The News in Brief
Thursday, October 10
Alexi Petriashvili opens the 46th session of Georgia’s EU integration Commission
The State Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Alexi Petriashvili, has opened the 46th session of Georgia’s EU integration Commission. The commission holds meetings regularly and Ministers and Deputy Ministers take part in it. According to the State Minister, this meeting is mostly concentrated on the Vilnius summit. The participants of the meeting will be updated on the implementation of the EU visa liberalization action plan and the EU-Georgia free trade agreement. The Deputy Foreign Ministers and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development will deliver reports at the meeting. (IPN)
Lithuanian lawmakers visited Merabishvili in prison
Members of the Lithuanian parliament visited the Secretary General of the United National Movement, Vano Merabishvili at prison No 9 in Tbilisi. European lawmakers say Merabishvili feels well. However, the fact that he is held in prison is unacceptable, because he is the leader of the leading opposition party and represents no threat to Georgian society.
“In European legal culture and the rule of law, a person is innocent until proven guilty by an impartial court. Whereas Merabishvili, despite what he has done for Georgia, he is treated like a criminal even though there was no court,” MP Martas Adomenas said. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian Finance Minister leaves for the U.S.
Georgia's Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri is on a working visit in the U.S., where he is participating in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Bilateral meetings with the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Min Zhu, and many other influential people are attending. Meetings with the representatives of Moody's international rating company and the J.P Morgan investment company are also scheduled. Georgia's Finance Minister also plans to meet with president of the Asian Development Bank Takehiko Nakao, the Managing Director of EBRD for Turkey, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia Olivier Descamps and the Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank Rolf Wenzel. (Trend)
Tbilisi says Geneva format not to change
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zalkaliani, said that the Geneva format of negotiations will not change. According to him, the next round of talks will be held on November 5-6. "Representatives of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia tried to change the format of talks during the last round. We will not allow this. No change in format is planned. I have no information whether representatives of the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia will take part in next talks," Zalkaliani said. The Geneva talks were convened after the armed conflict in Georgia in August 2008, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of August 12. (AzerNews)
Holy Synod session to be held on October 11
Holy Synod session will be held at the Patriarchate on October 11. As InterPressNews was informed by metropolitan Teodore Chuadze, that the issues to be discussed are never known beforehand. The chief priest says that the session will start at 12:00.
Usually, the Synod session is held in spring or autumn. It is being held for the second time this year. The last session was held on April 23. The Holy Synod sessions are led Patriarch of Georgia Ilia the Second. (InterPressNews)
Minor earthquake jolts Georgia
A minor earthquake registered in Georgia on Tuesday morning. The Seismic Monitoring Center of Ilia State University told Trend that an earthquake measuring three on the Richter Scale occurred at 10:25 local time near the town of Oni (Racha-Lechkhumi region, in Western Georgia). The earthquake's epicenter was in Zudali, two kilometers from the town of Oni.
There is no information about casualties or damage. (Trend)
King of football Pele to visitGeeorgia
Legendary Brazilian soccer player known as the King of Football Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or just Pele, is expected to visit in Georgia in late October. A FIFA agent, who confirmed the visit of the 72-year old Pele, arrived in Tbilisi on Monday morning. The FIFA agent will meet with Georgian representatives to clarify the details of the Pele's visit.
Pele will watch international tournaments in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, where the youth teams of Georgia, Brazil, Argentina and Hungary will participate. The tournament will take place October 26 through November 2. It is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of world football and the 110th anniversary of Georgian football. (Trend)
The State Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Alexi Petriashvili, has opened the 46th session of Georgia’s EU integration Commission. The commission holds meetings regularly and Ministers and Deputy Ministers take part in it. According to the State Minister, this meeting is mostly concentrated on the Vilnius summit. The participants of the meeting will be updated on the implementation of the EU visa liberalization action plan and the EU-Georgia free trade agreement. The Deputy Foreign Ministers and the Deputy Minister of Economic Development will deliver reports at the meeting. (IPN)
Lithuanian lawmakers visited Merabishvili in prison
Members of the Lithuanian parliament visited the Secretary General of the United National Movement, Vano Merabishvili at prison No 9 in Tbilisi. European lawmakers say Merabishvili feels well. However, the fact that he is held in prison is unacceptable, because he is the leader of the leading opposition party and represents no threat to Georgian society.
“In European legal culture and the rule of law, a person is innocent until proven guilty by an impartial court. Whereas Merabishvili, despite what he has done for Georgia, he is treated like a criminal even though there was no court,” MP Martas Adomenas said. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian Finance Minister leaves for the U.S.
Georgia's Finance Minister Nodar Khaduri is on a working visit in the U.S., where he is participating in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Bilateral meetings with the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Min Zhu, and many other influential people are attending. Meetings with the representatives of Moody's international rating company and the J.P Morgan investment company are also scheduled. Georgia's Finance Minister also plans to meet with president of the Asian Development Bank Takehiko Nakao, the Managing Director of EBRD for Turkey, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia Olivier Descamps and the Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank Rolf Wenzel. (Trend)
Tbilisi says Geneva format not to change
First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zalkaliani, said that the Geneva format of negotiations will not change. According to him, the next round of talks will be held on November 5-6. "Representatives of breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia tried to change the format of talks during the last round. We will not allow this. No change in format is planned. I have no information whether representatives of the breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia will take part in next talks," Zalkaliani said. The Geneva talks were convened after the armed conflict in Georgia in August 2008, in accordance with the ceasefire agreement of August 12. (AzerNews)
Holy Synod session to be held on October 11
Holy Synod session will be held at the Patriarchate on October 11. As InterPressNews was informed by metropolitan Teodore Chuadze, that the issues to be discussed are never known beforehand. The chief priest says that the session will start at 12:00.
Usually, the Synod session is held in spring or autumn. It is being held for the second time this year. The last session was held on April 23. The Holy Synod sessions are led Patriarch of Georgia Ilia the Second. (InterPressNews)
Minor earthquake jolts Georgia
A minor earthquake registered in Georgia on Tuesday morning. The Seismic Monitoring Center of Ilia State University told Trend that an earthquake measuring three on the Richter Scale occurred at 10:25 local time near the town of Oni (Racha-Lechkhumi region, in Western Georgia). The earthquake's epicenter was in Zudali, two kilometers from the town of Oni.
There is no information about casualties or damage. (Trend)
King of football Pele to visitGeeorgia
Legendary Brazilian soccer player known as the King of Football Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or just Pele, is expected to visit in Georgia in late October. A FIFA agent, who confirmed the visit of the 72-year old Pele, arrived in Tbilisi on Monday morning. The FIFA agent will meet with Georgian representatives to clarify the details of the Pele's visit.
Pele will watch international tournaments in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, where the youth teams of Georgia, Brazil, Argentina and Hungary will participate. The tournament will take place October 26 through November 2. It is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of world football and the 110th anniversary of Georgian football. (Trend)