The News in Brief
Friday, August 10
Situation in Georgia's occupied territories discussed by UN United Nations Security Council
The situation in Georgia's occupied territories was discussed at the closed session of the United Nations Security Council on the 10th anniversary of the war between Russia and Georgia.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, presented a report on Georgia to the Security Council.
After the meeting, a special statement was made by the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom on behalf of the United States, Netherlands, France, Poland, Sweden and Great Britain.
According to him, 10 years after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Russia continues to deploy a large number of military equipment and military personnel on the territory of Georgia, develop cooperation in military and security fields with de facto authorities of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and erection of artificial barriers, which limits contacts between people, hinders the reconciliation process and has a very negative impact on the daily life of the population. Russia's actions prove that now support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty is as important as it was during the 2008 war.
According to the statement, the absolute majority of the international community does not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence, but recognition of these regions by Russia contributes to the fragmentation of the country, the continuation of the conflict and destabilization not only in Georgia but the entire region. The British representative urged Russia to fulfill its six-point agreement of August 12, 2008. (IPN)
PM speaks about marijuana use legalization in Georgia
Mamuka Bakhtadze, the Prime Minister of Georgia talks about the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the consumption of marijuana at the briefing on Thursday.
According to the Prime Minister, the country has a new reality. He called on the heads of relevant departments to take appropriate measures. Mamuka Bakhtadze called on the inter-agency group to present a special program for rehabilitation of drug addicts.
"The Minister of Internal Affairs will be responsible for coordinating the effective steps taken by the Georgian government," says the Prime Minister.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia made a controversial decision to abolish administrative punishment for the use of marijuana on July 30.
The decision refers only to consumption and not to the cultivation or sale of the drug, which remains punishable.
Fire breaks out in South Ossetia de facto president’s building
The building of de facto president’s administration in South Ossetia caught fire on Wednesday, destroying about 140 square meters.
The fire took place on August 8, on the 10th anniversary of the five-day Russia-Georgia war, which killed hundreds from both sides.
Breakaway authorities had to mobilize all fire trucks in Tskhinvali and managed to extinguish the fire just in the wake of events held to commemorate the war.
The exact cause of the fire is not known at this time, but it seems to have been connected to a failure of an electric cable in a new conference hall. (DF Watch)
The situation in Georgia's occupied territories was discussed at the closed session of the United Nations Security Council on the 10th anniversary of the war between Russia and Georgia.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, presented a report on Georgia to the Security Council.
After the meeting, a special statement was made by the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom on behalf of the United States, Netherlands, France, Poland, Sweden and Great Britain.
According to him, 10 years after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, Russia continues to deploy a large number of military equipment and military personnel on the territory of Georgia, develop cooperation in military and security fields with de facto authorities of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and erection of artificial barriers, which limits contacts between people, hinders the reconciliation process and has a very negative impact on the daily life of the population. Russia's actions prove that now support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty is as important as it was during the 2008 war.
According to the statement, the absolute majority of the international community does not recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia’s independence, but recognition of these regions by Russia contributes to the fragmentation of the country, the continuation of the conflict and destabilization not only in Georgia but the entire region. The British representative urged Russia to fulfill its six-point agreement of August 12, 2008. (IPN)
PM speaks about marijuana use legalization in Georgia
Mamuka Bakhtadze, the Prime Minister of Georgia talks about the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the consumption of marijuana at the briefing on Thursday.
According to the Prime Minister, the country has a new reality. He called on the heads of relevant departments to take appropriate measures. Mamuka Bakhtadze called on the inter-agency group to present a special program for rehabilitation of drug addicts.
"The Minister of Internal Affairs will be responsible for coordinating the effective steps taken by the Georgian government," says the Prime Minister.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia made a controversial decision to abolish administrative punishment for the use of marijuana on July 30.
The decision refers only to consumption and not to the cultivation or sale of the drug, which remains punishable.
Fire breaks out in South Ossetia de facto president’s building
The building of de facto president’s administration in South Ossetia caught fire on Wednesday, destroying about 140 square meters.
The fire took place on August 8, on the 10th anniversary of the five-day Russia-Georgia war, which killed hundreds from both sides.
Breakaway authorities had to mobilize all fire trucks in Tskhinvali and managed to extinguish the fire just in the wake of events held to commemorate the war.
The exact cause of the fire is not known at this time, but it seems to have been connected to a failure of an electric cable in a new conference hall. (DF Watch)