The News in Brief
Friday, November 21
UK Minister for Europe opens first UK-Georgia dialogue
The United Kingdom’s Minister for Europe David Lidington and the Foreign Minister of Georgia Tamar Beruchashvili met in London today for the inaugural session of the UK-Georgia bilateral dialogue.
The parties discussed Georgia’s recent Association Council meeting in Brussels, current political developments in Georgia and the region and their priorities for the bilateral meeting, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a press statement.
"I am delighted to launch the UK-Georgia dialogue today with Foreign Minister Beruchashvili. I hope that these meetings will strengthen further the already close relationship enjoyed by the UK and Georgia as it develops further ties with the Euro-Atlantic area,” Lidington said.
The aim of the dialogue, which was initiated during a visit by former Foreign Secretary William Hague to Tbilisi in May 2014, is to celebrate the existing strong relations between the UK and Georgia, discuss mutual issues of concern, and identify new areas for cooperation.
In honor of the memory of Britain's first Chief Commissioner to Georgia, Sir Oliver Wardrop, whose 150th anniversary was celebrated this year in both Georgia and the UK, the two sides have agreed to name the bilateral dialogue The Wardrop Dialogue.
During the day of talks the two sides will discuss issues relating to foreign policy, national security and defence, and commercial, economic and energy with a particular focus on issues where the UK and Georgia may be able to work more closely and share knowledge and experience.
As well as Foreign Minister Beruchashvili, the Georgian delegation in the UK includes Deputy Minister for Economy and Sustainable Development Mikheil Janelidze and Deputy Minister for Energy Mariam Valishvili.
The two Deputy Ministers are scheduled to meet the UK’s Trade Minister Lord Livingston and attend a business forum facilitated by the British Georgia Chamber of Commerce. (Agenda.ge)
Prosecution asks for a postponement of Saakashvili’s trials until 2015
The prosecution has asked for a postponement of Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s trials until 2015.
All pre-trial sessions have been postponed at the request of the Prosecutor's Office, Saakashvili’s lawyer Otar Kakhidze said on Thursday.
Three criminal cases have been opened against Saakashvili. They are: the November 7 case; the case of misspending of public funds and MP Valeri Gelashvili’s case. (Frontnews)
I can hardly imagine the so-called key in hands of the court - Kostantine Kublashvili
Head of the Supreme Court Konstantine Kublashvili stated that he can hardly imagine the so-called key in the hands of the court.
As Kublashvili told reporters, he does not know the bill well according to which the so-called key should belong to the court. As per him, a discussion will be held with the judiciary system and Supreme Council of Justice in relation to this issue and the court’s position will be known.
“This is a very complex issue. I have not studied it deeply. Everybody knows that a judge is a main participant of the process held in relation to secret wiretapping, who issues a decree without which it is forbidden to wiretap. The whole judiciary system will discuss this issue and express our position,’’- Kublashvili said.
Non-government organizations have initiated the so-called two-key system. The court will have one key and mobile companies – the other. (IPN)
MIA publishes criminal statistics
According to MIA 2283 crimes were registered in October and 1555 of them were solved. According to the Ministry, 68.11% of those crimes have been solved. The crime rate has reduced by 17.94% compared to the last year.
According to the January-October data, 22086 crimes have been registered and 14360 have been solved. 65.06% of those crimes have been solved and the crime rate has reduced by 16.67% compared to the last year. (Ipn)
Gov’t announces tender for IDP housing project
The Georgian Government has announced a tender for a development company to provide apartments for Georgia’s internally displaced persons (IDPs).
This decision was reached on November 20 at an Economic Council meeting, led by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
The tender will be launched in the near future and will be open to development companies who operate in Tbilisi.
Garibashvili said the long-term project will be implemented in several stages over the next few years.
In the first stage, apartments will be purchased for refugees in apartment blocks that are already under construction. The second stage will see the development of former construction projects that stopped years ago for various reasons.
At today’s meeting, Economic Council members listened to Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia Sozar Subari speak about this and other projects, including the ‘village house’ project, which involved the Government purchasing houses in different villages for IDPs.
Subari noted the Ministry had received 350 applications for the village housing project, most of which would be satisfied by the end of this year.
"This is a very important project. The refugees are themselves choosing their homes in rural areas accompanied with the infrastructure, agricultural land and cattle in most cases. So the IDPs not only purchase a house in the village but they get an opportunity to exist and support their family,” Subari noted. (Agenda.ge)
The United Kingdom’s Minister for Europe David Lidington and the Foreign Minister of Georgia Tamar Beruchashvili met in London today for the inaugural session of the UK-Georgia bilateral dialogue.
The parties discussed Georgia’s recent Association Council meeting in Brussels, current political developments in Georgia and the region and their priorities for the bilateral meeting, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a press statement.
"I am delighted to launch the UK-Georgia dialogue today with Foreign Minister Beruchashvili. I hope that these meetings will strengthen further the already close relationship enjoyed by the UK and Georgia as it develops further ties with the Euro-Atlantic area,” Lidington said.
The aim of the dialogue, which was initiated during a visit by former Foreign Secretary William Hague to Tbilisi in May 2014, is to celebrate the existing strong relations between the UK and Georgia, discuss mutual issues of concern, and identify new areas for cooperation.
In honor of the memory of Britain's first Chief Commissioner to Georgia, Sir Oliver Wardrop, whose 150th anniversary was celebrated this year in both Georgia and the UK, the two sides have agreed to name the bilateral dialogue The Wardrop Dialogue.
During the day of talks the two sides will discuss issues relating to foreign policy, national security and defence, and commercial, economic and energy with a particular focus on issues where the UK and Georgia may be able to work more closely and share knowledge and experience.
As well as Foreign Minister Beruchashvili, the Georgian delegation in the UK includes Deputy Minister for Economy and Sustainable Development Mikheil Janelidze and Deputy Minister for Energy Mariam Valishvili.
The two Deputy Ministers are scheduled to meet the UK’s Trade Minister Lord Livingston and attend a business forum facilitated by the British Georgia Chamber of Commerce. (Agenda.ge)
Prosecution asks for a postponement of Saakashvili’s trials until 2015
The prosecution has asked for a postponement of Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s trials until 2015.
All pre-trial sessions have been postponed at the request of the Prosecutor's Office, Saakashvili’s lawyer Otar Kakhidze said on Thursday.
Three criminal cases have been opened against Saakashvili. They are: the November 7 case; the case of misspending of public funds and MP Valeri Gelashvili’s case. (Frontnews)
I can hardly imagine the so-called key in hands of the court - Kostantine Kublashvili
Head of the Supreme Court Konstantine Kublashvili stated that he can hardly imagine the so-called key in the hands of the court.
As Kublashvili told reporters, he does not know the bill well according to which the so-called key should belong to the court. As per him, a discussion will be held with the judiciary system and Supreme Council of Justice in relation to this issue and the court’s position will be known.
“This is a very complex issue. I have not studied it deeply. Everybody knows that a judge is a main participant of the process held in relation to secret wiretapping, who issues a decree without which it is forbidden to wiretap. The whole judiciary system will discuss this issue and express our position,’’- Kublashvili said.
Non-government organizations have initiated the so-called two-key system. The court will have one key and mobile companies – the other. (IPN)
MIA publishes criminal statistics
According to MIA 2283 crimes were registered in October and 1555 of them were solved. According to the Ministry, 68.11% of those crimes have been solved. The crime rate has reduced by 17.94% compared to the last year.
According to the January-October data, 22086 crimes have been registered and 14360 have been solved. 65.06% of those crimes have been solved and the crime rate has reduced by 16.67% compared to the last year. (Ipn)
Gov’t announces tender for IDP housing project
The Georgian Government has announced a tender for a development company to provide apartments for Georgia’s internally displaced persons (IDPs).
This decision was reached on November 20 at an Economic Council meeting, led by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
The tender will be launched in the near future and will be open to development companies who operate in Tbilisi.
Garibashvili said the long-term project will be implemented in several stages over the next few years.
In the first stage, apartments will be purchased for refugees in apartment blocks that are already under construction. The second stage will see the development of former construction projects that stopped years ago for various reasons.
At today’s meeting, Economic Council members listened to Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia Sozar Subari speak about this and other projects, including the ‘village house’ project, which involved the Government purchasing houses in different villages for IDPs.
Subari noted the Ministry had received 350 applications for the village housing project, most of which would be satisfied by the end of this year.
"This is a very important project. The refugees are themselves choosing their homes in rural areas accompanied with the infrastructure, agricultural land and cattle in most cases. So the IDPs not only purchase a house in the village but they get an opportunity to exist and support their family,” Subari noted. (Agenda.ge)