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The News in Brief

Thursday, February 18
Three men detained in Georgia for selling counterfeit salt

The Finance Ministry’s investigative service Tuesday detained three people for selling counterfeit salt.

The three made a profit by systematically selling salt, according to a short statement put out by the service.

The statement said they packed non-iodized salt and sold it at a retail market without labelling its true contents.

Violation of consumer rights may be punished with one to three years in jail. (DF watch)



Russia to provide occupied Abkhazia with electricity

Restrictions on electricity supplies to the occupied region of Abkhazia were lifted on February 16, the Press-service of the Chernomorenergo Company has informed Sputnik Abkhazia. As reported, Abkhazia’s de-facto Republic will be provided with electricity until the water level increases in the Enguri reservoir.

‘It will enable us to avoid a complete loss of electricity in March,’ reads the statement of the company.

The electricity restrictions were imposed in Abkhazia after the water level in the Enguri reservoir significantly lowered.

Specialists say that electricity consumption increased in Abkhazia and temporarily switching-off the system will not be effective this time.

The Enguri Hydro Power Plant started functioning in 1978. The reservoir, however, is situated on territory controlled by Georgia. (IPN)



Criminal proceedings against Mikheil Saakashvili stopped in Ukraine

The Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau has closed the criminal proceedings against former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. He was accused of corruption.

MP Dimitri Golubov blamed Saakashvili and his team last year of wasting money for the foundation of an establishment for rehabilitating soldiers participating in ATO underway in eastern Ukraine.

But when the Prime Minister was summoned for questioning he refused to give evidence against Mikheil Saakashvili, therefore the investigation was dropped. (ipn)



Georgia to join NATO despite territorial conflict

Despite the fact that Georgia has been locked in a territorial conflict since 2008, the country will become a NATO member, James Appathurai, the special representative of the NATO Secretary General for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, has told Trend.

Large-scale military action was launched between Georgia and Russia in South Ossetia on August 8, 2008. Later, Russian troops occupied Tskhinvali and expelled the Georgian military.

Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in late August. In response, Tbilisi ended diplomatic relations with Moscow and stated that the two unrecognized republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia were occupied territories.

Appathurai added that Georgia becoming a NATO member won’t happen tomorrow, as because the country still has a lot of reforms to implement.

“We are also working on thickening our relationship, and we hope for a quick resolution of the conflict with respect to Georgia’s territorial integrity. For now we are working on deepening our relations and preparing Georgia for eventual membership in NATO,” he added. (Trend.az)