TBILISI, DFWatch – The Georgian Minister of Regional Development is sure that the new Georgian parliament building (pictured) will be better than parliament buildings in Strasbourg and Brussels.

Currently Georgia’s parliament is housed in the old historic building on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

Following a presidential decision which made changes to the constitution, the assembly will meet in a newly built complex in the city of Kutaisi, in the Western part of Georgia.

According to the constitution, parliament will be able to continue functioning in the new building after the final results of the parliament elections scheduled for October 2012 have been announced.

The construction of the new parliament has already begun and the president has several times made it clear that on May 26 of next year, which is Georgia’s independence day, the construction phase will end.

Brussels' parliament building.

How much money will be spent on the building is secret. The amount is neither listed in the 2011 nor 2012 budget, which is subjected to criticism from the opposition.

During one of parliament’s sessions the opposition demanded to know how much money has been set aside for building the new facility, which is financed from the state budget. Zurab Melikishvili representing the parliamentary majority and chairman of parliament’s financial-budget committee, stated that the construction works will cost 60 million lari, which is nearly 37 million US dollars.

The building was designed by the Spanish architect Alberto Domingo and consists of 217 rooms on seven floors.

According to Domingo, the new building will be transparent and a symbol of strength. “I consider the Georgian people strong. Construction materials are very gentle, so it will be reinforced with concrete pillar,” the architect said in an interview.

European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Ramaz Nikolaisvhvili, Minister of the Regional Development of Georgia, said on December 15 at a session of the regional self-government parliamentary committee that the architect behind the new parliament building ‘annoys’ him. He didn’t specify the reasons he was annoyed.

Nikolaishvili only remarked that even though the architect annoys him, he is sure that when the construction works are finished, the parliament building will be ‘the best.’

The minister said that after having seen the parliament buildings in Strasbourg and Brussels he is sure that the building parliament in Kutaisi is ‘a better and cool project.’