The News in Brief
Tuesday, April 28
IDPs will settle in Tbilisi Olympic village
Sixteen buildings of the Olympic village in Tbilisi, built for the upcoming European Youth Olympic Festival, will be gifted to Georgian internally displaced people (IDPs) after the games are over.
Georgia’s Prime Minister announced the news on April 26.
He said the Government had purchased the Olympic village, which was built near Tbilisi Sea by a Chinese company for the upcoming European Youth Olympic Games, and the apartments would be given to IDPs after the sporting event had ended.
"We all know the Chinese company, Hualing Group, is putting a huge investment in Georgia,” Garibashvili said.
"In Tbilisi, the company invested $300 million for the Olympic village, which was bought by the state and will be handed over to IDPs after the games are over.”
Tbilisi will host the international festival in July, in which more than 4,000 athletes from 49 countries are expected to participate.
(Agenda.ge)
Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker Attends Ceremony Marking Centenary of Armenian Massacre
A Georgian parliamentary delegation led by vice speaker Manana Kobakhidze participated in the ceremonies in Armenia marking the centenary of the massacre of about 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, regarded by over 20 countries as genocide.
MP Kobakhidze chairs the Georgian-Armenian group of friendship in the Georgian Parliament.
Meanwhile in Tbilisi, representatives of the Armenian community held a rally outside the Turkish embassy on Thursday evening calling to recognise the massacre as genocide. A similar rally was also held outside the Turkish embassy on Friday.
Every year in April the Armenian community appeals to the Georgian Parliament with the request to recognize mass killings of Armenians century ago as genocide. Wary of damaging relations with its strategic partners, Turkey and Azerbaijan, Tbilisi has been leaving those appeals unheeded.
The issue occasionally becomes subject of brief disputes in the Georgian Parliament. When on April 15 a lawmaker from opposition UNM party, Samvel Petrosian, a majoritarian MP from predominantly ethnic Armenian populated Akhalkalaki constituency, called in his speech in the Parliament for recognition of genocide, it drew angry response from another UNM lawmaker Azer Suleimanov, a majoritarian MP from predominantly ethnic Azerbaijani populated Marneuli constituency. Three years ago the issue triggered a brief scuffle between some lawmakers in the Georgian Parliament.
In 2011 Georgia became the first and so far the only country in which its Parliament recognized the 19th century massacre and deportations of Circassians by the tsarist Russia in the northwest Caucasus as genocide.
(Civil.ge)
We work intensively to find those helping civilians leave for Syria - Deputy Interior Minister
According to Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Levan Izoria, they have been working intensively on finding those who help Pankisian civilians leave for Syria.
As Levan Izoria told reporters, the Ministry was provided with specific information, but it still needs to be confirmed.
According to him, the government has also come up with an initiative to make amendments to Georgia’s Criminal Code. Apparently, the amendments will apply to all possible cases related to Georgian citizens’ terrorist activity abroad.
(IPN)
FM to Meet with UN High Officials in US
Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Tamar Beruchashvili, is paying her first visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Minister will hold meetings at the UN HQ till May 2.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman David Kereselidze said on Monday that meetings with UN officials are scheduled within the frameworks of the visit.
They will discuss the current situation in Georgia’s occupied territories, the so-called agreements signed by Russia with the puppet regimes, and the issues related to the Geneva talks.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that during the visit, the Minister will meet with permanent representatives accredited to the UN.
“At the meeting the sides will discuss Georgia’s priorities within the frameworks of the UN General Assembly's 69th session. The Minister will also focus on and request the member states to support Georgia’s candidacy in the Human Rights Council,” Kereselidze said.
(Frontnews)
Locals protest against cutting trees on Tamarashvili street
Noisy protests took place on Tamarashvili street. Locals protested against cutting down trees by a building company.
The member of Tbilisi City Council- Aleko Elisashvili has arrived on-site. He supported the locals and spoke about the responsibility of the Head of Tbilisi City Hall Ecology and Planting Municipal Service.
(Rustavi2)
Sixteen buildings of the Olympic village in Tbilisi, built for the upcoming European Youth Olympic Festival, will be gifted to Georgian internally displaced people (IDPs) after the games are over.
Georgia’s Prime Minister announced the news on April 26.
He said the Government had purchased the Olympic village, which was built near Tbilisi Sea by a Chinese company for the upcoming European Youth Olympic Games, and the apartments would be given to IDPs after the sporting event had ended.
"We all know the Chinese company, Hualing Group, is putting a huge investment in Georgia,” Garibashvili said.
"In Tbilisi, the company invested $300 million for the Olympic village, which was bought by the state and will be handed over to IDPs after the games are over.”
Tbilisi will host the international festival in July, in which more than 4,000 athletes from 49 countries are expected to participate.
(Agenda.ge)
Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker Attends Ceremony Marking Centenary of Armenian Massacre
A Georgian parliamentary delegation led by vice speaker Manana Kobakhidze participated in the ceremonies in Armenia marking the centenary of the massacre of about 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, regarded by over 20 countries as genocide.
MP Kobakhidze chairs the Georgian-Armenian group of friendship in the Georgian Parliament.
Meanwhile in Tbilisi, representatives of the Armenian community held a rally outside the Turkish embassy on Thursday evening calling to recognise the massacre as genocide. A similar rally was also held outside the Turkish embassy on Friday.
Every year in April the Armenian community appeals to the Georgian Parliament with the request to recognize mass killings of Armenians century ago as genocide. Wary of damaging relations with its strategic partners, Turkey and Azerbaijan, Tbilisi has been leaving those appeals unheeded.
The issue occasionally becomes subject of brief disputes in the Georgian Parliament. When on April 15 a lawmaker from opposition UNM party, Samvel Petrosian, a majoritarian MP from predominantly ethnic Armenian populated Akhalkalaki constituency, called in his speech in the Parliament for recognition of genocide, it drew angry response from another UNM lawmaker Azer Suleimanov, a majoritarian MP from predominantly ethnic Azerbaijani populated Marneuli constituency. Three years ago the issue triggered a brief scuffle between some lawmakers in the Georgian Parliament.
In 2011 Georgia became the first and so far the only country in which its Parliament recognized the 19th century massacre and deportations of Circassians by the tsarist Russia in the northwest Caucasus as genocide.
(Civil.ge)
We work intensively to find those helping civilians leave for Syria - Deputy Interior Minister
According to Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Levan Izoria, they have been working intensively on finding those who help Pankisian civilians leave for Syria.
As Levan Izoria told reporters, the Ministry was provided with specific information, but it still needs to be confirmed.
According to him, the government has also come up with an initiative to make amendments to Georgia’s Criminal Code. Apparently, the amendments will apply to all possible cases related to Georgian citizens’ terrorist activity abroad.
(IPN)
FM to Meet with UN High Officials in US
Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Tamar Beruchashvili, is paying her first visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Minister will hold meetings at the UN HQ till May 2.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry spokesman David Kereselidze said on Monday that meetings with UN officials are scheduled within the frameworks of the visit.
They will discuss the current situation in Georgia’s occupied territories, the so-called agreements signed by Russia with the puppet regimes, and the issues related to the Geneva talks.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that during the visit, the Minister will meet with permanent representatives accredited to the UN.
“At the meeting the sides will discuss Georgia’s priorities within the frameworks of the UN General Assembly's 69th session. The Minister will also focus on and request the member states to support Georgia’s candidacy in the Human Rights Council,” Kereselidze said.
(Frontnews)
Locals protest against cutting trees on Tamarashvili street
Noisy protests took place on Tamarashvili street. Locals protested against cutting down trees by a building company.
The member of Tbilisi City Council- Aleko Elisashvili has arrived on-site. He supported the locals and spoke about the responsibility of the Head of Tbilisi City Hall Ecology and Planting Municipal Service.
(Rustavi2)