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The News in Brief

Thursday, August 17
President about Strana.ua recording: society should ignore such information

“Society should be able to ignore such information,” President Giorgi Margvelashvili told reporters when commenting on an audio recording released by Strana.ua.

According to the President, it will be wrong if society reacts strongly to this issue. "I think it is wrong to react to this issue. We, as a society, should be able to ignore such provacative information, and we should decline from discussing and analyzing this type of information," said Margvelashvili.

Strana.ua released an audio recording in which famous Russian “telephone hooligans” Vovan and Lexus claim that Lexus talks with Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Giorgi Mgebrishvili on behalf of Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. According to the audio recording, Giorgi Mgebrishvili refers to the ex-president with obscene words and asks the Ukrainian side not to extradite him to Georgia. In addition, Giorgi Mghebrishvili allegedly says that this position is agreed with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. (ipn)



Path for bicycles to be arranged at Pekin Street

“A 900 meter path is planned to be allocated for bicycles on Peking Street,” head of Tbilisi City Hall Transport Service Mamuka Mumladze has declared at a meeting with Peking street rehabilitation staff. The meeting was also attended by Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania.

The conversation at the meeting referred to the issues on parking systems and bus routes.

As Mumladze added, a parking location for 60 vehicles will also be allocated at Saakadze Square.

“We have this agreed with the Patrol Police. We have decided to arrange a path for bicycles at Peking Street,” he said.

Rehabilitation works at Peking Street were launched on June 16 2017 and will be completed in September. (ipn)



Prime Minister of Georgia meets with Member of Bundestag Franz Josef Jung

Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a meeting with a member of Bundestag and Deputy Chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Franz Josef Jung.

They discussed the bilateral cooperation between Germany and Georgia, interaction with the EU and ongoing Georgian reforms.

The Prime Minister thanked the German Bundestag for the Resolution on Ensuring Irreversible Continuity and Stability of EU's Support to the Eastern Partnership that was adopted in July. The document recognizes democratic and institutional progress achieved by Georgia, and notes its leading role throughout the region. Particular attention was paid to Georgia's European integration agenda and importance of the results of upcoming Eastern Partnership summit.

Giorgi Kvirikashvili emphasized the role of Germany in terms of supporting Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration, territorial integrity and sovereignty and introducing visa-free travel to the EU for the citizens of Georgia.

Franz Josef Jung outlined the important contribution of Georgia in providing European and international security.

Particular attention was paid to the deplorable human rights and security conditions in the occupied territories of Georgia. Prime Minister informed the member of Bundestag on the processes of so called "passportization" and "borderization" and emphasized the importance of increased engagement of international partners. Giorgi Kvirikashvili also thanked Germany for the allocation of 13 monitoring authorities to the EU Monitoring mission.

During the meeting particular attention was paid to the intensive bilateral relations. It was also outlined that 2017 marks 200 years since founding German settlings in Georgia as well as 25 years since establishing German-Georgian diplomatic relations. The sides of the meeting indicated that Georgia's status of honorary guest at the upcoming Frankfurt Book Fair in 2018 represents a clear indication of the successful cooperation. Pursuant to them, respective activity will increase public awareness about Georgian literature and the country as a whole.

The Prime Minister discussed the Government's four-point reform plan covering tax, education as well as governance systems, in a detailed manner. Giorgi Kvirikashvili also informed the member of Bundestag on leading positions of Georgia in various international rankings.

While discussing higher and professional education reform, Franz Josef Jung expressed readiness to share German experience to Georgia in terms of introducing so called dual model in the education system.

The Prime Minister also discussed the governance reform that aims at maximal inclusion of the civil society in the public administration processes and indicated that Council of Investors is already operating to meet the needs of business sector and setting up of similar platforms for non-governmental sector and political parties is also envisaged.

Acting Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Georgia Monica Lenhard, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vakhtang Makharoblishvili, and Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Tedo Japaridze also attended the meeting. (Government of Georgia press office)