The News in Brief
Wednesday, September 10
Irakli Shikhiashvili appointed as head of Department of Veterans’ Service
The former head of Tbilisi City Council Irakli Shikhiashvili was appointed as the head of Department of Veterans Service. He replaced Giorgi Peradze. Shikhiashvili will hold the position according to the decree of the Prime Minister. (IPN)
President meets EP Rapporteur on Georgia
The President of Georgia hosted the European Parliament Rapporteur on Georgia, Andrejs Mamikins. The sides discussed EU-Georgia relations and the processes following the signature of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union.
Giorgi Margvelashvili reiterated his position on the need to accelerate the process of ratification of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement by each EU member states, emphasizing the significance of the issue.
President Margvelashvili thanked MP Mamikins for his support to Georgia`s territorial integrity and the high interest of the European Parliament towards Georgia.
The sides also discussed the regional security issues, the crisis in Ukraine and Georgia-Russia relations. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian president no longer to oversee student scholarships
The government wants to strip the president of the power to set terms for student scholarships and studies abroad.
A new draft law about higher education will if passed let the it be up to the government to confirm the use of student advantages, while the Ministry of Education will be authorized to decide scholarship issues and the participation of Georgian youth in international knowledge competitions.
Irakli Gharibashvili was appointed prime minister in December, 2013, and has since tried to deprive more and more of the president’s powers, especially after his predecessor billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili criticized President Giorgi Margvelashvili in a TV interview in March.
After the presidential election in October, 2013, constitutional amendments from 2010 came into force which increased the power of the prime minister while reducing that of the president. This was actually a failed plan by ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who served out both of his presidential terms and was preparing to assume the post of PM when unexpectedly Ivanishvili went into politics. The then opposition, which is now in government, strongly opposed these amendments, but after coming into force left them in place in order to balance powers. PM Irakli Gharibashvili, who now has increased power, is trying to further reduce the power of the president and transfer it to himself. (DF watch)
Post-August War Georgia discussed in Mexico
The situation of Georgia and the complications that erupted following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008 has been discussed at the special conference held at the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico.
"Georgia: Six years after the war” was the name of the conference that was organized by the Georgian Embassy in Mexico. The event focused on the country’s situation after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
The county’s post-war development, humanitarian problems resulting from the crisis, hard living conditions for internally displaced people (IDP) and refugees, the interrupted process of returning home and Russia’s illegal and provocative actions at administrative borders of Georgia and its breakaway regions were the main topics discussed at the conference.
Georgian Ambassador to Mexico Malkhaz Mikeladze and professors form the Ibero-American University delivered speeches at the event.
The Embassy was now working to organize a photo exhibition about the Georgian IDP problems at the Mexico Museum of Memory and Tolerance. (Agenda.ge)
Davit Usupashvili thinks that Parliament must take more active steps on the international scene
Head of the Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, thinks that the need for taking more active steps in the international arena has emerged. At the Parliament bureau session, they discussed the planned as well as the already paid visits to different foreign countries. They have particularly focused their attention on the foreign delegations having visited Georgia.
“The Parliament is obliged to more actively get involved in the country’s foreign affairs; it must get down to taking more active steps in the international scene. In the modern geopolitical environment, taking more active steps in all directions is simply a must. In all nooks of our day-to-day world we come across the people who don’t put the territorial integrity as well as sovereignty of our country under a question mark; thus, we must search for these people, find them and get involved with a more active cooperation with them,” announced Usupashvili. (IPN)
NATO military training center may be built at Vasiani Military Base
NATO military training center may be built at the Vasiani Military Base in Georgia, The Georgian Public Broadcaster reported on Monday.
According to the Georgian Public Broadcaster, the Georgian side is going to offer NATO this military base’s territory.
NATO member states’ delegations and military experts will arrive in Tbilisi this week to discuss the above-mentioned issue in detail. (Frontnews)
The former head of Tbilisi City Council Irakli Shikhiashvili was appointed as the head of Department of Veterans Service. He replaced Giorgi Peradze. Shikhiashvili will hold the position according to the decree of the Prime Minister. (IPN)
President meets EP Rapporteur on Georgia
The President of Georgia hosted the European Parliament Rapporteur on Georgia, Andrejs Mamikins. The sides discussed EU-Georgia relations and the processes following the signature of the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union.
Giorgi Margvelashvili reiterated his position on the need to accelerate the process of ratification of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement by each EU member states, emphasizing the significance of the issue.
President Margvelashvili thanked MP Mamikins for his support to Georgia`s territorial integrity and the high interest of the European Parliament towards Georgia.
The sides also discussed the regional security issues, the crisis in Ukraine and Georgia-Russia relations. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian president no longer to oversee student scholarships
The government wants to strip the president of the power to set terms for student scholarships and studies abroad.
A new draft law about higher education will if passed let the it be up to the government to confirm the use of student advantages, while the Ministry of Education will be authorized to decide scholarship issues and the participation of Georgian youth in international knowledge competitions.
Irakli Gharibashvili was appointed prime minister in December, 2013, and has since tried to deprive more and more of the president’s powers, especially after his predecessor billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili criticized President Giorgi Margvelashvili in a TV interview in March.
After the presidential election in October, 2013, constitutional amendments from 2010 came into force which increased the power of the prime minister while reducing that of the president. This was actually a failed plan by ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who served out both of his presidential terms and was preparing to assume the post of PM when unexpectedly Ivanishvili went into politics. The then opposition, which is now in government, strongly opposed these amendments, but after coming into force left them in place in order to balance powers. PM Irakli Gharibashvili, who now has increased power, is trying to further reduce the power of the president and transfer it to himself. (DF watch)
Post-August War Georgia discussed in Mexico
The situation of Georgia and the complications that erupted following the Russia-Georgia war in 2008 has been discussed at the special conference held at the Museum of Memory and Tolerance in Mexico.
"Georgia: Six years after the war” was the name of the conference that was organized by the Georgian Embassy in Mexico. The event focused on the country’s situation after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
The county’s post-war development, humanitarian problems resulting from the crisis, hard living conditions for internally displaced people (IDP) and refugees, the interrupted process of returning home and Russia’s illegal and provocative actions at administrative borders of Georgia and its breakaway regions were the main topics discussed at the conference.
Georgian Ambassador to Mexico Malkhaz Mikeladze and professors form the Ibero-American University delivered speeches at the event.
The Embassy was now working to organize a photo exhibition about the Georgian IDP problems at the Mexico Museum of Memory and Tolerance. (Agenda.ge)
Davit Usupashvili thinks that Parliament must take more active steps on the international scene
Head of the Parliament, Davit Usupashvili, thinks that the need for taking more active steps in the international arena has emerged. At the Parliament bureau session, they discussed the planned as well as the already paid visits to different foreign countries. They have particularly focused their attention on the foreign delegations having visited Georgia.
“The Parliament is obliged to more actively get involved in the country’s foreign affairs; it must get down to taking more active steps in the international scene. In the modern geopolitical environment, taking more active steps in all directions is simply a must. In all nooks of our day-to-day world we come across the people who don’t put the territorial integrity as well as sovereignty of our country under a question mark; thus, we must search for these people, find them and get involved with a more active cooperation with them,” announced Usupashvili. (IPN)
NATO military training center may be built at Vasiani Military Base
NATO military training center may be built at the Vasiani Military Base in Georgia, The Georgian Public Broadcaster reported on Monday.
According to the Georgian Public Broadcaster, the Georgian side is going to offer NATO this military base’s territory.
NATO member states’ delegations and military experts will arrive in Tbilisi this week to discuss the above-mentioned issue in detail. (Frontnews)