The messenger logo

The News in Brief

Monday, October 31
Saakashvili visits new agrarian center in Kakheti Region

A new hotel complex and agrarian center has opened in the village of Shuamta in the Kakheti Region of Eastern Georgia. Chateau Meret was constructed through Georgian investments. President Saakashvili and the Minister of Agriculture, Zaza Gorozia, opened the center.

Mikheil Saakashvili was guided around the complex by the new staff to see the infrastructure and services available in Chateau Meret. Guests in the new complex can see the process of pressing grapes and making wine and can taste wine made in the complex. Wine in Chateau Meret will be made according to Georgian and European traditions.

Saakashvili stressed that such projects will contribute to the export and popularization of Georgian wine in foreign countries and their assimilation into new markets. A similar agrarian center is expected to open in Gremi as well.

The new hotel complex includes a stable where Arabian horses can be mounted by guests who can take riding tours.
(Rustavi 2)



Venice Commission completes meetings over electoral code in Georgia

Venice Commission, a delegation from Council of Europe’s (CoE) advisory body for legal and constitutional affairs, completed its meetings over the Electoral Code in Georgia on Thursday. During two days the commission members were holding meetings with representatives of the ruling party as well as the opposition and NGOs. After the talks, the commission members held a press conference and presented the preliminary conclusion to media. As Thomas Markert, the head of the Venice Commission said at the press conference, a lot of remarks were made to the previous electoral code by the Venice Commission as well as the OSCE monitoring mission, but several issues, like providing prisoners` rights to participate in elections also independent candidates` opportunities to get involved in the process still remain unresolved. Thomas Markert also said that certain measures should be taken to increase women`s representation in the elections.
(Rustavi 2)



Saakashvili congratulates local Tkibuli town citizens

Public festivities dedicated to celebration of Tkibuli town were celebrated in the Imereti Region on saturday, where citizens assembled in the centre of the town where infrastructures had been refurbished. President Saakashvili stated, "This is going to be a town of 100-percent employment. People will have a good income, good living conditions to give youth the opportunity to exercise, have fun and be proud that they are from here. If all this is implemented, nobody can say that I`m a dreamer. We are all dreamers and will have our main dream come true", Saakashvili said. The president said a sports hall and an Olympic pool are expected to open in Tkibuli by next year.

"There must be good living conditions and people should not run away from here... Tkibuli was a dying town earlier; people who looked like they were starving were ready to do any job. I`m glad that Tkibuli is coming back to life today; the people of Tkibuli are coming back," he added.

When visiting Tkibuli, the President talked about the maize program again and said small farmers who bought hybrid maize seeds but did not reap a sufficient harvest should be exempted from the sums owned for the seeds.
(Rustavi 2)



Democratic Party Demands to Allow EU Monitors to Occupied Territories

Representatives of the Democratic Party demand that EU monitors be allowed into the occupied territories. As international secretary of the party Lana Galdava said at a press conference today, Georgia’s vote has a great importance for Russia to join WTO. It enables Georgia to use the chance till December to make Russia let EU monitors into occupied territories. The party leader and MP Giorgi Tortladze say that by monitoring the occupied territories where military movement has not been controlled and military roads are being built, human rights are violated, and Georgia would find out what is happening in the territory.
(Interpressnews)



Weather to brighten up throughout Georgia from 1 November

Weather will brighten up throughout Georgia from 1 November and temperature will rise at about 14 degrees. Sunny weather is forecasted on 1-6 November, Interpressnews was told by the Forecast Center of the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
(Interpressnews)



Native English-speaking teachers continue to arrive in Georgia

Native English-speaking teachers continue to arrive as participants of the educational program “Teach and Learn with Georgia.” Yesterday a new group of teachers arrived from different counties around the world. Native English-speaking teachers from the USA, Philippines and Ireland will work in the public schools of Guria, Imereti, Kakheti and Samegrelo regions of Georgia.

These volunteers have respectable qualifications and previous experience working for programs such as TLG. The project “Teach and Learn with Georgia,” begun one year ago, recruits, trains, and coordinates Native English-Speaking Teachers to co-teach English together with local English teachers in Georgia's primary and secondary schools. By the end of the year, 1500 volunteers will arrive in Georgia.
(Interpressnews)