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The News in Brief

Thursday, February 12
Baroness Ann Taylor visits Georgia

Minister for International Defence and Security of the UK, Baroness Ann Taylor, has paid a visit to Georgia.

Ann Taylor held a meeting with Davit Sikharulidze yesterday. The sides discussed the issues of establishing better relations between Georgia and Great Britain and the implementation of the decisions taken by NATO Foreign Ministers.

“We covered cooperation issues which will promote Georgia`s integration into NATO,” Baroness Ann Taylor said after the meeting. She also added that she will observe the work of the monitoring missions in Georgia. Davit Sikharulidze said that Georgia-Great Britain bilateral relations, which are especially intensive in the defence field, were discussed. Davit Sikharulidze said that Great Britain supports Georgia`s integration with NATO. Regional security issues were also discussed, he said.

The British Minister will also meet British representatives of the EUMM and visit their mission as well. Her visit will last until February 12. (Interpressnews and Rustavi 2)



Joseph Kay – Berezovsky and Gudavadze have common interests

Representatives of Joseph Kay have commented on the announcement made by Boris Berezovsky in The Sunday Times and then published by information agencies and other press outlets about his claim for half of Badri Patarkatsishvili’s property.

The representatives stated at a press conference today that the media did not stipulate the basis of Berezovsky’s claims. They state that a document exists which confirms that Ina Gudavadze concluded a deal with Boris Berezovsky and recognized his claim to half of Badri Patarkatsishvili’s heritage.

Kay’s representative Gia Jokhadze says that The Sunday Times reported that Berezovsky asked Ina Gudavadze two days after Badri Patarkatsishvili’s death to sign a statement acknowledging that half her husband’s assets belonged to Berezovsky.

“The Sunday Times does not lie about one thing despite some inaccuracies of fact. Three days before Badri Patarkatsishvili’s death, on February 25, 2008, a very strange agreement really was reached between Boris Berezovsky and Ina Gudavadze. According to this, Ina Gudavadze promised half of Badri Patarkatsishvili’s property to him. Ina Gudavadze has been assuring Georgian society for a year that Joseph Kay’s claims are illegal and that he is trying to take property from the family. We state once more that Joseph Kay has no claim on Badri Patarkatsishvili’s property. He has no legal right to claim it and will not do so,” Jokhadze says.

According to the representative, Ina Gudavadze has stealthily concluded a deal with Boris Berezovsky which she denies the existence of through different media. “Ina Gudavadze agreed to give 50% of her husband’s property to Berezovsky. Ina Gudavadze has been addressing society for a year, demanding that Imedi TV be given to her. Berezovsky has also expressed his position on Imedi, the only asset he has specified. Hence this whole campaign was to benefit Boris Berezovsky” Jokhadze stated.

He says it is obvious that Berezovsky could not provide objective information. “The question appears: did Gudavadze inform some political parties or groups that they represented Berezovsky’s interests when initiating protest actions concerning Imedi?” Jokhadze stated. (Interpressnews)



Bank Republic assists IDPs

Bank Republic continues to assist people injured during the Georgia-Russia August war. The GEL 200,000 allocated by the bank as a charitable act has been distributed to 80 families.

In 2008 the bank allocated half a million GEL for people who fled their homes during the Russian intervention. These funds have been handed over to IDPs during the past five months.

The Tsiskari charitable foundation monitors the use of the allocated funds. (Rustavi 2)



Public Defender’s Office marks tenth anniversary

The Public Defender’s Office in Georgia has marked its tenth anniversary with an event at the Sheraton hotel. Various international NGOs and human rights experts attended.

The Ombudsman presented a report of his office’s work over the past ten years and assessed the situation in the human rights sector. The Georgian Ombudsman said the most significant achievement of the Ombudsman’s Office in Georgia was in gaining the confidence of society. (Rustavi 2)