The News in Brief
Monday, February 25
Georgian rugby team beats Russia
The Georgian national rugby union team beat Russia by a score of 23 to 9 at Sochi Stadium on Saturday. It was the 90th victory of the Georgian national rugby union team ("The Lelos").
(Front News)
EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee meeting to be held in Brussels
The EU - Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee meeting will be held in Brussels on February 25th-26th. The Georgian parliamentary delegation will be led by MP Tina Khidasheli.
Parliament's press office reports that during the visit the delegation will hold meetings with political groups of the European Parliament.
At the end of the meeting the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee members will adopt recommendations.
The EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee was established in 1999. The committee oversees parliamentary control of implementation of adopted decisions.
(IPN)
Former Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs arrested
Former Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Lado Vardzelashvili was arrested after several hours of interrogation concerning the death of Devi Siradze. Siradze was accidently shot and killed at Vardzelashvili's apartment on Thursday night. The person who shot Siradze was also arrested, according to the police. The pistol used to kill Siradze was illegally stored at Vardzelashvili's apartment. According to Vardzelashvili's lawyer, the pistol was registered in Vardzelashvili’s brother-in-law's name but the former Minister kept it in a safe at his house.
Devi Siradze was the head of the Youth Affairs Department of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affair. He visited the family of the former minister together with his wife on Thursday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has released Vardzelashvili's video testimony.
(Rustavi 2)
Lithuanian ex-PM sends open letter to Ivanishvili and Merabishvili
The former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius has expressed his concerns regarding the detention of former government officials in Georgia. Kubilius has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Secretary-General of the United National Movement Vano Merabishvili. The former Lithuanian PM writes that Georgia's allies do not approve of the series of arrests and general pressure of the opposition and calls on the opposition and the government to collaborate to maintain the country’s democratic course.
While hailing the peaceful transition of power after the parliamentary elections Kubilius believes that the recent wave of arrests of former officials could seriously undermine Georgia's recent achievements and harm Georgia's population.
Andrius Kubilius hopes that upcoming summit of the Eastern Partnership Program will bring positive results and Georgia will sign the EU Associate Membership Agreement.
(Rustavi 2)
ICK Head accuses police of pressure
The head of the Information Center of Kakheti Gela Mtivlishvili has accused patrol police officers of pressuring him and his employees. Mtivlishvili says patrol police officers fined him without reason and filmed the process with video cameras. Mtivlishvili says this action was related to reports published on the Information Center's website about the mistreatment and abuse of citizens by the police.
Officers of the Kakheti police division have denied the allegations of the ICK director.
“I can announce with full responsibility that no police officers of Kakheti police division put pressure on Mr. Mtivlishvili or his employees. Our work is completely based on law and justice." a representative of the Kakhetian police division said.
(Rustaci 2)
US reduces financial support to Georgia due to budget cuts
"The reason of the reduction of US support (to Georgia) is their budgetary problems.” Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said after the announcement of the U.S. State Department.
"This is not news. I do not know why the media got interested in it now. This information was published in April last year,” Maia Panjikidze said.
According to reports, Washington has cut assistance to South Caucasian countries by 24 %.
(Front News)
IDPs say Ministry keeps its promises
20 families displaced from Abkhazia have been settled in new apartments on Moscow Prospect on February 22nd. Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia Davit Darakhvelidze congratulated the IDPs and personally handed over the keys to their apartments. IDPs said it is the first case when the Ministry has followed its promises through negotiations instead of direct eviction. IDPs have stated that the trust between IDPs and the Ministry has been restored as the Ministry is actually taking their interests in rehabilitation seriously. Minister Darakhvelidze has said the problems of IDPs will be solved gradually.
(The Messenger)
The Georgian national rugby union team beat Russia by a score of 23 to 9 at Sochi Stadium on Saturday. It was the 90th victory of the Georgian national rugby union team ("The Lelos").
(Front News)
EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee meeting to be held in Brussels
The EU - Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee meeting will be held in Brussels on February 25th-26th. The Georgian parliamentary delegation will be led by MP Tina Khidasheli.
Parliament's press office reports that during the visit the delegation will hold meetings with political groups of the European Parliament.
At the end of the meeting the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee members will adopt recommendations.
The EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee was established in 1999. The committee oversees parliamentary control of implementation of adopted decisions.
(IPN)
Former Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs arrested
Former Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Lado Vardzelashvili was arrested after several hours of interrogation concerning the death of Devi Siradze. Siradze was accidently shot and killed at Vardzelashvili's apartment on Thursday night. The person who shot Siradze was also arrested, according to the police. The pistol used to kill Siradze was illegally stored at Vardzelashvili's apartment. According to Vardzelashvili's lawyer, the pistol was registered in Vardzelashvili’s brother-in-law's name but the former Minister kept it in a safe at his house.
Devi Siradze was the head of the Youth Affairs Department of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affair. He visited the family of the former minister together with his wife on Thursday. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has released Vardzelashvili's video testimony.
(Rustavi 2)
Lithuanian ex-PM sends open letter to Ivanishvili and Merabishvili
The former Prime Minister of Lithuania Andrius Kubilius has expressed his concerns regarding the detention of former government officials in Georgia. Kubilius has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Secretary-General of the United National Movement Vano Merabishvili. The former Lithuanian PM writes that Georgia's allies do not approve of the series of arrests and general pressure of the opposition and calls on the opposition and the government to collaborate to maintain the country’s democratic course.
While hailing the peaceful transition of power after the parliamentary elections Kubilius believes that the recent wave of arrests of former officials could seriously undermine Georgia's recent achievements and harm Georgia's population.
Andrius Kubilius hopes that upcoming summit of the Eastern Partnership Program will bring positive results and Georgia will sign the EU Associate Membership Agreement.
(Rustavi 2)
ICK Head accuses police of pressure
The head of the Information Center of Kakheti Gela Mtivlishvili has accused patrol police officers of pressuring him and his employees. Mtivlishvili says patrol police officers fined him without reason and filmed the process with video cameras. Mtivlishvili says this action was related to reports published on the Information Center's website about the mistreatment and abuse of citizens by the police.
Officers of the Kakheti police division have denied the allegations of the ICK director.
“I can announce with full responsibility that no police officers of Kakheti police division put pressure on Mr. Mtivlishvili or his employees. Our work is completely based on law and justice." a representative of the Kakhetian police division said.
(Rustaci 2)
US reduces financial support to Georgia due to budget cuts
"The reason of the reduction of US support (to Georgia) is their budgetary problems.” Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said after the announcement of the U.S. State Department.
"This is not news. I do not know why the media got interested in it now. This information was published in April last year,” Maia Panjikidze said.
According to reports, Washington has cut assistance to South Caucasian countries by 24 %.
(Front News)
IDPs say Ministry keeps its promises
20 families displaced from Abkhazia have been settled in new apartments on Moscow Prospect on February 22nd. Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia Davit Darakhvelidze congratulated the IDPs and personally handed over the keys to their apartments. IDPs said it is the first case when the Ministry has followed its promises through negotiations instead of direct eviction. IDPs have stated that the trust between IDPs and the Ministry has been restored as the Ministry is actually taking their interests in rehabilitation seriously. Minister Darakhvelidze has said the problems of IDPs will be solved gradually.
(The Messenger)