Press Release
U.S. Government Supports Opening of Georgias First Freedom of Information Office in the Ministry of Justice
December 6, 2000
Tbilisi--On Thursday, December 7, U.S. Ambassador Kenneth Yalowitz will join Parliament Speaker Zurab Zhvania and Minister of Justice Mikheil Saakashvili in marking the opening ceremony of the Georgian government’s first Freedom of Information Office, housed in the Ministry of Justice.
The Administrative Code of Georgia, enacted in January 2000, stipulates that all Georgian government ministries and agencies must establish a Freedom of Information Office, which will respond to requests for information in the public domain. The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Justice in a program administered by IRIS/AMEX.
The ceremony will take place on Thursday, December 7 at 2:30 p.m. at the Ministry of Justice, 30 Rustaveli Avenue. For more information, please call the Ministry of Justice at 93-27-21.
Tbilisi—On December 6th, U.S. Ambassador Kenneth S. Yalowitz and Counterpart International Caucasus Regional Director the Honorable John Conlan will begin distribution of USD 10 million worth of medical supplies and equipment to Georgian hospitals, polyclinics, and village ambulatories. The distributions will be carried out in cooperation with over 115 Georgian partner NGOs, churches, schools, and local government social welfare offices.
Counterpart Caucasus Regional Director John Conlan said that "this would total in year 2000 33,000,000 USD of donated American medical equipment and supplies to health care facilities across Georgia, plus 12,000,000 in clothes, food and other assistance for the total of USD 45,000,000.
"This brings to almost 150, 000,000 USD the amount of humanitarian aid that Counterpart since 1995 has brought into Georgia" said Conlan, "with the financial assistance of the U.S. Congress and Department of State."
Counterpart International’s Humanitarian Assistance Program helps support hospitals, internally displaced persons, pensioners, orphanages and other individuals whose needs would otherwise go unmet. In 2000, Counterpart will have brought into Georgia117 forty foot containers of medical supplies, clothing, bedding, food, hospital out-fittings, pharmaceuticals and other humanitarian relief materials through 29 separate projects.
You will receive detailed information about the distribution of the humanitarian goods and will have a fascinating tour of the giant warehouse where the goods are stored and photo opportunity (Press Bus is provided for your transportation.)
Time of the meeting 10:30
Place of the meeting 7 Vazha Pshavela, Counterparts Headquarters Office
For further information, contact Counterpart International, Tel: 77 96 69