The News in Brief
Wednesday, October 9
You should not change your chosen course - Loreta Grauziniene
"After today’s visit I will tell new story to Lithuania’s President – I will tell him there is an opportunity for achieving a political agreement in Georgia," the Chairman of the Republic of Lithuania, Seimas, Loreta Grauziniene, said at a press conference on Monday.
According to her, Lithuania’s president is very worried and is observing the developments of Georgia. “You should not change your chosen course. We will help Georgia not to deviate from the course,” she said. According to her, the greatest challenge of Georgia today is agreement between politicians. “Without this, the country will not be able to move forward. Politicians should understand that agreement is a political compromise and they should find a way for this. Politicians are obliged to find compromises for the future of their country and their children. They should put aside their ambitions and should leave a better future to their children,” she said.
She expressed hope that the preparatory process before the Vilnius summit would be led well. According to her, support for the euro-integration process is very important and Georgia has it.
“We think that political consensus is necessary for a country. We have this consensus in Lithuania. We met the Georgian President, opposition, the parliament speaker and we think there is consensus is in Georgia too. This is very important in the euro-integration process,” the Parliament Speakers said. (IPN)
Students rally in protest to Russian occupation
Students of Tbilisi State University organized a symbolic rally in protest of the Russian occupation of Georgian territory. The students were holding their hands to make a live chain in the shape of the map of Georgia. The protestors called on international society to pay more attention to the process of Russia's creeping occupation and to place pressure on Russia to halt this process. The students also sang the national anthem of Georgia.
“The creeping occupation of Georgian territory continues. We have called on all students of Georgia to join this rally and address the international organizations, who should do their utmost in halting this process,” student Giorgi Zurikashvili said. (Rustavi 2)
NATO assessment mission team meets Georgian officials
The NATO assessment mission team visited Georgia. The members of the mission discussed the progress in the implementation of the NATO national program for Georgia with the representatives of all official structures in charge. The program implementation is coordinated by the office of the state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. The NATO mission will publish the annual assessment report at the end of the year. (Rustavi 2)
Foreign Ministry: Georgia requests Germany’s assistance to resolve disputes with Russia
Georgia has requested Germany's mediation in resolving the dispute with Russia, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said after a meeting with the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Berlin on Tuesday. According to the minister, Berlin can play a positive role in the elimination of the hazards in relations between Georgia and Russia.
"Now the situation has greatly deteriorated in South Ossetia where the construction of the border has started and we ask Berlin to play the role of mediator in resolving this issue with Moscow," Panjikidze said. Minister Panjikidze said the developing bilateral relations between Georgia and Germany, as well as issues of Georgia's integration into the EU and NATO were also discussed at the meeting. (Trend)
Burjanadze says the head of state should not be source of threats
A president should not be a source of threats, but a guarantor of security, Georgian presidential candidate, and leader of Democratic Movement – United Georgia, Nino Burjanadze, said presenting her election program on Monday.
According to Burjanadze, it is inadmissible that the president expressed the interests of only one party or a certain group of people. "He should be the president of all Georgia and serve for the interests of his own motherland and people. I will be the president of all of those, including the members of the United National Movement, who did not break the law," Burjanadze said.
During the presentation of her election program, Burjanadze emphasized those tasks which, in her opinion, serve the country's development. "In this circle, in which we have been for almost 20 years, we did not manage to create a framework that would have conditioned the country's development and its success. This is the establishment of justice, which excludes revenge and vengeance," the presidential candidate said. She noted that her presidential program was prepared on the basis of meetings with the population in different regions of Georgia. (Trend)
Georgia to create energy sector development fund
On the initiative of the Israeli Elenilto Group, Georgia may create a fund with a budget of $2.5 billion for energy development in the country. According to the representative of the Elenilto Group and founder of Elenilto Georgia, David Alon, the company is ready to invest $0.5 billion in the fund and the remaining amount will be invested by those partners who will want to make an investment. According to him, before Elenilto, Georgia will make the final decision regarding the establishment of the fund, the company must analyze statistical and economic information and then make a decision. He said it may need a few months to obtain this data, but the company expects to make a decision by the end of this year.
"Today we are at the stage of testing the economic viability. The company's management has already instructed its economic department to collect data and statistical information regarding events in the country during its recent period and the country's prospects in the international arena.
"If this information and consequently economic indicators are positive in terms of profitability, then we do not see material problems. If other investors do not desire to participate in the project in the future, then it is quite another matter," Alon said.
According to him, the fund will finance all the important energy projects that contribute to both energy and economic development in Georgia.
Elenilto Georgia is the current contractor of the licensed XI-H block and implementing the first phase of the minimum work program. (Trend)
"After today’s visit I will tell new story to Lithuania’s President – I will tell him there is an opportunity for achieving a political agreement in Georgia," the Chairman of the Republic of Lithuania, Seimas, Loreta Grauziniene, said at a press conference on Monday.
According to her, Lithuania’s president is very worried and is observing the developments of Georgia. “You should not change your chosen course. We will help Georgia not to deviate from the course,” she said. According to her, the greatest challenge of Georgia today is agreement between politicians. “Without this, the country will not be able to move forward. Politicians should understand that agreement is a political compromise and they should find a way for this. Politicians are obliged to find compromises for the future of their country and their children. They should put aside their ambitions and should leave a better future to their children,” she said.
She expressed hope that the preparatory process before the Vilnius summit would be led well. According to her, support for the euro-integration process is very important and Georgia has it.
“We think that political consensus is necessary for a country. We have this consensus in Lithuania. We met the Georgian President, opposition, the parliament speaker and we think there is consensus is in Georgia too. This is very important in the euro-integration process,” the Parliament Speakers said. (IPN)
Students rally in protest to Russian occupation
Students of Tbilisi State University organized a symbolic rally in protest of the Russian occupation of Georgian territory. The students were holding their hands to make a live chain in the shape of the map of Georgia. The protestors called on international society to pay more attention to the process of Russia's creeping occupation and to place pressure on Russia to halt this process. The students also sang the national anthem of Georgia.
“The creeping occupation of Georgian territory continues. We have called on all students of Georgia to join this rally and address the international organizations, who should do their utmost in halting this process,” student Giorgi Zurikashvili said. (Rustavi 2)
NATO assessment mission team meets Georgian officials
The NATO assessment mission team visited Georgia. The members of the mission discussed the progress in the implementation of the NATO national program for Georgia with the representatives of all official structures in charge. The program implementation is coordinated by the office of the state minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. The NATO mission will publish the annual assessment report at the end of the year. (Rustavi 2)
Foreign Ministry: Georgia requests Germany’s assistance to resolve disputes with Russia
Georgia has requested Germany's mediation in resolving the dispute with Russia, Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze said after a meeting with the German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle in Berlin on Tuesday. According to the minister, Berlin can play a positive role in the elimination of the hazards in relations between Georgia and Russia.
"Now the situation has greatly deteriorated in South Ossetia where the construction of the border has started and we ask Berlin to play the role of mediator in resolving this issue with Moscow," Panjikidze said. Minister Panjikidze said the developing bilateral relations between Georgia and Germany, as well as issues of Georgia's integration into the EU and NATO were also discussed at the meeting. (Trend)
Burjanadze says the head of state should not be source of threats
A president should not be a source of threats, but a guarantor of security, Georgian presidential candidate, and leader of Democratic Movement – United Georgia, Nino Burjanadze, said presenting her election program on Monday.
According to Burjanadze, it is inadmissible that the president expressed the interests of only one party or a certain group of people. "He should be the president of all Georgia and serve for the interests of his own motherland and people. I will be the president of all of those, including the members of the United National Movement, who did not break the law," Burjanadze said.
During the presentation of her election program, Burjanadze emphasized those tasks which, in her opinion, serve the country's development. "In this circle, in which we have been for almost 20 years, we did not manage to create a framework that would have conditioned the country's development and its success. This is the establishment of justice, which excludes revenge and vengeance," the presidential candidate said. She noted that her presidential program was prepared on the basis of meetings with the population in different regions of Georgia. (Trend)
Georgia to create energy sector development fund
On the initiative of the Israeli Elenilto Group, Georgia may create a fund with a budget of $2.5 billion for energy development in the country. According to the representative of the Elenilto Group and founder of Elenilto Georgia, David Alon, the company is ready to invest $0.5 billion in the fund and the remaining amount will be invested by those partners who will want to make an investment. According to him, before Elenilto, Georgia will make the final decision regarding the establishment of the fund, the company must analyze statistical and economic information and then make a decision. He said it may need a few months to obtain this data, but the company expects to make a decision by the end of this year.
"Today we are at the stage of testing the economic viability. The company's management has already instructed its economic department to collect data and statistical information regarding events in the country during its recent period and the country's prospects in the international arena.
"If this information and consequently economic indicators are positive in terms of profitability, then we do not see material problems. If other investors do not desire to participate in the project in the future, then it is quite another matter," Alon said.
According to him, the fund will finance all the important energy projects that contribute to both energy and economic development in Georgia.
Elenilto Georgia is the current contractor of the licensed XI-H block and implementing the first phase of the minimum work program. (Trend)