The News in Brief
Friday, October 10
Deadly collision between bus and lorry in Azerbaijan
Three people, including 10-year-old adult, have been killed and 20 persons have been injured in a bus crash in Azerbaijan.
According to Azerbaijan’s media, the bus with 40 passengers collided with a lorry on Thursday. Injured people, including Georgia’s citizens, were taken to hospital in Ganja.
According to Georgian Consul General to Ganja Mamuka Balavadze, two victims are not Georgia’s citizens, as for the adult, this person’s identity is still unknown. (Frontnews)
IDPs granted one-off financial aid to combat winter chill
Georgia’s internally displaced persons (IDPs) will be granted one-time financial assistance from the Government this winter to help them pay their gas and power bills.
Georgia’s Minister for Internally Displaced Persons from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees Sozar Subari announced the Government had allocated 4.5 million GEL would be distributed between 23,000 IDPs.
These people were some of the country’s most socially vulnerabl, Subari said.
Eligible IDPs will be offered 200 GEL and the money will go towards electricity and gas bills.
"The Government will allocate 4.5 million GEL from the state budget for financial aid. IDPs will use the money to cover household bills,” Subari said.
"This is the second time the Government has supported IDPs during the winter season. Last year we also supported these people.”
The beneficiaries will spend the allowance from November 1 to March 1.
The Global Overview 2014 report stated there were up to 206,600 IDPs registered in Georgia at the end of 2013. (Agenda.ge)
Usupashvili: Tbilisi, Yerevan Respect Each Other’s Foreign Policy Course
Georgia and Armenia have “mutual understanding” that different foreign policy paths chosen by the two countries should in no way negatively affect bilateral cooperation, Georgian parliament speaker, Davit Usupashvili, said as his Armenian counterpart Galust Sahakyan visits Georgia.
In his opening remarks at a meeting of the Georgian-Armenian parliamentary cooperation group in Tbilisi on October 8, Usupashvili said that cooperation between the two countries has “centuries old tradition”, but it has to be “further improved and diversified.”
“Georgia has signed the Association Agreement with the EU. Armenia will soon join the Eurasian Union and intends to secure its strategic interests through this way. I want to reiterate that we respect each other’s sovereign choice… and I want to reassure once again our Armenian colleagues that Georgia’s growing European integration will in no way negatively affect the relations with our brotherly Armenian people,” Usupashvili said.“We have also clearly stated it to our European partners that we see our relations with the EU as being favorable also for our neighboring Armenia. I am sure that [Armenian] colleagues will also be guided with this same approach in the Eurasian Union and our Armenian colleagues will clearly explain to their partners within the Eurasian Union that bilateral ties, including trade and economic relations, will face no problems and complications because of that,” the Georgian parliament speaker said.
“This is a vital strategic issue and we have complete understanding over this issue,” he added.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Armenian parliament speaker, Galust Sahakyan, who met the Georgian President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, as well as head of the Georgian Orthodox Church during his three-day visit to Georgia, focused mainly on importance of the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and invited his Georgian counterpart to visit Armenia before the end of this year. Usupashvili responded that he would visit Yerevan “if not this year, definitely in the beginning of next year.” (Civil.ge)
Cleaning and distribution vehicle traffic may be restricted on narrow streets of Tbilisi
Cleaning and distribution vehicle traffic may be restricted on narrow streets of Tbilisi. As Tbilisi mayor, Davit Narmania told Imedi TV, there will be a discussion on this issue at Tbilisi City Hall.
“There will be a concrete discussion in relation to the vehicles, whether it is possible to re-arrange processes in this respect. I maintain the same point of view, that cleaning vehicles should be restricted from narrow streets, especially during traffic jams and during rush hour,’’- Narmania declared. (IPN)
3.7 magnitude earthquake rattles southern Caucasus
A 3.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the south central slopes of the Caucasus mountains Wednesday.
The earthquake occurred at 4:36 pm Tbilisi time and had its epicenter near the mining town Tkibuli, in western Georgia.
According to Tamaz Dolaberidze, President of the Georgian Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers, the exact epicenter was located 5 kms north from the town.
The quake caused a minor segment of Tkibuli’s Mindeli coal mine to collapse, and one miner fractured his leg, Dolaberidze wrote on his Facebook page.
There have been no other damages reported so far. (Watch)
Three people, including 10-year-old adult, have been killed and 20 persons have been injured in a bus crash in Azerbaijan.
According to Azerbaijan’s media, the bus with 40 passengers collided with a lorry on Thursday. Injured people, including Georgia’s citizens, were taken to hospital in Ganja.
According to Georgian Consul General to Ganja Mamuka Balavadze, two victims are not Georgia’s citizens, as for the adult, this person’s identity is still unknown. (Frontnews)
IDPs granted one-off financial aid to combat winter chill
Georgia’s internally displaced persons (IDPs) will be granted one-time financial assistance from the Government this winter to help them pay their gas and power bills.
Georgia’s Minister for Internally Displaced Persons from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees Sozar Subari announced the Government had allocated 4.5 million GEL would be distributed between 23,000 IDPs.
These people were some of the country’s most socially vulnerabl, Subari said.
Eligible IDPs will be offered 200 GEL and the money will go towards electricity and gas bills.
"The Government will allocate 4.5 million GEL from the state budget for financial aid. IDPs will use the money to cover household bills,” Subari said.
"This is the second time the Government has supported IDPs during the winter season. Last year we also supported these people.”
The beneficiaries will spend the allowance from November 1 to March 1.
The Global Overview 2014 report stated there were up to 206,600 IDPs registered in Georgia at the end of 2013. (Agenda.ge)
Usupashvili: Tbilisi, Yerevan Respect Each Other’s Foreign Policy Course
Georgia and Armenia have “mutual understanding” that different foreign policy paths chosen by the two countries should in no way negatively affect bilateral cooperation, Georgian parliament speaker, Davit Usupashvili, said as his Armenian counterpart Galust Sahakyan visits Georgia.
In his opening remarks at a meeting of the Georgian-Armenian parliamentary cooperation group in Tbilisi on October 8, Usupashvili said that cooperation between the two countries has “centuries old tradition”, but it has to be “further improved and diversified.”
“Georgia has signed the Association Agreement with the EU. Armenia will soon join the Eurasian Union and intends to secure its strategic interests through this way. I want to reiterate that we respect each other’s sovereign choice… and I want to reassure once again our Armenian colleagues that Georgia’s growing European integration will in no way negatively affect the relations with our brotherly Armenian people,” Usupashvili said.“We have also clearly stated it to our European partners that we see our relations with the EU as being favorable also for our neighboring Armenia. I am sure that [Armenian] colleagues will also be guided with this same approach in the Eurasian Union and our Armenian colleagues will clearly explain to their partners within the Eurasian Union that bilateral ties, including trade and economic relations, will face no problems and complications because of that,” the Georgian parliament speaker said.
“This is a vital strategic issue and we have complete understanding over this issue,” he added.
In his opening remarks at the meeting, Armenian parliament speaker, Galust Sahakyan, who met the Georgian President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, as well as head of the Georgian Orthodox Church during his three-day visit to Georgia, focused mainly on importance of the parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and invited his Georgian counterpart to visit Armenia before the end of this year. Usupashvili responded that he would visit Yerevan “if not this year, definitely in the beginning of next year.” (Civil.ge)
Cleaning and distribution vehicle traffic may be restricted on narrow streets of Tbilisi
Cleaning and distribution vehicle traffic may be restricted on narrow streets of Tbilisi. As Tbilisi mayor, Davit Narmania told Imedi TV, there will be a discussion on this issue at Tbilisi City Hall.
“There will be a concrete discussion in relation to the vehicles, whether it is possible to re-arrange processes in this respect. I maintain the same point of view, that cleaning vehicles should be restricted from narrow streets, especially during traffic jams and during rush hour,’’- Narmania declared. (IPN)
3.7 magnitude earthquake rattles southern Caucasus
A 3.7 magnitude earthquake rattled the south central slopes of the Caucasus mountains Wednesday.
The earthquake occurred at 4:36 pm Tbilisi time and had its epicenter near the mining town Tkibuli, in western Georgia.
According to Tamaz Dolaberidze, President of the Georgian Trade Union of Metallurgy, Mining and Chemical Industry Workers, the exact epicenter was located 5 kms north from the town.
The quake caused a minor segment of Tkibuli’s Mindeli coal mine to collapse, and one miner fractured his leg, Dolaberidze wrote on his Facebook page.
There have been no other damages reported so far. (Watch)