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The News in Brief

Wednesday, June 27
Artist from Gori wins talent Nichieri show

Gori artist Nona Giunashvili, won the Nichieri 2012 Talent Show. The final was held in Tbilisi's Grand Concert Hall last night and the participant, who painted several fragments from the history of Georgia on a specially-lit glass table with sand, collected 28.2% of the 93,163. Along with the title "Most Talented Georgian of 2012," Nona Giunashvili was presented with an apartment in Batumi. Before the winner was announced, the jury nominated Nona Giunashvili, and presented her with a Hyundai Accent vehicle. Nona Giunashvili was also presented with 50,000 GEL by the main sponsor of the show– Bank of Georgia. No participant of the show went home empty-handed: Along with presents from other sponsor companies, each participant was presented with 10,000 GEL by the Bank of Georgia. (Rustavi 2)



Ivanishvili`s meeting with locals in Shida Kartli ends with clash

The meeting of the Georgian Dream Coalition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and his ally Irakli Alasania with the residents of the village people of Mereti, in the Shida Kartli Region, was disrupted yesterday. A noisy argument grew into a clash - police report several people were beaten up in the clash. Locals, who met with Ivanishvili in the center of the village, accused Ivanishvili of his ignorance over the 2008 conflict with Russia. Bidzina Ivanishvili had to leave the village under reinforced security. Later, the interior ministry commented on the incident. A police detective said the people involved in the incident were identified and they would face adequate measures of punishment. (Rustavi 2)



Briefing at President’s Administration

The president’s press spokesperson, Manana Manjgladze, discussed the president's plans this week. She said at the briefing today that Mikheil Saakashvili would leave for Turkey to attend the BSEC forum, which marks its 20th anniversary. The Georgian delegation chaired by the president, will participate in the summit of the organization, which was founded under the initiative of Georgia. At the end of the week, Mikheil Saakashvili will leave for Brussels to hold meetings with the president of the European Union and other senior authorities. Afterwards, Saakashvili plans to visit Baku and meet with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

Manjgaladze has also voiced the position of the president regarding the new legislative initiative voiced by the speaker of the parliament a few days ago.

“The president of Georgia welcomes the beginning of the discussion of the legislative initiative voiced by the chairperson of the parliament a few days ago. The initiative envisages creation of proper legislative guarantees for providing the availability of broadcast of all licensed media sources. The president calls on the parliament to discuss and adopt this initiative in the shortest period of time,” Manjgaladze said. (Rustavi 2)



Poland ready to send observers to Georgia for the parliamentary elections

Poland is ready to send observers to Georgia for the parliamentary elections. Chairman of Parliament, David Bakradze, said after his meeting with Poland's Senate Marshal, Bogdan Borusewicz, he is pleased that Poland agreed to observe the parliamentary elections in Georgia.

He said that the Polish observers will arrive in Georgia within the framework of international organizations, and a separate delegation might also be sent.

Bogdan Borusewicz specified that for autumn’s parliamentary election, Polish observers would arrive within the format of the EU, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. (Interpressnews)



Bagrati and Gelati Temples to be discussed on UNESCO committee sitting

The UNESCO committee sitting will be held in St. Petersburg today, Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Davit Jalaghania, stated at Monday's briefing. He says that both the Bagrati and Gelati temple will be discussed on the UNESCO committee sitting, though as Jalaghania points out, Georgia is not a committee member country and will not be taking part in the debates. Jalaghania states that the Georgian delegation consists of heads of the Monuments Protection Agency, as well as experts. Jalaghania also stated that the Georgian party will be given the possibility to express their opinion in the process of the discussion. Bagrati temple and Gelati are on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites as one complex. Some days ago, the Patriarch of Georgia and Minister of Culture, Nika Rurua, agreed to prepare the Bagrati restoration project under the agreement of the Patriarchate. Bagrati's rehabilitation was stopped by the demand of the Patriarch of Georgia, as work carried out on the west part of the temple was unacceptable to the patriarchate. (Interpressnews)