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The News in Brief

Wednesday, March 5
Georgian Interior Minister opens international conference in Tbilisi

A regional conference on Women in the Police was opened in Tbilisi's Radisson Blu Iveria hotel on March 4. The conference was held as part of the cooperation between the US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement (INL) and the Georgian Interior Ministry, the Georgian Interior Ministry said.

The conference is held in Georgia in March each year and serves to increase the law enforcement bodies' qualification and to demonstrate the role of women in the police force.

Georgian female police officers and their colleagues from Moldova, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are all attending the event. The conference will finish on March 6. (Trend)



Georgian, Polish presidents discuss situation in Ukraine

A telephone conversation was held on Monday between Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski. The two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine and a way out of the crisis, Georgian presidential administration told Trend.

The parties also highlighted the significance of signing an association agreement between Georgia and the EU. Polish president reiterated support to Georgia's path of integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Komorowski invited Giorgi Margvelashvili to visit Poland. In turn, Margvelashvili also invited the Polish president to visit Georgia. (Trend)



Foreign Minister: War in Ukraine can be avoided

International society must do everything they can to avoid war in Ukraine, Georgia’ Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said, stressing that there are still diplomatic resources, which could save Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

Citing her phone conversation with the Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Panjikidze stressed the "Ukrainian people were against the military conflict and were afraid of war.”

"The Ukraine Foreign Minister reaffirmed to me that different kinds of works have already been launched in Crimea including infrastructural so the risk of further escalation has not been removed,” she said. (Agenda.Ge)



Russia's envoy to the UN says Yanukovich asked Russia to enter Ukraine

Russia's envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said that he received a letter from the deposed President of Ukraine Victor Yanukovych. Churkin, said at an emergency meeting of the Security Council that Ukraine's ousted president requested Russia's armed forces to enter Ukraine and establish law and order.

Reading the statement from the fugitive president on Monday Churkin said the request came because "as the legitimately elected representative" Yanukovich believes "Ukraine is on the brink of civil war."

Churkin quoted Yanukovich as saying "the life and security and the rights of people, particularly in the southeast part in Crimea, are being threatened" and that there were "open acts of terror and violence". (InterPressNews)



Georgians express solidarity with Ukraine

A protest rally in support of Ukraine was held outside the Ukrainian embassy with participation of representatives of the public and NGOs in Tbilisi. Protesters said that Georgian people must express solidarity to the Ukrainians.

Poet Davit Gogibedashvili said that the Georgian government has to send more clear messages regarding the Ukrainian developments.

The protesters had posters, along with Georgia and Ukraine flags. The protest continued near the embassy of Switzerland in Tbilisi, where the Russian federation’s interests section is located. Protesters condemned Russia’s aggressive policy and expressed support to Ukraine and its people. (Georgian News)



Public Center for Georgian-Russian relations established in Tbilisi

A public centre of Georgian-Russian relations has been created in Tbilisi. It is experimental in its format and both Georgian and Russian experts will be represented there, the organization's executive board member Alexander Rusetski said on March 3.

Zaza Abashidze is the centre's head and the Gorchakov Fund organization is one of the donors.

"The main mission of the center will be the intensification of cultural, scientific and expert communications, working out of certain recommendations for state structures and development of cultural relations," Rusetski said.

Two important projects have been planned, according to Rusetski. One of them is a project for journalists whereby those from Moscow will visit Tbilisi and their Georgian colleagues will leave for Russia in return. The second project is a youth forum, focusing on discussions among young leaders on the future of Georgian-Russian relations.

The agreement to create this organization was reached during the meeting of Georgian and Russian experts on March 3.

The Georgian-Russian conference 'Georgia and Russia: prospects of relations - 2014' was held in Tbilisi on March 3-4 with participation of Georgian and Russian political scientists and experts.

The meeting was organized by the Council of Foreign and Defence policies of Russia, Gorchakov Fund and the Russian-Georgian public centre. (Trend)



Georgian Bishop receives 2014 International Women of Courage Award

Georgian Bishop of Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, Rusudan Gotsiridze, has been awarded the 2014 Women of Courage award, issued by the United States of America alongside nine other activists from Ukraine, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Fiji, Guatemala, India, Mali, Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan.

The American award is presented annually by the US Department of State to women around the world who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness and willingness to sacrifice for others, especially for the promotion of women’s rights.

The short description of Gotsiridze on the State Department website reads that “despite being a minority of a minority – a woman working in a predominately male religious field, and a religious minority operating in a society dominated by one faith – Bishop Rusudan Gotsiridze of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia bravely advocates for gender equality and for the equal protection of all of Georgia’s minorities." (Agenda.Ge)



Tbilisi welcomes Turkish literary expert

One of Turkey’s most prominent and successful novelists, screenwriters and recipient of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature, is coming to Georgia next week to inspire budding Georgian literature enthusiasts.

Orhan Pamuk, who has sold more than 11 million books in sixty languages, will attend the Week of Modern Literature, held at the Free University of Georgia, and speak to students and academic staff in a public lecture on March 12.

He is recognized as Turkey’s best-selling writer.

People interested in Pamuk’s lecture can watch him speak on a live-stream on the Free University’s website.

On the second day of his visit, March 13, the writer will meet members of the Georgian literary community at an event organized by the Bakur Sulakauri Publishing House. Attendance is by invitation, which readers can access via the Publishing House website.

His two-day visit was organized by the Free University of Georgia and Publishing House Bakur Sulakauri.

Pamuk’s visit to Georgia will end on March 14. (Agenda.Ge)