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The News in Brief

Friday, May 11
25 Persons and Entities fined for Violating Tobacco Ban

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that from May 1 to May 8, 12 individuals and 13 legal entities were fined for violating the law on tobacco use.

"From May 1 to May 8, there had been 46 notifications regarding the violation of the tobacco use rules throughout Georgia. Patrol police relevantly responded to each notification", the Ministry of Internal Affairs informed.

On May 17, 2017 Georgian Parliament passed amendments to the Law on Tobacco Control and on May 1st 2018 smoking in public places and buildings was officially banned.

Tobacco ban prohibits smoking in buildings with the exception of houses, psychiatric clinics, penitentiary facilities and casinos. Smoking cigars is only allowed in cigar bars where food products are not sold.

Smoking ban applies to electronic cigarettes and hookah as well.



UN Ambassadors Visit Occupation Line

Eight Permanent Representatives of United Nations (UN) from Latin America, Africa and Asia, who are paying a visit to Georgia on May 5-12, met with the Georgian leaders, and traveled to the occupation line near village Khurvaleti adjacent to Tskhinvali region.

According to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, similar visits are held annually and aim at “raising awareness on Georgia and developing bilateral ties with UN member states.”

“This is an excellent opportunity to touch base with Georgian authorities and discuss numerous issues of international agenda, both of Georgia as well as of international community,” Uruguay’s UN Ambassador Elbio Rosselli stated.

Georgia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Kakha Imnadze, who accompanied the delegation to the occupation line, underscored that through such visits the ambassadors are becoming familiar with Georgia’s reform achievements and its challenges.

“Naturally, we cannot sidestep the problem we are facing concerning the occupied territories; and today, we are in Khurvaleti, where the ambassadors can themselves see the Russian occupation,” Imnadze said.

On 10 May, UN Ambassadors met with the Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze, who informed them about Georgia’s foreign policy priorities, its reform agenda and the human rights and security situation in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.

The diplomats also separately met with the President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and the Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze.
(Prepared by Anano Margebadze)