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The News in Brief

Tuesday, February 17
Anzor Erkomaishvili publishes records of unique folk songs

Famous Georgian folklorist Anzor Erkomaishvili has published a book of unique folk song recordings from the beginning of the 20th century. Mr. Erkomaishvili has been collecting original Georgian folk songs for decades.

The presentation of the book “Georgian Folk Songs - First Recordings 1901-1914” was held in the grand concert hall of the Tbilisi Conservatoire yesterday. In it, the author describes the history and process of searching out unique folk recordings in the archives of various countries. The book is accompanied by a CD of 100 unique folk songs, sung by national folk band Basiani.

Politicians and Georgia`s First Lady attended the event yesterday.
(Rustavi 2)



Education Minister of Abkhazia considers pressure on teachers in Gali region unacceptable

The Minister of Education and Culture of the Tbilisi-backed Abkhazian Autonomous Republic, Aleksandre Aplakov, considers that the pressure being applied to teachers in the Gali region is unacceptable. He states that the security of teachers must be protected.

Aplakov stated that the Georgian Government regards any document issued by the separatist regime as invalid. “The teachers of Gali public schools are being forced to take ‘passports’ of the so-called ‘Abkhazian Republic.’ The teachers are being called to police stations and forced to fill out papers in which they declare that they renounce their citizenship of Georgia and ask for the citizenship of Abkhazia,” Aleksandre Aplakov said.

The deadline given to them for filling out the papers expires at the end of February. If the teachers refuse to take new passports, the separatists threaten to remove them from Abkhazia.
(Interpressnews)



Education Ministry organizes events concerning Russian occupation

From February 18 to 25, every public school in Georgia will hold performances and other events dedicated to the occupation of Georgia in 1921 by the Russian Red Army.

During the week of events the schools will present exhibitions, hold discussions, host guests at open classes and produce literary endeavours. The 50 pupils from the regions producing the best work during this week will be taken to the Tbilisi Occupation Museum. The competition will also identify the twenty best schools and reward them.
(Rustavi 2)



Finance Minister meets NGOs

Georgian Finance Minister Kakha Baindurashvili met representatives of the NGO Transparency International Georgia yesterday and discussed the expenditure of the funds allotted by various donor organizations.

The Minister promised that the NGOs would receive continual reports on the distribution of these funds. According to the Ministry of Finance, Georgia will receive 1.8 billion from donor organizations in 2009.
(Rustavi 2)



Grigol Vashadze to visit Poland and Armenia

Foreign Minister of Georgia Grigol Vashadze will visit Poland on 17-18 February. Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Jalaghonia announced this at a press conference held yesterday.

Vashadze will meet representatives of the Polish legislative and executive. Future perspectives of cooperation between Georgia and Poland will be discussed. The Foreign Minister of Georgia will also visit Armenia on 20-21 February. Discussion of deepening bilateral cooperation is planned.
(Interpressnews)



Adjara Government Chairman attends event in Turkey

The Chairman of the Adjaran Government, Levan Varshalomidze, attended the opening of a ski resort in Turkey yesterday. A sports school was opened in Artvin, where Adjaran officials shared their practical experience in school and resort management obtained in the Kedlebi and Gomarduli resorts in Adjara with their Turkish colleagues.

During the visit, Varshalomidze held meetings with local businessmen and talked about attracting investments to the region. The sides also discussed customs problems at the Georgia-Turkey border, where procedural innovations are to be implemented.
(Rustavi 2)