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The News in Brief

Thursday, June 28
NATO Head Claims Georgia’s Membership Depends only on the Alliance

The Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Jens Stoltenberg claims that Georgia’s NATO integration depends only on the decision of the alliance member states.

“The question of membership will be decided by 29 NATO allies together with the two countries which are striving for NATO [Georgia and Ukraine}. It is not for anyone else to try to interfere with or veto this process. It is absolutely unacceptable that big powers like Russia try to re-establish its spheres of influence by deciding what their neighbors should do”, he told DW.

Stoltenberg noted that it is necessary to make sure that NATO reacts adequately when Russia is investing heavily in new modern equipment and is willing to use them against its neighbors: ‘we saw it in Georgia, we see it in Ukraine’.

Georgia and NATO relations officially began in 1994 when Georgia joined the NATO-run Partnership for Peace.

In 2011, Georgia was designated as an "aspirant country" of NATO.



Public Defender's Office Temporarily Suspends Work

The Public Defender's Office stated that the examination of the building of the Public Defender's Office established the third-degree damage.

The ongoing rehabilitation process in the surrounding area leads to quakes and creates additional threat to the damaged building, the statement released by the Ombudsman’s Office reads.

Due to the rehabilitation works, Public Defender’s Office has decided to declare emergency mode and suspend the working process until July 2, 2018.

“Allocation of additional funds for the Public Defender's Office is planned at the nearest governmental meeting, which will enable us to rent a temporary alternative space. The Public Defender's Office will do its best to prevent delay in case proceedings”, reads the statement of the Public Defender's Office.

The Office apologized for the discomfort and expressed hope that the technical problem will be eradicated on time.

The suspension of work process will not prevent citizens from leaving their applications in the reception, even though the office will be able to register them only from Monday.
(By Mariam Chanishvili)