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Compiled by Sopo Datishvili
Monday, February 23
New insurance programme will be instituted on March 1

24 Saati reports that Health Minister Sandro Kvitashvili has presented insurance companies and Government members with the details of the recently-signed memorandum concerning the new GEL 5 health insurance package. This cheap health insurance system will be available for 500,000 people under the age of 60 from March 1. The Government will spend GEL 15 million from its budget to meet its portion of the insurance costs. Kvitashvili will provide the Government with further details at its February 24 meeting.

The new insurance will cover three areas: medical treatment for injuries caused by accidents, urgent in situ treatment and also first-instance treatment.



Legislative initiative

24 Saati reports that a meeting between Parliamentary Judicial Committee members and MP Jondi Baghaturia, the leader of Georgian Troupe, was held in the judicial issues hall of the House of Free Opinion. The aim of the meeting was to discuss the new Parliamentary initiative of Georgian Troupe which would change criminal law procedures.

“We want to hear the views of House of Free Opinion experts on our legislative initiative. We have decided that any initiative of Parliament should be discussed publicly, in other words summarized by experts, NGOs and society,” said Jondi Baghaturia.

The Georgian Troupe initiative would introduce changes in three codes: the Code of Criminal Law, the Procedural Law of the Criminal Code and the Law on Execution of Non-imprisonment Punishment and Probation.



Why is Russia capricious?

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that according to political analyst Ramaz Sakvarelidze the Geneva agreement is a step forward in terms of creating a mechanism for avoiding and jointly reacting to incidents in the conflict regions of Georgia and the surrounding territories.

“The statement of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Karasin about the possibility of not observing the agreement’s conditions is an unauthorised initiative, as the agreement has already been concluded. The Geneva agreement is a step forward. Russia was trying to drag out the talks for its own advantage, but as it is now economically stretched it cannot afford to be arguing with Europe,” said Sakvarelidze.



Wolf eats woman

Rezonansi reports that in the Sagarejo region village of Giorgitsminda a wolf has eaten a woman. Local people reported this to the Kakheti Information Centre.

The 50-year old woman was collecting wood when she was allegedly attacked by the wolf. When she failed to return home villagers searched for her for two days before finding parts of her body and pieces of her clothes. An investigation has been begun by the Sagarejo police.

Not long ago wolves also attacked the inhabitants of the Dedoplistskaro village Pirosmani. Some people were bitten and the wolves ate their cattle. The people of Kakheti have asked the local authorities for help several times already but in vain.

Administration representatives say that they have established a duty watch but wolves still attack people in different villages of Kakheti.