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The News in Brief

Friday, July 17
Who is the new German Ambassador to Georgia?

Georgia has a new Ambassador from the Federal Republic of Germany.

Newly elected Ambassador Bettina Cadenbach replaced outgoing Ambassador Ortwin Hennig, who retired after five years of serving in this position in Tbilisi.

Cadenbach, 55, has already arrived in Georgia and met with high-ranking Georgian officials.

Cadenbach met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Tamar Beruchashvili and passed a Letter of Credence to the Georgian official.

At the meeting the sides discussed the partnership and friendly relations between Georgia and Germany and the prospects of deepening existing cooperation.

Beruchashvili congratulated Cadenbach on her appointment to the position.

Today the German Ambassador met with Georgia's President Giorgi Margvelashvili and passed a Letter of Credence to him as well.

Cadenbach assured President Margvelashvili that Germany held an important position in the developments of the region and that her country would continue supporting Georgia as it implemented various reforms.

The sides also talked about future cooperation, in particular the German-Georgian Cultural Year scheduled for 2017, as well as number of other initiatives.

Before being appointed as the new Ambassador to Georgia, Cadenbach worked in the Federal Foreign Office of Germany as Head of Unit for Common Security and Defence Policy of EU from 2012-2015. Before this she worked as Head of the Office of the State Minister for Europe from 2006 to 2009 and as the Secretary for European Security and Defence Policy from 1997 to 2000.

In terms of experience within embassies, Catenbach worked as a Permanent Representative in the German Embassy in Tehran, Iran between 2009 and 2012, in the German Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia from 2004 to 2006 and in the German Embassy in Ankara, Turkey between 1994 and 1997.

She also worked in the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2000 to 2004. (Agenda.ge)



Tbilisi Welcomes Iran Nuclear Deal

Georgian Foreign Ministry has welcomed the Iran nuclear deal as “an important step towards international peace and stability.”

The agreement reached in Vienna on July 14, between Iran and the P5+1 – the U.S., China, Russia, France, United Kingdom and Germany – will grant Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for long-term curbs on its nuclear program.

In a statement on July 15, the Georgian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that “the subsequent process under the achieved plan will take place in full accordance with the agreed parameters.”

“Georgia expresses its satisfaction with the fact that the durable and active diplomatic process led sides to reach a consensus and through dialogue agree on the plan to resolve complex issues related to the Iran’s nuclear program,” it said.

“The Ministry believes that the achieved deal over the Iran’s nuclear program represents an important step towards international peace and stability and commends the involved Parties in the negotiations for their immense efforts,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“In addition, achieved deal brings about normalization of relations between Iran and Western countries, which will create new economic opportunities for the countries both in the region and in the entire world,” it said.

MP Gubaz Sanikidze, vice speaker of parliament, who visited Iran twice over the past ten months in his previous capacity of chairman of the committee for diaspora issues, said that the agreement is “very significant” for Georgia too. Speaking at a parliamentary session on July 15, the GD lawmaker called on the Foreign Ministry “intensify relations with Iran.”

“Iran may turn into stabilizing factor in the Middle East. Georgia has a chance to play an important role in relations between Iran and the West. Our government is on the right path in this regard, but I think that we will have to intensify certain processes. This agreement may also play a positive role for Georgia in terms of security as well, so we should pay more attention to developments in the south, because soon those events may also determine our issues in respect of our relations on the northern direction [referring to Russia]. A very serious process is starting in which we should be very careful and mobilized,” MP Sanikidze said. (Civil.ge)



11 people injured as a result of fire at hypermarket Gorgia

11 people were injured in a fire that broke out in the hypermarket Gorgia. As the Emergency Services inform, all of them were hospitalized.

As BMC Gorgia has informed InterPressNews, the fire emerged on the second floor of the hypermarket. Firefighters from three stations were working at the scene to stop it from spreading.

According to Communications Manager of the hypermarket, Giorgi Bakhutashvili, the fire was most likely caused by an electrical malfunction. As he has said, the fire emerged at 09:00 AM in the furniture section and resulted in heavy smoke.

He also claims that information about the hypermarket’s financial loss is not available at the moment and that corresponding services will calculate the damage. By the end of the day it will become known when precisely the hypermarket will reopen.

Those injured – staff and security guards - have been hospitalized due to smoke inhalation. The fire was extinguished. (IPN)