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The News in Brief

Wednesday, June 29
Davit Bakradze met with Rasmussem in Brussels

Georgian Parliament Speaker Davit Bakradze met with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Brussels yesterday. The sides discussed Georgia-NATO relations prior to the NATO-Georgia commission session in Brussels.

Davit Bakradze also met with the ambassador of Lithuania to the Alliance, Linas Linkevichus and awarded the ambassador with the Presidential Order of Brilliance. Bakradze thanked the ambassador for the support which Lithuania demonstrates to both Georgia and the speaker himself. (Rustavi 2)



US Report on human trafficking

Georgia has been named among the states meeting the necessary international standards in the fight against human trafficking in a report by the US Department of State. The worst - i.e. the third category, has been granted to the countries which fail to meet the imposed standards and for which the international community is discussing the imposition of special sanctions. US Secretary of State Mrs. Hillary Clinton spoke about the details of the report and the problems of human trafficking in an exclusive interview with CNN. She said the situation is not perfect in any region.

Georgia has been selected in the top category countries beside Canada, Great Britain and most of the European states. The third category countries, where the situation is dire, include Algeria, Burma, Libya, Kuwait, Turkmenistan and others. Russia and Ukraine have been listed in the second category of the report. (Rustavi 2)



Czech lawmakers hold meetings at parliament

A delegation of senators from the Czech Republic is paying an official visit to Georgia. The lawmakers visited the parliament of Georgia today and discussed Georgia-EU relations at the meeting with two senior MPs from the ruling party - Rusudan Kervalishvili and Davit Darchiashvili.

Georgian MPs said after the meeting that the Czech Republic is one of the key players in the European Union and therefore, relations with this country and bilateral cooperation with them is particularly important for Georgia.

Czech senators will meet with the EU mission head in Georgia as part of an official visit which is due to last three days. (Rustavi 2)



Students` contest winner awarded

The Ministry of Education has awarded the winner of the photo-contest “I Am Proud”, student Davit Dokhturishvili with a portable computer.

The photo contest was organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and its participants had to upload photos to the official web-page of the Ministry on Facebook. The uploaded photos had to be in compliance with the theme of the contest.

The official web-page of the Ministry on Facebook has 9000 followers. About 200 photos that met the requirements of the contest have been uploaded to the web-page.

The winner of the contest was selected according to the number of 'likes' his or her photo received.

In order to bring the information on current education reforms and innovations in the education system to the public and especially to the users of the social networks, the Ministry has created several official web-pages. (Rustavi 2)



Georgian Railway Granted Right to Expropriate Property

Georgian Railway Ltd has been granted the right to expropriate property in private ownership (land plots, perennial plants and other immovable property) located on the proposed route outlined in the frameworks of the project of construction of the Tbilisi bypass road.

This right to expropriate property for public necessity was granted to Georgian Railway by order No. 1-1/1035 of the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development. (Interpressnews)



Video dates for prisoners in Ksani N15 prison

A new service of video dates is now available for the prisoners of the N15 Ksani penitentiary facility. The first session took place yesterday where the chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the parliament Lasha Tordia and his deputy Eka Kherkheulidze talked with a convict from the Tbilisi Probation Bureau.

Any person can use the service of video dates provide the convict gives his or her consent.

Video dates will soon be introduced to all other penitentiary facilities of Georgia having been test-run in the juvenile facility. (Rustavi 2)