The News in Brief
Tuesday, December 31
Georgian President and Government express sorrow over Volgograd terrorist acts
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili expressed his deep sorrow over the terrorist acts "causing death to dozens of innocent citizens” in the Russian city of Volgograd.
"The Georgian Government and people condemn terrorism. Together with the progressive world, we will keep fighting against the most dangerous event of the 21stcentury. On the behalf of Georgian people and myself, I sympathize with and convey my condolences to the families of the victims as well as the Russian people,” the President’s letter reads.
"Terrorism has no nation and no borders,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili wrote in his condolences letters. He also expresses his "deepest sorrow and indignation for the tragedy”.
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania also promised that Georgia will do its best in the fight against international terrorism.
This comes after more than 30 people were killed in the suicide bombings on a trolleybus and at the central station in the Russian city of Volgograd in the last 24 hours. Tens of people injured. There are children among the victims too. This marks the third bombing in the city in the last two months.
(Agenda.Ge)
Ministry of Infrastructure: 2013 challenging but successful
"The 2013 was challenging due to the cohabitation with previous government and problems encouraged from the process of taking over the projects and programs at the ministry, Georgian Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Davit Narmania said at the press conference summing up the past year.
According to Narmania, with the support of the state budget and donor organizations, they managed to organize the projects and programs.
"There were three main directions that we followed to arrange the problems including the feasibility study of existing projects, implementation of new ones and improve the management,” he said.
The Ministry changed the planning and implementing process of projects and the administration of the Village Support Project.
"The tenders have become more transparent and competitive which is seen in the increased number of local as well as international companies that participate in the tenders,” Narmania said.
The Ministry also launched the work on the quality standards.
(Agenda.Ge)
Georgia moves plan for new airport closer to Abkhazia
Georgia plans to build an international airport in Anaklia, a beach resort on the Black Sea next to the breakaway region Abkhazia.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Minister of Economy, said at a briefing December 25 that a plan developed by the previous government to build an airport in Poti has been canceled. He said the Poti airport project was wholly infeasible, because the location selected for it is a wetland.
Kvirikashvili further explained that the plan for constructing an airport near the port in Anaklia has been prepared and is ready, and it is not necessary to have two airports in the same area.
He added that Anaklia airport will have special capabilities for transferring goods.
The port in Anaklia was part of the previous government’s plan to build a new city called Lazika. It was former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s idea to construct an entirely new city and populate it with half a million people. The current government criticized the idea when they were in opposition, claiming it was unreasonable to spend money on constructing a new city.
(Democracy & Freedom Watch)
Tbilisi mayor plans to mortgage house to pay USD 30, 000 bail
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava plans to mortgage his house in order to pay the bail money in a corruption case. Ugulava was last week suspended by Tbilisi City Court.
The mayor is charged with embezzlement of Tbilisi City Hall money and using it to finance the 2012 election campaign of the National Movement.
The court set a 50 000 lari (USD 30 000) bail which he must pay within a month.
In an interview with local newspaper Kviris Palitra, Ugulava said he plans to mortgage his house in order to pay the bail, while the gamgebeli of Old Tbilisi who has to pay a 400 000 lari bail said he will go to jail if he isn’t able to find the money.
(Democracy & Freedom Watch)
Information banners of 112 distributed in Gudauri and Bakuriani
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) informs that as the risk of urgent need at the skiing resorts is increasing, special information banners have been distributed in Gudauri and Bakuriani. To ensure effective and rapid assistance to the citizens the Director of 112 Department, Giorgi Bitchashvili, and the Director of Gudauri Development Agency, Alexander Onoprishvili, signed a memorandum of cooperation.
(The Messenger)
MOE visits charity fund the Way of Future
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection (MOE), Khatuna Gogaladze, congratulated with the members of the Way of Future fund with the New Year and wished them Merry Christmas.
According to the Ministry, apart from 15 children on which the fund is permanently taking care, they also look after 18 children with cancer and 55 families with many children.
The representatives of the MOE distributed presents, food, medicines, and first aid tools to the fund’s beneficiaries.
The head of the fund, Davit Kintsurashvili, said each family has different needs and problems so that the support from each and every citizen is vital for the fund.
19 socially vulnerable families living at Jikia Street also received food, clothes and other things from MOE.
(The Messenger)
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili expressed his deep sorrow over the terrorist acts "causing death to dozens of innocent citizens” in the Russian city of Volgograd.
"The Georgian Government and people condemn terrorism. Together with the progressive world, we will keep fighting against the most dangerous event of the 21stcentury. On the behalf of Georgian people and myself, I sympathize with and convey my condolences to the families of the victims as well as the Russian people,” the President’s letter reads.
"Terrorism has no nation and no borders,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili wrote in his condolences letters. He also expresses his "deepest sorrow and indignation for the tragedy”.
Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Alasania also promised that Georgia will do its best in the fight against international terrorism.
This comes after more than 30 people were killed in the suicide bombings on a trolleybus and at the central station in the Russian city of Volgograd in the last 24 hours. Tens of people injured. There are children among the victims too. This marks the third bombing in the city in the last two months.
(Agenda.Ge)
Ministry of Infrastructure: 2013 challenging but successful
"The 2013 was challenging due to the cohabitation with previous government and problems encouraged from the process of taking over the projects and programs at the ministry, Georgian Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Davit Narmania said at the press conference summing up the past year.
According to Narmania, with the support of the state budget and donor organizations, they managed to organize the projects and programs.
"There were three main directions that we followed to arrange the problems including the feasibility study of existing projects, implementation of new ones and improve the management,” he said.
The Ministry changed the planning and implementing process of projects and the administration of the Village Support Project.
"The tenders have become more transparent and competitive which is seen in the increased number of local as well as international companies that participate in the tenders,” Narmania said.
The Ministry also launched the work on the quality standards.
(Agenda.Ge)
Georgia moves plan for new airport closer to Abkhazia
Georgia plans to build an international airport in Anaklia, a beach resort on the Black Sea next to the breakaway region Abkhazia.
Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Minister of Economy, said at a briefing December 25 that a plan developed by the previous government to build an airport in Poti has been canceled. He said the Poti airport project was wholly infeasible, because the location selected for it is a wetland.
Kvirikashvili further explained that the plan for constructing an airport near the port in Anaklia has been prepared and is ready, and it is not necessary to have two airports in the same area.
He added that Anaklia airport will have special capabilities for transferring goods.
The port in Anaklia was part of the previous government’s plan to build a new city called Lazika. It was former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s idea to construct an entirely new city and populate it with half a million people. The current government criticized the idea when they were in opposition, claiming it was unreasonable to spend money on constructing a new city.
(Democracy & Freedom Watch)
Tbilisi mayor plans to mortgage house to pay USD 30, 000 bail
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava plans to mortgage his house in order to pay the bail money in a corruption case. Ugulava was last week suspended by Tbilisi City Court.
The mayor is charged with embezzlement of Tbilisi City Hall money and using it to finance the 2012 election campaign of the National Movement.
The court set a 50 000 lari (USD 30 000) bail which he must pay within a month.
In an interview with local newspaper Kviris Palitra, Ugulava said he plans to mortgage his house in order to pay the bail, while the gamgebeli of Old Tbilisi who has to pay a 400 000 lari bail said he will go to jail if he isn’t able to find the money.
(Democracy & Freedom Watch)
Information banners of 112 distributed in Gudauri and Bakuriani
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) informs that as the risk of urgent need at the skiing resorts is increasing, special information banners have been distributed in Gudauri and Bakuriani. To ensure effective and rapid assistance to the citizens the Director of 112 Department, Giorgi Bitchashvili, and the Director of Gudauri Development Agency, Alexander Onoprishvili, signed a memorandum of cooperation.
(The Messenger)
MOE visits charity fund the Way of Future
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Protection (MOE), Khatuna Gogaladze, congratulated with the members of the Way of Future fund with the New Year and wished them Merry Christmas.
According to the Ministry, apart from 15 children on which the fund is permanently taking care, they also look after 18 children with cancer and 55 families with many children.
The representatives of the MOE distributed presents, food, medicines, and first aid tools to the fund’s beneficiaries.
The head of the fund, Davit Kintsurashvili, said each family has different needs and problems so that the support from each and every citizen is vital for the fund.
19 socially vulnerable families living at Jikia Street also received food, clothes and other things from MOE.
(The Messenger)