The News in Brief
Monday, October 13
Large weapons cache uncovered in Georgia
Georgian Police officers have detected an illegal cache of weapons and armaments in Akhalkalaki, a town in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti.
The Interior Ministry reported that they found 128 anti-tank missiles, 3,969 detonators for anti-tank missiles and various types of detonators at the site.
Currently, search and investigative activities are being held in order to identify the owner of the illegal cache.
(Civil.ge)
National Security Council staff changes ahead
The composition of the National Security Council of Georgia will soon be changed.
The Minister of Finance will no longer be a permanent member of the Council, while the Council will have new permanent members – Parliament Speaker, Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces.
These amendments were considered by the Legal Issues Committee at its second reading yesterday.
According to the bill, permanent members of the National Security Council were: Prime Minister, Parliament Speaker, Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs, Chairmen of Defence, Security and Foreign Affairs Committees, National Security Council Secretary and Chief of General Staff.
Meanwhile, the President will be given the right to invite others to attend a session of the National Security Council. If the President wished to invite a member of the Government, he will need to have this agreed by the Prime Minister, and if he decided to invite Parliamentary committee chairmen, he will need to have this agreed by the Parliament Speaker.
(Civil.ge)
Scotland 1-0 Georgia
Georgian defender Akaki Khubutia’s first-half goal, which caromed of his body into his own net, was enough to hand Scotland a 1-0 victory in their European Championship qualifier at Ibrox.
Scotland rode their luck with the opener when keeper Giorgi Loria pushed Shaun Maloney’s 28th-minute strike onto team-mate Khubutia’s knee and watched helplessly as it bounced past him into the away goal.
Georgia face Gibraltar at Faro's Algarve Stadium on October 14.
(Frontnews.ge)
Venice Commission approves third stage of judiciary reform – Justice Ministry
Tea Tsulukiani, the Minister of Justice of Georgia, has presented a package of amendments drafted within the framework of the third wave of judiciary reform at the 100th session of the Venice Commission. According to the Justice Ministry, the Venice Commission approved certain principles of the reform. After the approval the Justice Ministry will present the amendments to the government of Georgia and the Parliament in the nearest days.
The Justice Ministry has been working on improvement of the judiciary system since 2012. The third wave of the judiciary reform was launched in spring 2014 and it will be over by the end of the year. It is aimed at increasing independence of each judge, preventing any pressure on them and ensuring their engagement in judiciary activities.
(IPN)
US official commends Georgia’s sacrifice to NATO
"Georgia is a powerful and impressive partner and it has sacrificed to NATO more than many other allies," a top United States (US) defence officials says.
Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs addressed the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Washington and emphasized the US would continue to work with European allies as needed.
He said Russian threats to Ukraine was one example of how the security landscape in Europe had changed, and the US would remain involved and engaged in events on the continent and beyond.
Chollet noted NATO's door remained open to new members.
"The door is widely open and the Wales Summit once again proved it,” he said.
"Partnership plans with the two countries, which were most interested in taking steps for integration with the Alliance, have been further expanded. These countries are Georgia and Montenegro. Both have actions plans, according to which the Alliance will work on moving these countries closer to the next stage.”
Chollet believed Georgia remained satisfied with the partnership plan.
"I cannot properly express how great a partner Georgians are - be it Afghanistan or assistance in the near East. Georgia is a powerful and impressive partner, and to tell the truth it sacrificed more than many other allies,” he said.
(civil.ge)
Georgian Police officers have detected an illegal cache of weapons and armaments in Akhalkalaki, a town in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti.
The Interior Ministry reported that they found 128 anti-tank missiles, 3,969 detonators for anti-tank missiles and various types of detonators at the site.
Currently, search and investigative activities are being held in order to identify the owner of the illegal cache.
(Civil.ge)
National Security Council staff changes ahead
The composition of the National Security Council of Georgia will soon be changed.
The Minister of Finance will no longer be a permanent member of the Council, while the Council will have new permanent members – Parliament Speaker, Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces.
These amendments were considered by the Legal Issues Committee at its second reading yesterday.
According to the bill, permanent members of the National Security Council were: Prime Minister, Parliament Speaker, Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, Minister of Internal Affairs, Chairmen of Defence, Security and Foreign Affairs Committees, National Security Council Secretary and Chief of General Staff.
Meanwhile, the President will be given the right to invite others to attend a session of the National Security Council. If the President wished to invite a member of the Government, he will need to have this agreed by the Prime Minister, and if he decided to invite Parliamentary committee chairmen, he will need to have this agreed by the Parliament Speaker.
(Civil.ge)
Scotland 1-0 Georgia
Georgian defender Akaki Khubutia’s first-half goal, which caromed of his body into his own net, was enough to hand Scotland a 1-0 victory in their European Championship qualifier at Ibrox.
Scotland rode their luck with the opener when keeper Giorgi Loria pushed Shaun Maloney’s 28th-minute strike onto team-mate Khubutia’s knee and watched helplessly as it bounced past him into the away goal.
Georgia face Gibraltar at Faro's Algarve Stadium on October 14.
(Frontnews.ge)
Venice Commission approves third stage of judiciary reform – Justice Ministry
Tea Tsulukiani, the Minister of Justice of Georgia, has presented a package of amendments drafted within the framework of the third wave of judiciary reform at the 100th session of the Venice Commission. According to the Justice Ministry, the Venice Commission approved certain principles of the reform. After the approval the Justice Ministry will present the amendments to the government of Georgia and the Parliament in the nearest days.
The Justice Ministry has been working on improvement of the judiciary system since 2012. The third wave of the judiciary reform was launched in spring 2014 and it will be over by the end of the year. It is aimed at increasing independence of each judge, preventing any pressure on them and ensuring their engagement in judiciary activities.
(IPN)
US official commends Georgia’s sacrifice to NATO
"Georgia is a powerful and impressive partner and it has sacrificed to NATO more than many other allies," a top United States (US) defence officials says.
Derek Chollet, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs addressed the International Institute of Strategic Studies in Washington and emphasized the US would continue to work with European allies as needed.
He said Russian threats to Ukraine was one example of how the security landscape in Europe had changed, and the US would remain involved and engaged in events on the continent and beyond.
Chollet noted NATO's door remained open to new members.
"The door is widely open and the Wales Summit once again proved it,” he said.
"Partnership plans with the two countries, which were most interested in taking steps for integration with the Alliance, have been further expanded. These countries are Georgia and Montenegro. Both have actions plans, according to which the Alliance will work on moving these countries closer to the next stage.”
Chollet believed Georgia remained satisfied with the partnership plan.
"I cannot properly express how great a partner Georgians are - be it Afghanistan or assistance in the near East. Georgia is a powerful and impressive partner, and to tell the truth it sacrificed more than many other allies,” he said.
(civil.ge)