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Compiled By Messenger Staff
Friday, June 24
Giorgi Baramidze Links Meat Price Increase with EU Demands

Demands of EU experts on the Georgian government caused a meat price increase by 80%, Vice Premier of Georgia Giorgi Baramidze stated during a press conference – “Cooperation for European future,” 24 Hours reports.

“It is a serious problem for the population and for the government as well. I don’t think it is within the interests of the EU, though we carried it out as an important for us to meet international standards, though it would be better to do it step by step, at least in a year, which would be less painful”, Baramidze mentioned.

The Vice Premier called on EU experts to be more attentive to such issues.

“We are not complaining, but it’s better to carry out such changes gradually. We were forced and we did it as it was within the interest of the country, but it would be better to do it step by step”, Baramidze said.

He says that Georgia’s main task is to put legislation and relevant fields in order before signing a free trade agreement.



Akhalgori governor threatens Rezonansi’s journalist

Newspaper Rezonansi is reporting that Akhalgori governor (in exile) has been threatening journalist Mari Otarashvili.The statement reads that the Akhalgori governor Zurab Pitskhelauri continues not only to threaten the journalist but also he practices blackmail against her. He said on the TV show “Without Accreditation” that he has discrediting material against the agency of the journalist.

“After the journalist demanded “proof in the form of photos and documents” from Pitskhelauri, the governor stepped back and said he didn’t own the material and would have it in the future. It must be mentioned that this is the only journalist who manages to visit occupied Akhalgori and cover the situation, as she is from Akhalgori and her close relatives live there.

The Akhalgori governor exerted verbal pressure against the journalist and “advised” her to “get away from Akhalgori”. The reason was that the journalist objectively covered the situation in the occupied region which went against the local authorities' wishes to empty Akhalgori of its Georgian population.

After a number of articles on the aforesaid issue, the governor threatened to publish discrediting materials about the journalist, he always speaks in a very improper way with the journalist.

As Rezonansi is interested in the real situation and problems in the occupied Akhalgori, it is not going to stop covering the events there, which is possible with help of Mari Otarashvili”, the statement reads.

Pitskhelauris’s statement is considered by the paper as pressure against the journalist and the edition may work against Akhalgori's legitimate governor for accusing Mari Otarashvili of attempting to spoil the reputation of Rezonansi.