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The News in Brief

Wednesday, October 19
Georgian Prime Minister Meets Canadian Prime Minister

Georgian Prime Minister Nika Gilauri has met with the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. According to Gilauri, Canada is one of the most important partners and supporters of Georgia.

‘I met with the Canadian PM today. We talked about several issues, including the next NATO summit, where we hope for Canada’s support. This support is guaranteed. We talked about economic issues too. Namely, we discussed the free trade treaty with Canada. Negotiations in this regard will be launched in the nearest future’, Gilauri said after the meeting with his counterpart.

Gilauri also said the strategic agreement between Georgia and Canada, which will serve as grounds for relations in the defense sector, was also considered at the meeting.

Within the framework of the visit to Canada, meetings are planned with the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the Senate and the Foreign Minister. (Interpressnews)



Armenian President to Pay Official Visit to Georgia on 1 November

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan will arrive in Georgia on 1 November, the president’s spokeswoman Manana Manjgaladze said at a regular briefing Tuesday.

According to Manjgaladze, the official visit will last for three days. High-level meetings are planned within the framework of the visit. (Interpressnews)



NATO Council Session to be Held in Georgia in November

A session of the NATO Council will be held in Georgia. Representatives of the NATO will arrive in Tbilisi in the first half of November and the Secretary General of the Alliance, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, will also arrive in Georgia to chair the session, the press speaker of the president of Georgia Manana Manjgaladze announced at a briefing held at the president`s palace Monday. (Rustavi 2)



US Warship "Philippine Sea" Visits Batumi

The US guided missile cruiser the Philippine Sea arrived in Georgia's Black Sea port of Batumi on October 17.

The US embassy said it was "a regularly scheduled" port call that would include "combined training exercises with the Georgian Coast Guard."

"This visit serves to continue the US 6th Fleet's efforts to build global maritime partnerships with Black Sea nations and improve maritime safety and security," the embassy said, adding that the cruiser crew was also planning to participate in a community relations project in Batumi. (GHN)



Principal of 53rd Public School Sticks by Decision

Principal of the 53rd public school, Tariel Shavshishvili, is not going to change his decision on expelling two of his students. ‘The expulsion of two pupils for abusing a teacher should become an example for other pupils’, he told InterpressNews.

According to him, the educational process is back to normal at the school and only a few pupils did not attend lessons today.

Tariel Shavshishvili said the excluded pupils humiliated the school management.

Pupils and their parents held protests against the principal’s decision in front of the public school since the morning on Tuesday. They accuse the school principal of escalation of the situation. They say that the newly appointed principal made an unfair decision. According to them, a criminal case will be brought before a court against the pupils on the charge of hooliganism.

A protest was held in front of the 53rd public school on Monday too. (Interpressnews)



Graves of Georgian Royal Dynasty Destroyed in Russia

The graves of Georgian royal dynastic families are being destroyed in a suburb of Moscow. Local church servicemen in the village of Vsesviatskoe, where the graves of the royal families have been since the rule of Ivan the Terrible, have begun to construct product depots. The servicemen have ignored the protest of Russian authorities and archaeologists saying they have no place to store the potato harvest.

The offspring of Archil II, a Georgian king, were buried in Vsesviatskoe, where the stone church was build by the Georgian dynasty. Ivane Bagrationi was also buried there, but now the servicemen removed his grave and built a concrete construction in its place.

Georgian archaeologist, historian and journalist Giorgi Ramazashvili learnt about the construction of a harvest depot last year and addressed the Moscow cultural heritage department in protest, though his protest was not taken into consideration. (Rustavi 2)



Famous Georgian actor dies at 83

The famous Georgian actor, Ramaz Chkhikvadze, who was a leading member of the Rustaveli Drama Theater, has died after a long illness at the age of 83.

Ramaz Chkhikvadze performed unforgettable roles not only in the theatre, but in 41 movies as well.

In 1961 Ramaz Chkhikvadze was decorated with the title of Georgia`s Deserved Actor and in 1972, the actor was granted the title of National Actor.

Ramaz Chkhikvadze will be buried at the Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Workers beside his wife, Natasha Chkhikvadze, who died two months ago. (Rustavi 2)