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The News in Brief

Tuesday, February 10
NATO will bring neither Georgia nor Ukraine into its fold - Stefan Schennach

"NATO will bring neither Georgia nor Ukraine into its fold because they know it will also add more fuel to the fire. This kind of symbolic policy is not helpful, Council of Europe’s Austrian delegate, Stefan Schennach said in his interview with the Kviris Palitra newspaper.

He argued that the Ukrainian conflict cannot be resolved “without the full-fledged participation and the political will of Russia.”

‘’It could not possibly be in Russia’s interests to remain in conflict with Europe and the entire world. Russians want to have stable relations with Europe and the rest of the world. Also, Russia wants to be released from. Even U.S. President Barak Obama said that sanctions do not help. We have to come back to the negotiations table; there is no other way out,’’ he said.

According to him, "both Ukraine and Georgia are in a very bad situation with their big neighbor. They have to think about being non-Allied. To be strong as non-Allied countries, to be open to both the West and the East, to be open to both the EU and Eurasian Union."
(IPN)



Romania’s Foreign Minister will visit Georgia

Foreign Minister of Romania Bogdan Aurescu is expected to spend two days in Georgia this month on an official visit.

Aurescu is scheduled to arrive in Georgia on February 12 and depart the following afternoon.

The news was shared by David Kereselidze, press speaker of Georgia’s Foreign Ministry in the Ministry’s traditional weekly press conference.

Kereselidze said the Romanian official would participate in the opening of the annual international seminar of developing Georgia’s national program.

While in Georgia Aurescu is scheduled to meet Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Parliament Speaker David Usupashviuli, Foreign Minister Tamar Beruchashvili and State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration David Bakradze.
(Agenda.ge)



Poland ratifies Georgia’s EU agreement

Poland ratified the association agreement between Georgia and the EU on Friday; the 13th EU member state to do so.

The vote in the Sejm was 439 for ratification, none against and one abstaining.

The agreement gives Georgia free trade access to Europe’s internal market in return for adjusting its domestic legislation in line with EU directives in a number of areas.

It was signed in Brussels on June 27, 2014, along with similar EU agreements with Ukraine and Moldova.

Parts of the agreement are already in force, but for it to take full effect, all 28 EU member states plus the EU itself must ratify it.

Georgia has done so, as has the EU parliament and the following member states: Ireland, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Slovakia, Latvia, Malta, Lithuania and Bulgaria.
(DF watch)



Georgia Bar Association nominates Davit Asatiani for post of Chairman of Supreme Court

The Georgian Bar Association has nominated lawyer Davit Asatiani for the post of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia.

“His qualification and reputation are completely in line with the candidate for the post of the Chairperson Supreme Court”, the chairman of the Georgian Bar Association, Zaza Khatiashvili said at a briefing on Monday.

Davit Asatiani is a member of the Bar Association.

On January 28, President Giorgi Margvelashvili called on “professional circles” and “stakeholders” to name their favorable candidates for the post of the Chairperson Supreme Court before February 9.

Konstantine Kublashvili was appointed as Chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia in 2005. His term of office expires in February.
(Frontnews)



Sergei Lavrov: We have never avoided contact with Georgia

Russia has never rejected dialogue with Georgia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

"We have never avoided contacts with Georgia and never terminated our diplomatic relations. The Abashidze-Karasin connection exists. I have not heard any official announcement of its cancellation," RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.

According to him, there is not concerning about the fact that Abashidze and Karasin have not met each other for a long time.
(IPN)