The News in Brief

Direct flights between Russia and Georgia resume

Direct flights between Russia and Georgia resumed yesterday for the first time since they were suspended in autumn 2006.

Airzena Georgian Airways operated the first flight to Russia yesterday, returning in the evening. It will run daily flights to Russia.

Russian company Aeroflot will run its first flight on March 27 and will operate flights to Tbilisi every day apart from Sunday and from Tbilisi to Moscow every day except Monday.

Russian airline S7 will run flights to Tbilisi three times a week, to Kutaisi twice a week and Batumi once a week.

Georgian National Airlines will resume flights to Russia in April after purchasing new airliners, a representative of the company said recently. It will operate Tbilisi–Moscow, Tbilisi–St. Petersburg and Kutaisi–Moscow flights. It also has plans to operate Tbilisi–Mineralnye Vody and Tbilisi–Sochi flights in the future.

Moscow suspended the flights, along with other transport links, during a political row in 2006 as part of a blanket trade embargo. After high-level talks in Moscow last month, Russian officials said would be ready to restore the flights after an old debt for Russian air traffic services was paid by Georgia. (Black Sea Press)



Registration deadline for parliamentary elections today

Political parties wishing to run in the parliamentary elections, slated for May 21, must register by 6 p.m. today with the Central Election Commission of Georgia (CEC).

As of yesterday 13 political parties have submitted applications, but the ruling United National Movement is yet to do so. Parties are required to submit 30 000 signatures of support to the CEC. Four parties have already been registered: the Freedom Party, led by Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, the People’s Party, led by Koba Davitashvili, as well as the For Our Country party and the National Party of Radical Democrats of All Georgia. (Black Sea Press)



Education center opens in Gali

An education center has opened in Gali, the predominantly ethnic Georgian-populated southern region of breakaway Abkhazia, according to the press department of the Tbilisi-backed Abkhaz government-in-exile.

“We opened an education center for Gali residents in Zugdidi. The center will assist students in applying to Georgian universities,” education minister Alexander Aplakov of the government-in-exile said.

The project is backed by the Norwegian Refugees Council. (Prime News)



Sea links with Russia to be restored by end of week

Sea links between Georgia and Russia will be restored by the end of the week. Boats will operate between the ports of Sochi and Batumi and a regular passenger ferry will charge GEL 100 per trip.

Direct flights between Russia and Georgia resumed yesterday. (Prime News)



First center for farm equipment maintenance opens in Marneuli

The first center for farm equipment maintenance opened in Marneuli yesterday. Agriculture Minister Petre Tsiskarishvili attended the opening ceremony.

The center has been funded as part of the Millennium Challenge Georgia project. It will offer servicing for farm equipment and hold training sessions for farmers. (Prime News)



Georgian-Chinese business forum to be held in Tbilisi

A Georgian-Chinese business forum will be held today at the Sheraton Metechi Palace.

Nine Chinese companies in the construction and tourism sectors are expected to take part, along with 41 Georgian companies. (Prime News)



Latvian delegation visits Georgia

Latvian deputy Defense Minister Edgars Rinkevics is on a two-day official visit to Georgia as part of the military cooperation plan between the two countries in 2008.

After the meeting a memorandum of understanding was signed by deputy defense ministers Giorgi Muchaidze and Edgar Rinkevics.

“Our strategic partnership with Latvia was enhanced with this document. The memorandum includes issues such as training military personnel in Baltic Defense College,” deputy Defense Minister Batu Kutelia said, adding, “Latvia supports Georgia’s integration into the North Atlantic Alliance, and we hope that with the joint efforts we shall reach our goal.”

The Latvian deputy defense minister said Georgia had carried out the necessary reforms and he did not see any reason why it should not receive a Membership Action Plan (MAP) at the upcoming Bucharest summit.

He added that he would call on other NATO members to give Georgia MAP status.

The Latvian delegation will also meet with State Minister for Reintegration Issues Temur Iakobashvili and other MPs. (Prime News)



Three dead in car accident near Gori

Three people died and several were injured near Gori yesterday when a bus on its way to Kutaisi from Tbilisi crashed.

Six were taken to a hospital in Gori. (Prime News)



Health minister discusses ‘village doctor’ project with medical staff in Gori

Health Minister Sandro Kvitashvili visited Gori yesterday to discuss the ‘village doctor’ project with local medical staff.

The project is part of the president’s 50-day program and aims to retrain approximately 1000 village doctors with modern equipment. If the project runs on time, all medical centers in Gori will have modern equipment by the end of April.

A total of 93 doctors will work in the villages of Shida Kartli province, and all have been retrained, the Health Ministry says. (Black Sea Press)