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The News in Brief

Thursday, June 27
Georgia, Israel launch talks on non-visa regime

Georgia and Israel have begun negotiations on a preferential and non-visa regime, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili said after his visit to Israel. "We have agreed with Prime Minister Netanyahu that a special commission will begin work on visa facilitation and agreed to start work immediately," he said.

Ivanishvili said that the visit was very successful and he managed to negotiate with Israel on many issues. "This was economic relations, and also safety issues," he said.

Ivanishvili has been in Israel for a two-day visit. During the visit, he met with the President, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Knesset of Israel. (Trend)



Social assistance to increase from July 1st

Liberali reports that from July 1st the amount of social assistance for the vulnerable will double. Minister of Labor, Health and Social Protection, Davit Sergeenko, said at a briefing on Wednesday that the 30 GEL-allowance for the first family member will increase to 60, while for every other family member this amount will be 48 GEL instead of 24.

144, 000 socially unprotected families will receive the assistance as a whole. (Liberali)



Azerbaijani embassy in Pakistan to help Georgian climbers to return home

The Azerbaijani Embassy in Pakistan will help Georgian climbers who survived a terrorist attack return home. The daughter of one of climbers Baiso Gudzhabidze said that Georgia does not have an embassy in Pakistan and Azerbaijan has agreed to assist the Georgian climbers in their return home. On Sunday, armed militants entered the climber's base camp in the Pakistani province of Gilgit-Baltistan in Kashmir and killed nine foreign tourists and their guide.

All those killed, allegedly, came to climb on one of the most difficult peaks in the world, the 8,000 meter-Nanga Parbat. There were Georgian climbers Bidzina Gudzhabidze and Api Gigani in another camp. They are also in Pakistan to climb the peak. Baiso Gudzhabidze said that Georgian climbers stayed in Pakistan at the request of the local authorities and identified the corpses. (Trend)



Delegation from Georgian Government leaves for Poland

A delegation from Georgia’s government has left for Poland. Vice Prime Minister, Kakha Kaldaze; Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Davit Narmania; Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mikheil Janelidze and the President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Kakha Bindurashvili are in the delegation.

InterPressNews was told by the Ministry of Regional Development, members of the Georgian delegation will take part in the international business forum and OECD Eurasian ministerial conference, organized by the Ministry of Economy of Poland.

“The aim of the events is to share the economic experience between Eastern European and South Caucasian countries and strengthen cooperation, the Ministry declares.

They say that within the visit, Davit Narmania is meeting with the deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, Minister of Economy of Poland, Janusz Piechocinski and Minister of Regional Development of Poland, Elzbieta Bienkowska. (IPN)



Traffic penalties to be reduced

Parliament will review the penalties for traffic violations. The amendments to the law on administrative offences have already been initiated in Parliament. The draft law was prepared by the Georgian Dream – National Forum. The author of the draft law is Temur Maisuradze.

Following the initiative, the penalty for violation of traffic rules and the sanctions for not paying the penalty in time will be reduced. For not using seat belts by the driver or a passenger, the driver will be fined GEL 20 instead of GEL 40.

According to other changes, for violation of movement by motorcycle, quadricycle, bicycle or other such type of vehicles on the boulevard, park or square will be decreased from GEL 20 to GEL 10. In case of repeat of such violation, the penalty will be GEL 25 instead of GEL 50. (IPN)



Justice Ministry and Prosecutor’s Office separated

Ministry of Justice and the office of the Chief Prosecutor will be separated. The corresponding law has been already adopted and published and its main idea is that the main prosecutor of Georgia will be the chief prosecutor instead of the minister of justice as it was before.

The duties and the responsibilities of the minister of justice in relation with the office of the prosecutor will be also amended - the minister will be authorized to form or cancel offices of prosecutors, define their operation area and the competencies of the structural entities only with the consent of the chief prosecutor. Normative and individual legal acts like orders, instructions and remarks will be issued on the grounds of this law.

Also, within 15 days, the deputies of the chief prosecutor, prosecutor`s of Abkhazia and Adjara autonomous regions, Tbilisi and district prosecutors must be appointed only according to the new regulations. (Rustavi 2)