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Compiled by Messenger Staff
Tuesday, October 19
US supports Russia’s integration to WTO

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a speech at the Commonwealth Club, 24 hours writes.

“Russia has opened up its territory for transit lethal weapons and equipment into Afghanistan. Russia is working with us on counterterrorism, counter narcotics,” stated the Secretary of State.

Clinton says that the US supports Russia’s application to join the WTO.

“So we are trying to find as many areas as possible while still speaking out about the occupation in Georgia, about the repression of human rights inside Russia and the other areas where we don't agree,” Clinton commented.

Russian Itar-Tas reports that this is not the first criticism voiced by the US Secretary of State about human rights issues in Russia.

In 2009, during her annual report on human rights, Clinton spoke about strengthening pressure over its citizens regarding the Russian-Georgian conflict. She also mentioned the inability of the Russian government to investigate murders of journalists.

Russia has been trying to gain entry to the WTO since 1993.

Itar-tas reports that Georgia’s Prime Minister Nika Gilauri said on 7 October that Tbilisi would support Russia integration to WTO only after joint customs controls were agreed upon for Abkhazia and South Ossetia.



Laws of the Jungle not for Georgian schools

In an interview to Kviris Palitra, Minister of Education and Science, Dimitri Shashkin talked about current reforms in Georgian schools.

“Video surveillance systems were installed in Tbilisi schools at the start of the new academic year. The same thing will be implemented in Batumi, Gori, Poti and Rustavi. We start each day with the reports that we receive from each school on the occurrences and how the resource officers reacted. A few days ago an opposition members stated that resource officers expelled two teachers from a school, but he/she forgot to say why they were expelled. One of them beat a pupil and the second threw a pupil’s bag out of the window. There is no place for such teachers in schools,” Shashkin stated.

“Resource officers are allowed to check a pupil if they see him with an item that is prohibited in school. Children’s rights are not violated. We will not allow jungle laws in schools or when a senior pupil steals food from younger pupils,” said the Education minister.

According to Shashkin there have been attacks on Resource officers with loud complaints about their salaries as if they receive GEL 800 per month. “But in reality their monthly salary is GEL 400,” he highlighted.