The News in Brief
Thursday, June 20
MIA arrests nine persons
Nine persons have been arrested stemming from the investigation launched after the discovery of scandalous videos footage of human torture and sexual abuse. The videos were found along with weapons and drugs in a secret store in Samegrelo last week. Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, made a statement about the detention of the accused after the meeting with foreign diplomats at the MIA on Wednesday.
According to the minister, one of the detainees is a current employee of the defense ministry. Two others are former police officers. The person accused of sexual abuse has been also arrested.
“It was a systemic problem not a local problem of one particular region. It was happening in the period of the previous government of Georgia when the minister of internal affairs was Vano Merabishvili,” Gharibashvili said, adding that the other details of the investigation of the crime would be reported later. (Rustavi 2)
Merabishvili stops hunger strike in prison
Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance confirms that the Secretary General of the United National Movement has stopped his hunger strike after officials announced that he would be given a TV in the prison cell. The decision has been taken and agreed to by the Penitentiary Department of the Ministry.
The officials say that the former prime minister will be provided with a TV after all procedures are passed and this will take a few days. (Rustavi 2)
Over 500,000 tons of out of date food destroyed in Georgia
A 563,693 kilogram food mound unfit for human consumption was destroyed as a result of an audit conducted by the National Agency for Food of Georgia, the agency reported in its statement on Wednesday.
According to the information and in connection with the upcoming resort season, the agency continues monitoring the consumer market.
Up till now, 585 business operators have been inspected of which 109 have been fined for various violations.
According to the statement, on the basis of the inspections, 563,693 kilograms of food unfit for human consumption and 228,405 units of expired eggs were seized from the market. In addition, 2,491 tons of diseased potatoes were returned to the importer and 25 tons of potatoes were destroyed.
"Considering the risks associated with the hot summer period, special emphasis is placed on catering facilities. Under the state's control we will check perishables, their storage and sale conditions. Tests are being held in different regions of Georgia, including Adjara, where about 60 business operators will be checked," the statement says. (Trend)
Georgia to resume supplying agricultural products to Russia
Georgia will be able to restore the supply of agricultural products to Russia in two to three weeks, head of the Georgian delegation, Director of the Georgian National Food Agency Zurab Chekurashvili said after talks with head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Sergey Dankvert, in Moscow.
During the talks, the sides stressed they had reached an understanding on many issues. The conditions of supplying certain agricultural products are being coordinated."The terms of the supply must be finally coordinated within two to three weeks," he said. "Georgian agricultural products will be supplied to Russia during that period. This is a normal range of plant products that includes spices, vegetables, fruits and honey." Russia will supply meat and dairy products to Georgia.
Delivering Georgian wines, mineral water and agricultural products to the Russian market was banned in spring 2006 when Georgian-Russian relations deteriorated. The official reason was the low quality of Georgian products. Russia and Georgia began talks to resume supplies in early 2013. (Trend)
Prime Minister meets Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili met with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and the OSCE Chairman. According to the PM's press office Georgian-Ukrainian relations were discussed at the face-to-face meeting. After the meeting, an extended meeting was held, which was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and members of the Ukrainian delegation. The two sides discussed a range of multilateral relations between the two countries, including cultural and trade-economic issues, as well as cooperation within the framework of international and regional organizations. (IPN)
Davit Narmania to participate in International Conference in Yerevan
Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Davit Narmania departed to Yerevan to take part in the international conference “Representative Democracy on a Local Level”.
The conference is organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and Ministry of Territorial Administration of Armenia. The aim is to increase engagement of civilians in democratic systems and work out new forms of their participation in direct and representative democracies.
Representatives of the local government, civil society and partner organizations will take part in the conference, also students and experts from the Council of Europe.
The conference will be opened by the Vice President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Anders Knape. (IPN)
Speaker completes visit to Brussels
Parliamentary Chairman Davit Usupashvili has wrapped up his visit to Brussels and left for London to hold official meetings. In Brussels, Usupashvili held his last meeting in the Senate of Belgium discussing bilateral cooperation issues at the meeting with his Belgian counterpart. He also met with Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. The sides discussed recent political developments in Georgia, arrests of former officials and foreign policy issues.
Usupashvili said after the meetings that he was pledged by the European officials that Georgia would have a very strong support at the Vilnius summit if the elections of the president were conducted democratically. (Rustavi 2)
Academy of Sciences has a New President
Otar Kvesitadze was elected as a President of Academy of Sciences of Georgia. (The Messenger)
Nine persons have been arrested stemming from the investigation launched after the discovery of scandalous videos footage of human torture and sexual abuse. The videos were found along with weapons and drugs in a secret store in Samegrelo last week. Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, made a statement about the detention of the accused after the meeting with foreign diplomats at the MIA on Wednesday.
According to the minister, one of the detainees is a current employee of the defense ministry. Two others are former police officers. The person accused of sexual abuse has been also arrested.
“It was a systemic problem not a local problem of one particular region. It was happening in the period of the previous government of Georgia when the minister of internal affairs was Vano Merabishvili,” Gharibashvili said, adding that the other details of the investigation of the crime would be reported later. (Rustavi 2)
Merabishvili stops hunger strike in prison
Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance confirms that the Secretary General of the United National Movement has stopped his hunger strike after officials announced that he would be given a TV in the prison cell. The decision has been taken and agreed to by the Penitentiary Department of the Ministry.
The officials say that the former prime minister will be provided with a TV after all procedures are passed and this will take a few days. (Rustavi 2)
Over 500,000 tons of out of date food destroyed in Georgia
A 563,693 kilogram food mound unfit for human consumption was destroyed as a result of an audit conducted by the National Agency for Food of Georgia, the agency reported in its statement on Wednesday.
According to the information and in connection with the upcoming resort season, the agency continues monitoring the consumer market.
Up till now, 585 business operators have been inspected of which 109 have been fined for various violations.
According to the statement, on the basis of the inspections, 563,693 kilograms of food unfit for human consumption and 228,405 units of expired eggs were seized from the market. In addition, 2,491 tons of diseased potatoes were returned to the importer and 25 tons of potatoes were destroyed.
"Considering the risks associated with the hot summer period, special emphasis is placed on catering facilities. Under the state's control we will check perishables, their storage and sale conditions. Tests are being held in different regions of Georgia, including Adjara, where about 60 business operators will be checked," the statement says. (Trend)
Georgia to resume supplying agricultural products to Russia
Georgia will be able to restore the supply of agricultural products to Russia in two to three weeks, head of the Georgian delegation, Director of the Georgian National Food Agency Zurab Chekurashvili said after talks with head of the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Sergey Dankvert, in Moscow.
During the talks, the sides stressed they had reached an understanding on many issues. The conditions of supplying certain agricultural products are being coordinated."The terms of the supply must be finally coordinated within two to three weeks," he said. "Georgian agricultural products will be supplied to Russia during that period. This is a normal range of plant products that includes spices, vegetables, fruits and honey." Russia will supply meat and dairy products to Georgia.
Delivering Georgian wines, mineral water and agricultural products to the Russian market was banned in spring 2006 when Georgian-Russian relations deteriorated. The official reason was the low quality of Georgian products. Russia and Georgia began talks to resume supplies in early 2013. (Trend)
Prime Minister meets Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili met with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister and the OSCE Chairman. According to the PM's press office Georgian-Ukrainian relations were discussed at the face-to-face meeting. After the meeting, an extended meeting was held, which was attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia and members of the Ukrainian delegation. The two sides discussed a range of multilateral relations between the two countries, including cultural and trade-economic issues, as well as cooperation within the framework of international and regional organizations. (IPN)
Davit Narmania to participate in International Conference in Yerevan
Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Davit Narmania departed to Yerevan to take part in the international conference “Representative Democracy on a Local Level”.
The conference is organized by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and Ministry of Territorial Administration of Armenia. The aim is to increase engagement of civilians in democratic systems and work out new forms of their participation in direct and representative democracies.
Representatives of the local government, civil society and partner organizations will take part in the conference, also students and experts from the Council of Europe.
The conference will be opened by the Vice President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe Anders Knape. (IPN)
Speaker completes visit to Brussels
Parliamentary Chairman Davit Usupashvili has wrapped up his visit to Brussels and left for London to hold official meetings. In Brussels, Usupashvili held his last meeting in the Senate of Belgium discussing bilateral cooperation issues at the meeting with his Belgian counterpart. He also met with Stefan Fule, the European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. The sides discussed recent political developments in Georgia, arrests of former officials and foreign policy issues.
Usupashvili said after the meetings that he was pledged by the European officials that Georgia would have a very strong support at the Vilnius summit if the elections of the president were conducted democratically. (Rustavi 2)
Academy of Sciences has a New President
Otar Kvesitadze was elected as a President of Academy of Sciences of Georgia. (The Messenger)