The News in Brief
Monday, November 9
Russian Patriarch to visit Tbilisi
Patriarch Kyril of Moscow and All Russia will visit Tbilisi on the invitation of the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia. This decision was made at the meeting between the two Patriarchs in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 6.
Ilia II and Kyril discussed Russia-Georgia relations at this meeting and said that, despite all the current circumstances, relations between the Georgian and Russian Churches remain firm. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church said that the Churches are able to move Russia-Georgia relations out of their current impasse.
“The wise policy Azerbijani President Ilham Aliyev is conducting and the wise policy Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is conducting are the guarantee for the intensification of relations between the two countries in the future,” Ilia II said. (Rustavi 2)
US-Georgian military exercises completed
The joint US-Georgian military exercise ‘Immediate Response’ has ended. The exercise, aimed at preparing Georgian servicemen to participate in the ISAF operation in Afghanistan, took place over two weeks at the Vaziani military base.
On Saturday its closing ceremony was held. In the course of this, successful soldiers were awarded with certificates and presents.
The exercise was designed to promote the interoperability of Georgian soldiers with NATO troops during the international security assistance mission in Afghanistan. In this phase they were trained in counter-insurgency operations. Georgian servicemen will conduct their mission side by side with American soldiers.
“The United States expresses its appreciation of Georgia’s strong commitment to participate voluntarily in the most crucial peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan,” an official statement issued by the United States Embassy in Georgia says. (Rustavi 2)
Medvedev: Last year’s conflict in Georgia was a European conflict
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has talked about the Georgian-Russian war in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel.
“Last year’s conflict in Georgia demonstrated that security in Europe is not guaranteed. That was a European conflict. I am convinced that we must think about how to enhance European security. It is our common need,” Dmitry Medvedev said.
“I will say a few words about the idea of a treaty on European security. It is aimed precisely at creating a framework which will give all of us, both NATO members and European countries that are not NATO members, the possibility to discuss the most urgent issues. Otherwise states without NATO membership will not be fully at ease. We should create a comprehensive mechanism to communicate, discuss the most difficult situations and settle our intra-European disagreements on various matters,” the Russian President added.
“We share the same values recognised in the West. I see no major deviations in our conceptions of human rights and freedoms, especially if Russia is compared to the new members of the European Union. They are no better than us in terms of political culture and level of economic development, but they are small, and they regularly claim they have to face multiple threats,” he said. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian President attends launch of power station construction
Construction of the Mtkvari Hydro Electric Power Station has begun in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region. The 28-megawatt hydroelectric power station is being constructed in the village of Sakuneti, Akhaltsikhe district. The Caucasian Energy and Infrastructure Company will make an investment of USD 70 million. The construction works will finish in three years.
The Georgian President laid the first capsule in the foundation of the station. Mikheil Saakashvili also talked about the importance of this project at the opening ceremony, saying that this is the biggest construction project in the history of independent Georgia and the Mtkvari HES will be the largest hydroelectric power station in the country.
“On the anniversary of the war, during the world crisis, when everything has been stopped in the region, when the whole world thinks that we are finished and ready to kneel down, we start a great construction in this gorge. This construction, in the literal as well as figurative sense, will give Georgia new energy,” Saakashvili said. He added that a lot of families would be employed at the new power station.
“Georgia is not someone’s province. Georgia is a European country. We continue to construct a modern and stable country. We are the centre of this region, we have the lowest level of corruption in it. This region starts from China and includes Eastern Europe and great part of the Middle East,” the President said.
Saakashvili said that Georgia has succeeded because the Government is working day and night to attract foreign investment. (Rustavi 2)
Two petrol station staff wounded in Tbilisi
An incident occurred at a Lukoil petrol station at 6 a.m. on Saturday. A discord arose between employees of the gas station which turned into a serious conflict. In consequence, two staff of the Lukoil station were wounded. They have been taken to hospital.
There are eyewitnesses to the incident. Law enforcers are interrogating the workers at the Lukoil petrol station. (Rustavi 2)
Giorgi Baramia calls Abkhazetoba a continuation of peace policy
Abkhazetoba, an exhibition currently taking place at the ethnographic museum, has been called “a continuation of the peace policy by Giorgi Baramia, Chair of the legal Abkhazian Government. He said this at the presentation of an Abkhazian oda (wooden house).
“We want to send a peace message to our Abkhazian brothers. We want to tell them that we’ll always be together, despite the third power trying to separate us. Our peoples’ desire to live together will certainly come true,” he declared.
Culture Minister of Abkhazia Dali Khomerik stated that ‘Abkhazetoba’ will presumably be held annually. (Interpressnews)
Patriarch Kyril of Moscow and All Russia will visit Tbilisi on the invitation of the Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia. This decision was made at the meeting between the two Patriarchs in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 6.
Ilia II and Kyril discussed Russia-Georgia relations at this meeting and said that, despite all the current circumstances, relations between the Georgian and Russian Churches remain firm. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church said that the Churches are able to move Russia-Georgia relations out of their current impasse.
“The wise policy Azerbijani President Ilham Aliyev is conducting and the wise policy Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is conducting are the guarantee for the intensification of relations between the two countries in the future,” Ilia II said. (Rustavi 2)
US-Georgian military exercises completed
The joint US-Georgian military exercise ‘Immediate Response’ has ended. The exercise, aimed at preparing Georgian servicemen to participate in the ISAF operation in Afghanistan, took place over two weeks at the Vaziani military base.
On Saturday its closing ceremony was held. In the course of this, successful soldiers were awarded with certificates and presents.
The exercise was designed to promote the interoperability of Georgian soldiers with NATO troops during the international security assistance mission in Afghanistan. In this phase they were trained in counter-insurgency operations. Georgian servicemen will conduct their mission side by side with American soldiers.
“The United States expresses its appreciation of Georgia’s strong commitment to participate voluntarily in the most crucial peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan,” an official statement issued by the United States Embassy in Georgia says. (Rustavi 2)
Medvedev: Last year’s conflict in Georgia was a European conflict
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has talked about the Georgian-Russian war in an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel.
“Last year’s conflict in Georgia demonstrated that security in Europe is not guaranteed. That was a European conflict. I am convinced that we must think about how to enhance European security. It is our common need,” Dmitry Medvedev said.
“I will say a few words about the idea of a treaty on European security. It is aimed precisely at creating a framework which will give all of us, both NATO members and European countries that are not NATO members, the possibility to discuss the most urgent issues. Otherwise states without NATO membership will not be fully at ease. We should create a comprehensive mechanism to communicate, discuss the most difficult situations and settle our intra-European disagreements on various matters,” the Russian President added.
“We share the same values recognised in the West. I see no major deviations in our conceptions of human rights and freedoms, especially if Russia is compared to the new members of the European Union. They are no better than us in terms of political culture and level of economic development, but they are small, and they regularly claim they have to face multiple threats,” he said. (Rustavi 2)
Georgian President attends launch of power station construction
Construction of the Mtkvari Hydro Electric Power Station has begun in the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region. The 28-megawatt hydroelectric power station is being constructed in the village of Sakuneti, Akhaltsikhe district. The Caucasian Energy and Infrastructure Company will make an investment of USD 70 million. The construction works will finish in three years.
The Georgian President laid the first capsule in the foundation of the station. Mikheil Saakashvili also talked about the importance of this project at the opening ceremony, saying that this is the biggest construction project in the history of independent Georgia and the Mtkvari HES will be the largest hydroelectric power station in the country.
“On the anniversary of the war, during the world crisis, when everything has been stopped in the region, when the whole world thinks that we are finished and ready to kneel down, we start a great construction in this gorge. This construction, in the literal as well as figurative sense, will give Georgia new energy,” Saakashvili said. He added that a lot of families would be employed at the new power station.
“Georgia is not someone’s province. Georgia is a European country. We continue to construct a modern and stable country. We are the centre of this region, we have the lowest level of corruption in it. This region starts from China and includes Eastern Europe and great part of the Middle East,” the President said.
Saakashvili said that Georgia has succeeded because the Government is working day and night to attract foreign investment. (Rustavi 2)
Two petrol station staff wounded in Tbilisi
An incident occurred at a Lukoil petrol station at 6 a.m. on Saturday. A discord arose between employees of the gas station which turned into a serious conflict. In consequence, two staff of the Lukoil station were wounded. They have been taken to hospital.
There are eyewitnesses to the incident. Law enforcers are interrogating the workers at the Lukoil petrol station. (Rustavi 2)
Giorgi Baramia calls Abkhazetoba a continuation of peace policy
Abkhazetoba, an exhibition currently taking place at the ethnographic museum, has been called “a continuation of the peace policy by Giorgi Baramia, Chair of the legal Abkhazian Government. He said this at the presentation of an Abkhazian oda (wooden house).
“We want to send a peace message to our Abkhazian brothers. We want to tell them that we’ll always be together, despite the third power trying to separate us. Our peoples’ desire to live together will certainly come true,” he declared.
Culture Minister of Abkhazia Dali Khomerik stated that ‘Abkhazetoba’ will presumably be held annually. (Interpressnews)