The News in Brief
Friday, June 19
Georgian President meets wine growers
President Saakashvili has promised vine growers that they will be able to sell their grapes without problems and at a good price this year. He said this during a visit to the village of Napareuli in the Telavi district of Kakheti, where he met with wine growers there.
As previously reported, GEL 24 million has been allocated from the state budget to assist wine growing in the region. As part of the programme of delivering vouchers, the farmers will be paid an additional 15 tetri per 1 kilogramme of Rkatsiteli grapes they harvest and 25 tetri per kilogramme of Saperavi grape. Georgian Agriculture Minister Bakur Kvezereli told journalists that wine growers will also be granted additional financial aid.
Residents of the village of Napareuli have asked the President to open an ambulatory in the village. They also asked for a tractor and a combine harvester. (Rustavi 2)
Irakli Alasania speaks at Brookings Center, US
The leader of the Alliance for Georgia, ex-Ambassador to the UN Irakli Alasania, has delivered a speech about the political situation in Georgia, international threats and the US-Georgia strategic partnership at the Brookings Center.
Alasania focused on the current political stalemate in Georgia and said that the only way to overcome this crisis was dialogue between the opposition and the Government. Alasania also spoke about the mistakes Georgia’s Government has made and said its major mistake was the centralization of Presidential power. The opposition leader condemned the June 12 attack on Georgian MPs and said violence was unacceptable from any side. (Rustavi 2)
Mayor’s office sets up special commission to fight disaster
The Tbilisi Government has set up a special commission which will be in charge of disaster prevention and assessing the damage done to the capital by the recent heavy rains. The commission held its first session yesterday under the chairmanship of Deputy Mayor Niko Khachirishvili. The commission contains emergency service workers as well as municipal officers.
At yesterday’s session, members of the commission were presented with exact details of the damage inflicted on the capital in the last few days. For obviating the effects of the damage and assisting the affected population the Mayor’s Office Fund has allocated 550,000 USD. (Interpressnews)
Noghaideli urges authorities to cease using military rhetoric
The leader of the opposition Movement for Fair Georgia, Ex-Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, has urged the Government to cease using military rhetoric. Noghaideli says the country lost the 2008 August war due to the decisions of the ruling party and lost the control of some of its territory. Therefore aggressive statements being made by the authorities are dangerous and destructive for the country.
The ex-PM believes that Georgia needs to acknowledge that it lost the war in order to move to a new stage of development. (Interpressnews)
Mothers’ silent vigil
Leader of the Democratic Movement-United Georgia Nino Burjanadze and the Alliance for Georgia’s Manana Nachkhebia and Pssikria Chikhradze are attending a silent vigil outside police headquarters. As Nino Burjanadze stated, mothers have the right to protect their children.
“People in this police building behaved wildly. Photo materials show five policemen hitting a fallen man and one holding a hammer. Policemen who did not take part in the assault have been reprimanded while those who mistreated protestors severely have not been punished,” stated Burjanadze, adding that the mothers’ silent protest is louder than the demonstration.
Ia Metreveli, the mother of Buta Robakidze who was killed by the policemen, is filled with indignation. “How long can this terror go on? I am worrying about the detainees who are being subjected to physical pressure with no doctors allowed to visit them,” said Ia Metreveli. (Interpressnews)
President Saakashvili has promised vine growers that they will be able to sell their grapes without problems and at a good price this year. He said this during a visit to the village of Napareuli in the Telavi district of Kakheti, where he met with wine growers there.
As previously reported, GEL 24 million has been allocated from the state budget to assist wine growing in the region. As part of the programme of delivering vouchers, the farmers will be paid an additional 15 tetri per 1 kilogramme of Rkatsiteli grapes they harvest and 25 tetri per kilogramme of Saperavi grape. Georgian Agriculture Minister Bakur Kvezereli told journalists that wine growers will also be granted additional financial aid.
Residents of the village of Napareuli have asked the President to open an ambulatory in the village. They also asked for a tractor and a combine harvester. (Rustavi 2)
Irakli Alasania speaks at Brookings Center, US
The leader of the Alliance for Georgia, ex-Ambassador to the UN Irakli Alasania, has delivered a speech about the political situation in Georgia, international threats and the US-Georgia strategic partnership at the Brookings Center.
Alasania focused on the current political stalemate in Georgia and said that the only way to overcome this crisis was dialogue between the opposition and the Government. Alasania also spoke about the mistakes Georgia’s Government has made and said its major mistake was the centralization of Presidential power. The opposition leader condemned the June 12 attack on Georgian MPs and said violence was unacceptable from any side. (Rustavi 2)
Mayor’s office sets up special commission to fight disaster
The Tbilisi Government has set up a special commission which will be in charge of disaster prevention and assessing the damage done to the capital by the recent heavy rains. The commission held its first session yesterday under the chairmanship of Deputy Mayor Niko Khachirishvili. The commission contains emergency service workers as well as municipal officers.
At yesterday’s session, members of the commission were presented with exact details of the damage inflicted on the capital in the last few days. For obviating the effects of the damage and assisting the affected population the Mayor’s Office Fund has allocated 550,000 USD. (Interpressnews)
Noghaideli urges authorities to cease using military rhetoric
The leader of the opposition Movement for Fair Georgia, Ex-Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, has urged the Government to cease using military rhetoric. Noghaideli says the country lost the 2008 August war due to the decisions of the ruling party and lost the control of some of its territory. Therefore aggressive statements being made by the authorities are dangerous and destructive for the country.
The ex-PM believes that Georgia needs to acknowledge that it lost the war in order to move to a new stage of development. (Interpressnews)
Mothers’ silent vigil
Leader of the Democratic Movement-United Georgia Nino Burjanadze and the Alliance for Georgia’s Manana Nachkhebia and Pssikria Chikhradze are attending a silent vigil outside police headquarters. As Nino Burjanadze stated, mothers have the right to protect their children.
“People in this police building behaved wildly. Photo materials show five policemen hitting a fallen man and one holding a hammer. Policemen who did not take part in the assault have been reprimanded while those who mistreated protestors severely have not been punished,” stated Burjanadze, adding that the mothers’ silent protest is louder than the demonstration.
Ia Metreveli, the mother of Buta Robakidze who was killed by the policemen, is filled with indignation. “How long can this terror go on? I am worrying about the detainees who are being subjected to physical pressure with no doctors allowed to visit them,” said Ia Metreveli. (Interpressnews)