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The News in Brief

Wednesday, October 6
Improving Georgian-Armenian Relations

Armenia will do its best to improve Georgian-Armenian relations. According to Armenian internet editions, Serzh Sargsyan, the Armenian President made this announcement after a meeting in Yerevan with Georgian Foreign Minister, Grigol Vashadze.

During the meeting between the Armenian President and Georgian diplomat the sides discussed the Zemo Larsi checkpoint.

According to the Armenian agency, the sides also discussed the issue on realisation of the decision, adopted at the meeting between Sargsyan and Saakashvili. (Interpressnews)



Congratulations on New Academic Year

His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of all Georgia, Ilia II and the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Dimitri Shashkin congratulated the schoolchildren of Queen Tamar Boarding-School on the beginning of the new school year.

The boarding-school was established in 2010 with the blessing of His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of all Georgia, Ilia II and the school operates under the patronage of the Patriarch. The school is managed by Archpriest Mirian Samkharadze. He was holding activities in Tbel Abuseridze Gymnasium of Khulo.

Subjects taught at this boarding school for 400 children are based on the National Curriculum as well as ancient Georgian art and vocational fields. Boys study jewelry crafts, wood and stone work and girls are taught handicrafts.

According to the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Dimitri Shashkin, different sciences, cultures of different nations and handicrafts as well as the subjects included in the National Curriculum are all very important.

Summer schools with children from Turkey, Iran and Saingilo are due to be held in the boarding-school in 2011 that has a fully refurbished infrastructure. (Interpressnews)



Posthumous Honours for Soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Under Decree #955 of the President of Georgia, soldiers killed while performing peacekeeping duties as part of the mission in Afghanistan have been awarded with 1st rank orders after Vakhtang Gorgasali. In addition, on the basis of the Decree #956 of the President of Georgia, the Ministry of Defence will give the soldiers’ families apartments in a newly-constructed block of flats (which came into operation last year and where families of soldiers killed in 2008 August war are living) in Tbilisi Isani-Samgori district in the so-called “military town”. The war-affected families will also receive a full social package under the appropriate law.

Ministry of Defence of Georgia once again extends its deepest condolences over the death of Mukhran Shukvani, Nugzar Kalandadze, Giorgi Kolkhitashvili, Davit Tsetskhladze and Ramaz Gogiashvili. (Rustavi 2)



Turkish students receive free education at TSU

Twenty young people from Turkey will study at the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University for free within the governmental program Study in Georgia. The programme was initiated by staff of the State Minister for Diaspora Affairs, the Ministry of Education and leading universities in Georgia.

The tuition fees for the students will be met by the state education grant. Students will be provided with a scholarship during the academic year. They will study in Georgian. Teaching of Georgian language is envisaged in the programme during the first year.

Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Dimitri Shashkin, State Minister for Diaspora Issues, Mirza (Papuna) Davitaia and Rector of Tbilisi State University, Aleksandre Kvitashvili met the 20 youngsters from Turkey, who are already TSU students. (Rustavi 2)



Labour Party sends lawsuit to ICC against Saakashvili

Labour Party of Georgia has submitted a lawsuit to International Criminal Court demanding the arrest of Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. The leader of the party Shalva Natelashvili presented the content of the suit to media at a briefing yesterday.

“The facts and allegations against Saakashvili are horrifying indeed. It is about terrorism, mass killings, attacks on peaceful objects, villages, own citizens, opposition, mass destruction of the young, a whole army of political prisoners and their torture. We think that the fair ruling will be announced soon,” Shalva Natelashvili said. (Rustavi 2)



Georgian sculptor on decision of Moscow’s acting mayor

Georgian sculptor working in Russia, Zurab Tsereteli has commented on the decision of Moscow’s acting mayor, who proposed moving his monument of Peter the Great from the city. Zurab Tsereteli said in the interview with Rustavi 2 that the decision was politically motivated.

“This monument is the symbol of Russia just like the Eiffel tower is the symbol of Paris,” the sculptor says and suggests the acting mayor, Vladimir Resin erect his monument in Moscow. (Rustavi 2)



New protected area in Martvili district

The canyon in the village of Gachedili, Martvili district, has been declared a protected area. This is the only place in the world where tourists can touch 75 million year-old fossilized animal bones. Tourists will be able to reach the protected area by boat.

This is the third discovery in the world, where many remains of pre-historic beasts have been found in one location. (Rustavi 2)