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The News in Brief

Thursday, September 23
Rasmussen: NATO door remains open for Georgia

The NATO door remains open for Georgia - Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has reiterated the firm position of the alliance in an interview with Russian newspaper Novaya Gazetta.

`Our door remains open - this is the part of our philosophy and principles,` Secretary General said and added that every country should decide independently how to provide its security and which alliances to join.

The full interview with the secretary general will be published in Novaya Gazetta today. (Rustavi 2)



Biometric passports will cost 65 GEL

The Public Register Agency has announced that the cost of the biometric passports will be reduced. Instead of 100 GEL, the citizens of Georgia will have to pay 65 GEL for the passports, which will soon be obligatory to travel abroad. From January 2011, citizens will no longer be allowed to travel abroad with old passports, though they will be able to travel to Georgia from abroad. (Rustavi 2)



Georgia And Ukraine Launch Cooperation In Customs Sector

Georgia and Ukraine have signed a cooperation memorandum in the customs sector.

Revenues Department of the Finance Ministry of Georgia and the Ukrainian Customs Department signed a cooperation memorandum on September 22. The document envisages development and modernization of the customs service in Georgia.

Within the official visit, the Ukrainian delegation was acquainted with the customs procedures and information technologies within the sector.

In a statement made by the head of Revenues Department of the Finance Ministry Giorgi Tskhakaia, the importance of close cooperation with the Ukrainian Customs Department for Georgia was emphasised. (Prime-News)



Health Care Minister met with insurance companies

Minister of Health, Social Care and Labour, Andria Urushadze held a meeting with the representatives of Georgian insurance companies and discussed the action plans for 2011 and the ministry policy. By the end of 2011, nine winning bidders of the tender announced by the government will take up the invitation to construct 46 new hospitals in Georgia.

Along with the capital, the clinics will operate in all regions of the country. The insurance companies signed a special memorandum at yesterday’s session with the minister. The memorandum says that the sides are obliged to fulfill the terms of the agreements within the required period. (Rustavi 2)



Organized crime gang arrested

The officers of Lentekhi Police Division along with Imereti Regional Main Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained the members of the organized criminal armed group: Gela Oniani (DoB 1991) Aliosha Oniani (DoB 1992) and MIkheil Kvastiani (DoB 1992).

On September 19, 2010 the mentioned persons attacked a Mercedes truck on Lentekhi- Chikhareshi 30 km road sector and robbed the driver of the vehicle, Avtandil Khmelidze accompanied with passengers- Mate Khmelidze and Givi Bubashvili. Under the threat of liquidation, the armed criminals stole cash amounting to 3 300 GEL. As a result of immediate operative activities, the suspects were detained a few hours later. It was established that Mate Oniani (DoB 1990) was also involved in the aforementioned armed robbery. Currently special operative and investigative measures were taken to detain Oniani.

As a result of the investigation, part of the stolen sum (1085 GEL), two automatic weapons of `AKC and `AKM` system with magazines and cartridges were found by police in the storeroom of Gela Oniani’s apartment.

Suspects have fully admitted to the crime. The investigation was conducted by the Lentekhi regional police division under the articles 179 and 236 envisaged by the Criminal Code of Georgia. (Rustavi 2)



Georgian And Japaneese Scientists To Conduct Joint Research

Japanese and Georgian physicists will conduct joint research.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia in April 2010 in order to foster the cooperation between Japanese and Georgian physicists.

In the scope of the agreement on cooperation, a meeting was held between the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Dmitry Shashkini and Ambassador of Japan to Georgia Masayoshi Kamohara.

Issues such as support for Georgian scientists, engineers and students to participate in KEK’s ongoing and future long-term research were discussed at the meeting. It is exactly this kind of cooperation which is envisaged in the agreement, signed between the MES and the Research organization.

The agreement aimed at deepening the scientific-academic and technical cooperation in theoretical and applied physics and technological fields connected to it.

The agreement, achieved at the meeting, envisages the exchange of academic staff, scientists and students, the implementation of joint projects and holding symposiums. (Prime-News)