The News in Brief

SOCAR ready to launch oil terminal in Kulevi

The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is ready to launch its own oil terminal in Kulevi on the Black Sea coast in Georgia, according to Mahir Mammadov, the head of SOCAR Energy.

The official launch date of the terminal is yet to be announced.

The terminal has a total capacity of nine million tons which is expected to increase to 20 million tons in future.

Construction of a terminal for dry cargo and liquefied gas is expected to begin in 2008.
(Prime News)



Gabashvili welcomes resumption of postal communication

Konstantin Gbashvili, who chairs the parliamentary committee on foreign relations, welcomed the resumption of postal communication between Georgia and Russia.

“It will be better if other problems between the two countries are solved in the same way,” Gabashvili said.

Russian Post resumed cooperation with Georgian Post yesterday. It stopped cooperation in 2006 when a Moscow imposed a blanket embargo on Georgia.
(Prime News)



Premier of Meskhetian documentary held at Tumanishvili Theater

The premier of a documentary film on integrating Meskhetian Turks into Georgian is due to be held at Tumanishvili Theater today at 2 p.m.

The film was made as part of an EU-backed project aimed at protecting the rights of Meskhetian Turks.
(Prime News)



Trade Chamber of Baltic States launched

Yesterday the Trade Chamber of Baltic States was launched at the initiative of ten Baltic companies operating in Georgia.
(Prime News)



British Council to give 6000 books to Tbilisi State University

The British Council will give around 6000 modern British books to Tbilisi State University, a representative of the university said.

The books will be part of an information center for students, academics and young professionals interested in learning more about British culture.

A press conference on the information center will be held at the British Council office yesterday.
(Prime News)



UN official to visit Tbilisi

Robert Simmons, the special representative of the UN Secretary General in the South Caucasus, will visit Tbilisi on April 24–25.

Simmons will discuss issues of conflict settlement and European integration on the visit, according to the Ministry of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
(Prime News)



Passports cheaper for Georgians

The cost of the 48-page passport has gone down from GEL 60 to GEL 40, according to the Justice Ministry.

The 48-page passport was launched in June 2007 for frequent travelers. There is also a 32-page passport available at a cost of GEL 35.
(Prime News)



Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia left without electricity

Russian peacekeepers in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict zone have been without electricity for five days, after the Georgian side cut off their supply, the news agency RIA Novosti reports.

“Base camps, watch posts and checkpoints…had their power supply cut off by the Georgian side at 11 a.m. on April 17, 2008, and it has not been restored yet,” commented Alexander Diordiyev, Assistant Commander of the Collective Peacekeeping Forces.

He also said the peacekeepers were not notified of possible cut-offs. Electricity in the region is supplied by the Inguri power plant which is operated jointly by the Georgian and Abkhaz sides.

“The [de facto] Abkhaz authorities have never demanded payment from the Russian peacekeepers but the Georgian side has unilaterally demanded payment,” he said.
(Black Sea Press)



Foreign Minister begins US visit

Foreign Minister Davit Bakradze left for the US on April 21 to discuss Georgia’s breakaway regions with US and UN officials.

Yesterday he was scheduled to meet officials at the UN headquarters in New York, and he will meet White House officials on April 22–23, including US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

After his US trip he will fly to Germany to meet his counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
(Black Sea Press)