Press Scanner
Prepared by Diana Dundua
Friday, April 18
Press Scanner has a new format: Our summary of the story at the top, followed by translated excerpts from the story. As before, the headline is a verbatim translation from the original Georgian-language article.
“Sozar Subari protests the opening of prisoners’ letters”
Human Rights Ombudsman Sozar Subari demands that letters sent to him from Georgian prisoners be kept confidential, the newspaper Akhali Taoba writes:
He addressed Minister of Justice Nika Gvaramia with the recommendation that the confidentiality of letters sent from prisoners be protected.
“All letters or statements sent via the prison department administration arrive at [our office] already opened and signed by the head of the prison department. Such behavior is illegal and banned by law,” Subari said.
The ombudsman demands this problem be settled at once.
“The 033 emergency service has a new head”
Rezonansi reports that the 033 emergency service has a new director:
According to the press department of the emergency service, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Aleksandre Kvitashvili presented a new director general to staff on April 16.
Besides Kvitashvili, Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Irakli Giorgibiani and head of the Municipal Service of Culture and Social Affairs Mamuka Katsarava were attending the presentation ceremony.
Former head of the emergency service Iva Kachiuri was appointed as director general of M. Iashvili Children’s Central Hospital.
Kachiuri served at 033 for a year.
“Paata Zakareishvili: government’s peace initiative just part of the elections campaign!”
Analyst Paata Zakareishvili, speaking with Sakartvelos Respublika, bashes the Saakashvili administration’s latest conflict resolution proposals as a public relations stunt:
“If the Georgian administration seriously wanted to implement this initiative, it would have started by negotiating with the conflict zone officials [in Abkhazia and South Ossetia]. International organizations which are familiar with the essence of the [conflicts] will not support the peace initiative, because it is just a unilateral move made to settle the conflict,” the analyst stated.
He is certain the Georgian administration’s peace initiative is just the part of the election campaign.
“A new enterprise to be built in Ozurgeti”
Akhali Taoba reports that a bamboo-processing plant will be built in the district of Ozurgeti, in western Georgia’s Guria province:
Georgian, Swiss and German companies plan to invest EUR 3 million into the project.
The enterprise will be equipped with high-class, modern equipment. The bamboo will be planted on 2000 hectares. The high-quality and ecologically clean Georgian bamboo will be exported abroad and used for various businesses, including construction.
In cooperation with the Georgian government, German investors selected the spot to build the plant in Ozurgeti.
According to the investors, locals will be employed.
“The Labor Party is against the FEZ”
Rezonansi writes that the populist opposition Labor Party is protesting the new free economic zone (FEZ) in Poti, a western Georgia port city:
Paata Jibladze of the party states that the project is illegally implemented, and the sums invested in it are not transparent.
“Creating a FEZ in Poti is a good way for the Georgian administration and foreign investors with obscure backgrounds to launder money,” Jibladze said.
“Georgian and Latvian border departments to cooperate”
Sakartvelos Respublika reports that Georgian and Latvian border department officials signed a memorandum of cooperation on April 16:
“The document entails cooperation between the two states in various fields, including combating illegal migration and smuggling,” chief of the border police of Georgia Lt. Gen. Badri Bitsadze said.
While in Georgia, a Latvian delegation will acquaint itself with the results of reforms passed in the border control sector, and the status of the department here.
“In a short period of time Latvia became an EU and NATO member state, and we are ready to share our experience regarding border control with Georgia as well,” head of the Latvian border department Gunars Dabolin said.
“Sozar Subari protests the opening of prisoners’ letters”
Human Rights Ombudsman Sozar Subari demands that letters sent to him from Georgian prisoners be kept confidential, the newspaper Akhali Taoba writes:
He addressed Minister of Justice Nika Gvaramia with the recommendation that the confidentiality of letters sent from prisoners be protected.
“All letters or statements sent via the prison department administration arrive at [our office] already opened and signed by the head of the prison department. Such behavior is illegal and banned by law,” Subari said.
The ombudsman demands this problem be settled at once.
“The 033 emergency service has a new head”
Rezonansi reports that the 033 emergency service has a new director:
According to the press department of the emergency service, Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Aleksandre Kvitashvili presented a new director general to staff on April 16.
Besides Kvitashvili, Deputy Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Irakli Giorgibiani and head of the Municipal Service of Culture and Social Affairs Mamuka Katsarava were attending the presentation ceremony.
Former head of the emergency service Iva Kachiuri was appointed as director general of M. Iashvili Children’s Central Hospital.
Kachiuri served at 033 for a year.
“Paata Zakareishvili: government’s peace initiative just part of the elections campaign!”
Analyst Paata Zakareishvili, speaking with Sakartvelos Respublika, bashes the Saakashvili administration’s latest conflict resolution proposals as a public relations stunt:
“If the Georgian administration seriously wanted to implement this initiative, it would have started by negotiating with the conflict zone officials [in Abkhazia and South Ossetia]. International organizations which are familiar with the essence of the [conflicts] will not support the peace initiative, because it is just a unilateral move made to settle the conflict,” the analyst stated.
He is certain the Georgian administration’s peace initiative is just the part of the election campaign.
“A new enterprise to be built in Ozurgeti”
Akhali Taoba reports that a bamboo-processing plant will be built in the district of Ozurgeti, in western Georgia’s Guria province:
Georgian, Swiss and German companies plan to invest EUR 3 million into the project.
The enterprise will be equipped with high-class, modern equipment. The bamboo will be planted on 2000 hectares. The high-quality and ecologically clean Georgian bamboo will be exported abroad and used for various businesses, including construction.
In cooperation with the Georgian government, German investors selected the spot to build the plant in Ozurgeti.
According to the investors, locals will be employed.
“The Labor Party is against the FEZ”
Rezonansi writes that the populist opposition Labor Party is protesting the new free economic zone (FEZ) in Poti, a western Georgia port city:
Paata Jibladze of the party states that the project is illegally implemented, and the sums invested in it are not transparent.
“Creating a FEZ in Poti is a good way for the Georgian administration and foreign investors with obscure backgrounds to launder money,” Jibladze said.
“Georgian and Latvian border departments to cooperate”
Sakartvelos Respublika reports that Georgian and Latvian border department officials signed a memorandum of cooperation on April 16:
“The document entails cooperation between the two states in various fields, including combating illegal migration and smuggling,” chief of the border police of Georgia Lt. Gen. Badri Bitsadze said.
While in Georgia, a Latvian delegation will acquaint itself with the results of reforms passed in the border control sector, and the status of the department here.
“In a short period of time Latvia became an EU and NATO member state, and we are ready to share our experience regarding border control with Georgia as well,” head of the Latvian border department Gunars Dabolin said.