AGREEMENT ON TERMS OF MILITARY BASES WITHDRAWAL HAS TO DO WITH QUESTION OF THEIR TAXATION, FOREIGN MINISTRY SAYS
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kakha Sikharulidze said at today’s briefing that the demand of the Georgian side on taxating the Russian military bases will largely depend on the Russian position regarding the terms of their withdrawal. Meantime, he called not to “forestall the events”.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL SHOULD VISIT GEORGIA WITH ITS FULL COMPOSITION, SAYS REVAZ ADAMIA
At today’s session of the Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, Revaz Adamia, Georgia’s representative in the UN Security Council, came out with an initiative of this Organization’s visit. According to him, it would be a positive step forward to familiarize the Council’s members to the situation in Abkhazia.
PARLIAMENT STARTS CONSIDERING DRAFT STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES
Draft structural changes to the executive authorities were considered for the first time today by the Economic Policy Committee and the Branch Economy Committee at a joint meeting. The draft changes have been launched by Georgian President.
PERSONNEL RESHUFFLES IN SUKHUMI GOVERNMENT
According to the Independent Group of Abkhaz Journalists, Georgian-Abkhazian Information Channel, retirement of Prime Minister Anri Jergenia caused changes in the composition of the government. Jergenia has been replaced by Genadi Gagulia, the president of the Chamber of Commerce.
GEORGIA NEGOTIATING WITH NEIGHBOR STATE-CLAIMANTS FOR WTO MEMBERSHIP
Levan Lomidze, the Foreign Ministry’s head of WTO Relations Department, told Sarke, that these days in Geneva, where this Organization’s headquarters is situated, negotiations are scheduled with the Russian delegation, which are due to end by December 20.
Lomidze noted that during the negotiations the Georgian delegation would adhere to the Parliament-adopted decree of last week, which sets forth a number of conditions to the Russian side.
EUROCOMISSION LAYS DOWN CONDITIONS FOR NEW TRANCHE DISBURSEMENT
Today, Andreas Papandopulo, Director General for Economic and Financial Affairs of the European Commission, submitted the draft Fourth Supplement Memorandum on Understanding between the European Community and Georgia to the Ministry of Economics, Industry and Trade.
As the draft states Georgia may count on receiving a new grant, which will amount to a maximum of 115 EUR, in case it reduces its debt to the European Community (which amounts to 92 million EUR at present) to a significant level, and meets a number of conditions, which include changes to the tax and budget sectors, reaching progress in the privatization of large communications objects and reforming the energy and banking sectors.
GOVERNMENT MIGHT WITHDRAW DRAFT BUDGET-2003 FROM THE PARLIAMENT
Deputy Minister Vasil Gigolashvili said today at the united session of the Finance-Budgetary and Taxes and Revenues Committees that the draft budget-2003 might be recalled due to some legislative amendments, recently adopted by the Parliament. According to the deputy Minister, the draft’s rework will take “maximum a week”.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM: MAIN DIFFICULTY IN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IS LACK OF ADVERTISEMENT
The Department of Tourism and Resorts together with the Radisson Group (the USA) and TACIS (EC) experts has worked out the “concept of tourism and resorts development”.
Vazha Shubladze, chairman of the Tourism Department, who introducing the concept to the Tax-payers Union today, said Georgia spent on advertisement abroad 20 and 60 times less than neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan consequently.
0.0073
