The News in Brief
Friday, March 13
Health Minister: Medication prices have decreased
As Georgia’s Health Minister Davit Sergeenko has recently stated, prices on medication are being adjusted.
“The tendency of price growth has past. There was a 15-20% increase, which has recently been reduced.
I would also like to emphasize the effort made by the PSP pharmaceutical company, which has dropped prices on dozens of necessary medicines,”- Sergeenko remarked. (IPN)
Burjanadze Slams U.S. for ‘Insulting Georgia’s Sovereignty’
Nino Burjanadze, ex-parliament speaker and leader of Democratic Movement–United Georgia opposition party, accused the United States of “blatantly insulting Georgia’s sovereignty” and criticized the Georgian authorities for not reacting on the appearance of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili at a hearing in the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee.
“This is an insult to our state; this is a continuation of the insulting policy, which was also demonstrated by inviting the wanted ex-president as a main guest at [the European Parliament] during ratification of the Association Agreement,” she said on March 10.
In his capacity as Ukrainian president’s adviser and chairman of Ukraine’s International Advisory Council on Reforms, Saakashvili testified before the Senate’s Foreign Relation Committee’s subcommittee on Europe and regional security cooperation in March 4, when it held a hearing on “Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.”
“What do declarations by the western states, including the United States mean about respecting Georgia’s sovereignty? Respecting Georgia’s sovereignty first and foremost means that one has to respect the authorities of this country and its decisions and one should not be receiving a wanted person,” Burjanadze said.
“I wonder what the United States’ reaction would be if [Ukraine’s ex-president Viktor] Yanukovych was invited to Georgia’s parliamentary committee for foreign affairs. I don’t really respect Yanukovych, but Saakashvili is no better than Yanukovych – the only difference is that Saakashvili is swearing at Russia. So should you be exonerated from everything if you swear at Russia, as if respecting western values? Can one make declarations about respecting sovereignty on the one hand and on the other inviting a wanted person to the legislative body’s foreign relations committee?” she said.
The party led by Burjanadze, who says that contrary to her opponents’ claims, she is not a pro-Russian politician, but “pro-Georgian”, garnered slightly over 10% of votes in last year’s local elections.
“I want to tell U.S. ambassador [to Georgia Richard Norland] that such action will not be perceived as a friendly gesture towards the Georgian people and the Georgian state. I want to assure you that if this situation does not change, the stance of Georgian people towards the United States will change negatively direction,” she said.
She said that she was not surprised that the Georgian authorities “failed to voice their protest” over the issue.
“Of course they would not dare, because, unfortunately, they look at the United States not as an equal partner, but as a master to whom they should serve obediently. It’s not in Georgia’s interests,” Burjanadze said. (Civil.ge)
University tower in Batumi sold for USD 25 million
A disputed tower building in Batumi, Georgia, was sold on auction on Wednesday.
The tower was meant to be a technical university, an initiative of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, but the idea stranded.
The building was criticized during the previous government for not being suitable for education purposes. The 35-storey complex is the city’s tallest structure and has a small ferris wheel at the top.
After the change of power, the new government decided to sell the building. It will now most likely be used for a hotel.
As the auction ended Wednesday, there was only one bid, of about USD 25.4 million, made by the company Batumi Tower Ltd.
The company was registered in November 2014 and is one hundred percent owned by Celwood Investment Limited, a company registered in Central America.
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told journalists that at least USD 18 million will be invested and the plan is to make it into a hotel complex.
“We haven’t sold a university, but a building, which was subject of discussions,” he said, recalling claims that the construction wasn’t compatible with educational standards, which is why it was sold.
About 40 million laris was spent on the construction of Batumi Tower, which began in 2011. Ex-President Saakashvili opened the building in 2012. (DF watch)
As Georgia’s Health Minister Davit Sergeenko has recently stated, prices on medication are being adjusted.
“The tendency of price growth has past. There was a 15-20% increase, which has recently been reduced.
I would also like to emphasize the effort made by the PSP pharmaceutical company, which has dropped prices on dozens of necessary medicines,”- Sergeenko remarked. (IPN)
Burjanadze Slams U.S. for ‘Insulting Georgia’s Sovereignty’
Nino Burjanadze, ex-parliament speaker and leader of Democratic Movement–United Georgia opposition party, accused the United States of “blatantly insulting Georgia’s sovereignty” and criticized the Georgian authorities for not reacting on the appearance of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili at a hearing in the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee.
“This is an insult to our state; this is a continuation of the insulting policy, which was also demonstrated by inviting the wanted ex-president as a main guest at [the European Parliament] during ratification of the Association Agreement,” she said on March 10.
In his capacity as Ukrainian president’s adviser and chairman of Ukraine’s International Advisory Council on Reforms, Saakashvili testified before the Senate’s Foreign Relation Committee’s subcommittee on Europe and regional security cooperation in March 4, when it held a hearing on “Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.”
“What do declarations by the western states, including the United States mean about respecting Georgia’s sovereignty? Respecting Georgia’s sovereignty first and foremost means that one has to respect the authorities of this country and its decisions and one should not be receiving a wanted person,” Burjanadze said.
“I wonder what the United States’ reaction would be if [Ukraine’s ex-president Viktor] Yanukovych was invited to Georgia’s parliamentary committee for foreign affairs. I don’t really respect Yanukovych, but Saakashvili is no better than Yanukovych – the only difference is that Saakashvili is swearing at Russia. So should you be exonerated from everything if you swear at Russia, as if respecting western values? Can one make declarations about respecting sovereignty on the one hand and on the other inviting a wanted person to the legislative body’s foreign relations committee?” she said.
The party led by Burjanadze, who says that contrary to her opponents’ claims, she is not a pro-Russian politician, but “pro-Georgian”, garnered slightly over 10% of votes in last year’s local elections.
“I want to tell U.S. ambassador [to Georgia Richard Norland] that such action will not be perceived as a friendly gesture towards the Georgian people and the Georgian state. I want to assure you that if this situation does not change, the stance of Georgian people towards the United States will change negatively direction,” she said.
She said that she was not surprised that the Georgian authorities “failed to voice their protest” over the issue.
“Of course they would not dare, because, unfortunately, they look at the United States not as an equal partner, but as a master to whom they should serve obediently. It’s not in Georgia’s interests,” Burjanadze said. (Civil.ge)
University tower in Batumi sold for USD 25 million
A disputed tower building in Batumi, Georgia, was sold on auction on Wednesday.
The tower was meant to be a technical university, an initiative of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, but the idea stranded.
The building was criticized during the previous government for not being suitable for education purposes. The 35-storey complex is the city’s tallest structure and has a small ferris wheel at the top.
After the change of power, the new government decided to sell the building. It will now most likely be used for a hotel.
As the auction ended Wednesday, there was only one bid, of about USD 25.4 million, made by the company Batumi Tower Ltd.
The company was registered in November 2014 and is one hundred percent owned by Celwood Investment Limited, a company registered in Central America.
Economy Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili told journalists that at least USD 18 million will be invested and the plan is to make it into a hotel complex.
“We haven’t sold a university, but a building, which was subject of discussions,” he said, recalling claims that the construction wasn’t compatible with educational standards, which is why it was sold.
About 40 million laris was spent on the construction of Batumi Tower, which began in 2011. Ex-President Saakashvili opened the building in 2012. (DF watch)