The News in Brief
Wednesday, May 1
Alasania says Georgia has fulfilled all the commitments which it had undertaken before the EU
"Georgia has fulfilled all the commitments which it had undertaken before the EU,” Minister of Defense of Georgia, Irakli Alasania said in Bulgaria. Within the framework of an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria, Minister Alasania visited the Atlantic Club and delivered a speech where he drew attention to the prospects of Georgia’s integration into NATO and the EU, as well as on GAF’s participation in the ISAF mission.
"This is the choice of the Georgian people that was demonstrated in 2008 through the plebiscite when 75 percent of Georgia’s population approved and supported our integration process,” Alasania said, focusing on the current reforms in Georgia.
While delivering the speech in the Atlantic Council, the minister spoke about last year’s parliamentary elections. He said it was just in the October election when the Georgian people made the choice to become part of Europe.
"We do hope that through the bilateral and multilateral structures of cooperation with the European Union and NATO countries will assume Georgia to be a member of the community that safeguards the same values."
Towards the end, the minister talked about the necessity of normalizing relations between Georgia and the Russian Federation, as well as with the Abkhazian and Ossetian people. (Front News)
“Saakashvili will take part in the event of May 26 as the President and a citizen of Georgia”
According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Maia Panjikidze, May 26 belongs to all of Georgia, so the whole country will take part in this event. “As for the president, I am sure that Saakashvili will take part in the event of May 26 as the President and as a citizen of Georgia. This event will not be like it was before, it will be a general national holiday and I will take part in this event along with you,” Panjikdize said. (Front News)
Man arrested for drug crime
The officers of the Detective Division of the Adjara Regional Main Division detained Oleg E. for drug crime. The suspect was arrested on the grounds of operative information at the Sarpi customs point, when he was crossing Georgian state border. He is accused of the transported of 19 packages of drugs with his body. According to the results of expertise 6.08 gm of drug contained 1.88 gm of heroin.
Tests also revealed traces of opium in the detainee’s blood. Oleg E. has already pleaded guilty. An investigation is in progress according to Article 260. The accused faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. (Rustavi 2)
Justice Minister reviews judiciary reform
Minister of Justice of Georgia, Tea Tsulukiani, says she will dismiss the members of the Supreme Council of Justice. Tsulukiani reviewed the process of reforming the judiciary system in an interview with Maestro TV and called on the judges to launch an election campaign for becoming the members the council. The minister has also disapproved of the non-plenary meetings with judges of the chairperson of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Konstantine Kublashvili. She says Kublashvili was misinforming and misleading the judges about the details of the judiciary reform. Tsulukiani has also commented on the upcoming vote against the president’s veto on the amendments to the law on the General Courts of Georgia. She said the majority will face no problems in gaining support of 89 MPs to overcome the veto. (Rustavi 2)
Giorgi Baramidze to be among UNM Presidential candidates
Giorgi Baramidze is considering announcing his candidacy for Presidential candidates, one of the Parliamentary Minority leaders said in his speech at the Rose Roth seminar at Courtyard Marriot Hotel. He said this is not a final decision. “I told my colleagues on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly how we think to hold a new process of selecting a Presidential candidate from our party. I said that I was planning to announce my candidacy. It will be a good way; a good method to reveal the candidate,” Baramidze said.
Baramidze said the process will be broadcasted live via television and will be available on the internet. “It will be very interesting to Georgian society and will be another revolutionary step in this field,” Giorgi Baramidze said. (IPN)
Q1 GDP Growth Slows to 1.7% - Preliminary Data
Georgia’s economic growth slowed to 1.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2013, according to preliminary figures released by the state statistics office, Geostat, on April 30.
According to preliminary data, real GDP grew 2.9% y/y in January, slowing to 2.1% in February and 0.2% in March.
Geostat said preliminary figures are subject to revision after updated data from agriculture and some other sectors of the economy become available.
2013 Q1 growth of 1.7% is down from the 2.8% y/y expansion in the last three months of 2012.
According to preliminary data, Georgia’s economy grew 6.1% y/y in 2012 with growth reaching 6.7% in the first quarter of 2012, increasing to 8.2% in the second quarter and going down to 7.5% in the third quarter. (Civil.Ge)
"Georgia has fulfilled all the commitments which it had undertaken before the EU,” Minister of Defense of Georgia, Irakli Alasania said in Bulgaria. Within the framework of an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria, Minister Alasania visited the Atlantic Club and delivered a speech where he drew attention to the prospects of Georgia’s integration into NATO and the EU, as well as on GAF’s participation in the ISAF mission.
"This is the choice of the Georgian people that was demonstrated in 2008 through the plebiscite when 75 percent of Georgia’s population approved and supported our integration process,” Alasania said, focusing on the current reforms in Georgia.
While delivering the speech in the Atlantic Council, the minister spoke about last year’s parliamentary elections. He said it was just in the October election when the Georgian people made the choice to become part of Europe.
"We do hope that through the bilateral and multilateral structures of cooperation with the European Union and NATO countries will assume Georgia to be a member of the community that safeguards the same values."
Towards the end, the minister talked about the necessity of normalizing relations between Georgia and the Russian Federation, as well as with the Abkhazian and Ossetian people. (Front News)
“Saakashvili will take part in the event of May 26 as the President and a citizen of Georgia”
According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Maia Panjikidze, May 26 belongs to all of Georgia, so the whole country will take part in this event. “As for the president, I am sure that Saakashvili will take part in the event of May 26 as the President and as a citizen of Georgia. This event will not be like it was before, it will be a general national holiday and I will take part in this event along with you,” Panjikdize said. (Front News)
Man arrested for drug crime
The officers of the Detective Division of the Adjara Regional Main Division detained Oleg E. for drug crime. The suspect was arrested on the grounds of operative information at the Sarpi customs point, when he was crossing Georgian state border. He is accused of the transported of 19 packages of drugs with his body. According to the results of expertise 6.08 gm of drug contained 1.88 gm of heroin.
Tests also revealed traces of opium in the detainee’s blood. Oleg E. has already pleaded guilty. An investigation is in progress according to Article 260. The accused faces up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. (Rustavi 2)
Justice Minister reviews judiciary reform
Minister of Justice of Georgia, Tea Tsulukiani, says she will dismiss the members of the Supreme Council of Justice. Tsulukiani reviewed the process of reforming the judiciary system in an interview with Maestro TV and called on the judges to launch an election campaign for becoming the members the council. The minister has also disapproved of the non-plenary meetings with judges of the chairperson of the Supreme Court of Georgia, Konstantine Kublashvili. She says Kublashvili was misinforming and misleading the judges about the details of the judiciary reform. Tsulukiani has also commented on the upcoming vote against the president’s veto on the amendments to the law on the General Courts of Georgia. She said the majority will face no problems in gaining support of 89 MPs to overcome the veto. (Rustavi 2)
Giorgi Baramidze to be among UNM Presidential candidates
Giorgi Baramidze is considering announcing his candidacy for Presidential candidates, one of the Parliamentary Minority leaders said in his speech at the Rose Roth seminar at Courtyard Marriot Hotel. He said this is not a final decision. “I told my colleagues on the NATO Parliamentary Assembly how we think to hold a new process of selecting a Presidential candidate from our party. I said that I was planning to announce my candidacy. It will be a good way; a good method to reveal the candidate,” Baramidze said.
Baramidze said the process will be broadcasted live via television and will be available on the internet. “It will be very interesting to Georgian society and will be another revolutionary step in this field,” Giorgi Baramidze said. (IPN)
Q1 GDP Growth Slows to 1.7% - Preliminary Data
Georgia’s economic growth slowed to 1.7% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2013, according to preliminary figures released by the state statistics office, Geostat, on April 30.
According to preliminary data, real GDP grew 2.9% y/y in January, slowing to 2.1% in February and 0.2% in March.
Geostat said preliminary figures are subject to revision after updated data from agriculture and some other sectors of the economy become available.
2013 Q1 growth of 1.7% is down from the 2.8% y/y expansion in the last three months of 2012.
According to preliminary data, Georgia’s economy grew 6.1% y/y in 2012 with growth reaching 6.7% in the first quarter of 2012, increasing to 8.2% in the second quarter and going down to 7.5% in the third quarter. (Civil.Ge)