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The News in Brief

Thursday, July 15
Peter Semneby meets Sergey Shamba and Sergey Baghapsh

EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Peter Semneby held meetings with de facto President of Abkhazia Sergey Baghapsh and his so-called Prime Minister Sergey Shamba in Sokhumi on July 14. Abkhazian news agencies have not yet given any details about these meetings.

Agencies say that the so-called Speaker of the Abkhazian Parliament has also hosted Semneby. (Prime News)



Paata Davitaia to give report at Munich conference

Vice Speaker of Parliament Paata Davitaia will deliver a report on Georgia’s occupied territories at the international conference on conflict regions being held in Munich on July 15-16, where the situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be discussed.

Experts and members of leading scientific-research centres will participate in the conference. (Prime News)



Batumi hosts delegation from Turkey

Batumi is hosting a delegation from Turkey as part of the programme of friendship between Georgian and Turkish resort cities Batumi and Kushada, initiated by the Confederation of Georgian Businessmen.

Prime News has been informed by the Confederation that head of the Adjaran Government Levan Varshalomidze hosted business and City Hall representatives from Kushada. They discussed novelties planned within the friendship project. The 10-member delegation also held a meting with the Mayor of Batumi.

In March Batumi City Hall representatives visited Kushada, where a preliminary agreement on friendship between the two cities was signed. The official memorandum will be signed on October 16 in Kushada at a festival which will host 12 fraternal cities.

In order to popularise Georgia’s business possibilities and attract investments a Georgian House will be opened in Kushada in 2010, where a presentation of Georgian investment projects and cultural items will be held. (Prime News)



Guram Chakhvadze objects to gas pipeline sell off

National Democratic Party MP Guram Chakhvadze fears that lifting the restriction on selling off the main gas pipeline will put Georgia under serious economic and national threat. He said yesterday that the Government had created a legal opportunity for Russia to buy this pipeline.

Chakhvadze slammed the majority side for rejecting the opposition's proposal to ensure that 51% of the pipeline remains state property. This refusal has made him think that the pipeline will appear in the hands of some particular individuals supported by the Government.

Chakhvadze said that the NDP could not accept the Government calling Russia an aggressor on the one hand while at the same time opening the door to its legal expansion into Georgia. (Rustavi 2)



Trump Organization interested in Batumi

The Trump Organization's Vice-President Michael Cohen has expressed an interest in investing in Adjara. The Adjaran Government’s Press Office states that Michael Cohen visited Batumi on Tuesday evening. Cohen was introduced to the projects being implemented in Batumi.

Michael Cohen states that Donald Trump’s business organisation plans to carry out projects in Batumi to improve its tourism infrastructure. The construction of hotels, houses and other recreation complexes is planned. (Interpressnews)



Kakha Baindurashvili and Per Eklund sign agreement

Finance Minister Kakha Baindurashvili and Per Eklund, EU Ambassador to Georgia, have signed an agreement on granting another tranche of EU funding to Georgia.

Under the agreement the EU will render financial assistance of 43.5 mln euros to the Georgian Government. The money will be spent on implementing the IDP action plan.

The signing ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Kakha Baindurashvili, Minister of IDPs, Refugees and Accommodation Koba Subeliani and Ambassador Per Eklund. The tranche is a part of the packet of 500 mln euros allocated to Georgia by the EU since the August war. (Interpressnews)