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The News in Brief

Wednesday, February 2
Saakashvili to meet German Chancellor

“President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili will hold a meeting with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel during the annual Munich conference on security issues,” stated the President’s spokesperson, Manana Manjgaladze at a briefing held yesterday.

Saakashvili will also meet with the Swiss President during the summit; the schedule of other meetings is not yet known.

Saakashvili will leave for Minich this week and deliver a speech at the conference.

The forty-eighth Munich conference on security issues will be held in Germany from 4 to 6 February. More than 300 politicians, and representatives of law enforcement and military structures worldwide will gather in Germany to discuss security issues and policy.

The main rapporteurs of the conference will be the German Chancellor, the Russian foreign minister of Russia, British Prime Minister and the Head of the Council of Europe. (Prime-News)



President’s Administration rules out Early Elections

The President’s administration has ruled out the possibility of holding any kind of early elections in Georgia, stated Manana Manjgaladze, the President's spokesperson at a briefing yesterday. She addded the elections would be held according to the rule and date stipulated by the Constitution of Georgia.

Meanwhile, according to the opposition, Saakashvili could decide to hold early elections this year, as the ruling party will win in the elections against a background of the public’s apathy. Most experts share this view. (Prime-News)



Kiev Mayor develops Tourist Infrastructure in Georgia

According to the Ukrainian media, specifically the web portal www.kiev.gorod.ua, the Mayor of Kiev, Leonid Chernovetsky is in Tbilisi apparently busy making investments in tourist infrastructure development. However, while Kiev City Hall supports the initiative, the reports have not been confirmed.

“Chernovetsky’s wife, Alina Aivazova is from Tbilisi. Her father was an influential entrepreneur. There have been allegations that the Mayor’s family plans to invest in hotel and trade centre construction in Georgia,” one of the Agency sources said.

“Information on Chernovetsky’s whereabouts is known to the Ukrainian PM Nikolai Azarov and the Head of City Administration Papov. As far as they are aware, the Security Council should also have the information. The latter must inform the Head of President’s Administration. The question is “Where is the Mayor?” ” Azarov answered that he promised that Chernovetsky would return to his commitments on Monday.

On January 27, the Head of City Administration was commissioned by the PM Nikolai Azarov to find the Kiev Mayor and make him fulfill his duties. Papov said that he last saw Chernovetsky in December 2010. (Interpressnews)



Mosque in Batumi for Georgian Monuments Restoration in Turkey

A mosque will be built in Batumi in exchange for the restoration of Georgian monuments in Turkey.

Minister of Culture and Monument Protection Nikoloz Rurua believes that Georgia can agree to the construction of a mosque in Batumi in order to save the architectural and religious monuments in the historic Georgian province of Tao-Klarjeti in Turkey.

“This step should be taken in order to save Oshki, Handzta and other Georgian monuments,” said the minister.

However an agreement has not yet been signed with the Turkish side.

“When the agreement is signed by the Turkish side, the conditions and details of the document will be made public,” said Rurua.

In December 2010, a protocol on the restoration of Turkish monuments on Georgian territory and Georgian monuments on Turkish territory was signed during a visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey to Tbilisi. (Prime-News)



President to deliver report to parliament

The Georgian president will deliver a report to parliament in February, announced the president’s press speaker, Manana Manjgaladze at a briefing yesterday. She said the consultations on this had already taken place between the president and the parliamentary speaker; however, the date of the report has not yet been set.

Manjgaladze said the president is working on the report at present and its contents and the date of the report will be announced later.

“In fact, it will be a kind of account of the president to his people – what the government has done in the country during the past one year and the plans, prospects and challenges the government will have to work on in 2011. It will be a vision of the state leader, a report on the problems, which are topical for our people and the country,” Manjgaladze said adding that the report would cover economic, social and security issues. (Rustavi 2)