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The News in Brief

Monday, March 28
Georgian judoka Nugzar Tatalashvili wins gold medal

Georgian judoka Nugzar Tatalashvili has won a gold medal at Tbilisi Sports Palace during the Judokas Grand Prix.

In addition, Lasha Shavdatuashvili and Fridon Gigani won bronze medals at Tbilisi Sports Palace.

Vazha Margvelashvili won the first gold medal for Georgian team, while Amiran Papinashvili, won bronze medal defeating Betkil Shukvani, an ethnic Georgian competing for Turkey.
(IPN)



Georgian FM Meets Armenian Leadership in Yerevan

Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian said after meeting his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Janelidze in Yerevan on March 25 that “there are no problems” in the relationship between the two countries.

“There are some issues that are being solved through joint efforts,” he said.

During the visit, the Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze also met Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, and PM Hovik Abrahamyan on March 25.

“Saying that Armenia and Georgia have good neighbourly relations is really saying too little,” Armenian Foreign Minister Nalbandian said. “This is a friendship based on time-tested mutual respect. These relations continue developing and deepening between our countries.”

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan said that both countries view their different foreign policy paths – Georgia having the Association Agreement with the EU and Armenia being in the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union – as an opportunity, and not an obstacle, in bilateral cooperation.

The Georgian Foreign Minister welcomed the fact that despite the different foreign policy paths chosen by the two countries, bilateral relations are “developing successfully”.

Janelidze also welcomed the opening of negotiations between the EU and Armenia on a new framework agreement, according to the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

Janelidze’s visit to Armenia came five weeks after Tbilisi hosted a regular trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on February 19.
(Civil.ge)



Gori wind farm expected to start producing electricity in December

Construction of wind a farm in Gori, 80km west of the capital, will be completed by the end of 2016, according to the Energy Ministry.

Deputy Energy Minister Irakli Khmaladze said the power station is located close to the motorway near Gori. It is a 20 MW wind power plant and will go into operation in December.

The project will cost more than USD 30 million. Georgia borrowed USD 24 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The electricity produced by the power plant will only be used for domestic consumption.
(DF watch)



US Expert: Georgia’s Gov’t carried out significant work for NATO membership

According to Ariel Cohen, the Georgian government, the Defence Ministry and the Defence Minister have been completing significant work in terms of providing Georgia's NATO membership.

The US. Main Specialist of the Analytical Council, Ariel Cohen, has responded to the registration of the resolution supporting Georgia's territorial integrity at the U.S. Congress representatives' chamber. "When the U.S. and its main legislative agency raise an issue of Georgia's territorial integrity, it means it is a part of the agenda as well as the issues of relations with Russia, Syria, Ukraine and sanctions. Europeans can do nothing today. They have many domestic problems and the U.S. is the main Western force heading the external policy of the Euro-Atlantic Society. The resolution also refers to supporting Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration that is very important prior to the upcoming NATO summit. The Georgian government, the Defence Ministry and the Defence minister have been completing significant work in terms of providing Georgia's NATO membership, therefore, Congress' support is very important," Ariel Cohen told Rustavi 2.
(Pia.ge)