned about the work of the municipal company. They said after the interrogation that the investigators had many questions– mostly about how informed the mayor was about the work of this company. (Rustavi 2)
Bus drivers go on strike in Batumi
Bus drivers went on strike in Batumi. The drivers demand a salary increase according on par with the standard hourly wage. The bus drivers told InterPressNews that they will hold negotiations with City Hall representatives and if they fail to agree, the protests will be wide ranging. The drivers said the hourly wage was 2.60 GEL and it had to be increased to 4.50 GEL, though they were deceived and they only receive 3.09 GEL per hour.
The drivers introduced their 10-point demand to Batumi City Hall representatives. (IPN)
Karasin and Abashidze will hold second meeting later this month
The second meeting between the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Gregory Karasin and the special representative of the prime minister of Georgia, Zurab Abashidze, will be held by the end of February, Zurab Abashidze announced on Monday without specifying the date and the place of the meeting. However, he said the negotiations will refer to various issues, including the return of Georgian products to the Russian market. “We held a meeting on November 14, 2012 and by the end of this month we will meet again. So the dialogue is underway and it is rather interesting,” Abashidze said. (Rustavi 2)
EU Delegation to Georgia Awards Contest Winners
On February 2 the EU Delegation to Georgia awarded three winners of mobile short film competition "EU 3 Minutes Film Festival." The awards ceremony was held at the Tbilisi National Youth Palace.
The finalists of the festival include:
First prize: Lasha Meskhi, Strength in Unity
Second prize: Nini Bezhanidze, Emancipation
Third prize: Tekle Kvaratskhelia, Neighbors
The winners were awarded by Boris Yaroshevich, acting Head of the EU Delegation. Speaking at the awards ceremony he pointed out: “I love the idea young Georgians tell stories. They represented a new vision of EU support for Georgia. We are going to continue cooperation with them. Their voices are going to tell us more about the European Union.”
In October of 2012 the EU Delegation to Georgia announced a mobile competition targeted at Georgian youths. The delegation invited them to develop short films (max. 3 minutes) on their mobile phones around the topic "The EU in my Neighborhood". The competition ran from the 21st of October, 2012 until the 16th November, 2012. The EU 3 Minute Film Festival is a new undertaking by the European Union which asks Georgian youth to tell about the outcome of EU-Georgia relations.
For more detailed information about the festival please visit www.eu3min.ge. (Media.Ge)