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The News in Brief

Tuesday, July 2
President Mikheil Saakashvili’s spokesperson, Manana Manjgaladze, has announced that the Georgia's Presidential Election will be held on October 27, 2013.



Bakradze holds leadership at first stage of preliminary elections of presidential candidate of UNM

The leader of parliamentary minority and the ex-speaker of the Georgian Parliament, David Bakradze, won in the first round of the UNM primaries. The program presented by him was supported by 370 delegates at the conference, which brought together delegates from the parties of the Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi regions.

The primaries are preliminary elections, during which a selection of candidates to be nominated by the party in the upcoming elections is carried out. Four presidential candidates - David Bakradze, as well as his colleagues in parliament: Giorgi Baramidze, Shota Malashkhia and Zurab Japaridze presented their programs and answered the questions of delegates.

The presidential candidate from the United National Movement will be finally determined by July 30. In total, five more party conferences will be held in different regions of the country. The last conference will be held in Tbilisi.
(Trend)



General insurance package expanded in Georgia

The general insurance package was expanded in Georgia starting July 1. The Minister of Health, Labour and Social Affaris, David Sergeenko told journalists on Monday that the project being carried out currently has only three components. These are a planned outpatient clinic, an emergency outpatient clinic and an emergency hospital.

"From July 1, the planned hospital will be added. In terms of volume, this component considerably exceeds the complete package of insurance services, meaning that the volume of aid will be increased several times," Sergeenko said.

The benefits for socially vulnerable families will also be increased.
(Trend)



SOCAR ensures gas exports to Georgia

SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) transports 1-1.2 million cubic meters of gas to Georgia daily. Earlier, SOCAR gas supplies to Georgia have been suspended at the request of the Georgian side. According to the source, the company's gas supply has recovered and is being carried out normally.

"The Georgian side is currently experiencing a demand for gas and therefore its deliveries to the neighboring country are being carried out as usual. Now the figure stands at 1-1.2 million cubic meters," the source said.

SOCAR supplies its own gas to Georgia in the framework of its activities on the Georgian market through a pipeline linking the two countries in the Gazakh district of Azerbaijan. Power flow of gas through this pipeline totals nearly three billion cubic meters per year.

The company operates gas distribution networks covering different regions of Georgia through SOCAR Georgia Gas.
(Trend)



“Georgia needs very clean reputation”

Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia, Philip Dimitrov, responded to the detention of the employees of the City Council and the City Hall and said "the processes should not exceed legal limits, because Georgia needs a very clean reputation," he said.

"We are observing the processes as well as other detentions, but the main thing is that the processes should not exceed legal limits. Georgia needs clean reputation very much,” Dimitrov said.
(Front News)



Bidzina Ivanishvili to meet journalists on July 3

The Prime Minister’s office informs that the press conference for the media will be held on July 3. A meeting between Ivanishvili and journalists is held almost monthly. The Prime Minister assesses the government’s activity and then answers media representatives’ questions.
(IPN)



Interior Minister leaves for Armenia

Interior Minister Irakli Gharibashvili left for Armenia yesterday. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the minister will hold meetings with the President of Armenia. Irakli Gharibashvili will also meet the chief of police, the chief of the national security service and the minister of emergency situations. The sides will discuss bilateral cooperation issues and the reforms carried out in Georgia. The visit will end on July 2.
(IPN)



Fast of Peter and Paul starts on July 1

Fast of Peter and Paul starts on July 1. The fast lasts for 12 days and will be over on July 12. On July 12, the Feast of Peter and Paul is marked. This fast is comparably easy; as a rule, fish is allowed during this fast except from Wednesdays and Fridays. The Orthodox Church specially celebrates the apostles Saints Peter and Paul.
(IPN)



International art festival ‘Stars of the Future 2013’ starts in Georgia

The Patriarchy Center for Spiritual and Intellectual Development of Youth hosted an opening ceremony for Stars of the Future 2013 on June 28. The festival is organized by Artists for the Future union and sponsored by Palitra L Publishing, which prepared gifts for the nominees aged 6 to 26. Thirty-five laureates were presented with a book series on great painters and illustrated volumes of world history. The event organizers said the goal of the festival was to promote visual arts and talented young painters and creative groups, discover new faces and encourage creative teachers. The festival was founded four years ago and is dedicated to the memory of late painter Elene Akhvlediani.
(Georgian News)