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• Delegates of Turkmenistan participate in the International Conference on Reproductive Health in Tbilisi

  The delegation of Turkmenistan, with the support of UNFPA, is taking part in the International Conference on Reproductive Health, which is being held in the capital of Georgia.

  The conference brought together delegates from 17 countries to discuss the main strategies in the direction of reproductive health.

  As UNFPA reports on its social networks, Turkmen participants shared the best experience of Turkmenistan in the field of reproductive health and talked about improving the quality of services to the population in matters of family planning. They also presented the country’s positive experience in conducting mass screening for cervical cancer.

• President of Georgia delivers her annual report in parliament

  “With the incomprehensible steps taken in recent years, the government is confronting the country’s foreign objective, the people’s mandate, by inviting Gavrilov, you raised doubts and questions for the first time,” said Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili when delivering her annual report in the parliament.

  According to Zourabichvili, the Georgian government gradually transformed.

  “Instead of strengthening state institutions, being the cornerstone of democracy, the one-party system and its influence get stronger. Laws adopted in an expedited manner (on covert recordings, abolishment of state inspector, changes in the rule for appointment of judges and foreign agents bill) serve your power’s prolongation instead of serving democracy strengthening and citizens’ welfare. The court reform, vital for the country’s future, is at a deadlock,” President said.

  Salome Zourabichvili went on to say that the ruling party members speak in unison, and those having different viewpoints, tend to quit the party.

  “The party influence is evident in the government and parliament. The party turned into a decision-making space. The party chairman announces his standpoint on all political issues in advance, and the decision-making process is vague, not to mention open discussions.

  You are the government confronting the country’s foreign goal, the people’s mandate. By inviting Gavrilov (Russian MP) in 2019, you raised doubts and questions for the first time, though the actual transformation began in 2021 when the Georgian Dream former Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili quit politics,” she said.

  President also recalled the annulling of the document drafted with the engagement of the European Council President and rejection of the EU loan.

  “You have never stopped the anti-European rhetoric, blaming and insulting our partners. All this finally came to the extent that we expelled the former EU ambassador from the country with reprimands and accusations,” Zourabichvili stated.

  Source: https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/president-delivers-her-annual-report-in-parliament/

• Georgia: EU welcomes withdrawal of draft legislation on “foreign influence”

  The EU Delegation to Georgia has welcomed today’s announcement by the Georgian ruling party ‘Georgian Dream” that it would withdraw the draft legislation on the “Transparency of foreign influence”. 

  “We encourage all political leaders in Georgia to resume pro-EU reforms, in an inclusive and constructive way and in line with the 12 priorities for Georgia to achieve candidate status,” the Delegation said on Twitter.

  On 7 March, the bill passed its first reading in the Georgian parliament, despite widespread protests.

  The EU said the law was incompatible with EU values and standards and goes against Georgia’s stated objective of joining the European Union, adding that this is “a very bad development for Georgia and its people”.

  Find out more

  Press release

• EBRD to support upgrade of up to 12 metro stations in Tbilisi

  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide Tbilisi Transport Company with a  loan of up to €50.6 million for financing the upgrade of up to 12 metro stations.

  The agreement was signed on 17 January in the Georgian capital during a visit by Mark Bowman, vice President for Policy and Partnerships at the EBRD.

  The new loan is a continuation of a broader effort, some of which aims to encourage people to switch from private to public transport. Improved lighting and ventilation and more energy-efficient escalators will improve the daily journeys of Tbilisians, while an overhaul of drainage systems will make the network more resilient to climate change.  

  With a population of 1.2 million, Tbilisi was one of the first cities to join the EBRD’s flagship Green Cities programme, which supports members in addressing their environmental challenges through sustainable investments and policies. The city was also one of the first to develop a Green City Action Plan (GCAP). 

  Find out more

  Press release

• According to Droa, L. Ioseliani and representatives of Georgian Dream did not attend the PACE voting procedure where Russia was declared a terrorist regime

  According to Droa, Levan Ioseliani and representatives of Georgian Dream did not attend the PACE voting procedure where Russia was declared a terrorist regime.

  "On October 13, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted to declare Russia a terrorist regime. The voting process was attended by 100 representatives of the member states, of which only one abstained from taking a position, and 99 unanimously declared Russia a terrorist regime.

  The representatives of Georgia­n Dream, as well as the member of the Citizens party, the deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, did not attend the mentioned vote and, therefore, did not support the declaration of Russia as a terrorist regime.

  Only Khatia Dekanoidze (UNM) attended the voting from Georgia, who supported the said decision. This is confirmed by the data of the voting archive of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

  This step once again emphasizes the loyalty of Georgia­n Dream to Putin's regime and the fact that Russia is a natural political and civilizational space for them.

  For Georgia, as a state occupied by Russia and a country with a Russian colonial past, the mentioned fact and the pro-Russian rule of Georgia­n Dream are not only shameful, but also pose a danger for us to stay in the ruins of a defeated imperial state. We must do everything to get our homeland back and finally establish a place for it in the Euro-Atlantic family," Dr­oa says in a statement and shares the relevant link: https://pace.coe.int/en/votes/39122