Daily News December 11, 2002	Days:  09 10 11 12 13

politics

SPEAKER OF GEORGIA PARLIAMENT TOURS BALTIC STATES

Nino Burjanadze, the speaker of Georgian Parliamen, is touring through Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Her visit started on December 9 and will last to December 14.




GEORGIA AND NATO TO ELABORATE INDIVIDUAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM AT THE BEGINNING OF 2003

David Dondua, Georgia’s ambassador to NATO, said at today’s press conference that the work over the partnership program, in which Georgia’s experts and representatives from the Alliance will participate, will start in January and end in March.

The ambassador said also that next year it will probably be possible to open NATO’s information office in Tbilisi.




RUSSIA’S NEW AMBASSADOR TO GEORGIA MEETS GEORGIAN FOREING MINISTER

Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagarishvili expressed his delight over today’s meeting with Russia’s new ambassador to Georgia Vladimir Chkhikvishvili, who has replaced on the post Vladimir Gudev. Menagarishvili said they had not considered any particular problems, just interchanged views and “have found many things in common”.




GEORGIAN AND RUSSIAN EXPERTS’ WORKING MEETING ON MILITARY QUESTIONS UNDERWAY

In the 2-days Georgian and Russian military experts’ working meeting, commenced today in Tbilisi, representatives from the Defense and Foreign Ministries’ of the two countries are taking part.

Kakha Sikharulidze, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said that no definite decision will be made at the meeting, yet, “a way should be paved for the regular round of talks on the terms of the Russian military bases’ withdrawal”.




CITY GOVERNMENT NEW MEMBERS CONFIRMED

Sakrebulo decided today that Kakha Shengelia, the director of Caucasian Business School, would occupy last vacant post of city vice-premier (the other two were elected on December 9).

On the posts of heads of city government bodies current chiefs had been re-nominated.

economics

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MINISTRY READY TO ISSUE PERMISSION FOR BAKU-TBILISI-ERZRUM GAS-MAIN CONSTRUCTION

The environmental impact permission, on which 60 experts are currently working, will be issued on December 16, said Environmental Protection Minister Nino Chkhobadze today.

Chkhobadze noted that the document would include a special provision regarding the possible air pollution.




GOVERNMENT DISCUSSES PROBLEMS IN ENERGY SECTOR

Today, State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze while addressing the government session, which focused on problems in the energy sector, evaluated the situation as very poor. He said, in particular, that generated electricity accounted for only 60% of power generated in 1989 and that only 40% of hydro electric stations were operating and commercial losses had reached 55%.

business

JSC TBILGAZ TO RETURN UNDER MUNICIPAL CONTROL

State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze said at today’s session that JSC Tbilgaz, Tbilisi’s gas distributor, will again be transferred under Tbilisi’s Mayor’s Office. At the same time, the Mayor’s Office is to see to covering by the Company the cost for the consumed gas, he noted.

society

STATE COMMISSION TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE NEW NATIONAL SYMBOLS

Culture Minister Sesili Gogiberidze reported at the Government session today that a state commission will be formed in the near future, which will work on the national anthem, the state emblem and the flag. The Minister thinks premature the already ongoing debates in this behalf.