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The News in Brief

Tuesday, September 9
Georgia cannot be represented at the UN General Assembly by two delegations - Davit Zalkaliani

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Davit Zalkaliani says if Georgia is represented at the UN General Assembly by two delegations, it will be a very serious harmful factor for our country's external image.

The First Deputy Foreign Minister made the above-mentioned announcement at Monday's press conference in response to a question whether the Minister of Foreign Affairs had any communication with President Giorgi Margvelashvili about the issue of the United Nations. As Zalkaliani noted, unfortunately, there had not been such contact at the Wales Summit because of a very busy schedule. Zalkanaini once again talked about the arguments of the Foreign Ministry.

"We believe that at the UN General Assembly Georgia should be represented by one delegation. There does not exist any precedent in the history of the UN General Assembly when one country is represented by two top leaders. Since as per the new constitution, the Prime Minister is the executor of foreign affairs, it was decided that at the UN General Assembly the Georgian delegation will be headed by the Prime Minister," said the First Deputy Foreign Minister. According to him, communication will continue with the President’s Administration and the Foreign Minister will personally present her arguments to the President. Zalkaliani is sure that a decision will be made that will not hurt the country’s image if such communication is arranged. President Giorgi Margvelashvili said two days ago it will not be ‘embarrassing’ if two delegations will leave for the UN. Margvelashvili said at the press conference in Wales that he will leave for the US. ‘My next visit is planned to the United States. I have scheduled a visit to Turkey as well, but prior to it I will leave for the US. I don’t think it will be embarrassing’, the President said.
(IPN)



Giorgi Mghebrishvili - former officials are in ‘usual’ conditions and do not have access to the internet

Giorgi Mghebrishvili, the Minister of Legal Assistance and Corrections, has said former officials are in ‘usual’ conditions and do not have access to the internet.

They are not posting statements on the Facebook themselves, he said in his interview with the ‘Kviris Palitra’ paper. ‘They are in usual conditions. They don’t have access to the internet and nobody should think that they are posting statements on Facebook themselves. The prison director individually decides whether to give prisoners a right to use a TV set and a computer or not. This is a form of encouragement. The prisoner should deserve it’, Mghebrishvili said.

According to him, Vano Merabishvili deserved it once, but after a certain incident happened in the prison, he was deprived of the right to use a TV set and a computer.

‘Vano Merabishvili deserved it at a certain stage, but after a conflict took place in the prison, namely, when Merabishvili hit a deputy prison director, he was deprived of the right to use a TV set and a computer. This was appealed by his lawyer and a judge allowed him to use a computer before the hearing of the case in the court. I will not forgive anyone to outrage my employee’, the Minister said.

According to Mghebrishvili, Merabishvili, Bacho Akhalaia and Gigi Ugulava do not have an opportunity to communicate with each other, because their walking hours do not coincide with each other.
(Interpressnews)



Body of Georgian man killed in Donetsk blast returns home

The body of a Georgian man who died in a bomb explosion in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine is returning to his homeland today. Arsen Beridze, 27, was violently killed three days ago when a bomb thrown by pro-Russian rebels exploded in his backyard. Beridze’s 17-year-old neighbor was with him at the time and was also killed in the attack. Beridze had lived with his family in Ukraine for the past 12 years.

Beridze’s parents returned to Georgia last night and were today waiting for the body of their son to return home. Even though Donetsk was not Ukrainian-controlled territory, the Georgian Consulate in Ukraine organized all transfer-related details. All expenses were covered by the Consulate.
(Agenda.ge)



Prime Minister discusses cooperation with MP Andrejs Mamikins

The delegation of the European Parliament holds meetings with Georgian officials within the two-day visit to Georgia. Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili hosted the head of the delegation, MP Andrejs Mamikins to discuss the Georgia-EU relations and the prospects for further cooperation.

The Prime Minister and the European MP, who is the reporter on Georgia at the European Parliament, emphasized that the prospects of Georgia`s EU membership has become even more real after the country signed association agreement with the EU and started a new phase of cooperation. Prime Minister said the obligations and the reforms stipulated by the Association Agreement were among the top priorities of the government of Georgia.
(Rustavi 2)



Head coach of the Georgian national team may resign

Head coach of the Georgian national team Temur Ketsbaia may resign. “I am here for five years; someone is fed up with me. If the Georgian national team does not have a chance to take the next step, I will resign on the same day!” Temur Ketsbaia said at a press conference on Sunday after Georgia v Ireland match. Aiden McGeady gave the Republic of Ireland a 2-1 win over Georgia in their opening European Championship qualifier in Tbilisi on September 7.
(Frontnews)



Conference on "Jews of Georgia, the Caucasus and Central Asia" to open in Tbilisi

On September 8-10 Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University will host an international conference Jews of Georgia, the Caucasus and Central Asia organized by Bar-Ilan University, Ivane Javakhishvili University, Ashkelon Academic College, Ministry of religious services of Israel and the Embassy of Israel in Georgia.

Academic committee includes Member of Knesset, Dr. Shimon Ohayon from Dahan Center, Bar-Ilan University, and Tbilisi State University Professor Guram Lortkipanidze along with other Israeli and Georgian professors. Topics of the sessions will be: Between central Asia and Jerusalem, Kiddush and Liturgy, Music and Singing of the Jews of Georgia, etc.

The conference will be attended by the Ambassador of Israel in Georgia, Mr. Yuval Fuchs, representatives of Georgian parliament and government and rector of Tbilisi State University.

Ambassador Fuchs states that this conference suggests another opportunity to strengthen academic relations not only between the participants, but also between Israel and Georgia in general.

"We hope there will be a strong partnership which will result from such cooperation," he adds
(Israeli Embassy)