The Daily Beat: 7 September
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell arrived with his first official visit in Georgia, where he is scheduled to meet with the Georgian leadership, representatives of the opposition parties, and civil society. Speaking at the press conference before the start of the meetings, HR Borerell underlined the EU’s support for Georgia’s EU membership aspirations, calling for national unity to achieve this goal. He also reminded the Georgian authorities of the importance of implementing 12 EU conditions. “I want to be very clear at this important moment: the EU door is open to Georgia, and the EU is committed to supporting Georgia on its path towards EU membership; the door is open, and we want to support you on the way,” said the EU foreign policy chief in Tbilisi.
Just before his arrival, Civil.ge published an interview with the EU’s foreign policy chief in which he spoke of EU-Georgia relations, EU enlargement, and Russia-Georgia rapprochement. This interview can be viewed by clicking this link: bit.ly/47Y3ASq
In a late evening TV address to the nation, against the backdrop of the GD majority’s attempted impeachment, President Salome Zurabishvili said she would not step aside and would continue to do all she could to promote Georgia’s EU membership. “I am here, and I will go wherever I have to go because I am protecting the Constitution of this country, and I swore to do so when I took office as President. I will remain faithful to that oath,” she said, noting that the Constitution abides all Georgian institutions to do everything they can to facilitate Georgia’s EU integration.
Communications Commission (ComCom) granted the license to use spectrum resources required to develop 5G Internet to Cellfie Mobile (formerly known as Beeline, a Russian mobile operator) for 15 years. According to information from ComCom, Cellfie Mobile emerged as the winning bidder in an auction, securing one combined lot and three separate lots, amounting to 4,497,045 GEL, with the operator submitting 30% of the prescribed sum to the state budget to obtain the necessary license.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found no violation of the right to liberty and security and the limitation on using restrictions on rights in the case Melia v. Georgia. The applicant, Nikanor (Nika) Melia, former Chairman of the United National Movement party and former MP, complained under Article 5 §§ 1 and 3 (right to liberty and security) and Article 18 (limitation on use of restrictions on rights) of the European Convention on Human Rights that his pre-trial detention was unjustified and aimed at keeping him out of political life. Nika Melia was arrested for participating in the protest against Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov’s surprise address in the parliament of Georgia.
Most probably, reacting to emerging media rumors, the head of the government’s strategic communications department, Nino Giorgobiani, published a Facebook post, saying that Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili used a charter (commercial) flight to travel to the USA, accompanying his son, who was admitted to Pennsylvania University. Nino Giorgobiani further reported that the state budget did not cover the related expenses, adding that PM will publish detailed information in his annual declaration. Opposition representatives and the media slammed the alleged use of charter flights by Irakli Garibashvili, accusing him of corruption and distancing from the Georgian people.
