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The News in Brief

Thursday, November 17
Georgia takes 39th position in Paying Taxes 2012

Georgia has taken 39th position in the Paying Taxes 2012 ranking of 183 countries of the world drafted by the World Bank (WB), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC). The ranking was publicized on the PWC website on Monday.

The studies were carried out as part of the Doing Business 2012 Report. In comparison with previous years, Georgia has moved up 22 places as it was in 61st position last year.

Georgia is the leader in the region, as Azerbaijan has taken 77th and Armenia 153rd place. The Maldives leads the list of the rating and Venezuela is in last position. (Rustavi 2)



Zurab Sotkilava’s Family Says Singer Didn’t Leave Russian Grand Theatre

The soloist of the Russian Grand Theatre Zurab Sotkilava has not left the singer’s daughter Ketevan Sotkilava said.

She says that Sotkilava criticized the creative side of the theatre. He has been working there for more than 40 years and he cares about the theatre, though he has no problems with the management. Ketevan Sotkilava says that a creative evening dedicated to her father is scheduled for 11 May in the theatre. “Zurab Sotkilava has not even had a proposal by Tbilisi about holding a creative evening. He continues to work in the theatre on a contract”, Ketavan Sotkilava says.

She denied reports in the Russian press that Zurab Sotkilava was not invited to the opening gala concert of the grand theatre after its reconstruction. His daughter informs that the soloist attended the concert. (Interpressnews)



Sergi Kapanadze Introduced Diplomats to Agreement on Russia’s Accession to WTO

Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergi Kapandze met with heads of foreign diplomatic corps in Georgia to report on final developments in the negotiations on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization mediated by Switzerland on 9 November 2011, in Geneva, the MFA website says.

During the meeting, the parties had the opportunity to get familiar with a package of documents signed in the framework of negotiations and discuss the principal issues related to a mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods between Georgia and the Russian Federation. (Interpressnews)



President hosts Egyptian journalists

A group of Egyptian journalists visiting Georgia on an introductory tour have been hosted by President Saakashvili at the president`s palace today. The representatives of the leading media sources of Egypt put questions to the president mostly about the reforms carried out by the Georgian government after the Rose Revolution and the success reached in recent years.

Egyptian journalists say that the experience of Georgia was particularly interesting for Egypt after the Arab Spring. The guests toured the president`s palace and went to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Economics, where they were hosted by Minister Vera Kobalia. Foreign journalists showed interest in Georgia`s approach to European structures and the activities of Georgia aimed at the development of foreign trade. (Rustavi 2)



Dimitri Shashkii Meets British Counterpart

Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Dimitri Shashkini met with the Minister of State Schools Nickolas Gibbs within an official visit to Great Britain. The two ministers discussed the reforms in Georgia`s education sector. The Georgian minister introduced the programs which are underway in Georgia`s state schools and emphasized the governmental program of teaching the English language through `Teach and Learn with Georgia`, within which several thousand native English speakers teach language at Georgian schools.

Great Britain is intensively involved in the implementation of this program, as most foreign teachers are from Great Britain. (Rustavi 2)