Culture minister views restoration works in Gelati

Minister of Culture Nika Vacheishvili has visited the Gelati Monastery complex in Kutaisi and taken part in discussions about its restoration.
Georgian Heritage will fully restore the medieval monastery, having presented the most attractive tender, at a cost of half a million GEL. A German company is also involved. Experts are presently conducting archaeological and geological works at the monastery, although the initial work was being undertaken even during the Russian invasion in August.

Euro MPs pay official visit to Moscow

A delegation of Euro MPs visited Moscow on September 22 to collect information from the Russian side concerning the Russian aggression against Georgia. The members of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly held meetings with the Foreign Relations Committee of the Russian Duma and also officials of the Federation Council and the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, including General Nogovitsyn. Later the delegation held meetings in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

IDPs rally outside Parliament

People who had fled their homes during the Russian occupation held a rally outside Parliament on September 22. The protestors were urging the Government to help them return to their homes.
Residents of the Didi and Patara Liakhvi valleys wanted to meet with the MP of the region Badri Basishvili. Later on Bakradze’s assistant met with refugees.

Kartuli Dasi presents candidates

Ilia Tsulukidze, a member of Aslan Abashidze's team, will head the Kartuli Dasi party list at the forthcoming Adjara Parliamentary elections. During the leadership of renegade Adjaran leader Aslan Abashidze, who fled the region during the 6 May revolution in 2004, Tsulukidze was Minister of Interior Affairs and Security.

Jondi Baghaturia, leader of Kartuli Dasi, presented this proportional top-up list but refused to give any information about candidates in individual single-mandate constituencies.

Parliament is presented with draft “Occupation” law

Georgian lawmakers will consider the draft law “On Occupied Territories” for the first time on Friday. Parliamentary Speaker David Bakradze has called upon every political party to take part in discussions on this document.

Under the draft law Abkhazia and South Ossetia will be declared occupied territories and the Russian Army occupying troops. The document will also regulate issues concerning property in the breakaway territories, stating that investments made in these regions will be declared invalid.