The messenger logo

The News in Brief

Wednesday, April 25
Saakashvili: No school in Georgia will be worse than American or French one

“Like this year, [when] hospitals are opened everywhere in Georgia, there will not be a school in Georgia by the end of next year that will be worse than American or French schools,” President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a meeting with Gurjaani residents.

The President said that teachers will be retrained and young Georgians will be able to receive an education at an international level.

“You have seen that we brought American teachers everywhere, we have computers everywhere, and every child will be given computers next year. There will be new classes that we will create,” Saakashvili said. (IPN)



Motion to dismiss Subeliani and Kalmakhelidze fails

Parliament has rejected an initiative of the Christian-Democrats to dismissing two Ministers on the basis of the Public Defender’s report.

At the plenary sitting of Parliament Tuesday, a motion to dismiss Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees Koba Subeliani and Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Khatuna Kalmakhelidze failed 64 to 13.

The vote was to be held on April 12, but due to a lack of quorum, it did not take place until this week. (IPN)



President hosts delegation of Czech lawmakers

President Mikheil Saakashvili hosted a delegation from the Czech Parliament this week, chaired by the Speaker of the Senate, Milan Stech. The sides discussed enhancement of friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.

The issues of Georgia's integration into NATO and the European Union and the reforms carried out by the government in recent years were also on the agenda. Czech lawmakers reaffirmed their support for Georgia's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.

The delegation was also informed about the situation in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and reiterated support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Saakashvili also emphasized the need for investments from the Czech Republic. (Rustavi 2)



Four Georgian sailors to return home soon

Four Georgian sailors who were abandoned onboard a ship at Cartagena, Spain, will return to Georgia soon. The sailors were not paid after they tried to clarify their employment terms with the ship's owner. They have not received a salary for the past eight months.

The Georgian naval administration is holding negotiations with the ship's owner on covering salary arrears and arranging transportation of the sailors back to Georgia.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Giorgi Karbelashvili said in a telephone interview with Rustavi2 that the Georgian government will cover travel costs from Cartagena to Batumi. Karbelashvili is currently in the Spanish port holding negotiations with his Spanish colleagues. (Rustavi 2)



Presidential press speaker comments on construction of new hydro-electric plant

Presidential Press Speaker Manana Manjgaladze has commented on the construction of a large hydro-electric power station in Georgia's remote region of Svaneti.

The construction of the plant was opened by President Mikheil Saakashvili yesterday. Manjgaladze noted that the project is expected to reduce unemployment in the region, as 1200 locals would be employed there.

"The construction of the Nenskrahess is a Chinese investment. Such projects are models of reduction of unemployment in the country and it is intended for our citizens that they are employed," Manjgaladze said, adding the pre-condition of such a large project was the reduction of corruption in the country.

Manjgaladze also spoke about two new factories that will open soon. She said a glass refining factory would be constructed in Khashuri and a milk factory, which has been already constructed, will open in Tbilisi. (Rustavi 2)



Ekaterina Khvedelidze’s facebook profiles fake

Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili’s wife, Ekaterina Khvedelidze, does not have her own facebook page, and the current one is a fake, according to a statement from Ivanishvili’s press service.

“The Georgian press reported last week [that] Ekaterina Khvedelidze published on facebook a list of the projects financed by Bidzina Ivanishvili. We reiterate that Bidzina Ivanishvili’s spouse Ekaterina Khvedelidze doesn’t have her own page on facebook. The existing profiles are fakes and were made by her supporters or rivals. The pages serve the interests of certain individuals and are obviously provocative," the statement reads.

"The number of fake profiles increase as the social network becomes popular. We ask media representatives to verify any information published via social networking with Bidzina Ivanishvili’s press office”. (IPN)



Civil Registry has new chair

Deputy Minister of Justice Giorgi Vashadze had introduced a new chair of the Civil Registry Agency, Giorgi Gabrielashvili. The agency was previously headed by Vashadze, who remains as Deputy Minister of Justice.

“We decided, along with the Minster, that the Civil Registry would have a new chair. I held two positions: Deputy Minister and Civil Registry Chair. As there are a lot of various issues to be discussed by the Deputy Minister, for the effective work of the Civil Registry, it was important to select the right candidate who will head the department. The Registry will continue to work on the innovations and reforms it had before and there will be a lot of new projects offered to the public,” Vashadze said.

Gabrielashvili remarked that he intends to establish the Registry as a "place of new ideas".

Gabrielashvili was born in Gurjaani in 1981, and graduated Law School at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. He has been working as the head of the legal service of the Civil Registry since 2006, and as deputy chair of the agency from January 2011. (IPN)