The News in Brief
Tuesday, January 17
De Facto South Ossetian Leader on New Defense Agreement with Russia
The leader of Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov, said that the region “has done its part of work” on the planned defense agreement with the Russian Federation “On the Order of Inclusion of Certain Units of the Armed forces of South Ossetia in the Russian Armed Forces” and added that South Ossetia is now expecting the “completed draft” from the Russian side.
Speaking at the yearly sum-up conference of the breakaway region’s ministry of defense on January 12, Tbibilov noted that “South Ossetia plays an important role in strengthening the geopolitical presence of Russia in South Caucasus” and underlined the “the high level of cooperation” with the Russian federation, the republic’s “major strategic partner,” according to the statement of the South Ossetian ministry of defence.
Speaking before the audience of South Ossetian and Russian military personnel, Tibilovnoted that “[Moscow and Tskhinvali] have worked out a single line of defense.”
Tibilov also touched upon the planned defense agreement with the Russian federation “On the Order of Inclusion of Individual Units of the Armed forces of South Ossetia in the Russian Armed Forces” and thanked the region’s officials for their “patience, knowledge and understanding” that South Ossetia “needs to have its system of defense in the form of the armed forces.”
”There were many difficulties in the interpretation of provisions and norms of the agreement; the Ministry of Defense sent numerous delegation to the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defense. Compromise was reached and following internal procedures [in Russia and South Ossetia],” the agreement will be signed,” the region’s de facto Defense Minister Ibragim Gasiev said.
“We managed to maintain the number of armed forces of South Ossetia, and all changes to the organizational and staff structures will be conducted by us after the agreement is signed. This way, the ministry of defence will keep its combat units. This is our firm position,” Gasiev added.
“There are different opinions on the issue [referring to the number of armed forces]. Some think that the measures of the state’s security have already been achieved thanks to the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which is a firm guarantor of the security of South Ossetia. The opinion of all military officials and personnel of the Ministry of Defense of South Ossetia is that defense and security needs to be guaranteed shoulder-to-shoulder, through joint coordinated activities, considering the military brotherhood and friendship. For that, the republic needs to have small but mobile and equipped armed forces,” Ibragim Gasiev was quoted saying according to the statement of the de facto president’s office.
Gasiev also noted that as a result of the agreement the Russian Federation will recognise the military service in the armed forces of South Ossetia. Work is underway on the recognition of military ranks as well, according to the statement of the South Ossetian ministry of defence.
The new agreement is part of the treaty on “alliance and integration” signed between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Leonid Tibilov on March 18, 2015. According to the treaty, “certain units of the armed forces and security agencies of the South Ossetian Republic will become part of the armed forces and security agencies of the Russian Federation.”
(Civil.ge)
Millions spent on supplements and bonuses in 22 legal entities of public law
According to the monitoring center Mediator, for 11 months of 2016, 34 608 088 GEL was issued in 22 legal entities of public law, out of which 18 446 121 GEL was spent on supplements and 16 161 967 GEL was spent on bonuses.
The public information requested by the monitoring center shows that 6 966 595 GEL was issued in three legal entities of public law of the Ministry of Finance from January to November in 2016; 3 635 650 GEL – 6 legal entities of public law of Ministry of Environmental Protection in six month; 2 877 662 GEL - 6 legal entities of public law of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
In addition, the United Water Supply Company did not provide detailed information to the monitoring center about the amount of the supplements. It only provided information about bonuses - 1 353 812 GEL. As for five legal entities of public law of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, 1 175 384 GEL was spent on bonuses and supplements.
(IPN)
Frankfurt Book Fair director visits Georgia
The director of Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, is set to visit Tbilisi tomorrow to see how Georgia is preparing to be the Guest of Honour at the 2018 book fair.
Georgia was named as the Guest of Honour at the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair in 2014.
During his three-day visit, Boos will hold meeting with Georgian officials, including those from the Ministry of Culture and National Book Centre.
The sides will discuss the preparation for the wide-ranging Guest of Honour events programme, within which Georgia will present its culture and literature at the world’s largest Book Fair and throughout Germany.
The Frankfurt Book Fair hosts more than 7,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries and 286,000 visitors annually.
More than 300 Georgian books will be translated in order to suitably present Georgia on the book fair.
The fair’s Guest of Honour program established in 1976 and since then 25 countries and regions have been specifically mentioned at the international book fair.
The Guest of Honour 2017 was France.
(Agenda.ge)
The leader of Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov, said that the region “has done its part of work” on the planned defense agreement with the Russian Federation “On the Order of Inclusion of Certain Units of the Armed forces of South Ossetia in the Russian Armed Forces” and added that South Ossetia is now expecting the “completed draft” from the Russian side.
Speaking at the yearly sum-up conference of the breakaway region’s ministry of defense on January 12, Tbibilov noted that “South Ossetia plays an important role in strengthening the geopolitical presence of Russia in South Caucasus” and underlined the “the high level of cooperation” with the Russian federation, the republic’s “major strategic partner,” according to the statement of the South Ossetian ministry of defence.
Speaking before the audience of South Ossetian and Russian military personnel, Tibilovnoted that “[Moscow and Tskhinvali] have worked out a single line of defense.”
Tibilov also touched upon the planned defense agreement with the Russian federation “On the Order of Inclusion of Individual Units of the Armed forces of South Ossetia in the Russian Armed Forces” and thanked the region’s officials for their “patience, knowledge and understanding” that South Ossetia “needs to have its system of defense in the form of the armed forces.”
”There were many difficulties in the interpretation of provisions and norms of the agreement; the Ministry of Defense sent numerous delegation to the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defense. Compromise was reached and following internal procedures [in Russia and South Ossetia],” the agreement will be signed,” the region’s de facto Defense Minister Ibragim Gasiev said.
“We managed to maintain the number of armed forces of South Ossetia, and all changes to the organizational and staff structures will be conducted by us after the agreement is signed. This way, the ministry of defence will keep its combat units. This is our firm position,” Gasiev added.
“There are different opinions on the issue [referring to the number of armed forces]. Some think that the measures of the state’s security have already been achieved thanks to the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which is a firm guarantor of the security of South Ossetia. The opinion of all military officials and personnel of the Ministry of Defense of South Ossetia is that defense and security needs to be guaranteed shoulder-to-shoulder, through joint coordinated activities, considering the military brotherhood and friendship. For that, the republic needs to have small but mobile and equipped armed forces,” Ibragim Gasiev was quoted saying according to the statement of the de facto president’s office.
Gasiev also noted that as a result of the agreement the Russian Federation will recognise the military service in the armed forces of South Ossetia. Work is underway on the recognition of military ranks as well, according to the statement of the South Ossetian ministry of defence.
The new agreement is part of the treaty on “alliance and integration” signed between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Leonid Tibilov on March 18, 2015. According to the treaty, “certain units of the armed forces and security agencies of the South Ossetian Republic will become part of the armed forces and security agencies of the Russian Federation.”
(Civil.ge)
Millions spent on supplements and bonuses in 22 legal entities of public law
According to the monitoring center Mediator, for 11 months of 2016, 34 608 088 GEL was issued in 22 legal entities of public law, out of which 18 446 121 GEL was spent on supplements and 16 161 967 GEL was spent on bonuses.
The public information requested by the monitoring center shows that 6 966 595 GEL was issued in three legal entities of public law of the Ministry of Finance from January to November in 2016; 3 635 650 GEL – 6 legal entities of public law of Ministry of Environmental Protection in six month; 2 877 662 GEL - 6 legal entities of public law of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure.
In addition, the United Water Supply Company did not provide detailed information to the monitoring center about the amount of the supplements. It only provided information about bonuses - 1 353 812 GEL. As for five legal entities of public law of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, 1 175 384 GEL was spent on bonuses and supplements.
(IPN)
Frankfurt Book Fair director visits Georgia
The director of Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, is set to visit Tbilisi tomorrow to see how Georgia is preparing to be the Guest of Honour at the 2018 book fair.
Georgia was named as the Guest of Honour at the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair in 2014.
During his three-day visit, Boos will hold meeting with Georgian officials, including those from the Ministry of Culture and National Book Centre.
The sides will discuss the preparation for the wide-ranging Guest of Honour events programme, within which Georgia will present its culture and literature at the world’s largest Book Fair and throughout Germany.
The Frankfurt Book Fair hosts more than 7,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries and 286,000 visitors annually.
More than 300 Georgian books will be translated in order to suitably present Georgia on the book fair.
The fair’s Guest of Honour program established in 1976 and since then 25 countries and regions have been specifically mentioned at the international book fair.
The Guest of Honour 2017 was France.
(Agenda.ge)