“Koba Subeliani meets IDPs”

The newly-appointed Minister for Refugees and Resettlement, Koba Subeliani, continued meeting IDPs on Monday, according to Rezonansi.

On December 4, he met with IDPs living in the Okros Satsmisi (Golden Fleece) Hotel, near Tbilisi Sea, and promised them a government rehabilitation scheme to improve their living conditions.

“The roof of the building where the IDPs are living will be repaired soon. The inside of the building will also be refurbished to ensure residents have normal living conditions, and new streetlamps will be installed outside,” Subeliani said.



“Georgians press-ganged into Abkhazian army”

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that a representative of the Tbilisi-backed Abkhazian government-in-exile is claiming young Georgian men from the Gali region in Abkhazia are being press-ganged into the separatist army.

Badri Buliskiria stated that on December 4, Abkhaz separatists kidnapped local youths in the villages of Achigvara and Okumi in the Gali region of Abkhazia, forcing them to enlist in the separatist militia.

He also said the separatists are demanding RUB 15 000 (USD 491) in exchange for the release of each Georgian from the militia.



“Patarkatsishvili never intended to visit Belgium”

Georgian business mogul and presidential candidate Badri Patarkatsishvili, who is currently based in London, claims he never applied for a Belgian visa, amidst reports that he was denied entry by Brussels, according to Akhali Taoba.

“I did not request a visa from the Belgian administration, so I could not have been refused entry,” Patarkatsishvili said.

Rustavi 2 TV recently reported that the businessman had been refused entry by Belgian authorities on the grounds that he is currently wanted for questioning by the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office over his role in an alleged coup attempt.

On December 4, the Georgian Ambassador to Belgium also claimed Patarkatsishvili had been denied a Belgian visa, according to Rustavi 2.



“President’s salary to increase by GEL 700”

From 2008, the Georgian President’s salary will go up by GEL 700 to GEL 4700 per month, Akhali Taoba writes.

Deputy Finance Minister Papuna Petriashvili said civil servants’ salaries would increase, too.



“Nino Burjanadze meets foreign diplomats”

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that acting president Nino Burjanadze met foreign diplomats, including the head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, Terhi Hakala, and the US Ambassador to Georgia, John Tefft, on December 4.

Hakala did not give any comments to journalists after the meeting, but reportedly promised a large number of OSCE observers to monitor the upcoming presidential election.

Burjanadze reportedly discussed Russian–Georgian relations and separatist conflict issues with Tefft.