Daily News April 19, 1999	Days:  15 16 19 20 21

politics

THE GEORGIAN PRESIDENT IS FLYING TO THE US ON APRIL 21

As it’s known, on April 23-25 in Washington in the frames of celebrating 50-years of NATO on the highest level will be held the meeting of the North-Atlantic Alliance and Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council member-countries, and Eduard Shevardnadze is planning to address its members with a speech.

Beside the participation in the summit, the Georgian Foreign Affairs Ministry declared, that the Georgian President’s meetings in Senate, administration, the representatives of business groups (first of all, the oil companies in Houston) and mass media are planned.




THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PARLIAMENT LEFT FOR MOSCOW

The program of the working visit, which will last till April 22, includes Zurab Zhvania’s negotiations with the Chairman of the Russian State Duma Genadi Seleznev, the leaders of the fractions, the Foreign Affairs Minister Igor Ivanov, the Defense Minister Igor Sergeev and the Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Also will be held meetings at the Foreign Policy and Defense Council, Patriarch Alexei II and the appearance at Moscow State Institute of International Relations.




SHEVARDNADZE AGAIN EMPHASIZED, THAT RUSSIA SHOULD NOT REMAIN OUTSIDE THE EURASIAN CORRIDOR

About this the Georgian President declared in the radio-interview, and noted the negotiations with the Transport Minister, and the last week’s meeting with the Russian Lines of Communication Minister, during which big interest was paid to the Abkhazian question. According to Shevardnadze, more active discussion of this question shows, that “Russia understands very well, how it will benefit from the decision of the Abkhazian problem and the operation of the railway”.




BY REALIZING THE BAKU-SUPSA PIPELINE PROJECT GEORGIA PROVED, THAT COOPERATION WITH IT IS PROFITABLE AND USEFUL

About this declared the Georgian President in today’s radio-interview, when he commented the solemn opening of the oil terminal in Supsa. Shevardnadze noted that the Baku-Supsa pipeline has strategic importance not only for Georgia, but also for the region’s other countries.

economics

GIORGI CHANTURIA THINKS THAT THE PIPELINE’S FUNCTIONING WILL GUARANTEE THE INFLOW OF INVESTMENTS

As the President of the Georgian International Oil Company (GIOC) declared at the opening of the terminal in Supsa, during the first stage intakes from the Baku-Supsa pipeline’s operation “will not be too high” – about $80 million per year. However the pipeline’s construction on the high level and its operation proved Georgia’s ability to manage grand projects in future.




THE ATTRACTION OF THE BRITISH COMPANY WILL ALLOW TO CREATE A SYSTEM AT THE CUSTOMS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO PREVENT CORRUPTION

Eduard Shevardnadze expressed such opinion in today’s radio-interview, when he commented the results of the tender on the right of realizing obligatory customs control in Georgia, the winner of which became the British company ITS. Shevardnadze noted the corruption that dominates in the customs and declared that the creation of the new customs service with the participation of foreign partners will allow to escape repression.

business

THE EXCISE PRODUCTION OF PHILLIP MORRIS WILL APPEAR ON THE GEORGIAN MARKET ONLY IN JUNE

About this declared to Sarke Ilgar Rustamov, the head of the representation of Phillip Morris Management Servicer. According to him, the deficit of tobacco products was created because the excise stamps became available to importers only recently, and big producers like Phillip Morris need at least 4 months for producing excise production.

society

SHEVARDNADZE THINKS, THAT QUALIFYING EXAMS FOR THE SUPREME COURT’S MEMBERS ARE UNNECESSARY

In connection to expressed comments toward the Georgian government about adding the clause on conducting exams for the Supreme Court’s members in the draft bill, Shevardnadze noted, that its candidacies are approved by the Parliament by the President’s introduction, so additional exams do not have any meaning.

About the current make-up of the Supreme Court Shevardnadze declared, that it has the authority despite the hard situation in the court system.




WAS HELD THE FIRST SESSION OF THE GOVERNMENTAL COMMISSION ON REHABILITATING AND REPATRIATING THE DEPORTED MESKHS

The commission, founded by the President’s enactment, is led by the State Minister Vazha Lortkipanidze, which was the chairman at the session dedicated to organizational questions on April 15. It was decided that the commission would meet every other month for summing up the work.




AKAKI ELIAVA IS NOT GOING TO GIVE UP THE TERRORIST ACTS

The colonel hiding in the woods of Western Georgia, who last autumn organized the armed insurrection in Senaki, declared that he resisted from conducting terrorist acts on April 17, and recognized the importance of the Supsa terminal’s opening for Georgia. At the same time he emphasized, that does not mean the rejection of terrorist acts in the whole future, and threatened to organize the series of terrorist acts in the Western Georgia after April 20.




TERRY ADAMS BECAME THE HONORARY CITIZEN OF GEORGIA

By the President’s order this title was conferred to the executive director of Monument Oil, the former first president of the Azerbaijani International Oil Consortium (AIOC), for his big contribution in the realization of thewestern route of the Caspian oil’s export.

On April 17 in the evening Eduard Shevardnadze gave Terries Adams corresponding attributes and declared, that 5 years ago “when many people did not believe, that Georgia can be a reliable partner, You trusted us without hesitation and during all this time contributed in finishing work”.