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The News in Brief

Thursday, February 26
Control of Imedi purchased by RAK Georgia Holding

The controlling share package of TV Company Imedi has been purchased by the RAK Georgia Holding, the Chairman of the Supervisory Council of Imedi Joseph Kay stated at a briefing held yesterday.

Kay stated that the world financial crisis has reached Georgia. “I have always wanted Imedi to be successful as it has always been a leader, though there are certain obstacles it has to face due to the economic crisis. Advertising has decreased throughout Georgia. Rak Georgia Holding will invest in Imedi and temporarily finance all the things the TV company needs to do to take the leadership in its field,” Kay stated. Kay said that the controlling package consisted of 90% of Imedi shares.

Representative of RAK Georgia Mark Monem attended the briefing and stated that his company is one of the most significant in Georgia, undertaking several important business projects, and the media market will be a new segment of its activities. Monem said he was sure that Imedi would turn into a financially strong organization through its investment and that this will assist with the implementation of an objective and unbiased editorial policy. Kay added that the holding would be reinforced to achieve this objective. (Interpressnews)



PM discusses Government policy with foreign diplomats

Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri, Finance Minister Kakha Baindurashvili and the Minister of Refugees and Resettlement, Koba Subeliani met with members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of various donor organizations yesterday.

The Ministers gave details of the Government`s housing provision for IDPs. The PM said the primary sum allocated for constructing cottages for internally displaced people from the state budget was 138 million GEL. He said 50,000 IDPs would be housed in cottages soon. The greater part of the funds utilized were taken from the grants of various donor organizations. (Rustavi 2)



IDPs from Abkhazia demand legalisation of temporary dwelling spaces

IDPs from Abkhazia have held a protest rally outside Parliament. They have been living in different buildings in Tskneti village for years. The IDPs demanded assistance and the right to occupy their dwelling places legally.

Ada Marshania, the ex-Prime Minister of the Abkhaz Supreme Council, said at the rally that a legislative basis should be created for taking the temporary dwelling spaces into the ownership of the IDPs. The IDPs themselves say that they have addressed the Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation with the mentioned demand, but nothing has been done so far. They say that if their demands are not met their protest rallies will be continual. (Rustavi 2)



Fugitive former Minister says Russia guarantees security of ethnic minorities

Russia is the guarantor of the rights of national minorities, the fugitive ex-Minister of Security of Georgia, Igor Giorgadze, has said in an interview with Russian media.

Giorgadze, who has been wanted by Georgian law enforcers since 1995, talked about the Georgia-Russia August war and the problems of national minorities. “We can quote the example of the ethnic Azeris residing in Georgia to prove that Russia is the key guarantor of the security of national minorities. I can demonstrate to you that the ethnic Azeris felt more secure when Russia had its military bases in Georgia, not after these bases were removed,” the ex-Security chief said, adding that ethnic Armenians were another example of this. (Rustavi 2)