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The News in Brief

Wednesday, June 1
Vice Premier Giorgi Baramidze attending spring session of NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Vice Premier Giorgi Baramidze is attending the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Bulgaria.

The session was opened by NATO Secretary General and the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

During the visit Giorgi Baramidze met with the President and the Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. At the meeting Baramidze thanked the Parliamentary Assembly for the resolution, which says that Russia has occupied the Georgian territories and which supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.

The necessity for a peaceful and diplomatic solution of the Georgia-Russia conflict was also discussed at the meeting.

Giorgi Baramidze also updated NATO on the recent developments in Georgia. (Interpressnews)



Georgia expecting investments from Norway

Georgia is expecting serious investments from Norway, which has expressed its interest to construct a hydro electric power station in the country. The sides have already signed a corresponding memorandum during the Georgia-Norway business forum held in Oslo, where Georgian Minister of Economics and Sustainable Development, Vera Kobalia represented the Georgian government.

Local business authorities called upon other entrepreneurs to invest their funds in the energy sector of Georgia as well, because the country has very serious energy potential and the business had great support from the government.

Within the visit to Norway, Vera Kobalia held meetings with some senior governmental authorities and representatives of different companies. (Rustavi 2)



President demands exemplary punishment of guilty doctors

President of Georgia has demanded punishment of the doctors, whose negligence killed a three year-old girl in Dedoplistskaro district today. Mikheil Saakashvili said he had a very serious conversation with the Minister of Health and Social Care to eradicate such cases and punish the guilty.

`I heard the story of a child, who was bitten by a snake in Dedoplistskaro; the child was transferred to hospital, but the doctors held her there for seven hours, while the child only needed an injection of a vaccine to survive; when they realized that the child was dying, they decided to send her to Tbilisi, but the child died before she was transferred to Tbilisi; I had a very tough conversation with the minister; those doctors must be strictly punished; I am not going to stand such things in Georgia today that a child became a victim of somebody`s negligence,` the president said., (Rustavi 2)



Oppositional MPs starting collection of signatories demanding setting up of fact-finding commission

Oppositional MPs are starting the collection of signatories demanding the setting up of a fact-finding commission in the Parliament.

The MPs say the commission should investigate the crackdown of the Imedi TV station in November 2007, cases of pressure and violence being exerted on journalists and the May 26 violations.

The MPs say exactly the non-investigation of the crackdown of the Imedi TV station prepared ground for other violations and violence on 26 May. MP Jondi Baghaturia thinks it is wrong that ‘Imedi TV was cracked down on in 2007 on the charge of a coup attempt; however nobody has been punished or interrogated in this regard up to now’.

Baghaturia says those who don’t support the setting up of a fact-finding commission, will be responsible for the committed acts of violence. (Interpressnews)



Russian intelligence detains Georgian TV crew

Russian intelligence has detained the journalists of a Tbilisi-based television PIK TV in Moscow. Law enforcers explain that Natia Pholadashvili and Aleksei Matveev were covering the civil funerals of the Abkhazia`s puppet leader Sergey Bagapsh without accreditation issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The detained journalists were taken to the Meshanski regional police department, where protocols about the administrative violation were registered. The cameraman, Aleksei Matveev, who is the citizen of Russia, was fined with 500 Russian Rubles, Natia Pholadashvili, who has the citizenship of Azerbaijan, though she is Georgian by nationality, was charged with violating the law by travelling and staying in Russia. The cases have been sent to court for discussion. Pholadashvili could face a 2-5 000 ruble fine and deportation from Russia. (Rustavi 2)



Law enforcers find painting by Pirosmani

A new painting by Niko Pirosmani, a Georgian primitivist painter of the 19 and 20th centuries, has been discovered during a criminal investigation by the prosecutor`s office of Tbilisi.

The law enforcers found eight paintings in total, one of which turned out to be Wounded Soldier by Nicala. Seven other paintings belong to Russian and Italian painters of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Experts have already confirmed that the Wounded Soldier is the masterpiece by Pirosmani. All eight paintings have cultural value and they will be handed over to the National Gallery of Georgia.

The details of the case were reported at the special briefing held in Tbilisi prosecutor`s office yesterday. (Rustavi 2)