Issue #1267

Issue no: 1267

• OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY

PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

Living Next Door to War NEWS PAGE 2

Peace in the South Caucasus as the Only Common & Uniting Goal POLITICS PAGE 4

Real Palace’s Special Offers for Buying B Block Apartments at Black Sea Towers BUSINESS PAGE 5

Creating an Oasis in the Desert: Tbilisi Hills Construction Director on Project Success & Int’l Expertise

FOCUS

ON KEEPING CUSTOMERS HAPPY

Re|Bank Deputy Director of Retail Banking on the company’s crisis management & new offers

BUSINESS PAGE 6

ISET Agri Review | The Sector at a Glance, General Trends

PAGE 7

Navalny’s No1 Ally on the Occupied Territories, Belarus & the Nagorno-Karabagh Conflict INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

A

s the man himself recovers, the Kremlin tries desperately to absolve itself from any responsibility in the Navalny Poisoning. GISP spoke to Alexey Navalny's closest ally, Russian politician and former Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Vladimir Milov, on Navalny’s near death experience, and how it might shape his policies if "Navalny's Russia" ever comes to be.

ities will try to cover this whole thing up. We’re pushing them through the courts to open an investigation; they refuse. Mr Navalny's lawyers submitted a request to the European Court of Human Rights to open an independent international investigation.

Proof will not be found without the cooperation of the Russian authorities. We’ll need the videos from the Omsk hotel security cameras, where Navalny stayed, we’ll need the hotel personnel to tell us who requested access to Navalny's room and how long it took, etc. If the questions remain unanswered it will be clear the Russian authorities are hiding something.

ISET PAGE 8

UN Warns Humanity Is at a Crossroads. This is How Israel Can Help SOCIETY PAGE 9

Art in the Time of Coronavirus CULTURE PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

Markets

HOW IS MR NAVALNY FEELING NOW? Much better; the recovery is pretty speedy. He’s regained his ability to talk and read, and he fully understands what's going on. But the poisoning was so complex and so severe, the doctors say there’ll be some lasting consequences for his health.

YOUR TEAM, MR NAVALNY, AND MOST OF THE CIVILIZED WORLD LAY THE BLAME FOR THE POISONING AT THE KREMLIN'S DOOR. HOW CAN IT BE PROVEN? We have absolute confidence the Russian author-

WHAT REACTION DO YOU EXPECT FROM THE WEST? We obviously see a strong ally in the democratic world, where law and order is the principle, where criminal actions by the authorities are unthinkable, and where acts of state-sponsored terrorism do not happen. We hope they will take action. Most important is that they stand firm to protect the people of the world, including Russians, from such brutal terrorist actions by dictatorships; that they do something about it.

WHAT WOULD “NAVALNY'S RUSSIA'S” RELATIONSHIP WITH

As of 05ͲOctͲ2020

STOCKS

THE WEST BE WERE HE TO LEAD? Navalny has always said we’ll have totally friendly and peaceful relations: all those elements of aggression and zero-sum games for zones of interest will become a thing of the past; that we will base our relations with the West on the international democratic world order, and we will not seek control or influence over any neighboring or other sovereign country, instead negotiating freedom of movement, open borders, freedom of capital flows, freedom of trade, and freedom of investment, particularly with Europe.

Continued on page 5

Price

w/w

m/m

BONDS

Price

w/w

m/m

Bank of Georgia (BGEO LN)

GBP 8.90

Ͳ1,1%

Ͳ4,3%

GEOROG 04/21

101.62 (YTM 3.76%)

+0,1%

Ͳ0,3%

Georgia Capital (CGEO LN)

GBP 3.83

+4,9%

Ͳ0,1%

GEORG 04/21

102.23 (YTM 2.48%)

+0,1%

Ͳ0,4%

TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN)

GBP 9.97

Ͳ2,8%

+10,2%

GRAIL 07/22

104.98 (YTM 4.76%)

Ͳ0,2%

Ͳ0,3%

GEBGG 07/23

104.45 (YTM 4.30%)

Ͳ0,0%

Ͳ0,2%

CURRENCIES

Price

w/w

COMMODITIES Crude Oil, Brent (US$/bbl) Gold Spot (US$/OZ)

Price

w/w

m/m

m/m

41,29

Ͳ2,7%

Ͳ3,2%

GEL / USD

3,2075

Ͳ3,1%

+4,2%

1 913,53

+1,7%

Ͳ1,1%

GEL / EUR

3,7786

Ͳ2,2%

+3,7%

GEL / GBP

4,1614

Ͳ2,2%

+1,8%

INDICES

Price

w/w

m/m

GEL / CHF

3,5042

Ͳ2,2%

+3,9%

FTSE 100

5 942,94

+0,3%

+2,5%

GEL / RUB

0,0411

Ͳ1,9%

FTSE 250

17 583,09

+1,2%

+1,3%

GEL / TRY

0,4132

Ͳ2,6%

Ͳ0,2%

DAX

12 828,31

Ͳ0,3%

Ͳ0,1%

GEL / AZN

1,8869

Ͳ3,1%

+4,0%

DOW JONES

28 148,64

+2,0%

+0,1%

GEL / AMD

0,0066

Ͳ2,9%

+4,8%

NASDAQ

11 332,49

+1,9%

+0,2%

GEL / UAH

0,1129

Ͳ3,7%

+1,3%

134,64

+0,4%

Ͳ5,3%

EUR / USD

0,8486

Ͳ1,0%

+0,5%

MSCI EM EE

+0,7%

Ͳ0,7%

GBP / USD

0,7705

Ͳ1,1%

+2,3%

SP 500

3 408,63

+1,7%

Ͳ0,5%

CHF / USD

0,9154

Ͳ1,0%

+0,2%

MSCI FM

2 248,39

+1,0%

+0,8%

RUB / USD

78,1044

Ͳ1,2%

+3,6%

GT Index (GEL)

1 582,68

Ͳ

Ͳ

TRY / USD

7,7615

Ͳ0,6%

+4,3%

GT Index (USD)

1 208,13

Ͳ

Ͳ

AZN / USD

1,6987

Ͳ

Ͳ

MSCI EM

1 091,38

+2,0%

2

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

Reuters: Germany Adds Georgia, Jordan, Romania, Tunisia to Corona Risk List

Image source: David Khizanishvili/UNDP

Georgian Startups Win Social Impact Award

A

social café in rural Lanchkhuti, a beekeeping enterprise in high-mountainous Lechkhumi, a mobile app for people with disabilities UnLimited, and the online platforms for education and farming, QANDLE.GE and AGROSERV.GE, won the Georgian edition of the Social Impact Award for 2020. This global initiative promoting ingenious green and socially responsible businesses expanded to Georgia’s regions this year, giving young entrepreneurs a chance to win USD 2,000 and professional mentoring to implement their business ideas.

The contest for best youth ideas focused on innovative social entrepreneurship was organized by the Impact Hub Tbilisi with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Bank of Georgia and the governments of Switzerland, Austria and Georgia.

“We salute our winners and all participants for their resolve to serve their communities while also running profitable businesses,” said UNDP Head Louisa Vinton. “As Georgia seeks to recover from the pandemic, ideas like these will be crucial to ‘build back batter,’ promoting green development and social responsibility for a more resilient economy.”

“We are glad to support the SIA program in Georgia, which allows young smart people to develop and get funding for solutions to social issues,” Danielle Meuwly, Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office for the South Caucasus, noted. “We believe that social entrepreneurship will trigger significant

social changes. The inclusion of young people from the regions in the program and bringing their perspective to local problems was a very significant step. We congratulate all the participants and the winners and encourage other young people to participate and contribute with new, creative solutions to addressing persisting problems.”

In total, 94 teams from Tbilisi, Guria, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti and RachaLechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti took part in the contest. The award ceremony gathered ten finalists who underwent a full cycle from idea-generating to a specific business plan under the guidance of their mentors – professionals working in business consulting. Five winners were selected by a jury comprising representatives of UNDP, the Bank of Georgia, the private sector and academia.

“Austria was the birthplace of the Social Impact Award in 2009,” said Vakhtang Mshvidobadze, Program Manager of the Coordination Office for Technical Cooperation of the Austrian Embassy. “We are glad to see Georgia among the countries adopting this global initiative, combining entrepreneurial thinking with social action and connecting young people with an international community of decision-makers and experts.”

The assistance for startups from Georgian regions comes from a robust program focused on economic development and good governance at the local level that UNDP is implementing in partnership with the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure with support from the governments of Switzerland and Austria.

Image source: Image: REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

BY ANA DUMBADZE

G

ermany has declared the whole of Georgia, Jordan, Romania and Tunisia to be coronavirus risk regions, meaning returnees from there will have to enter quarantine pend-

ing a negative coronavirus test, Reuters reported this week.

The news agency reports in the publication by Thomas Escritt that the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases published the latest assessment on its website on Wednesday. Regions of other countries were also added to the quarantine list, including in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia,

Slovenia and Hungary. The French island of Corsica was removed from the list.

Germany declares regions to be risky when the number of coronavirus infections exceeds 50 per 100,000 inhabitants over seven days.

As of October 8, 472 new cases of coronavirus had been detected in Georgia, bringing the total number of infected people to 10,225, government-run special website stopcov.ge reported Thursday.

Of the new cases of coronavirus, 230 were detected in Adjara, 134 in Tbilisi, 68 in Imereti, 8 in Samtskehe-Javakheti, 8 in Kvemo Kartli, 8 in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, 6 in Shida Kartli, 5 in Kakheti and 5 in Mtskheta-Mtianeti.

The number of recovered patients increased by 318 and reached 5553.

5574 citizens are in mandatory quarantine and 836 under examination in hospitals, while 1338 people are in COVID hotels throughout the country.

Coronavirus claimed the lives of three more patients in 24 hours midweek, increasing the death toll to 66. All three cases of death were reported in the Adjara region.

There are 4672 active cases of coronavirus infection in Georgia, of which 60 are in critical condition, and 9 are from the occupied territory of Abkhazia.

Int'l Companies to Benefit from Significant Tax Relief

BY ANA DUMBADZE

I

nternational companies will be provided with significant tax relief, the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia stated at today's government session.

He noted that maritime, logistics and trade, and IT companies qualified as "international companies" will enjoy tax cuts.

As the Prime Minister emphasized at the Cabinet meeting, companies in said sectors, should they qualify as "international companies," will enjoy reduced property (but not land), profit, dividend (full exemption), and income taxes, with profit and income taxes reduced to 5%.

The head of the government said that in light of the fierce global economic competition in the period of post-pan-

demic economic recovery, the Georgian Government offers enterprises an "international company" status, also putting in place a comfortable platform for international companies to work from Georgia.

"Today, we discussed concrete directions to create mechanisms for obtaining

this status. Firstly, these will be maritime industry companies and IT firms. Both directions are important for developing the global economy and to Georgia because transport and logistics are crucial sectors of our economy. In the same vein, we have serious IT resources that must be set in motion," Giorgi Gakharia said.

Living Next Door to War

BY MICHAEL GODWIN

W

hile the fighting over Nogorno-Karabakh continues, night and day in many cases, life in Tbilisi has continued. On the surface, many of our daily activities go uninterrupted, and many citizens in the capital, as well as many of the country’s other populated centers, go on as usual. However, below the surface and in many corners, there is movement; a slow current of tension and worry. For some, life is not the same and something must, or will inevitably, change.

The majority of the people living in the southern part of Georgia, near the populous center of Javakheti, have made their disapproval heard. During late night protests, hundreds of ethnic Armenians began shouting slogans and voicing disapproval at the recent and ongoing aggression in the region they refer to as Artsakh. Using social media platforms as an organizing tool, many of the military-aged men of the communities began raising funds and writing down names and personal information for potential use as a recruitment list. Many of the organizers told those involved that this list would be sent to Armenia and a draft could happen.

Reports of recruitment activities have been coming from many of the largely Armenian populated cities and towns, where rumors of full mobilization and deployment are running rampant. Despite the legal issues with this, the Armenian government will most likely refuse the offer of support, as a “Foreign Legion” in the Armenian ranks is likely far from reality. Despite this, the sentiment is clear: full support for Armenian defense is palpable even here in Georgia.

The protests came to a head when several people blocked traffic at a TurkishGeorgia border crossing point near

Kartsakhi. Claiming it was being used as a transportation point for Turkish weapons and supplies bound for Azerbaijan, the demonstrations refused admittance for any vehicle bearing Turkish vehicle plates. Law enforcement was eventually able to clear the road hours later, and traffic has since resumed.

Reports of marches, demonstrations, and gatherings of Azeri communities in the south near the border have also come.

Similar to the recruitment efforts of the Armenians, many of the young men of the Azeri have begun moving across the border with goals of enlisting in the

defense forces. This has also been seen to a smaller effect in some of the Turkish communities sympathetic to the cause of the Azerbaijani efforts in the NogornoKarabakh offensive.

However, the issue of the elections has not been left untouched by these ripples of war. Some of the political parties have been brought to questioning. Naturally, former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has made inflammatory statements about the proper ownership of the disputed region, stating that, "NagornoKarabakh is the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan and nothing will change that”.

This prompted a swift response from the Armenian community, quickly distancing themselves from his party, the United National Movement (UNM).

UNM party leaders in the southern Armenian dominated regions put out statements separating themselves in an attempt to save face. “When there’s a war, I find it unacceptable to talk about elections. Naturally, Saakashvili’s statement greatly affected our region, and our chances in the election decreased drastically, it’s an obvious fact,” said UNM majoritarian candidate Melik Raisyan. Anti-Azerbaijan and Anti-Turkish rhetoric was furthered from groups such as the Alliance of Patriots. Known for their stance against the Turkish, they have used the recurring problem at the Davit Gareji monastery as a display of

where Georgia ought to be in the conflict.

Furthered by internet rumors of large civilian transport trucks hauling covered containers that were said to have Turkish cargo, many took to social media to promulgate this statement of aggression on both sides. The Georgian government quickly denounced these rumors, stating clearly that they were false and reiterating the position they have taken: complete neutrality. In addition, the recent agreement that no military support of any kind will move through Georgian territory solidified this position.

With the staunch position of neutrality, Georgia has taken another step towards being a modern nation, not being dragged into every conflict that comes near. However, it has and will continue to have ripples here. With multiple nations and international organizations observing closely, Georgia will be under more pressure than usual to play some role, albeit diplomatic. Many have speculated at the opportunity to be the converging point for the two sides, or act as a mediator, since the country has stakes in both countries. With NATO’s Jens Stoltenberg’s recent meeting and promising words of “prepare for partnership” ringing still from the recent summit in Brussels, it’s more important than ever for the nation to step in and play the intermediary of peace in the region.

SPECIAL OFFER ONLY UNTIL 25 OCTOBER! 0% FIRST INSTALLMENT PAYMENT AND 30-MONTH INTEREST-FREE INSTALLMENT YOU WILL GET A SIMPLE, SMART AND IDEAL SERVICE THAT YOU CAN MANAGE FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. • BEST LOCATION • HOTEL TYPE APARTMENTS IN THE CITY CENTER • APARTMENTS WITH BEAUTIFUL SEA, MOUNTAIN AND CITY VIEWS • LARGE RECREATION AREA • PARKING

• • • • • •

SWIMMING POOLS SPA CENTER BILLIARD CENTER CALLIGRAPH CINEMA BOWLING CENTER PIANO& LOUNGE BAR WITH LIVE MUSIC

Batumi, Shartava St. 18 E-mail:grandmaison2020@gmail.com www.calligraphy-towers.com +995 571 07 55 55 Viber/WhatSapp

4

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

Peace in the South Caucasus as the Only Common & Uniting Goal

BY VICTOR KIPIANI, GEOCASE CHAIR

T

he South Caucasus, one of the world’s most historically and culturally diverse regions, is once again at the center of world attention, this time as the result of the most recent outbreak of fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno Karabakh. The scale of this new ‘hot phase’ is noteworthy: according to various sources, the number of casualties and the amount of material damage is huge, the highest since the 1990s, and with no end to the fighting in sight.

The modern structure of relationships between the countries of the South Caucasus has evolved over the past few years, progressing from mere bilateral relations to a more complex multi-layered system.

In this diversity, many researchers and politicians see certain historic parallels as well as the new contours of a postCovid international order.

We believe that the Caucasian puzzle raises more questions than it provides answers for. The question of the so-called ‘frozen conflicts’ on Georgian territory, the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, and neighboring confrontations over the rearrangement of the South Caucasus model of power and the correct redistribution of interests therein are on the list of foreign policy priorities in many capitals around the world. What makes this complex regional order even more complicated is the equal lack among interested parties of sufficient interest in the resolution of the conflict that opposes Armenia and Azerbaijan, the inadequate expression of such interest, and in some cases even the total absence of such interest. This latest episode of fighting has already been going on for days, and the figures are rising.

Noteworthy that prior to this new out-

break of hostilities, the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili extended an offer that Georgia serve as a peace platform for all parties to convene and meet. That step was completely consistent with Georgia’s historical mission and complaint with the existing realities too. It would be only fair to mention that, over the days since the escalation started, several leaders have made statements regarding the need for a ceasefire and have offered to mediate. Against such a background, it was and is perfectly natural for Georgia, as a neighboring country, to express her readiness to support the peace process and host a dialogue between the two parties in Tbilisi. It is no coincidence that, when he made this offer, the Georgian Prime Minister underlined the fact that Tbilisi has historically entertained good relations with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, and that every citizen of Georgia, regardless of ethnic origin, has played an important role in the development of the country and the wider region.

Georgia’s offer did not neglect the overall regional picture either, as the Prime Minister spoke about the role of international actors in regional security and specifically called upon them ‘to make the most of available opportunities to end the escalation and resume dialogue.’ In saying this, the statement unequivocally underlined the fact that, whatever the efforts for peace that Tbilisi or any other capital might undertake, the specificities of all existing regional interests must be taken into consideration if this goal is to be achieved.

We believe that the importance of order and stability in the South Caucasus goes beyond the region itself: Caucasian diversity is truly a creator of a system in the big picture of Eurasian security.

The collapse of the Soviet Union left a difficult legacy that the three countries of the region have still not been able to completely overcome. State institutions are still establishing themselves, but their insufficient steadiness makes various

Image source: doc-research.org

political systems even more vulnerable, and placing the Caucasus on the map of global interests and activating strong regional actors has made the challenge of stability and peace even more complicated and intense. A certain ambivalence has also been added that exists between the West and East, especially with regard to specific ‘post-Soviet’ countries. Nowadays, in modern sources, such countries are referred to as ‘buffer states’ or ‘no-man’s lands’ or other amorphous phrases.

Regional themes are undeniably interesting material for research, but this time human lives are being sacrificed to certain political actions, and regional peace is being postponed to further future prospects. We should also add that, along with common regional arrangements, it is vital to find specific answers to the so-called issue of ‘ethnic’ conflicts. And it is no coincidence that we used the term ‘so-called’ here: the region’s specificity and the interests of countries involved in ongoing processes unequiv-

ocally indicate that these conflicts bear all the hallmarks of major geopolitical conflicts rather than simply ‘ethnic’ ones.

Reducing them to an ‘ethnic’ category is therefore either the result of a lack of knowledge of these conflicts or an intentional effort to distort their very essence.

The origins of the so-called ‘GeorgianAbkhaz’ and ‘Georgian-Ossetian’ conflicts is, for example, a destructive response to Georgia’s foreign and geopolitical choices.

Nowadays, unfortunately, there is no ready recipe for solving ethno-geopolitical conflicts. The circumstances are also worsened by the fact that many postCold War standards of the global order have become obsolete and have not yet been replaced by new and more effective systems. Attempts to regulate conflict situations are also complicated by the fact that every region is distinguished by its own ethno-psychological origins and historical and cultural signatures.

The South Caucasus is one of the best examples of this phenomenon that requires a tailor-made approach. When choosing the correct individual approach, it is vital to adapt it to every single participant and to ensure their proper coordination. This is the co-ordination that Georgia’s offer to mediate is referring to, the origins of which lie in Georgia’s traditional and historic support for peace and reconciliation in the South Caucasus as well as in the constructivism caused by current developments and that aims to overcome obstacles.

In the meantime, the war continues, and every hour brings only more news of more human tragedy. It is time, especially in the South Caucasus, to take more responsibility towards resolving inter-regional disputes. It is also vital for those parties interested in the Caucasus to devote more of their efforts to turning the region from one synonymous with war, conflict and instability into one synonymous with peace, mutual understanding and development instead.

The Biggies of the Century in the Arena OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

H

ere goes a good piece of cheering news for Georgia: it is not only us who wax passionate before elections, but others too, including the States. On the surface, there are only two running couples there, Republican and Democratic, who are aspiring to grab the helm on November 3rd. Factually, there are more than 1200 presidential wannabes in America who have filed to run for office, including 324 Democratic, 164 Republican, 65 Libertarian and 23 Green Party candidates. Of these impressive but facetious numbers, there are only four notable aspirants of presidency: Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Libertarian Jo Jorgensen and the Green Party frontrunner Howie Hawkins. Notables are only those who have proved to the Federal Election Commission that they have sufficient resource and a big enough network to make the ballot. The case with the elected USA president is a little different: Donald Trump filed for re-election on January 20, 2017, the day of his inauguration.

There is a solid list of presidential contenders who have reconsidered their desire to become POTUS and have withdrawn from the presidential race. We know how the future is: it might have a surprise of any extent in store for us, so why not try?

The first presidential debate involving Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden. Source: dnaindia.com

There is another imperative that many of us might not be aware of, and that is one of the provisions of the American Constitution, saying that the American president is not elected by a popular vote but by the Electoral College, comprising a set of exactly 538 electors matching the number of 100 senators, plus 435 representatives and 3 voters from Washington DC, so only 270 electors’ support is sufficient to elect the

president of the most powerful nation of the world even when clenched in the tentacles of the dreadful pandemic.

The third theme that might also sooth us the Georgians might be the first presidential debate in the United States between the major candidates President Donald Trump and Vice-President Joe Biden, which took place on September 29 at the Samson Pavilion of the Health Education Campus in Cleveland, Ohio.

The well-known American TV personality Chris Wallace of Fox News moderated the debate, although a little timorously. The continuation of the political TV serial, which happens to be the upcoming two presidential debates, is scheduled to occur on October 15 and October 22. Hopefully, the coronainfected American President still makes it, but rumor has it that people no longer desire to see the sequel of the show. The

debate between the vice-presidential candidates Mike Pence and Kamala Harris is programmed to take place on October 7. The first debate was sponsored and organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates and broadcast by C-SPAN2 and CNN. Frankly, it was fun to watch, and I have several reasons to say this. First of all, it was an utterly entertaining wrestle between the two goliaths on the planet’s political carpet, which leaves not even a child indifferent to watch, although it went in a chaotic flow-of-consciousness literary style. After all, it seriously matters who steps into the most influential political post in the world just in a month’s time. Secondly, this presidential verbal jousting under the famous ‘union-andthe-constitution-forever’ slogan, reminding of national glory, serves as a perfect lesson in American politics, which determines a lot in the current world affairs.

And finally, and most importantly, the acrimonious clash between Don and Joe reminds us of rancorous disputes between our local politicians who interrupt each other all the time, manifesting mutual anger, and doing their worst to overpower the opponent, using not the most attractive tongue to describe one another. It was so amazing that the biggies like Trump and Biden in the arena looked like Georgia’s not-as-important political dudes when they find themselves in the middle of something like presidential debates in America. All humans are created equal, aren’t they?

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

5

Navalny’s No1 Ally on the Occupied Territories , Belarus & the Nagorno-Karabagh Conflict Continued from page 1

WOULD THAT IMPACT THE ISSUES OF GEORGIA, CRIMEA, MOLDOVA, ETC? Navalny is a 100% firm supporter of the internationally recognized post-soviet borders; he has never called for a voluntary one-sided change of borders that were recognized after the Soviet Union collapsed.

The Crimea question first and foremost involves the Crimean people, and it is no secret that they have a strong historic negative sentiment towards Kiev and Ukraine; that’s the problem, and it is what Navalny has been saying: that the question of Crimea’s fate cannot be decided without asking the people of Crimea first.

Now on the Georgian territories. I was in Georgia before the war, and I met with Saakashvili, with Noghaideli, with Okruashvili and others, and there was a very strong sentiment on the Georgian side that we might retake these occupied territories militarily. That was never supported by Navalny nor by myself; we support Georgia's internationally recognized borders, but we do not support military takeovers; so when you try to look for some discrepancies in Navalny’s comments, you might take this as one but it is not: we completely recognize Georgia's international borders but we believe that the process of reunification

should be peaceful. Like we're observing in the Western Balkans right now, with Europeans and Americans trying to bring them together, to pull them into negotiations, to actually reach some sort of agreement on the complicated issue.

WOULD THAT MEAN WE’D SEE RUSSIA TURNING FROM A MANIPULATIVE MEDIATOR TO A BENEVOLENT ONE? How did these conflicts emerge? The Russian elite was extremely offended by the fact that some of the former soviet republics actually led this breakaway movement to become independent from our zone of influence; this is why they decided to create trouble there. Now we don't possess such logic: we want to treat our neighbors as fully sovereign countries, we want to build good and peaceful relations with them. Meddling in your neighbor's affairs makes you weaker, creates a lot of headaches: that is that is our vision. We don't want any more zero-sum games or zones of influence.

AS HAPPY AS THE WEST WOULD BE TO HEAR THAT, WHAT WOULD BE THE REACTION OF THE RUSSIAN POPULATION? We’ve been talking a lot to a broad spectrum of Russian people in recent years, all with very different views. But there's one important point about Russian peo-

ple: they’ve been deprived for a very long time of real information about what's going on in the rest of the world; they’ve been brainwashed by propaganda. We believe the Russian people are very receptive to serious talk, though; to discussions and arguments presented by strong political forces; we believe they can be educated. We can explain the complexity of international affairs to them and the great majority will be receptive to it. Yes, there’s an imperialist element which is pretty strong, but I'd say it's probably just 10-15% of the Russian population. The majority of Russians are against a costly foreign policy which involves resources being taken out of Russia and spent elsewhere to maintain geopolitical greatness. Putin's interventionist agenda generally has a very weak base of support in Russian society.

WHAT ARE YOUR AND MR NAVALNY'S TAKES ON THE CURRENT NAGORNOKARABAGH CONFLICT? I cannot speak for Alexey, because Russia is not directly involved, apart from the situation in Abkhazia, Ossetia and Ukraine; but my perspective is that we fully support internationally recognized borders. All countries recognize NagornoKarabagh as the territory of Azerbaijan; however, a military solution should be

prohibited. In reality, and I have traveled to both Armenia and Azerbaijan in recent years, meeting a lot of Azerbaijani officials at international gatherings, what I was constantly displeased with is that Azerbaijan always suggested a military solution was on the table. We should try to follow the same relatively successful pattern as the EU pushes in the Western Balkans: open a perspective for European integration and through this bring them to the negotiation table.

IF NAVALNY WERE TO PLAY ANY SUBSTANTIAL ROLE IN RUSSIAN FOREIGN POLICY, WOULD THE BELARUSSIAN UNION STATE AGREEMENT HAVE ANY CHANCE OF MATERIALIZING? No, we do not believe in the union state with Belarus. We think it's an artificial construction that politicians are playing with. Lukashenko yields to Putin, and politicians use this as a tool to achieve their domestic and international policy goals. Nobody really ever wanted to create a solid union state; Russia merely wanted to swallow Belarus and make it an intermediary state. What we want, however, is very close integration, open borders, open markets; an open environment for investment and trade and flow of goods and services, etc. I think we share that with the Belarussian demo-

cratic forces. The union state is a phantom of the past, and we should simply abandon it.

BACK TO THE POISONING. IS THIS ISSUE BIG ENOUGH TO GALVANIZE RUSSIAN SOCIETY INTO TAKING A MORE ACTIVE STANCE AGAINST PUTIN? Russia is a society with a lot of inertia: it takes many wake-up calls for us to move, largely because of our 100 years of totalitarian history. Society prefers to adapt until very last moment, and then “bang,” something explodes, and right now we're moving in this direction. Navalny's poisoning is a very important wake-up call for many people: since it happened we’ve had a major inflow of new supporters, and people who said before that they’d abstain are now joining us. But we’ll need more wake up calls. It will take some time and effort to move this big elephant 180 degrees, so don't expect anything to happen fast, but at least we're heading in the right direction.

BUSINESS

Real Palace’s Special Offers for Buying B Block Apartments at Black Sea Towers panoramic views of the city, sea, and mountains, a six-level modern carpark, a spa & fitness center, a concierge & security system, four elevators, an enclosed green yard of 2000 sq.m., tennis courts and a mini football field.

The residential complex is equipped with all the features necessary for a high standard of living, including well-developed security and fire protection systems and fireproof elevators, in order to ensure the maximum security of residents. All these once again prove that Real Palace is among the companies which truly care about its customers.

Real Palace LLC was founded in 2011 and, within a short time, the company accumulated vast experience in the construction industry. It provides all the necessary resources for the implementation of construction work: from project development to commissioning, and cooperates with the best architects in Georgia. Through many years of work, it has successfully implemented 10 multifunctional housing and hotel projects / complexes in Batumi.

Those interested in buying an apartment in Black Sea Towers can find additional information and details at the website www.realpalace.ge, or contact the construction company directly: realpalace2012@gmail.com; + 995 577 22 47 47; + 995 514 67 47 47; + 995 557 78 47 47.

T

he current situation and crisis caused by the global pandemic has significantly affected almost all the fields of economy, including the construction sector. However, there are certain companies which, despite the difficult period and existing challenges, continue their work as successfully as before thanks to years of experience and qualifications.

One example of a company operating in real estate whose operations continue with the same enthusiasm and pace is Real Palace, one of the largest construction companies in Georgia.

The Real Palace team is working on the Black Sea Towers project in Batumi, the capital of the Adjara region, which

is an ideal option for living and relaxing, and most importantly, for a profitable investment.

Since the start of the operation, Real Palace has offered its customers constant bonuses and discounts. Gifts are among the priorities of the company, and this tradition continues unhindered.

The company has recently launched the construction of Block B, and presale of flats at the Black Sea Towers Residential Complex, meaning that those who wish to live in a newly built residential complex equipped with all modern infrastructure now have a chance to purchase an apartment with highly preferential conditions.

The Black Sea Towers business class residential complex represents two sky-

scrapers with a height of 40 floors each.

The ultra-modern elite multi-functional residential complex is located in a developed area of Batumi, 500 meters from the Boulevard, next to the largest supermarket in the city, Carrefour.

Apartments at the Black Sea Towers are available from $370 per month!

Real Palace has special hot offers for potential customers wishing to buy apartments in B Block: • Apartments from 29 sq.m, delivered as black frame, white frame, or complete renovation • The price of 1 sq.m starts from $480 • Interest-free installment is available for 48 months • First installment payment from 20%!

The complex boasts a perfect location,

6

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

Creating an Oasis in the Desert: Tbilisi Hills Construction Director on Project Success & Int’l Expertise

BY ANA DUMBADZE

T

he development of a successful construction project which fully satisfies customers’ demands and not only changes the appearance of a city but even beautifies the environment can be quite challenging.

However, it is absolutely possible with a team of highly experienced professionals who are not afraid of innovation and challenges.

Among the more distinguished examples of innovative and well-equipped projects implemented in Georgia in recent years is Tbilisi Hills Golf & Residences. From the day of its opening, the prestigious project of Tbilisi Hills has offered local customers rare comfort and quality, effectively gaining a leading position in the residential real estate market in the country.

To learn more about this unique project, GEORGIA TODAY spoke with Sven Mergell, Construction Director at Tbilisi Hills Golf & Residences.

Sven is an experienced German Engineer working in Tbilisi since 2006, over the years, working for investment, construction and project management companies. His main responsibilities have included consulting in the field of construction, and monitoring and supervising of construction works.

Some of the best-known projects implemented with his contribution include the Radisson hotels in Tbilisi and Batumi, ProCreditbank Georgia, the German International School and the HeidelbergCement Dry Line Project.

DURING YOUR CAREER, YOU COOPERATED WITH MANY COMPANIES AND IMPLEMENTED VARIOUS PROJECTS. WHICH PROJECT WOULD YOU DISTINGUISH, AND WHY? For a long time in Georgia, I’ve been involved in a number of successfully implemented construction projects within the residential, non-residential and industrial sectors, each project with its own history and challenges.

The Tbilisi Hills project unites all my experience in the construction sector into one, and makes my work and the

project itself both unique and outstanding. At the Hills, we are implementing residential, non-residential as well as infrastructure work with water, wastewater and utility distribution.

I’m very proud to be part of the Tbilisi Hills team, as it is one of the most prestigious projects in Georgia.

material in the right way, following installation instructions and using experienced staff. The right material means that it has to meet European production standards.

We take environmental and energy saving aspects into account in all of our construction projects. Indeed, we are thinking more about a sustainable environment in construction. Different Developers in recent years have started to use façade insulation, for example, but installation itself can be questionable. In our case, we are following from the beginning in the project stage as well as installation process, all European standards and recommendations for a well-insulated façade.

For our projects, we usually use materials produced in Europe, or products from well-known brands which are locally produced. The materials and products are very carefully and precisely chosen by our team of engineers and architects.

With such attention to detail, our construction projects meet all our costumers requests and correspond to the highest European standards.

WHAT CHANGES DID THE COOPERATION WITH TBILISI HILLS BRING IN YOUR LIFE? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE BEING A PART OF THIS TEAM? Tbilisi Hills is changing and will continue to change lives and the lifestyles of a lot of people in the country.

It’s an excellent place to work, with fresh air and an amazing view of Tbilisi city.

The biggest challenge is to bring European standards to the Georgian construction market, including high-quality construction material and especially installation. We are managing the mentioned challenges daily with a team of highly experienced professionals who are not afraid to go above and beyond, to innovate, and to deliver the best in town quality product to our customers.

HOW DOES ONE CREATE AN OASIS IN THE DESERT? WHAT WAS DONE TO MAKE THE SANDY HILL WHERE TBILISI HILLS WAS BUILT NOW ABLE TO BOAST SUCH WELLDEVELOPED INFRASTRUCTURE? Our main goal is to build smart and well developed infrastructure for the golf fields, as well as multifamily houses and individual villas for our residents in a short amount of time, taking into account the existing situation. This can be achieved only thanks to our team of experienced management, construction engineers, landscape designers, infrastructure engineers and architects.

Tbilisi Hills is equipped with electricity, gas, internet, irrigation water, drinking water with a reservoir and sewage water system.

All nuances of the existing ecosystem and the terrain peculiarities were taken into account.

WHAT ABOUT COOPERATION WITH INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS, WHICH IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF

WHAT MAKES TBILISI HILLS SO UNIQUE AND DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER PROJECTS? It’s a unique project in many ways. I can think of several factors which distinguish our project from others: the location, the design and the quality delivered to our customers. All three taken together gives at the end, the best product in town.

All our team members work daily to give our customers a better and different quality of life in Tbilisi.

THE CONSTRUCTION FIELD IN GEORGIA IN GENERAL? It’s a huge advantage for our company that we have direct access to international experts with whom we work in the construction and engineering areas.

Their expertise helps us to develop such projects and also develop the construction field in general, in Georgia. Our international experts and consultants are training and sharing knowledge with our local staff. All this helps us to deliver a high quality end-product to our customers.

USING THE HIGHEST QUALITY CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR DEVELOPING A PROJECT WHICH FULLY MEETS CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS AND NEEDS. TELL US ABOUT THE MATERIALS USED BY TBILISI HILLS. The construction material alone doesn’t distinguish Tbilisi Hills from other developer companies. And using European material alone doesn’t bring the expected results and meet customers’ expectations. It is very important to use the right

TBILISI HILLS HAS INTRODUCED NEW HIGHER STANDARDS IN THE GEORGIAN CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. WILL YOUR EXPERTISE BECOME EXEMPLARY FOR OTHER COMPANIES OPERATING IN THIS DIRECTION? The quality of the work in the construction market in Georgia has to be higher, and it has to meet international standards. It is one of Tbilisi Hills’ goals to bring the construction knowledge of our international experts into the market and into the country. In this way, everyone will benefit.

New Project of Entrepreneur Magazine: An Online Store in English!

T

he products of partner brands of the Entrepreneur online store are already easily available to foreigners living in Georgia. And to make online shopping an even more comfortable process, another new platform has been launched: the Englishlanguage Entrepreneur Store.

George Sharashidze, Entrepreneur, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: “The Entrepreneur Store, like its Georgian counterpart, will only sell products produced in Georgia by Georgian entrepreneurs. The platform will be especially interesting for those brands whose target segment is a non-Georgian speaking audience. This applies to foreigners living in Georgia, as well as anyone anywhere in the world, allowing them to discover products produced by Georgian entrepreneurs in English and, if they like, to get shopping!

This is a small but effective step for Georgian brands to enter the world market and to advertise internationally. I’m glad that the English-language online store, Entrepreneur Store, shares the strategic

mission of the edition and continues to support the activities of Georgian entrepreneurs through yet another channel.”

The Entrepreneur Store will combine

in one space goods and services of different categories, and special offers from Georgian brands: everything that is Georgian, everything that is the best,

and everything that is created in the spirit of entrepreneurship.

“As the founder and designer of the brand, I’m always interested in working

with foreign audiences: their positive emotions and feedback are always contagious,” says Tamar Gelashvili, founder of Tami Sport.. The Entrepreneur Store will make our clothes even more accessible, bring us closer to potential customers, and will positively effect on sales growth.” “’Geoposter’ creates each poster with great enthusiasm and diligence in order to better represent our country and its tourism potential; to promote Georgian culture, Georgian nature, regions and interesting places both inside and outside the country,” says Lika Chalagidze, founder of Geoposter. “That is why the foreign audience and tourists are one of the main segments of our brand. The Entrepreneur Store online will allow us to make Geoposter products available to a wider audience and to ensure smooth delivery.”

The Entrepreneur Store was established in December 2019 and already combines more than 1600 products of 100 Georgian brands: a number which is increasing by the day!

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

7

Re|Bank Deputy Director of Retail Banking on Company’s Crisis Management & New Offers amid Pandemic

O

WHAT DISTINGUISHES IT FROM A CREDIT CARD AND WHAT DOES IT HAVE IN COMMON?

ver the past year, Re|Bank has managed to occupy a worthy and distinguished place in the Georgian market. In the field of retail banking services, PASHA Bank 's sub-brand offers its customers unique products and undoubtedly competitive conditions.

Re|Bank's idea to speak about the company through its products was successfully implemented. The bank's innovative products, including the Top|Card Installment Card and implemented projects, have helped the company establish its place.

COVID-19 has significantly impacted economies and businesses across the world, and of course Georgia is no exception. However, thanks to the high qualifications and experience of its management and employees, Re|Bank is successfully handling the current challenges caused by the global crisis.

GEORGIA TODAY spoke to Mikheil Gaprindashvili, Re|Bank’s Deputy Director of Retail Banking, to find out more about the company’s crisis management strategy, the impact of the pandemic on Re|Bank , and its new offers since the outbreak in order to make the lives of its customers easier.

The uniqueness of this product is that it has both installment and credit card functions . We all need to buy something, and no-one will refuse to redistribute an amount over several months really interest free, as an installment loan interest is paid by the partner where the item is purchased.

And we all need to have some free money to use as needed. This is already the credit part. So, Top|Card is a unique product as it combines both.

There are more than 1400 partners where customer can shop totally interest free, be it clothing, shoes, perfume, home appliances, construction materials, etc., in almost all directions.

Top|Card serves as an interest-free installment card with an interest-free period of 2 to 12 months at these 1400 partners.

So, Top|Card gives us two main priorities: firstly, why should we pay a certain amount at once, if there is an opportunity to redistribute it over several months? And especially when it is free money? And secondly, why shouldn’t we always have the necessary amount on our card to use as we wish?

THE MOST PRESSING TOPIC TODAY IS THE PANDEMIC AND THE RESULTING CRISIS. HOW PREPARED WERE YOU TO MEET THIS AND WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU HAVE TO FACE?

WITH OTHER PRODUCTS, YOU SAY YOU HAVE COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS. WHY SHOULD A CUSTOMER CHOOSE RE|BANK?

It was quite unexpected. However, we started preparing for changes when the first signs of the pandemic appeared and planning how to respond. At this time, we had two main tasks: first, to create a safe working environment for our employees. For this purpose, we allowed those who could to work remotely from home, and regarding those working in our branches, we divided them into two groups and let them work in two-week shifts.

The second important task was not to stop providing banking services to customers. Actually, the Bank initially planned on providing services through remote channels, as Re|Bank is represented only with 7 branches throughout Georgia. However, in this period in particular we were especially active in terms of switching to remote services. In about three months, we had a platform completely ready to serve not only existing but also new customers in a fully remote mode.

Re|Bank is a new bank, we celebrated our 1st anniversary in August, and naturally it has relatively few existing customers. Our main goal was not to stop serving the new customers. In May, we completed the pilot platform so that even new customers didn’t have to come to the bank to get banking services. On the contrary, they were able to benefit from our services remotely not only in terms of transactions, but even on loan products.

After achieving these two main tasks, the third aim during the pandemic was to adjust the banking products and services to customers’ requirements, as they now had different needs and challenges. We offered them a lot of novelties and concessions, including on an installment shopping card called Top|Card for existing customers to

Not only products create this superiority. Everything is done together to provide customers a distinctive experience, including different ways of delivery, digital marketing… Of course, a product is still the main thing. As I’ve already mentioned, we had various offers on Top|Card during this whole pandemic period. Now, as it turns out, customers, in this period, due to decreased incomes, have two special needs: the first is to meet their current financial needs. For instance, a person had 1000 GEL as a saving, and used this amount for basic needs. Now, they don’t have it anymore. On the contrary, some people’s incomes have been reduced significantly and they need help from the banks. We’ve adjusted blitz loans to these needs exactly, which are fully remote, you don’t need to come to the bank. It takes maximum 10 minutes to get it. Through this, firstly, we’ve addressed these current financial needs.

The second special need is that everyone who had existing loans in other banks now want to pay less due to decreased incomes and even worse expectations. What we’ve done regarding refinancing loans: we allow our customers, if they transfer their loans to us from other banks, either to pay less each month through extending the loan term, or if they want to pay the same amount and add money, we also allow them to do it.

We see that the above fully meets both needs appeared during the pandemic: to get the necessary amount quickly and to save money and pay less if you have an existing loan. The first is met by a Blitz|Loan and the second by a refinancing loan.

Now, we’ve created a new product, Auto|Loan. Unlike all other banks,

benefit from it quite actively. Since June, we have a lot of new clients using Top|Card.

RE|BANK HAD TO ENTER A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKET. YET ONE YEAR IN, AND IT ALREADY HAS ITS OWN NICHE AND DISTINGUISHED PLACE. FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW, WHAT ARE THE REASONS BEHIND THIS? When Re|Bank was founded, its main slogan was and still remains ‘For Changes!’, meaning that we needed to offer innovative products, different ways of delivering these products, different processes, and different communication. Overall, a customer should have a totally different banking experience in the existing environment. We

are following that strategy, with installment card Top|Card, our flagship product, refinancing loans, auto loans, also distinguished from the other similar products just like other Re|Bank offers, Blitz|Loans, all these in terms of product. In terms of communication, there was digital communication from the start, while in terms of delivery, even before the pandemic, our products were mostly delivered to customers without direct visit to the branches, for instance in case of Top|Card, if it is approved, a card is handed over to customers by courier. All this worked and that is exactly why customers see us in the way as was planned: that Re|Bank is the bank for changes.

THE INSTALLMENT CARD SOUNDS REALLY INNOVATIVE.

Re|Bank provides it without any downpayment, collateral, or mandatory car insurance in order to help our customers satisfy their needs in a much simpler way.

WHAT ARE RE|BANK’S PLANS FOR THE NEXT HALF YEAR, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT THERE IS ANOTHER WAVE OF CRISIS AHEAD. We have short-term, medium-term and 3-year strategic plans. I very much hope that we won’t need to go beyond this 3-year strategic plan due to this pandemic.

Regarding near plans, unfortunately, we predict that the pandemic won’t be weakened in the next 6-9 months. In this period, we are going to fully digitalize all processes. As I’ve already mentioned, serving new customers and loan products have already been digitalized; however, now we’re working to digitalize other backside processes of the bank too.

We’re developing a new mobile bank, which will be presented soon, exactly during this period, to provide customers even more comfort and simplicity, and we’re also working to add more such functions to our existing products that will allow them to save their money and time even more, considering that as we have to live along with coronavirus and the New Year is coming, everyone will have expenses, and people will try to redistribute those expenses in the pre-New Year period.

HOW WILL YOUR EMPLOYEES CONTINUE TO WORK, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OTHER COMPANIES IN THIS REGARD? Before the pandemic, about 180 employees worked at our head office, boasting over 2000 sqm. Now, all of them are working remotely and one can see only managers here, who manage works from office and perform their duties here. Otherwise, you can imagine how difficult it is to wear a face mask at work the whole day through.

Most importantly, as soon as the pandemic started, our holding announced that it won’t fire even a single employee due to pandemic, despite the fact that we had less pressure at work in this period. And we are fulfilling this promise. All the employees work from home, with less pressure, but still work. However, we redistributed this pressure on future projects. For instance, we are the only company which tripled the number of its IT specialists during the pandemic. We hired up to 40 employees, and almost all the departments are working on future projects remotely.

As I’ve said, our employees working in the branches of Re|Bank work in two-week shifts. Now we might change it to 10-day shifts, in accordance with safety recommendations. Still, direct communication with teammates is quite important and remote working has its difficulties, but the holding supported us in this period with recommendations of experienced managers on how to improve the effectiveness and manage our employees’ motivation, which is also crucial. Despite the current situation, we remain optimistic and hope that better days will come soon.

8

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

ISET Agri Review | The Sector at a Glance, General Trends

T

he National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat) recently published its economic review for Quarter II 2020. The publication highlights that agricultural production increased by 4.7% in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2019. Furthermore, agriculture contributed to 10.2% of the country’s total GDP during the same period. In the second quarter of 2020, Foreign Direct

changes in June and July were -4.8% and -1.6%, respectively.

From an annual perspective, the CPI continued to increase from June-August 2020. Within the indicated period, both CPI and FPI marked their highest level in June at 6.1% and 13.6%, respectively.

In August, the CPI rose by 4.8% compared to August 2019.

In August 2020, the year-over-year prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased significantly, by 9.2%,

more apples: the volume of apple exports is almost five times greater than last year (MEPA, 2020). Consequently, there might be a shortage in the domestic supply that led to the price increase.

Coffee, tea, and cocoa – In this group, prices for ground coffee rose the most (by 17%) on an annual basis. Given that Georgia is a net importer of the commodity, international trends influence coffee prices.

According to the International Coffee

international prices were lower than last year as a weaker U.S. dollar provided support for the price of most agricultural commodities. Meanwhile, in August 2020, the Food Price Index, measured by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), started to increase and rose by 2.7%, compared to the corresponding month of last year. Prices increased for vegetable oil (20%), cereals (8%), sugar (7%), and dairy (2%). By contrast, international prices for meat decreased by 8% on an annual basis, caused by weaker import purchases and tightened global supplies.

TRADE HIGHLIGHTS

Investments (FDI) in agriculture also increased and were almost six times higher than the corresponding indicator in 2019. Notwithstanding, FDI in agriculture was relatively low compared to the other sectors of the Georgian economy and accounted for 3% of the total FDI. On 26 August “Rtveli 2020” began. This year, the Government of Georgia (GoG) is subsidizing the 2020 grape harvest to help farmers and wine producers sell their produce. From a total of 0.8 GEL per kg of Rkatsiteli or Kakhuri Mtsvane grapes, 0.3 GEL is being subsidized.

Under extreme circumstances, the state will also be involved in the purchase of grapes.

By 1 October, 165 wine producers and around 21 thousand grape growers participated in “Rtveli 2020”; furthermore, around 227.2 ths. tons of grapes were sold with a corresponding income for farmers of 235.8 mln. GEL. However, since Rtveli is not yet over, the final statistics on grape sales and their total income is still not available.

DOMESTIC PRICES On a monthly basis, the country’s price levels decreased between June-August 2020. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) in August 2020 remained almost unchanged (-0.02%) compared to July 2020. While in July, prices had slightly decreased, by 0.5%, since the previous month. The corresponding month-overmonth price decrease was 1.4% in June.

Between June-August 2020, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages, measured by the Food Price Index (FPI), also exhibited a downward trend. In August 2020, food prices slightly decreased, by 0.5%, compared to July 2020; while the corresponding month-over-month price

contributing 2.88 percentage points to the change in the total CPI. The main drivers were price fluctuations in the following sub-groups: fruit and grapes (+18%), coffee, tea, and cocoa (+14.9%) and fish (+13.5%).

SPOTLIGHT

Organization (ICO), international coffee prices exhibited an upward trend this year due to limited production. In August 2020, the prices increased by 19% compared to August 2019. Furthermore, depreciation of the lari forced additional upward pressure on coffee prices.

Fish – Within this group, prices increased the most for canned fish (29%) and frozen fish (12%). Given that Georgia mostly imports these products, the main driver behind these heightened prices was depreciation of the lari.

The total Georgian exports between January-August of 2020 amounted to 2,071 mln. USD, which is 15% lower than the same indicator in 2019 (2,430 mln.

USD). At the same time, agricultural exports increased by 1% from 521 mln.

USD in 2019 to 528 mln. USD in 2020.

A similar trend can be observed in the case of imports. Gorgia’s total imports decreased by 17% (from 5,999 mln. USD to 4,951 mln. USD), while agricultural imports increased by 1% (from 755 mln.

USD to 763 mln. USD) during the first eight months of 2020. Given that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused trade restrictions and negatively affected the income of populations all over the world, a reduction in international trade is hardly surprising.

An increase in both the export and import of agricultural products signals the importance of the agricultural sector to the economy. This is also reflected in the boosted proportion of agricultural trade within total Georgian trade. The share of agricultural exports in total exports rose from 21% in Jan-Aug 2019 to 25% in Jan-Aug 2020. Year-over-year, the share of agricultural imports within total imports also increased from 13% to 15%.

Over the last decade the share of agricultural imports from total imports was relatively stable and ranged from 13% to 24%. Whereas the agricultural export share from total exports was more vola-

Starting from November 2016, the yearover-year prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages were higher than last year. In April 2020, annual food price inflation marked its highest level at 16.1%, mainly due to disruptions in the supply chains associated with the COVID-19 INTERNATIONAL PRICES pandemic (Figure 1). Depreciation of the In June and July 2020, international prices Georgian lari also placed additional continued their downward trend on an upward pressure on food prices. Since annual basis. Starting in April 2020, then, annual food price inflation has been decreasing with the resumption of farming after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions and the sale of seasonal agricultural products. In August 2020, the FPI increased by 9.2% compared to August 2019. Prices increased the most within the following categories: Fruit and grapes – Apple prices increased the most (by 37%) within this group. This is explicable as 2020 has been a good year for the apple harvest. Therefore, Georgia exported Note: Agricultural exports and imports include food; * Year 2020 includes January – August data

tile, and for instance accounted for over one-third of total exports back in 2003, 2005, and 2016. The higher proportion of agricultural exports compared to imports shows that trade in agricultural commodities is particularly salient for the Georgian export market (Figure 2).

The data reveals that both shares exhibit downward trends in general, however in 2020 the total trade share of agricultural trade increased due to food security concerns during the shocks of the COVID19 pandemic.

The downward trend in shares might also denote the greater diversification of Georgian exports and imports.

POLICY WATCH The Agrarian Issues Committee of the Georgian parliament has initiated a draft law on agritourism On 28 September 2020, the Agrarian Issues Committee of the Georgian parliament initiated a draft law on agritourism. The main goal of the draft law is to strengthen the capacity of Georgia’s rural population, increase their economic inclusion and incomes, and promote employment. The draft law envisages the introduction of benefits in the area of VAT and income tax, and involvement in governmental programs.

For more information follow the link: https:// bm.ge/ka/article/agroturistuli-obieqti-10-wlitgadasaxadebisgan-gatavisufldeba---rogormiigebt-statuss/64619 Micro and Small Enterprises support program starts on 5 October 2020 From 5 October, Enterprise Georgia's program to support small entrepreneurs will be extended. The budget of the program will also be increased to 41 million GEL. The provision of this grant supports the initiative for people to take their first steps in business and start their own businesses. Citizens can find information about these programs at Community Centers and Justice Houses within their towns and regions.

For more information follow the link: https:// bm.ge/ka/article/mikro-da-mcire-mewarmeobis-xelshewyobis-programa-5-oqtombersdaiwyeba---pirobebi/64332/

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

9

UN Warns Humanity Is at a Crossroads.

This is How Israel Can Help OP-ED BY THE AMBASSADOR OF ISRAEL TO GEORGIA, RAN GIDOR

O

ne million species of animals and plants are currently endangered by extinction, including 40% of all amphibious animals, 33% of corals, 33% of marine mammals and around 10% of insects. Three quarters of the terrestrial environment and two thirds of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human activity and huge areas have become desert and lost their fertility. Forests continue to be cut down, fish stocks are dwindling, water, air and land pollution continues at an accelerated rate. The damage to biodiversity, flora and fauna continues with such intensity that the UN warns that "humanity is at a crossroads", and that the continued destruction of natural ecosystems endangers us.

This is because nature provides us with essential services that we cannot live without, such as clean air, pollination of agricultural crops, food, raw materials, and more.

The situation in Georgia is hardly any better. According to GSPSA (Georgian Society for the Protection & Safety of Animals): “Georgia’s biodiversity is at significant risk of degradation and degradation of natural habitats, excessive use of natural resources, environmental pollution, invasive alien species, and climate change”.

Against the background of these alarming data and the dire implications for our future, the a biodiversity summit was convened at the end of September to try and coordinate a joint global effort to halt the damage. UN experts say that the damage is still reversible and changeable if we decide to take a number of transformative changes including stopping forests and land destruction and rehabilitating them, shifting to sustainable agriculture, efficient use of water, reducing consumption of animal based

foods such as meat and dairy products and switching to a plant-based diet, preventing climate change and protecting and rehabilitating natural systems.

This is a very challenging task, especially with the world’s population expected to grow up to 10 billion people by 2050, something that will increase the pressures on the planet’s already depleted resources. As such, we should all ask ourselves how we can help prevent the impending disaster, and what changes we can make at the individual, local, and national levels to improve nature and biodiversity.

In this context, Israel can contribute greatly through sharing experience and technologies that can, on the one hand, reduce the extent of damage and even restore biodiversity, and on the other hand address the growing needs of humanity for raw materials, food, water and energy. For example, 90% of the wastewater in Israel is purified while 80% of wastewater worldwide it is discharged into rivers and oceans, causing heavy environmental pollution that harms the flora and fauna. It would have been possible to use this for agriculture or revive dried up rivers and streams and save large-scale pumping of water from nature. Preventing water leakage, water conservation, desalination, and the use of saline water in agriculture are all very advanced in Israel and enable the conservation of wetlands and the increase of agricultural crops.

Another area in which Israel can contribute is agriculture, which would significantly increase agricultural production while enabling the protection of open and natural areas on a large scale in the world. Drip irrigation, precise agriculture, use of remote sensing systems and more are some of the practices used in Israel that can greatly help preserve biodiversity and address the needs of the world population in food that is constantly growing. MASHAV (Israel’s International Development Cooperation Agency) has been active in Georgia for almost three decades, and has trained over 1,500 women

and men in a wide variety of disciplines and fields of expertise – primarily advanced, environmentally-friendly agricultural & irrigation methods.

Israel is also a global pioneer in the production of animal protein substitutes, which can also help reduce the pressure on natural systems being that 70% of the world’s total agricultural area in the world is used to raise livestock for human consumption. If animal protein could be replaced by laboratory-grown meat or high-quality plant based protein, large swaths of the world could be rehabilitated, the trend of climate change could be slowed down and the food security of billions of people strengthened. Israel has dozens of startups that specialize in the field, research and development institutes, and significant funds are raised to implement the research developments.

Research is also ongoing in the field of renewable energies, including the development and extensive application of technologies such as energy efficiency, energy storage, energy control and more.

All of them are important and necessary for the mitigation of the climate crisis.

Israel welcomed and congratulated the Government of Georgia back in 2014 on the adoption of the ambitious Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan of Georgia (2014-2020), which sets out consistent policies and national priorities to achieve the national vision set by 2030 – “Georgia will be a country where citizens live in harmony with nature, universally Recognized Values of biodiversity; Conservation and prudent use of biological resources ensure the continuity of ecosystem processes, a healthy environment and vital benefits for the whole community. ”

Israel, which has been dealing with extreme climatic conditions for 70 years since its establishment, has developed a wide range of technologies, capabilities and experience that can greatly assist the world in reducing biodiversity loss and moving toward its restoration and renewal. Israel will be happy to share its expertise in these areas, as nature does not recognize human borders and the problem of biodiversity destruction is a universal human problem that demands full international cooperation. Israel is ready to contribute so that we can all continue to see dolphins leaping in the water, hear cranes roaming the sky, smell the scent of wildflowers in the open fields and live in a better and healthier world. On this, as on numerous other issues – Israel is ready, able and willing to stand side by side with our Georgian partners.

Upward, Inward: Adjara

BLOG BY TONY HANMER

T

he August camping holiday with my wife continued by us turning to the interior of Adjara for a bit. We realized that we could go and stay anywhere the 4x4 could take us, and this was a part of the country neither of us had seen independently much, so, time for a change from the coast.

The road up towards Khulo is so much

better than the last time I was on it, more than 10 years ago, that I hardly recognized it. Not only is it paved, but there are even fisheye mirrors posted at hairpin turns to show the driver what is coming! I was seeing these for the first time in Georgia, although I am told that they are to be found elsewhere too, where needed. They are absent in Svaneti, likely simply because our risk of rockfalls smashing them there is much greater.

So their presence here also speaks of this risk being much less too.

The paving even extended through

most of the villages we toured on our excursion, pointing to a much better level of road infrastructure here than in Svaneti. Tobacco leaves were out drying, obviously an important cash crop here.

I had looked up some key tourism sites in advance, online, and we detoured to several of these. The most impressive ancient arched rock bridges, not insignificant in size, were easy to find, as were several fortresses, also of many centuries’ age. Although parts of this road remind one of the equivalent in Svaneti, following a river and passing through villages, its higher quality and the lack of watchtowers remind that you are now elsewhere.

Everywhere we went, the tourist scene was dominated by Georgians, of course, with a few foreigners who live here or who have been able to enter sprinkled in. But numbers from abroad are catastrophically down, due to restrictions from The Virus, and Georgians who can are rediscovering their own country with little other choice at the moment, not to their loss.

We had thought about going as far and high as the village of Khulo, but in the end didn’t get much farther than Keda, as side trips took some of our time and we needed to find a place to camp for the night. Asking in Shuakhevi, we were directed to a designated camping spot not far away, and went there.

There were picnic benches set up, and a new building with toilets and shower stalls. This however, had not had its water turned on yet, though the doors were unlocked. Instead, the toilets were overflowing with unflushable waste, and the place was going most sadly to ruin before it had even been finished. This was very disappointing and disheartening. Merely a drying-up of funds, possible given the national and international economic situation, or those funds having been diverted sideways into pockets for which they were never intended? I had no idea.

In any case, there was space for the tent, a hose nearby for water, nice white noise from the river to help drown out road noise; in short all we really needed for the night. We had the gas bottle to cook with, our own food and bedding, and were fine, alone again. The air was much cooler than below on the coast, which added to our comfort, and there seemed to be no mosquitoes either.

Next morning, it was back down, with a short midday beach stop in Batumi on our way home. But The Virus was reportedly making new headway there, so we did not want to stop for long, keeping our distance from other bathers. Instead, passing our favorite camping spot of the whole 10-day holiday near Ureki, we looked at each other, and I turned the car around to return there for a final night. Morningstar thorns from Hell or

no, it couldn’t be beat, and we again had it all to ourselves!

Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/ groups/SvanetiRenaissance/ He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti

10

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

Natakhtari Beer to Join Int’l Contests with The Knight in the Panther’s Skin Limited Edition

C

ans of The Year Awards and World Beverage Innovation Awards 2020 are international contests seeing Natakhtari’s The Knight in the Panther’s Skin limited edition participating.

Efes Georgia introduced a new limited-edition series with its leading beer brand Natakhtari. The new pack designs show scenes from The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, revived by modern Georgian artist David Matchavariani.

The project started with Matchavar-

iani, who devoted four years of work to the illustrations of the graphic novel The Knight in the Panther’s Skin. The book was published in 2019 and became widely available. Four important scenes from this beautiful artwork are now available on shelves through the packs of Natakhtari for a limited time.

Equality, friendship, love, kindness – these values are visually and aphoristically expressed on the four different packages already on sale.

“We take pride that our favorite project is going to be presented at interna-

tional contests, and that Natakhtari cans with modern illustrations of The Knight in the Panther’s Skin will be shown next to world-famous brands. As we are the leader in the beer market, it is always in our focus to invest in innovation, consumer needs and also in Georgian culture,” said Alphan Akpece, Commercial Director of Efes Georgia.

“We use packaging as an information carrier to remind ourselves of what is constant and what we have forgotten or avoided, or have been unwilling to talk about. The Efes Georgia team has

been working on this project since 2019, which turned out to be quite complex, but with the hard work and great support of David Machavariani, a popular

project has been launched, of which we are very proud, and we hope you will like it,” said Ana Karchava, Marketing Manager of Efes Georgia.

CULTURE

Meet the Artists: Gia Gugushvili & Keti Matabeli WHO HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOUR WORK EARLY ON IN YOUR CAREER? DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE ARTIST/MOVEMENT? Keti: My art teacher Guram (Khita) Kutateladze was the first big impact I had.

Gia: It was my teacher of painting and composition, Valentin Sharpilov. My favorite art movements have been for a long time impressionism and renaissance.

HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU DEEM PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN SHAPING AN ARTIST? Both: I believe professional education is crucial for a painter.

INTERVIEW BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE

C

ontinuing its collaboration with BI Auction, GEORGIA TODAY is proud to present yet another artistic couple, very important to Georgian art scene: Rector Gia Gugushvili, and Keti Matabeli. Read on to find out what inspires and moves them, Keti’s interesting future plans, Gia’s take on the role of painting in the contemporary art world, and more.

WHO FIRST INTRODUCED YOU TO ART? HOW AND WHEN DID YOU START PAINTING? Keti: My parents introduced me to art and I have been painting since I was a kid.

Gia: My father was a professional painter, so my introduction to the world of art happened naturally.

HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME ANY CHALLENGES IN YOUR PURSUIT OF ART? Keti: Not really, not something I’d call a challenge anyway.

Gia: The education process for an artist is always full of challenges. There are highs and lows and lots of disappointments. The foundation of success in this field is hard work.

Keti: I think positively of it. The Georgian contemporary art scene carries international importance.

Gia: I believe the Georgian art scene is so unique that it leaves no room for having a discussion about its importance.

The contemporary art scene in the country honorably continues the tradition of art in Georgia.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION TODAY? Keti: My biggest inspirations currently are the Bible and Shota Rustaveli’s ‘The Knight in the Panther’s Skin.’

Gia: The biggest inspiration often depends on the environment and the circumstances. For me, personally, the most basic and common source of inspiration comes from music.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ART’S MAIN MISSION IS? Keti: To raise humanity spiritually.

Gia: I think that art is very meditative and should be in the service of your inner calling, which is later reflected in the culture.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?

are always an artist and always in the future as they feed on the past and the historical experience. The painter is not distanced from the contemporary art.

They are themselves in the avant-garde of the modern art.

Keti: Illustrating the Bible and establishing a theater for the blind: “The Ray Theater.”

Gia: I just plan on continuing to paint.

I have never tried anything else, you know, I have always been painting, and always will, it’s not exactly a choice.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ARTISTS JUST STARTING UP?

THE MODERN ART SCENE IS EVER-CHANGING. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF PAINTING IN THIS REALITY?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ART AUCTIONS IN GENERAL, AND BI AUCTION IN PARTICULAR, PLAY IN PROMOTING ART?

Keti: Time brings new perspectives and perceptions; youth should seek new experiences. It is all happening as it should.

Gia: The painter has no future. They

Gia: I think BI Auction is very important for young artists as it gives them a chance to really see themselves and establish themselves in the art field.

COULD YOU TELL US OF THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING WITH A FELLOW ARTIST?

Keti: Just that they should learn with love and work a lot.

Gia: They should work without sparing themselves, and get educated professionally, as well as about general topics.

About BI Auction ‘for ART’: BI Auction is the first Art Auction Company of Georgia, established in 2016. The company’s aim is to promote Georgian art and artists and enlarge the market. In four years, BI Auction ‘for ART’ has organized eight auctions and presented more than 450 paintings from 125 Georgian painters. In every auction, the collection is selected from among a thousand paintings from the well-known legendary artists of Georgia and also from promising young artists. For more information, please contact biauction1@gmail. com

Keti: I only see advantage of it: my husband is a famous and outstanding artist.

That is happiness.

Gia: My wife is a painter and the 40 years we have spent living together have turned out to be more interesting that I first expected. My kids got splendid masterclasses, at least!

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT THE CONTEMPORARY GEORGIAN ART SCENE?

KIU Hosts First Kutaisi Mural Fest

A

n old saying: “everything new is well-forgotten old” can be successfully applied to murals. From Upper Paleolithic times, murals have been painted, but lately, with front line artists like Banksy, street art has become a self-expressive division of art, associated with freedom, youth, and new technologies, and for some, like British sociologist Dick Hebdige, even the concept of subculture. Following the heartbeat of the youth, the newly-opened Kutaisi International University decided it was time for Kutaisi to host its firstever mural festival on the KIU campus.

From September 15 to October 8, Kutaisi hosted the KIU MURAL FEST. The festival was initiated by the Kutaisi International University and was implemented by ‘Tbilisi Mural Fest’ organization. Here to beautify the walls of the KIU campus, a world-renowned group of street artists visited Georgia for two weeks.

Among the invitees were painters from Germany, Serbia, and Greece who have painted different famous walls in different cities around the globe. The street

art international stars: INO from Greece, ARTEZ from Serbia, INNERFIELDS and CASE MACLAM from Germany have now left their colourful marks on the walls of KIU campus.

Those wishing to visit the artsy walls around the KIU campus can do so as soon as on-campus learning begins at KIU. KIU MURAL FEST was Kutaisi’s first, and, hopefully not the last, mural fest.

Murals, and street art in general, bring the old into dialogue with the new: a building of a hundred years is revived with modern painting on its walls. In this way, it was quite symbolic that the event took place in Kutaisi, one of the oldest cities of Georgia, still rather conservative in its architecture. KIU MURAL FEST has brought the town a sense that it is further integrating with the modern world without losing its niche. This is how the festival aims to support the popularization of Kutaisi: the murals done by world-famous street-artists will now be on the street-art world map, making Kutaisi all the more interesting and diverse a place to visit, and the KIU campus even more unique.

The outstanding and innovative artworks around the KIU campus will create a unique atmosphere for the students to study and rest, and from now on, this will be the place where technology meets modern art.

“Founded last year, Tbilisi Mural Fest has beautified many buildings in Tbilisi.

We decided this year that Tbilisi should not be the only city in Georgia hit with mural art, and we should have other parts of the country involved. We partnered up with the KIU and brought world-known artists to Kutaisi, who worked to make the place unique, and Kutaisi ever-more interesting and diverse.

Murals are not mere decorations on the wall; they carry messages, and it’s important to bring new generations of students closer to these ideas of freedom and deeper meanings that come with murals.

With these murals on the university buildings, the students of KIU will not be consumed by routine; they will be inspired and freed as they study, grow, and relax on the campus,” Besik Maziashvili, one of festival’s main organizers told GEORGIA TODAY.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS: The Kutaisi International University (KIU) campus in Georgia covers 153 hectares of ecologically clean environment, uniting ultra-modern academic buildings, library, cafeterias, sport and road infrastructures, communal working spaces, student apartments, and dwellings for academic and administrative personnel. The development and construction of the college-city is being taken step by step, with the finances of Cartu Fund.

This year, KIU welcomed its first stu-

dents. According to the average score results of the National exam, KIU is the first public university in Georgia.

Tbilisi Mural Fest was founded last year thanks to the support of Tbilisian and Berlinian City Halls. The idea for the festival belongs to Georgian sculptor Besik Maziashvili, who has been based in Berlin since 2012. He has created different festivals and is the organizer of this one. His works are exhibited in galleries around the globe. In Berlin’s European Cultural Museum, Besik’s works are kept in the museum’s permanent collection.

CULTURE

GEORGIA TODAY OCTOBER 9 - 15, 2020

11

Art in the Time of Coronavirus

T

he pandemic has made radical alterations to both the daily life and routine of individuals and the global order. We watch on as the new reality tests societal integrity and values, and reveals issues previously masked for years.

Art held our attention with innovation and variety at the coronavirus-inspired exhibition termed ‘Art & Freedom / Civil Rights in Times of Crisis,’ supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, and the Europe-Georgia Institute. The exhibition brought together works in various media by 21 artists impassioned to express their creativity

in ways unusual to their normal practice.

The event was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of German Unity Day. The goal of the project is to record and exhibit (in real time) defining artwork created during civil uncertainty.

The works respond to subjects of socioeconomic life, rights and mental health, made relevant by the crisis and the pandemic, from a personal perspective. The exhibition explores topics of alienation and isolation, and highlights the role of art in freedom of human self-expression.

While some works draw on the sense of fear and isolation felt by many, others are inspired by novel ways of overcoming difficulties. Whether that means

reaching into the back catalogs of their memories, or imagining chimerical worlds and landscapes, the artists draw on hybrid aesthetics to reaffirm artistic creation as the primary aim.

“Under quarantine in the spring of 2020, in the midst of unforeseeable present and future circumstances, and when everything in the imaginative and physical world is vague, chronesthesia becomes a tool allowing the mind to multiply existing subjective realities and seek a legitimizing of personal or general ‘significances,’ even from the most recent past,” reads the caption to Salome Jishkariani’s wondrous photo prints. Upon viewing her prints, ordered clock-time is subverted in favor of the enigma pertaining to the concepts of Time and Space, as well as the perplexity of their relationship.

David Kukhalashvili’s unmistakable style in his work City conveys a message of tolerance that transcends art and has profound implications in the political and social realm. The caption to his work reads: “In our current period of development, we are totally dependent on each other, economically, politically and culturally. The pandemic gave birth to fear and a sense of helplessness, touching every layer of society and reaffirming the might of nature."

Teo Burki’s artwork depicting an urban glitch of skyscrapers is more expressive and messier, more abstract in its style.

She too experiments with ways of capturing space, time and movement through

juxtaposing different surfaces into a variety of formations. The caption to her triptych reads: “A fusion of circumstances regulated through various forms brings open-space cityscapes of Cubist stylistics together with a state of private, delusional sublimation.”

The works were selected via open contest. As part of the project, at the ArtVilla Garikula residency, the featured artists worked on a concept presented earlier. As a result of discussions and meetings, the participants had the opportunity to share their experience and rethink the subject.

Participants: Mari Aqubardia, Tamar

Botchorishvili, Bouillon Group, Teo Burki, Misha Gogrichiani, Nino Zirakashvili, Ana Tarashvili, Maka Kiladze, David Kukhalashvili, Teo Maspi, Qeu Meparishvili, Tamar Mtchedlishvili, Mariam Natroshvili / Detu Jincharadze, Natia Chikvaidze / Anushka Chkheidze / Saba Shengelia, Giorgi Khaniashvili, Tamar Khmiadashvili, Salome Jishkariani, and Nutsa Jgarkava.

Curated by Salome Sordia Graphic Design: Elene Gabrichidze Supporters: Heidelberg Cement, Telavi Wine Cellar The exhibition was on from October 3 to October 8.

Rusudan Zviadadze, Inspiring Discovery through my work, I always get inspired and find myself in a whirlpool of new ideas.”

“How long can this interview be?”

Rusudan inquires, when I ask her about her favorite painters: she can’t name just one, and says the history of art in its entirety has impacted her painting style, though she speaks especially dearly of Albrecht Dürer, the German Renaissance painter. Anselm Kiefer, David Hockney, Damien Hirst are honorably mentioned from contemporary artists. She contextualizes every style and epoch of painting, appreciating it for what it was, still not being able to identify one of them

that has affected her artistic approach the most.

Her diverse taste in painting styles is well reflected in her works: they vary between impressionism, still life and postmodernism, often uniting elements of all three. Some themes in Rusudan’s artworks are recurring, like plants and interior objects, but not only.

“I like to work on series,” she explains, “I usually never know how many works there will be in the series before I begin working: I like to make it up as I go, make decisions in the working process. For example, I made the series titled ‘Unbreakable Contact,’ which was exhibited in

BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE

R

usudan Zviadadze is a Georgian painter of unique artistic mentality and style who was introduced to art at an early age by her father, who, though by profession was not an artist, admired painting and encouraged Rusudan to fall in love with this colorful world.

Later in life it was her father-in-law, a sculptor, who impacted her artistic perception and expression.

Rusudan has participated in many exhibitions, in and out of Georgia. “The exhibition viewers are always different everywhere and they react to pieces differently,” Rusudan tells GEORGIA TODAY. “The artwork does not look the same in the exhibition space as it did in the studio. With exhibitions, an artist engages in dialogue with society. If I feel that I’ve sparked an interest in society

PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Natalia Chikvaidze

GEORGIA TODAY

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:

Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

Journalists: Ana Dumbadze, Vazha Tavberidze, Nini Dakhundaridze, Tony Hanmer, Emil Avdaliani, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Beka Alexishvili, Elene Dzebizashvili Photographer: Aleksei Serov

the Baia’s Gallery, and it was inspired by famous ancient artworks. I took the silhouettes from these works and put them in totally different contexts, making them a part of the painting experiment.”

Rusudan finds inspiration in everyday life. It’s usually details, mostly taken for granted, that become her muses: the weather, a good morning, the sound of music from her son’s bedroom, traveling, new sensations, etc. She is currently thinking about several projects but is not ready to make anything public yet.

“That’s the hardest part: when you’re thinking about something and are completely absorbed by it, so much that the problems of the outside world become secondary. When you find the form, the details come easy: choosing colors, selecting lines,” Rusudan reveals.

The Soviet Union strained and affected many artists. Rusudan was not one of them. “I did not have a professional interest in painting when the USSR was nearing its collapse, nor sometime after it had happened. So I never had that têteà-tête against the regime,” she explains.

Having never lost her freedom of expression in her art, Rusudan values liberty and says that, although no times come without trouble, not being repressed by censure is the condition in which an artist can really flourish. She connects the very goal of art to the idea of freedom.

“Art’s mission is to reflect the universe in an interesting and outstanding way.

For this, the artist needs to be free, and this freedom should never be restrained,” she says.

This freedom comes with responsibilities, though, she notes, telling us that becoming an artist cannot be fulfilled

Website Manager/Editor: Katie Ruth Davies Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava

by merely developing your painting technique. “Being educated about the world, other fields and disciplines is crucial for discovering yourself in art and deciding what it is that you want to tell the world through it,” she states.

What she herself wants to tell the audience through her pieces is simple, and like most simple things, genius. “I want to share the inspiring discovery that moved me enough to make me want to transfer it onto the canvas,” Rusudan shares. The genius is what is the “inspiring discovery” – the thing itself or the feeling it awakened? Ceci n’est pas une pipe.

ADDRESS

1 Melikishvili Str. Tbilisi, 0179, Georgia Tel.: +995 32 229 59 19 E: info@georgiatoday.ge F: GeorgiaToday ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION

+995 555 00 14 46 E-mail: marketing@georgiatoday.ge

Reproducing material, photos and advertisements without prior editorial permission is strictly forbidden.

The author is responsible for all material. Rights of authors are preserved. The newspaper is registered in Mtatsminda district court.

Reg. # 06/4-309