Partial mobilization announced in Georgia to help disaster victims

The Georgian president has held a special meeting with senior government officials concerning the disaster in eastern and southern Georgia in Telavi.

President Mikheil Saakashvili has announced the creation of a special staff, which will be headed by the prime minister.

"We are mobilizing reservists, who will assist the public and will begin rehabilitation work. Defense Minister Dmitri Shashkin was appointed responsible for the mobilization," he said.

The President has ordered to fix the infrastructure of the affected regions in the first place. "We need to eliminate the first effects of the elements, to restore the water supply, electricity and gas," he said, stressing that the rehabilitation work will begin after the elimination of the natural disaster effects in three regions of Georgia, Kakheti, Mtskheta-Tianeti and Samtskhe-Javakheti.

"We need to implement rehabilitation work as we did after the war, and the work will be led by the Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili," the president said.

He also said damage caused to peasants will be fully refunded. He also said that 100 percent will be refunded to the damage caused to peasants. He called the parliament to meet in extraordinary session and to adjust the state budget in connection with the disaster.

At the meeting, Georgian Energy Minister Alexander Khetaguri said that electricity supply will be restored to the affected areas for 2 or 3 days, the gas supply will be restored by tomorrow, and water will be delivered in tanks.


/Trend/