The News in Brief
Tuesday, November 18
EU FMs Welcome Georgia’s Progress in Visa Liberalization Dialogue
EU foreign ministers, who are meeting in Brussels on November 17, have welcomed fulfillment by Georgia of first-phase requirements under the visa liberalization dialogue with the EU, which paved the way for the launch of the second phase.
The first phase benchmarks included the overall policy framework, involving adoption of relevant legislation, and the second phase benchmarks involve putting into practice effective and sustainable implementation of these relevant measures and legislation. Experts from EU-member states will make evaluation mission to assess implementation of second phase benchmarks late this month.
“The [Foreign Affairs] Council reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the shared objective of visa-free travel for the citizens of Georgia provided that all the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility as set out in the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization are in place,” the EU foreign ministers said in their conclusions on Georgia on November 17.
“The Council shares the analysis that Georgia has fulfilled all the benchmarks under the first phase of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization, and decides to launch the assessment of the benchmarks under the second phase. In this regard the Council stresses the need for full and effective implementation of all benchmarks under the second phase and will pay particular attention to it,” it reads.
PM Irakli Garibashvili, who is visiting Brussels for the first meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council later on November 17, met earlier on Monday EU commissioner for migration and home affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos. Implementation of Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP) was the main topic of discussion, according to the Georgian PM’s office.
VLAP represents a set of detailed requirements that a country should meet in order to be granted by the EU short-term visa-free regime.
(Civil.ge)
Kaladze denies talk of increase in electricity tariff
The return of Kazak management to the KazTransGas Company "will not cause an increase of tariffs, Energy Minister and Vice Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze said.
According to him, rumors about tariff increases are not true.
As for the existing debts between the parties, Kaladze said the company was in debt to the Ministry of Finance, while the country was in debt to Kazakhstan and these debts will be deducted.
Kaladze said the Kazak management will return to the KazTransGas Company in the near future.
(IPN)
Post-mortem examination to be carried out on body of Kakha Bendukidze in London
A post-mortem examination will be carried out on the body of former Georgian Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze in London.
“After the examination, he will be transferred to Georgia”, said Vakhtang Lezhava, supervisory board member of the Center for Policy Analysis.
Kakha Bendukidze was pronounced dead on November 13 after being found lifeless in a London hotel.
Bendukidze served as Georgia’s economy minister and minister for reform coordination in President Mikhail Saakashvili’s government following the Rose Revolution in the country.
He served as head of government’s administration till early 2009.
Several years ago Bendukidze started investing in education sector in Georgia, launching the Free University, and also invested in the Agrarian University.
His latest political activity included serving as an adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
(Frontnews)
Beruchashvili hopes for a positive resolution
The European Parliament will adopt the text of the resolution in relation of Georgia.
According to Tamar Beruchashvili, who is visiting Brussels, the Georgian MPs were actively working through using all the mechanisms. The Foreign Minister also hopes that the final text will be balanced, not aiming at demonstrating any party-line. The first session of Georgia-EU Association Council will be held in Brussels today. The delegation of Georgia headed by the Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili will attend the session.
(PIA.ge)
Regret
The Editorial Board of The Messenger regrets that in the November 11th issue of the newspaper, a mistake was made owing to a technical error in the fourth page of the issue, in the section-News in Brief. The problem concerns the news taken from Trend.az news agency entitled “Georgia’s ex-Justice Minister not advisor to Hungarian PM.”
The news should read:
“The internationally wanted former justice minister of Georgia, Zurab Adeishvili is not an adviser to the prime minister of Hungary, the Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto told Rustavi2 TV. Adeishvili is being accused in the abuse of power, degrading and inhumane treatment of prisoners, and the falsification of evidence. Minister Szijjarto said he worked in the prime minister’s office until September 2014.
“There was not such an advisor,” he added.”
EU foreign ministers, who are meeting in Brussels on November 17, have welcomed fulfillment by Georgia of first-phase requirements under the visa liberalization dialogue with the EU, which paved the way for the launch of the second phase.
The first phase benchmarks included the overall policy framework, involving adoption of relevant legislation, and the second phase benchmarks involve putting into practice effective and sustainable implementation of these relevant measures and legislation. Experts from EU-member states will make evaluation mission to assess implementation of second phase benchmarks late this month.
“The [Foreign Affairs] Council reaffirms the EU’s commitment to the shared objective of visa-free travel for the citizens of Georgia provided that all the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility as set out in the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization are in place,” the EU foreign ministers said in their conclusions on Georgia on November 17.
“The Council shares the analysis that Georgia has fulfilled all the benchmarks under the first phase of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization, and decides to launch the assessment of the benchmarks under the second phase. In this regard the Council stresses the need for full and effective implementation of all benchmarks under the second phase and will pay particular attention to it,” it reads.
PM Irakli Garibashvili, who is visiting Brussels for the first meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council later on November 17, met earlier on Monday EU commissioner for migration and home affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos. Implementation of Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP) was the main topic of discussion, according to the Georgian PM’s office.
VLAP represents a set of detailed requirements that a country should meet in order to be granted by the EU short-term visa-free regime.
(Civil.ge)
Kaladze denies talk of increase in electricity tariff
The return of Kazak management to the KazTransGas Company "will not cause an increase of tariffs, Energy Minister and Vice Prime Minister Kakha Kaladze said.
According to him, rumors about tariff increases are not true.
As for the existing debts between the parties, Kaladze said the company was in debt to the Ministry of Finance, while the country was in debt to Kazakhstan and these debts will be deducted.
Kaladze said the Kazak management will return to the KazTransGas Company in the near future.
(IPN)
Post-mortem examination to be carried out on body of Kakha Bendukidze in London
A post-mortem examination will be carried out on the body of former Georgian Economy Minister Kakha Bendukidze in London.
“After the examination, he will be transferred to Georgia”, said Vakhtang Lezhava, supervisory board member of the Center for Policy Analysis.
Kakha Bendukidze was pronounced dead on November 13 after being found lifeless in a London hotel.
Bendukidze served as Georgia’s economy minister and minister for reform coordination in President Mikhail Saakashvili’s government following the Rose Revolution in the country.
He served as head of government’s administration till early 2009.
Several years ago Bendukidze started investing in education sector in Georgia, launching the Free University, and also invested in the Agrarian University.
His latest political activity included serving as an adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
(Frontnews)
Beruchashvili hopes for a positive resolution
The European Parliament will adopt the text of the resolution in relation of Georgia.
According to Tamar Beruchashvili, who is visiting Brussels, the Georgian MPs were actively working through using all the mechanisms. The Foreign Minister also hopes that the final text will be balanced, not aiming at demonstrating any party-line. The first session of Georgia-EU Association Council will be held in Brussels today. The delegation of Georgia headed by the Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili will attend the session.
(PIA.ge)
Regret
The Editorial Board of The Messenger regrets that in the November 11th issue of the newspaper, a mistake was made owing to a technical error in the fourth page of the issue, in the section-News in Brief. The problem concerns the news taken from Trend.az news agency entitled “Georgia’s ex-Justice Minister not advisor to Hungarian PM.”
The news should read:
“The internationally wanted former justice minister of Georgia, Zurab Adeishvili is not an adviser to the prime minister of Hungary, the Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto told Rustavi2 TV. Adeishvili is being accused in the abuse of power, degrading and inhumane treatment of prisoners, and the falsification of evidence. Minister Szijjarto said he worked in the prime minister’s office until September 2014.
“There was not such an advisor,” he added.”