The News in Brief

US House of Representatives adopts resolution supporting Georgia and Ukraine

The US House of Representatives has adopted a resolution expressing strong support for giving Georgia and Ukraine a Membership Action Plan (MAP), the next stage of integration into the alliance.

“A stronger and deeper relationship among the government of Georgia, the government of Ukraine and NATO will be mutually beneficial to those countries and NATO member states… The US should take the lead in supporting the awarding of a MAP to Georgian and Ukraine as soon as possible,” the resolution states. (Prime News)



Topadze-Industrialists calls on opposition to run one candidate in Zugdidi

Vakhushti Partsvania, a majoritarian MP candidate in Georgia’s second city of Zugdidi, has called on the opposition to unite around one candidate in the district.

“If we have the same key goal, we should create an inter-majoritarian headquarters, which will back a really competitive candidate to run against the ruling party,” he said. (Prime News)



Tevdoradze to become deputy state minister

MP Elene Tevdoradze, who chairs the parliamentary human rights committee, will become a deputy state minister for reintegration issues, she told journalists.

“I will be appointed deputy state minister for reintegration and I will be in charge of human rights. The president has asked me to take a new position where I could continue my usual work [in human rights]. I think I made the right decision,” she said.

Tevdoradze will not run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 21. (Prime News)



Session of EU-Georgian Cooperation Committee held

The first session of the tenth meeting of the EU-Georgian Cooperation Committee was held in parliament yesterday.

Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze, State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Giorgi Baramidze were among the officials who delivered speeches at the session.

Committee members met NGO and media representatives before meeting President Mikheil Saakashvili at the State Chancellery.

The committee is due to hold a press conference today. (Prime News)



Patriarchate given 300 hectares of land

The Environment Ministry has handed 300 hectares of land to the Patriarchate.

Irakli Ghvaladze, acting environment minister, signed the document conferring the land to the Patriarchate’s ownership.

The ministry is due to give a further 120 hectares of land to the Patriarchate in the near future. (Prime News)



Opposition demand dismissal of CEC chair

The nine-party opposition coalition is repeating its demands for the dismissal of Central Election Commission chairman Levan Tarkhnishvili.

Kakha Kukava, a Conservative MP and opposition coalition member, said at a press conference on Tuesday that if authorities want to hold free and fair elections, Tarkhnishvili should be dismissed. (Prime News)



Eight dead in car accident in Western Georgia

Eight died in a car accident in Western Georgia yesterday morning. The television station Rustavi 2 reported that the accident occurred in Khobi, Mtskheta-Mtianeti province, when a Jeep crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a Mercedes.

Children were among the dead, and a 15-year-old passenger was taken to Zugdidi in a serious condition. (Black Sea Press)