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Compiled by Messenger Staff
Tuesday, February 15
South Ossetian passports to be issued

Locals have reported that from today so called South Ossetian passports will be issued in Akhalgori district, 24 Hours reports. The decision was made according to Edward Kokoity’s edict to issue new passports automatically for those who completed form #9. Akhalgori residents say that the Tskhinvali regime has not asked them to reject Georgian citizenship in order to obtain the so called South Ossetian passports, however the locals are not ruling out that the regime will demand they hand in their Georgian IDs. Local residents say that if there is such a requirement, people won’t accept the passports.



Ministry of Environmental Protection reorganisation is inadmissible

International organisations and diplomats consider the reorganisation of the Ministry of Environmental Protection inadmissible, 24 Hours reports.

According to the Ministry, international organisations and representatives of the diplomatic corps have requested a public discussion of the issue, in line with the principles of the Orhus convention.

According to the convention, the Georgian government is obliged to hold environmental protection events and structurally reinforce its services; the reorganisation of the Ministry is against the principles of the convention.

The Orhus convention was signed between Georgia and the EU in the nineties and it is ratified by the Georgian Parliament.

A meeting of ambassadors accredited in Georgia was held in the Embassy of the Netherlands about the presumed reorganisation of the Ministry of environmental protection.

Georgia’s Prime Minister, Nika Gilauri made a statement about the reorganisation of the Ministry during the governmental session of 8 February.