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The News in Brief

Friday, August 22
Georgia reaffirms cooperation with France

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili held a telephone conversation with French President Francois Hollande today and discussed the state of the region.

The two officials spoke about the processes taking place in the region, topics expected to be discussed at the September NATO Summit in Wales and other important issues, said Garibashvili’s press service.

The two parties reaffirmed their commitment to one another, which ended with Garibashvili thanking Hollande for supporting Georgia and for his interest in the country’s current developments.

Hollande visited Georgia in May this year. (Agenda.ge)



Lithuanian President: NATO Plans 'Solid Package' for Georgia

Adoption of “a solid package that will enhance Georgia's defense capabilities” is planned at the NATO summit in Wales early next month, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite told his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili during a phone conversation on August 20.

Lithuanian president’s office said that NATO “also intends to confirm its position regarding Georgia's future in the Alliance.”

Regional security and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit were discussed during the phone conversation, according to the Lithuanian president’s office.

“It is essential for Georgia to continue the reforms important for its people and aimed at strengthening democracy and the rule of law in the country, the President underlined,” Lithuanian president’s office said.

At a meeting in June NATO foreign ministers decided that there will be no membership action plan (MAP) for Georgia on the agenda of the NATO summit in Wales; instead, NATO foreign ministers agreed to develop a “substantive" package to help the country move further closer to the Alliance.

Georgian president’s administration said that Margvelashvili thanked his Lithuanian counterpart for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity and its Euro-Atlantic integration.

It also said that the two president “expressed hope Georgia’s progress will be appropriately reflected” in NATO summit’s final declaration.

President Margvelashvili held phone conversations with his Polish and Estonian counterparts on August 14 and also spoke by phone with the Latvian President on August 19 to discuss upcoming NATO summit. (Civil.ge)



Earthquake hits Georgia

An earthquake hit Georgia on Thursday.

According to the Seismic Monitoring Center, there was 3.2 magnitude quake near Chiatura, western Georgia.

No victims or damages are reported. (Frontnews)



Georgian PM visits Armenia August 21-22

Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili visits Armenia on August 21-22.

After meeting his Armenian colleague, Gharibashvili and the rest of the Georgian delegation meets with Armenian government representatives.

Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan will host his colleague for a dinner after a press conference.

Gharibashvili will have a bilateral meeting with President Serzh Sargsyan, who will also host the Georgian delegation for a dinner.

The foreign, economy and energy ministers are part of the Georgian delegation. (DF watch)



Court due to hold hearing on former law enforcer`s case

Tbilisi City Court is due to hold hearing on the case of Giorgi Dgebuadze - the former chief of the military police department`s division of the staff of Georgian armed Forces. Dgebuadze is accused of premeditated murder and misuse of authority in the so-called Navtlughi special operation.

The lawyer of the defendant thinks that the hearing will be postponed, because Dgebuadze is currently held in prison in Netherlands and the issue of his extradition has not been decided yet. (Rustavi2)



Georgia to ban sale of medicines to minors

Georgia will ban the sale of medicine to minors from September 1, 2014, chairman of the Health Care and Social Issues Committee of the Georgian Parliament Dimitri Khundadze told media Aug. 21.

Georgia's law "On medicaments and pharmaceutical activity" has been amended.

"After the amendments come into force, minors will be unable to buy medicine in pharmacies even with a prescription," he stressed. "If the pharmacist violates the law, he will be fined 500 lari [1 lari = $0.58]."

"There is a similar ban on alcohol and tobacco, therefore, these changes are timely and necessary," he added. (Trend.az)