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The News in Brief

Wednesday, July 20
US and Georgian soldiers participating in combined military training

U.S. Marines and soldiers from the 4th Infantry Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces are participating in a combined military exercise called Agile Spirit 2011. The exercise started in the Vaziani Training Area on July 18 and will last for two weeks.

The focus of the exercise is to increase interoperability between the forces and exchange and enhance each other’s capacity in counterinsurgency and peacekeeping operations.

The exercise will involve approximately 350 Marines from the Marine Corps’ Black Sea Rotational Force 11 based in Constanta, Romania, Anti-Terrorism Battalion based out of Bessemer, Ala. and 450 military servicemen of the Georgian 4th Infantry Brigade.

Agile Spirit is the first of what is scheduled to become an annual exercise and supplements other military engagements such as the Georgia Deployment Program, which is a U.S. Marine Corps program that prepares Georgian Armed Forces to deploy to Afghanistan in support of the International Security Assistance Force.

“Our Marines are eager to train with the Georgian Armed Forces to continue to build on an already strong partnership between our two countries,” said LtCol. Nelson S. Cardella, commanding officer, Black Sea Rotational Force 11. “We are grateful to the Georgian Armed Forces and to the people of Georgia for hosting this important training and contributing so much to regional and international security.”

“We are very glad that Georgia hosts this military exercise this year as the military of both countries are working together. Such kind of joint exercises are necessary for them. I hope that each participant of the exercise will successfully carry out their tasks,” declared the Deputy Chief of Joint Staff of GAF, Col Gigi Kalandadze.

Black Sea Rotational Force 11 is a rotational deployment of Marines to the Black Sea, Balkan and Caucasus regions to work with partner and allied nations to help build their military capacity, promote stability throughout the region, and build enduring partnerships with 13 nations throughout Eastern Europe.

Combined military exercise “Agile Spirit 2011” will be officially closed on August 1. (Interpressnews)



US-Georgia working group met in Washington

The fourth meeting of the working groups covering security and defense issues within the US-Georgian Strategic Partnership Charter was held in Washington on Monday.

The sides discussed a wide range of issues including the relationship in the security and defense spheres, Georgia-Russia relations and the situation in Georgia`s occupied territories.

The transformation of the defense sector, defense capabilities, professional military education and development of a military doctrine were also discussed at the meeting.

The Georgian delegation was represented by the authorities of the Security Council, interior and foreign ministries. The American side was represented by the Department of State`s authorities, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Mr. Alexander Vershbow. (Rustavi 2)



Georgian medical plants in WHO monographs

The World Health Care Organization has included the medical plants used in the medicine industry in Georgia in the WHO monographs on medical plants commonly used in Newly Independent States (NIS). 28 plants are found in the list of the medical ones with Georgian names, which as the experts define, are the recognition of their endemic origin. They also say Georgian medicines may soon be exported to European markets, if Georgia meets the EU standards of medicine industry. (Rustavi 2)



New Rights demand to resolve scientific research institutes’ problems

The New Rights are demanding to immediately resolve the scientific-research institutes' problems.

"The scientific-research institutes are in a critical situation. That's why I am calling the Georgian Scientific Academy, (which is an advisor to the government in questions of scientific policy according to the legislation) to immediately summoning a sitting which will discuss the situation with the interested parties to envisage the appropriate measures to be taken, "- Manana Nachkebia said.

New Rights believe that such an indifferent approach indicates the irresponsibility of both parties and puts under the serious danger the future of science and an education in our country.

"The situation is very serious. Many prominent scientific-research institutes are at the edge of extinction. Many traditional, internationally recognized scientific schools are in a dangerous situation, without which in Georgia the future of science is unimaginable.

The political union New Rights sees as its priority the development of science and education in Georgia and is ready to involve its elf closely in the process of saving science in Georgia. (GHN)



Agriculture minister: Georgia gets unexpectedly rich harvest of wheat

This year the harvest of wheat was the biggest it has been for the last 10 years, Bakur Kvezereli, Agriculture Minister said, GHN reports.

He noted that this is thanks to the new governmental program in the frames of which Georgia was supplied with high harvest quality wheat from USA.

"The wheat of Jagera justified the hopes in Georgia's climate. Farms got 4 tons from the hectare. This increased the harvest in the country, " - Kvesereli said.

He said that as a result of the new program this kind of wheat will be used in Georgia within 3 years.

"At the same time the agriculture technique base was well known. Any person willing can use modern agriculture technique, the loss of which is at zero compared with the previous year's 20% loss at the time of harvest collecting, "- minister said. (GHN)



Press Office head of PM resigns

Nikoloz Mchedlishvili, head of the Prime Minster's Press Office has resigned. Mchedlishvili said to GHN that he has been working for a Japanese company in the Caucasus office of Japan Tobacco International since August 1 of last year.

He underlined that his previous work with Nika Gilauri was very interesting. He considers Gilauri as a politician who made a big contribution to the modern Georgian development. He noted that he gained considerable experience while working in the Office of PM. (GHN)