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The News in Brief

Thursday, July 17
Parliamentary speaker on upcoming UN Security Council session

Parliamentary Speaker Davit Bakradze says he hopes that Russia will be criticized sharply by members of the UN secretary-general’s Group of Friends of Georgia at a session of the UN Security Council scheduled for July 21.

“I cannot speak about concrete results as Russia has a right of veto at the Security Council; though I hope that it will be a session where the representatives of the Russian Federation are sharply criticized because of Russia’s moves,” Bakradze said.

He said that while Russia was criticized at an April session of the UN Security Council that was not enough to change its policy and position.

The session has been called to discuss an incident last week when four Russian military aircraft flew over Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Georgia’s ambassador to the UN Irakli Alasania will attend and address the session. Yesterday a government official said they would appeal to the UN to allow the head of the Tbilisi-backed South Ossetian provisional administrative unit, Dmitry Sanakoyev, to attend the meeting.

“We have a structure that acts on behalf of the Ossetian people and protects their interests in Georgian government. We will do our best to ensure that Dmitry Sanakoyev can attend the UN Security Council discussions on the violation of Georgian airspace by Russian aircraft,” said Shota Malashkhia, chair of a parliamentary committee on conflict issues.

South Ossetian separatist leader Eduard Kokoity says he will demand to be allowed to attend the session also. (Prime News)



Parliamentary speaker presents new chair of Chamber of Control

Parliamentary Speaker Davit Bakradze presented Levan Bezhashvili, the new chair of the Chamber of Control, to staff yesterday.

Bakradze said Bezhashvili is an honest and competent man and thanked the former chair, Levan Choladze.

Parliament approved Bezhashvili’s nomination with 98 votes for and two against on July 15. (Prime News)



Tbilisi gets more car parks

New car parks will be built in Tbilisi to tackle the city’s parking problem.

An underground car park will be built near Chargali Cafe, deputy mayor Sulkhan Sisauri said. (Prime News)



Semneby meets separatists

Peter Semneby, the EU’s special representative to the South Caucasus, was due to meet South Ossetian separatist official Boris Chochiev yesterday.

A separatist representative said Semneby would discuss conflict issues with Chochiev and other separatist officials.

On July 14 Semneby visited Sokhumi to meet Abkhaz separatist officials. (Prime News)



Spanish journalists to shoot documentary on Georgia

A group of Spanish journalists are making a documentary about Georgian winemaking.

The wine company Teliani Valley said that the journalists would visit one of its factories as well as a number of families in Telavi Yesterday. (Prime News)



Opposition demands case be brought against Aquaphone

MPs Gia Tsagareishvili and Paata Davitaia say they will appeal to the Prosecutor General’s Office to institute a case against mobile phone company Aquaphone, which they say is operating in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.

They say the company is using a frequency illegally. (Prime News)