Daily News December 12, 1997	Days:  09 11 12 15 16

politics

THE PRESIDENT IS BACK FROM ROMANIA

Shevardnadze’s two-day official visit to Romania came to end. Declaration of cooperation was signed during the visit.




THE PRESIDENT SHARES ABOUT RUSSIAN-GEORGIAN RELATIONS

Relations between Georgia and Russia haven’t been smooth, said President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze at the briefing he gave yesterday in Bucharest. The two countries share a treaty of strategic cooperation.




SERGEI SHAMBA BLAMES REFUGEES FOR TERRORIZING ABKHAZ PEOPLE

Upon their return to Abkhazia more than 50 thousand Georgians have been terrorizing Abkhaz population and thus disrupting peaceful settlement of the conflict, asserts Shamba. That’s what he said at the meeting the delegation of Norwegian Refugees’ Council held with the president of the self-proclaimed republic Vladislav Ardzinba and other government representatives.




CHECHNYA PRESIDENT’S PRIVATE REPRESENTATIVE DESIGNATED IN ABKHAZIA

Ruslan Kutaev was appointed private representative of the president of Chechnya in Abkhazia, reported a source in Sukhumi. Kutaev is a 31-year-old lawyer and a married father.




CANDIDATE FOR GEORGIAN AMBASSADOR IN EGYPT NOMINATED

Yesterday, the parliamentary committee for foreign relations approved Appolon Silagadze as a candidate for the position of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of Georgia in the United Arab Republic of Egypt and 22 Arab countries at the same time. Silagadze, Ph.D.

economics

POTI-CONSTANTA FERRIAGE OPENING CEREMONY

Yesterday afternoon, Georgian delegation headed by the President Eduard Shevardnadze visited Romanian port Constanta. Memorandum was signed on the occasion of the opening of the ferriage to Poti.




REHABILITATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN TSKHINVALI REGION

Transmission equipment in certain villages is to be replenished and upgraded according to a deliberately developed scheme, reported the Ministry of Post and Communications. The scheme involves construction of a mini automatic telephone station in Tskhinvali, montage of a television transmitter in Gori to improve broadcast quality in the region.




GEORGIAN SHIPPING COMPANY NEEDS TO BE RESTRUCTURED

The shipping company supervises 5 ships, the other 27 have been under the supervision of various off-shore firms through a completely state-owned enterprise registered in London, explained Bichiko Varshanidze, the head of the shipping company. Operation of the shipping company and offshore fleet is being stabilized with assistance from the Georgian government; there appeared an opportunity to eliminate negative profits in the company, said Varshanidze.




ANALYSIS OF CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES' OPERATION

146 construction companies in Tbilisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Kutaisi, Poti (90 of them private, 53 – state-owned, 3 – municipal) have been surveyed in the 3^rd quarter of 1997. 30.8% of the companies have been involved in the construction of industrial structures, 28.6% – social-cultural objects, 13% – infrastructure, 21.2% – roadwork, 17.8% of the companies serve population needs.




POTABLE WATER SUPPLY IN AKHALTSIKHE REGION ARRANGED WITH ASSISTANCE FROM SWITZERLAND

The project of potable water supply system in Akhaltsikhe region has been drawn by the Swiss agency for cooperation and development. The project costs make up $5,000.

business

NUMBER OF JOINT VENTURES PUMPING OIL IN GEORGIA MIGHT REACH 80

This is the prognosis of the vice-president of Saknavtobi (Georgian Oil) state company Gogi Beraia. Talks with British, American and Greek companies are in progress.

society

FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION’S 5^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED IN BATUMI

Friendship is the first Russian Community officially registered after the break-up of the Soviet Union. A delegation of Russian Duma representatives headed by Georgi Tikhonov, CIS Committee Chair, took part in the ceremony.




829 ECONOMIC CRIMES DISCLOSED WITHIN 11 MONTHS

The index outnumbers that of the last year by 301, reports the press center at the Interior Ministry. Among the misdeeds revealed are 39 cases of bribery, 30 – smuggling, 33 – bank note forgery and realization, 369 – state or public property embezzlement, 27 – tax evasion, 101 – jobbery and misfeasance, 20 – negligence.