Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori
Municipalities are “making more friends” with different cities. For example, the head of Gori municipality city council Zviad Khmaladze often goes to the city of Lutsk owing to “friendship.” During his last visit, he was accompanied by Shida Kartli governor Zurab Arsoshvili. Nobody knows the real reason of friendship between these cities, especially on the background of Shida Kartli government’s mystified visit to Ukraine in the month of August.
On the photo: Head of Gori City Council Zviad Khmaladze and the mayor of Lutsk on the front. The governor of Shida Kartli Zurab Arsoshvili in the back.
According to the official information of the city of Lutsk in Ukraine, on August 22nd, as a celebration of 925th anniversary of Lutsk’s foundation, the representatives of 8 different cities gathered at the monument of friendship. The monument is located in the crossroads of the significant streets of the city – Lesya Ukrainka and Senator Levchanivskoy. This information is reported by the official department of the mayor of Lutsk Bogdan Shiba.
8 more cities along with Gori are included in the list of friends of Ukrainian city of Lutsk: Brest (Belarus); Siantan (China); Lublin, Torun, Olshtin, Zheshuv, Zamosc (Poland). Representatives of China were not present at the opening of monument.
According to the same source, after the official opening of the monument, the mayor of Lutsk stated: “This is the sign that our city is open and ready to work with everyone.” The speech of the general consul of Ukraine in Brest Ivan Baranchik was especially interesting: “This monument is the symbol that Lutsk is European city along with its European partner cities.”
Along with the official opening ceremony, children let 9 balloons in the air. Each balloon had a name of a partner city written along with the common name – “Lutsk 925.”
These kinds of activities were attended by Khmaladze and Arsoshvili in the hot days of August. The order of Zurab Arsoshvili issued on August 16th of 2010 talks about his short-term trip to Ukraine. We also have an order issued by Arsoshvili on the same day that notifies that the bonuses amounting to salaries were given to officials of state governor’s administration. As it’s found out, the bonuses were given only to four officials: 2950 GEL to Zurab Arsoshvili, 2250 GEL to his assistant Giorgi Tvalavadze, 2250 GEL to his another assistant Zurab Chkheidze and 1180 GEL to the head of the apparate Paata Giorgadze.
We have kept the information spread out by the local press service last year which states that Gori and Lutsk “have become friends.” The head of Gori City Council Zviad Khmalade recalls the details of befriending the city of Lutsk in the following way: “I went to Tbilisi, the embassy of Ukraine by the initiative of our friends and using the new technologies – internet – we registered an agreement. I could see the mood of Ukrainian side online. A big fuss was created. The local media covered this event: I was offered help. Then my friends initiated to host the children of IDPs. Tens of teenagers went through the rehabilitation course in Lutsk.”
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