The News in Brief
Monday, July 6
Wounded girl’s health condition is critical - A surgeon
The 17-year-old girl was wounded near the 6th of May Park in Batumi, western Georgia.
The patient’s health condition is critical, as she has undergone a serious operation - pericardial effusion and blood evacuation, Zurab Chikhladze, a surgeon, has told reporters after the operation.
According to him, the girl has five wounds; one of them is in the chest area.
As the doctor has declared, the patient’s health condition is critical but stable.
As the girl’s relatives have said, a 19-year-old boy from Zestaponi was in love with the 17-year-old girl. They say the girl wanted to receive an education and did not plan to get married.
The relatives said the boy asked the girl to marry him and they quarreled because of this.
According to the Interior Ministry, the suspect has been identified and an investigation is underway on the charge of attempted murder.
(Ipn)
President of Georgia meets American Congressmen
The President of Georgia has hosted the U.S. Congress delegation. As the Presidential Administration has informed InterPressNews, Giorgi Margvelashvili has congratulated the Congressmen on Independence Day of the United States of America.
The parties have discussed Georgia-US bilateral relationships. They put an emphasis on the fact that the US is Georgia’s strategic partner and this partnership needs to be deepened.
The President of Georgia has stressed the significance of economic relationships’ development between the countries, adding it is very important to start working in the direction of free trade between Georgia and the United States.
In turn, the Congressmen remarked that further democratic reforms need to be developed in Georgia. The conversation also referred to the situation in the region.
Giorgi Margvelashvili thanked the Congressmen for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty as well as for supporting in Euro-integration process. It was noted that the so-called treaties between Russia and Georgia’s occupied regions are inadmissible.
Successful cooperation between Georgia and U.S. in terms of international security and anti-terrorist activity was one of the topics of the meeting. The sides have also focused on Georgia’s participation in NATO missions saying the U.S. appreciates Georgia’s contribution to international missions.
Republican Peter Roskam heads the delegation.
(IPN)
PM tasks Interior Minister with resolving the incident that occurred after Dinamo- Gabala football match
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili has expressed concern over information on the incident that occurred after a recent football match between Tbilisi’s Dinamo and Azerbaijan’s Gabala clubs.
As the governmental administration has informed InterPressNews, Irakli Gharibashvili stresses the significance of Georgian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership, remarking that the state will not allow anyone to take provocative actions aimed at spoiling the partnership.
“Our friendly relationship with the Azerbaijani state and its people is very precious for us. Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner for Georgia. I, as the leader of the Georgian government, strictly warn that we will not allow anybody to tarnish our relationship with Azerbaijan with such provocative actions.
“I have already tasked the Interior Ministry with studying this information and acting in accordance of the law in case the incident is identified as a crime,” the PM’s statement says.
The match between Tbilisi’s Dinamo and Azerbaijan’s Gabala was held on July 2. Dinamo won the match with a 2:1 score.
An incident took place after the match. As Azerbaijani media reports, there was a quarrel between Georgian and Azerbaijani fans and Georgians damaged the guests’ flags in the process.
(IPN)
Georgian Military servicemen seize drugs in Afghanistan
Georgian military servicemen carrying out the NATO-led “Resolute Support” mission on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan have recently seized a batch of drugs, as Georgia’s Defense Ministry informs InterPressNews.
Apparently, the first platoon of “Bravo” company of the 43rd Battalion, 4th Mechanized Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces discovered 780g drugs at the checkpoint.
The military servicemen of the 43rd Battalion seized a total of 1200g drugs over the entire course of “Resolute Support” mission.
According to the Defense Ministry, one of the main tasks of the 43rd Battalion is to control checkpoints and protect the military base in order to prevent anyone from bringing any forbidden materials such as explosives or drugs inside.
(IPN)
Georgia Reports 2.3m Visits by Foreign Citizens in 2015
Visits to Georgia by foreign citizens reached 2,332,303 in the first half of 2015, 3.46% increase over the same period of last year, according to statistics, compiled by the Interior Ministry based on border crossing data.
Of these total of 2.3 million visits, 853,605 were identified as “tourists”, a 1.9% decline over the first six months of 2014, according to these official figures.
Travelers entering into Georgia and staying in the country for more than 24 hours are classified as “tourists”.
Number of tourists reached 197,537 in June, representing 3.4% increase compared to the same month of last year.
Citizens from Georgia’s neighboring states made up the largest share in total visits in January-June 2015 with Turkey leading the pack with 605,153 entries into Georgia (8.1% y/y decline), followed by Azerbaijani citizens – 580,878 entries (8.5% y/y increase); Armenia – 543,810 (11.7% y/y increase); Russia – 342,416 (14.7% y/y increase); Ukraine – 55,271 (10.5% y/y decline).
Number of visits to Georgia by citizens from the EU-member states increased by 6.1% y/y, reaching 95,741 in the first half of 2015.
(Civil.ge)
Man’s body found in a canal in Gurjaani, Kakheti
A man’s body was found in a canal in Gurjaani, Kakheti As a result of a three-day search effort, Jeiran Abashidze’s body was found after lowering the water level in one of local canals.
As neighbors report, the 68-year-old man was allegedly drunk and drowned while trying to swim in the canal.
Both the police and Kakheti’s Rescue Service department were engaged in the search effort. At the moment, the body is located at Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau in Gurjaani. Investigation of the case is in progress.
(IPN)
The 17-year-old girl was wounded near the 6th of May Park in Batumi, western Georgia.
The patient’s health condition is critical, as she has undergone a serious operation - pericardial effusion and blood evacuation, Zurab Chikhladze, a surgeon, has told reporters after the operation.
According to him, the girl has five wounds; one of them is in the chest area.
As the doctor has declared, the patient’s health condition is critical but stable.
As the girl’s relatives have said, a 19-year-old boy from Zestaponi was in love with the 17-year-old girl. They say the girl wanted to receive an education and did not plan to get married.
The relatives said the boy asked the girl to marry him and they quarreled because of this.
According to the Interior Ministry, the suspect has been identified and an investigation is underway on the charge of attempted murder.
(Ipn)
President of Georgia meets American Congressmen
The President of Georgia has hosted the U.S. Congress delegation. As the Presidential Administration has informed InterPressNews, Giorgi Margvelashvili has congratulated the Congressmen on Independence Day of the United States of America.
The parties have discussed Georgia-US bilateral relationships. They put an emphasis on the fact that the US is Georgia’s strategic partner and this partnership needs to be deepened.
The President of Georgia has stressed the significance of economic relationships’ development between the countries, adding it is very important to start working in the direction of free trade between Georgia and the United States.
In turn, the Congressmen remarked that further democratic reforms need to be developed in Georgia. The conversation also referred to the situation in the region.
Giorgi Margvelashvili thanked the Congressmen for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty as well as for supporting in Euro-integration process. It was noted that the so-called treaties between Russia and Georgia’s occupied regions are inadmissible.
Successful cooperation between Georgia and U.S. in terms of international security and anti-terrorist activity was one of the topics of the meeting. The sides have also focused on Georgia’s participation in NATO missions saying the U.S. appreciates Georgia’s contribution to international missions.
Republican Peter Roskam heads the delegation.
(IPN)
PM tasks Interior Minister with resolving the incident that occurred after Dinamo- Gabala football match
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili has expressed concern over information on the incident that occurred after a recent football match between Tbilisi’s Dinamo and Azerbaijan’s Gabala clubs.
As the governmental administration has informed InterPressNews, Irakli Gharibashvili stresses the significance of Georgian-Azerbaijani strategic partnership, remarking that the state will not allow anyone to take provocative actions aimed at spoiling the partnership.
“Our friendly relationship with the Azerbaijani state and its people is very precious for us. Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner for Georgia. I, as the leader of the Georgian government, strictly warn that we will not allow anybody to tarnish our relationship with Azerbaijan with such provocative actions.
“I have already tasked the Interior Ministry with studying this information and acting in accordance of the law in case the incident is identified as a crime,” the PM’s statement says.
The match between Tbilisi’s Dinamo and Azerbaijan’s Gabala was held on July 2. Dinamo won the match with a 2:1 score.
An incident took place after the match. As Azerbaijani media reports, there was a quarrel between Georgian and Azerbaijani fans and Georgians damaged the guests’ flags in the process.
(IPN)
Georgian Military servicemen seize drugs in Afghanistan
Georgian military servicemen carrying out the NATO-led “Resolute Support” mission on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan have recently seized a batch of drugs, as Georgia’s Defense Ministry informs InterPressNews.
Apparently, the first platoon of “Bravo” company of the 43rd Battalion, 4th Mechanized Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces discovered 780g drugs at the checkpoint.
The military servicemen of the 43rd Battalion seized a total of 1200g drugs over the entire course of “Resolute Support” mission.
According to the Defense Ministry, one of the main tasks of the 43rd Battalion is to control checkpoints and protect the military base in order to prevent anyone from bringing any forbidden materials such as explosives or drugs inside.
(IPN)
Georgia Reports 2.3m Visits by Foreign Citizens in 2015
Visits to Georgia by foreign citizens reached 2,332,303 in the first half of 2015, 3.46% increase over the same period of last year, according to statistics, compiled by the Interior Ministry based on border crossing data.
Of these total of 2.3 million visits, 853,605 were identified as “tourists”, a 1.9% decline over the first six months of 2014, according to these official figures.
Travelers entering into Georgia and staying in the country for more than 24 hours are classified as “tourists”.
Number of tourists reached 197,537 in June, representing 3.4% increase compared to the same month of last year.
Citizens from Georgia’s neighboring states made up the largest share in total visits in January-June 2015 with Turkey leading the pack with 605,153 entries into Georgia (8.1% y/y decline), followed by Azerbaijani citizens – 580,878 entries (8.5% y/y increase); Armenia – 543,810 (11.7% y/y increase); Russia – 342,416 (14.7% y/y increase); Ukraine – 55,271 (10.5% y/y decline).
Number of visits to Georgia by citizens from the EU-member states increased by 6.1% y/y, reaching 95,741 in the first half of 2015.
(Civil.ge)
Man’s body found in a canal in Gurjaani, Kakheti
A man’s body was found in a canal in Gurjaani, Kakheti As a result of a three-day search effort, Jeiran Abashidze’s body was found after lowering the water level in one of local canals.
As neighbors report, the 68-year-old man was allegedly drunk and drowned while trying to swim in the canal.
Both the police and Kakheti’s Rescue Service department were engaged in the search effort. At the moment, the body is located at Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau in Gurjaani. Investigation of the case is in progress.
(IPN)