The News in Brief
Monday, June 24
Georgian general census starts on July 1
Preparations for carrying out Georgia’s population registration will begin on July 1. Regional Development and Infrastructure Minister Davit Narmania and National Statistics Service Executive Director, Zaza Tchelidze organized a press conference on June 21 for announcing the preparation work. The initial preparations will take place in the Guria region from July 1-14, with Kakheti following from July 16-30. The registration itself will take place from November 5-19, 2014, with the population filling out a six-page questionnaire. First results will arrive starting spring 2015 and inform the government about population numbers, religious and ethnic statistics as well as figures for employment, economic activity, education, house ownership, agricultural matters and more. Georgia’s population registry was last updated in 2002. The registration is undertaken every 10 years.
(Georgian News)
Downpour floods western Georgia homes
Heavy rains caused the first floors of private houses to be flooded in the villages of Martvili in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in western Georgia. The disaster destroyed farmland and caused the death of livestock and poultry. In the village of Tamakoni, the downpours demolished the bridge that connects two parts of the village. The disaster also damaged villages of Tsalenjikha and the Chkhorotsqu municipalities. Rescue teams worked all night in the affected villages. Law enforcement officers were mobilized. Local authorities also were on site.
(Trend)
Georgian, Dutch Finance Ministries sign cooperation memorandum
The Ministries of Finance of Georgia and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of cooperation.
The document was signed by Minister of Finance of Georgia, Nodar Khaduri and his Dutch colleague Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Georgian Finance Ministry told Trend on Thursday.
The document provides for the Netherlands's assistance to Georgia. First of all, it is about assistance in the educational sphere. This applies to the Academy of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, as well as the possibility of retraining Georgian financial experts in the Netherlands.
(Trend)
Georgia, United Kingdom discuss inter-parliamentary cooperation
Georgia and the United Kingdom discussed the issues of cooperation between the two parliaments during the visit of the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, David Usupashvili, in London on Thursday. According to Usupashvili, meetings were held with the Speaker of the Parliament of Great Britain, the majority leader, ministers, heads of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the head of security and intelligence committee, the head of the group of Friends of Georgia, members of the House of Lords. As Usupashvili noted, the British Parliament is a role model for all countries. “The UK remains a partner of Georgia in all areas, including with regard to the EU and NATO,” Usupashvili said. According to him, members of the House of Lords will arrive in Georgia in mid-July.
(Trend)
Tbilisi hosts conference on combating smuggling of nuclear materials
A conference dedicated to the prevention of the smuggling of nuclear materials was held in Tbilisi on Thursday. The Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Bridget Brink, stated the conference is funded by the U.S. government. According to Brink, Georgia is an old partner of the United States. She noted that the smuggling of nuclear materials is a serious threat to the United States, Georgia and the entire region. “We will consider the progress made by Georgia in this direction, and we will talk about the work that remains to be done. We will also talk about what we can do together to cope with this threat,” Brink said.
(Trend)
Giga Lortkipanidze’s star opens outside Marjanishvili Theatre
A star for the late Georgian theatre and film director Giga Lortkipanidze was opened outside Marjanishvili Theatre on June 21. The event was attended by Tbilisi City Hall representative Mamuka Katsarava, popular Georgian actors, Lortkipanidze’s family members and friends.
Giga Lortkipanidze was a laureate of the Rustaveli and Marjanishvili state prizes and author of more than 100 theatre productions and 4 films including Data Tutashkhia. Chairman of the Theatrical Union of Georgia was awarded the Order of Honor of Georgia in 1996 as well as the title of Honorable Citizen of Tbilisi.
Lortkipanidze passed away several days ago at the age of 86 following a period of illness. He was buried at the Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi, next to the graves of famous Georgian actors Ramaz Chkhikvadze and Otar Meghvinetukhutsesi.
(Georgian News)
Open Library for Saturday Reading Day – Joint Project of Patriarchy and Biblusi
The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi opened reading tents in relation to Reading Day on Saturday. The event was organized by the Davitianni movement associated with the Patriarchy of Georgia and the Biblusi book shop network. One of the tents saw Biblusi stage an open library with all literature genres. The event also hosted a discussion on works by author Guram Dochanashvili.
The Reading Day was attended by the Patriarch who urged young people to read the novel Fight of a Swallow and a Siskin by author Akaki Tsereteli.
The event also included a contest for readers, where the novel Musician by Guram Dochanashvili was handed out to roughly fifty people.
(Georgian News)
Saakashvili in Vienna for EPP Summit
President Saakashvili participated in the enlarged summit of the European People Party (EPP) on June 20.
Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) party has been an observer member of the EPP since 2008.
On the sideline of the summit, President Saakashvili met PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, who visited Georgia last September.
(Civil.Ge)
Georgia facilitates citizenship to Meskhetian Turkish repatriates
Georgia is facilitating the granting of citizenship to Meskheti Turks who have been given repatriated status, Minister of Refugees and Accommodation, David Darakhvelidze, said after a government meeting on Thursday.
"The procedure for obtaining citizenship will be facilitated for Muslim Meskhetians enjoying the status of repatriates, which will further improve the performance of the CoE commitments. Those who are granted this status will be able to come to the consulate which already has existing data and where they will be assisted in filling in the document," he said.
According to the minister, the deadline for submitting applications for the repatriated status expired on the first of January 2010.
(Trend)
Preparations for carrying out Georgia’s population registration will begin on July 1. Regional Development and Infrastructure Minister Davit Narmania and National Statistics Service Executive Director, Zaza Tchelidze organized a press conference on June 21 for announcing the preparation work. The initial preparations will take place in the Guria region from July 1-14, with Kakheti following from July 16-30. The registration itself will take place from November 5-19, 2014, with the population filling out a six-page questionnaire. First results will arrive starting spring 2015 and inform the government about population numbers, religious and ethnic statistics as well as figures for employment, economic activity, education, house ownership, agricultural matters and more. Georgia’s population registry was last updated in 2002. The registration is undertaken every 10 years.
(Georgian News)
Downpour floods western Georgia homes
Heavy rains caused the first floors of private houses to be flooded in the villages of Martvili in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region in western Georgia. The disaster destroyed farmland and caused the death of livestock and poultry. In the village of Tamakoni, the downpours demolished the bridge that connects two parts of the village. The disaster also damaged villages of Tsalenjikha and the Chkhorotsqu municipalities. Rescue teams worked all night in the affected villages. Law enforcement officers were mobilized. Local authorities also were on site.
(Trend)
Georgian, Dutch Finance Ministries sign cooperation memorandum
The Ministries of Finance of Georgia and the Netherlands signed a memorandum of cooperation.
The document was signed by Minister of Finance of Georgia, Nodar Khaduri and his Dutch colleague Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Georgian Finance Ministry told Trend on Thursday.
The document provides for the Netherlands's assistance to Georgia. First of all, it is about assistance in the educational sphere. This applies to the Academy of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, as well as the possibility of retraining Georgian financial experts in the Netherlands.
(Trend)
Georgia, United Kingdom discuss inter-parliamentary cooperation
Georgia and the United Kingdom discussed the issues of cooperation between the two parliaments during the visit of the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, David Usupashvili, in London on Thursday. According to Usupashvili, meetings were held with the Speaker of the Parliament of Great Britain, the majority leader, ministers, heads of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the head of security and intelligence committee, the head of the group of Friends of Georgia, members of the House of Lords. As Usupashvili noted, the British Parliament is a role model for all countries. “The UK remains a partner of Georgia in all areas, including with regard to the EU and NATO,” Usupashvili said. According to him, members of the House of Lords will arrive in Georgia in mid-July.
(Trend)
Tbilisi hosts conference on combating smuggling of nuclear materials
A conference dedicated to the prevention of the smuggling of nuclear materials was held in Tbilisi on Thursday. The Deputy U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Bridget Brink, stated the conference is funded by the U.S. government. According to Brink, Georgia is an old partner of the United States. She noted that the smuggling of nuclear materials is a serious threat to the United States, Georgia and the entire region. “We will consider the progress made by Georgia in this direction, and we will talk about the work that remains to be done. We will also talk about what we can do together to cope with this threat,” Brink said.
(Trend)
Giga Lortkipanidze’s star opens outside Marjanishvili Theatre
A star for the late Georgian theatre and film director Giga Lortkipanidze was opened outside Marjanishvili Theatre on June 21. The event was attended by Tbilisi City Hall representative Mamuka Katsarava, popular Georgian actors, Lortkipanidze’s family members and friends.
Giga Lortkipanidze was a laureate of the Rustaveli and Marjanishvili state prizes and author of more than 100 theatre productions and 4 films including Data Tutashkhia. Chairman of the Theatrical Union of Georgia was awarded the Order of Honor of Georgia in 1996 as well as the title of Honorable Citizen of Tbilisi.
Lortkipanidze passed away several days ago at the age of 86 following a period of illness. He was buried at the Didube Pantheon in Tbilisi, next to the graves of famous Georgian actors Ramaz Chkhikvadze and Otar Meghvinetukhutsesi.
(Georgian News)
Open Library for Saturday Reading Day – Joint Project of Patriarchy and Biblusi
The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi opened reading tents in relation to Reading Day on Saturday. The event was organized by the Davitianni movement associated with the Patriarchy of Georgia and the Biblusi book shop network. One of the tents saw Biblusi stage an open library with all literature genres. The event also hosted a discussion on works by author Guram Dochanashvili.
The Reading Day was attended by the Patriarch who urged young people to read the novel Fight of a Swallow and a Siskin by author Akaki Tsereteli.
The event also included a contest for readers, where the novel Musician by Guram Dochanashvili was handed out to roughly fifty people.
(Georgian News)
Saakashvili in Vienna for EPP Summit
President Saakashvili participated in the enlarged summit of the European People Party (EPP) on June 20.
Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) party has been an observer member of the EPP since 2008.
On the sideline of the summit, President Saakashvili met PM of Hungary, Viktor Orban, who visited Georgia last September.
(Civil.Ge)
Georgia facilitates citizenship to Meskhetian Turkish repatriates
Georgia is facilitating the granting of citizenship to Meskheti Turks who have been given repatriated status, Minister of Refugees and Accommodation, David Darakhvelidze, said after a government meeting on Thursday.
"The procedure for obtaining citizenship will be facilitated for Muslim Meskhetians enjoying the status of repatriates, which will further improve the performance of the CoE commitments. Those who are granted this status will be able to come to the consulate which already has existing data and where they will be assisted in filling in the document," he said.
According to the minister, the deadline for submitting applications for the repatriated status expired on the first of January 2010.
(Trend)