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The News in Brief

Wednesday, November 5
Georgian Orthodox Church delegation to visit Russian Patriarchate

A delegation of the Georgian Orthodox Church will visit the Russian Patriarchate on November 4-9.

Prime-News was told at the Georgian Patriarch’s Office that Gerasime, the Metropolitan of Zugdidi and Tsaishi and Chairman of the Patriarchate’s Foreign Department, would lead the delegation.

Meetings with His Holiness Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, representatives of the Russian patriarchate and the Georgian Diaspora in Russia are scheduled within the framework of the visit, which aims to uphold the canonical rights of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Georgia’s breakaway regions. (Prime-News)



Polish, Lithuanian Presidents make joint declaration about Georgia

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Polish President Lech Kaczynski have issued a joint declaration about Georgia.

The Presidents say that the European Union should delay resuming talks with Russia on a new partnership pact until all Russian forces have left Georgia. The statement from Lithuania and Poland, staunch allies of Georgia, shows the tough resistance awaiting the EU as it decides whether or not to re-launch the talks with Russia, frozen after its August conflict with Georgia.

“We reiterate that under the continued occupation of Georgian territories it would be too early to resume talks on a new partnership agreement with Russia” the Presidents say. They underline that negotiations on the EU and Russia agreement should be renewed only when Russia withdraws its troops from Georgia to the positions they held prior to August 7.

The Polish and Lithuanian Presidents said that observers from the EU and OSCE must be allowed into the Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. (Prime-News)



Session of Tolerance and Civic Integration Council held

A session of the Tolerance and Civic Integration Council was held in Tbilisi on Tuesday.

Gia Nodia, Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Temur Iakobashvili, Georgian State Minister for Reintegration and Sozar Subari, the Public Defender of Georgia attended the meeting, along with Brendan Moran, representative of the OSCE and Robert Wilson, Director of the United States Agency for International Development Caucasus Mission.

The session discussed the conception of tolerance and civic integration applicable to Georgia and sought to formulate an action plan which would implement this conception. (Prime-News)



Nino Burjanadze predicts opposition protests this winter

Nino Burjanadze, ex-Speaker of the Georgian Parliament and now President of the Foundation for Democracy and Development, has told Kviris Palitra that she predicts the activation of opposition rallies in the country if “the Georgian authorities fail to understand what people need.”

“It is better for the authorities to avoid protest rallies and understand what the people what from them. Otherwise, there will be rallies on November 7 and 10 and in December as well. The Government should not think that everything will pass after November 7,” Burjanadze said.

According to the ex-Speaker, “normal Government does not need rallies and demonstrations to persuade it to call new elections and thus overcome the crisis.” Nino Burjanadze believes that under present circumstances “the only way out will be snap Parliamentary elections, freedom of speech, an independent judiciary and free business.”

“Dialogue with opponents is the only way out of the existing crisis. Otherwise, people will realize that they are being cheated and their reaction will be far more harsh,” she added.

Speaking about the recent reshuffle in country’s Government, Burjanadze said it was an indication of cynicism, irrationality and uncertainty. (Black Sea Press)