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NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY
JANUARY 14 - 16, 2020
@entrepreneur.ge Gamarjoba! I’m the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgian edition of Entrepreneur magazine and I’m here to share the top weekly Entrepreneurial news with you:
Tensions Growing in Sokhumi as De-facto President of Abkhazia Resigns
Founded by Mariam Markarovi, Georgian brand Pavone produces exclusive handmade glass jewelry and interior accessories. It is known for its colorful selection of intricately made and unique technology glassware. Mariam plans to open a Pavone studio-salon which will host masterclasses. On the market for over a year, Wely is a high-technology innovative company that creates systems to support business operations. The team’s mission is to enhance business building and homes with modern digital capabilities via smart equipment, sensors, etc. Wely can access the operating system from anywhere in the world, check the current status, optimize costs and more. Co-founder Aleksandre Kviciani says that the company aims big: their plans include joining foreign markets. Profy is a digital platform uniting everyday life services in one space and facilitating the connection between craftspeople and customers. The website/application enables users to choose a service and browse a list of all the craftspeople in that direction, their ratings, reviews, and prices. Profy saves people energy and time, all while receiving a high-quality service. Creator Irakli Zantaraia says that he aims to change the specifics of the industry, make it easier, more reachable and comfortable for every party. Follow the Entrepreneur Georgia Instagram page to get the latest updates from Georgian Entrepreneurs. For doing business with Georgian Entrepreneurs, write us on business@entrepreneur.ge
BY BEKA ALEXISHVILI
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esieged de-facto president of breakaway Abkhazia Raul Khajimba had to file his resignation amidst increasing protests of opposition on Sunday evening. Immediately before the resignation, a group of about a hundred opposition supporters came to his state villa near Sokhumi to stage a rally demanding him to step down. A few hours beforehand, Khajimba met with Aslan Bzhania, the leader of the opposition, and other politicians. Russian herald Rashid Nurgaliev was also
present at the meeting. Apparently, a top Kremlin courier Vladislav Surkov also landed in Sokhumi on Sunday. Surkov is an advisor to President Vladimir Putin and a key strategic counselor in shaping the Kremlin’s politics toward its Abkhazia, South Ossetia and pro-Russian regimes in Eastern Ukraine. Surkov met with Bzhania, while Khajimba surprisingly refused to meet him, Ekho Kavkaza reports. "We categorically demand Khajimba’s resignation," Aslan Bzhania said after the meeting. The same demand was aired on Saturday evening by key figure behind the storming of “presidential” office, Akhra Avidzba.
On Friday, the de facto parliament voted in favor of Khajimba's resignation. “I want to announce that I will be leaving my granted position to maintain stability in the ‘country’,” Khajimba said. The pseudo-vice-president of occupied Abkhazia, Aslan Barcic, also commented on the near revolt state of the region, saying that “Khajimba resigned to prevent bloodshed and to sustain stability.” Repeated presidential elections in Russian-occupied Abkhazia will be held on March 22, leader of the Abkhaz opposition, Aslan Bjania, announced Monday. On January 10, the court in occupied Abkhazia declared the results of the second round of the presidential election and the decision of the court of the first instance illegal.
GCAA Calls on Georgian Airlines Not to Use Iranian & Iraqi Airspace BY ANA DUMBADZE
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he Georgian Civil Aviation Agency has called on Georgian airlines to refrain from using Iranian and Iraqi airspace. “Based on recommendations issued by the Integrated EU Aviation Security Risk Assessment Group, due to Iranian and Iraqi air space safety risks and the likely causes of the Ukrainian aircraft disaster, the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency calls
on airlines registered in Georgia to avoid flying into Iranian and Iraqi airspace,” the agency's statement reads. Based on information released by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Iranian and Iraqi airspace has been evaluated as "high-risk" by the Integrated EU Aviation Security Risk Assessment Group, which recommends that flights over Iranian and Iraqi airspace should be avoided as a precautionary measure. The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency also expressed its sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Ukraine International Air-
lines crash. The Ukrainian International airliner bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, crashed minutes after takeoff from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran on January 8 amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The plane was carrying mostlyIranians and Iranian Canadians. On the evening of January 10, Iran’s military announced that they had accidentally shot down the Ukrainian passenger jet, blaming human error because the plane took ‘an unexpected turn’ toward a military base.
thing was to conduct a full and objective investigation into the causes of the tragedy, and Ukrainian experts were already involved in this process. "We feel your support," he told PM Gakharia. "Ukraine and Georgia have
always been side-by-side in the troubled periods of history. We have experts working, we have already sent a plane with our best specialists to Iran and we are working to ensure the transparency of the investigation,” the Head of State said.
Iran Admits to Downing Ukrainian Flight BY GT TEAM
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ran has reversed its statement that ‘a mechanical failure’ was to blame for a Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 crashing shortly after taking-off early morning on January 8. The Ukrainian International airliner bound for the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, crashed minutes after takeoff from the Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran on January 8 amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, killing all 176 on board. The plane was carrying mostly Iranians and Iranian Canadians. On the evening of January 10, Iran’s military announced that they had accidentally shot down the passenger jet, blaming human error because the plane
took ‘an unexpected turn’ toward a military base. “Armed Forces’ internal investigation has concluded that, regrettably, missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane and death of 176 innocent people. Investigations continue to identify and prosecute for this great tragedy and unforgivable mistake,” tweeted Hassan Rouhani, the President of the Iranian Republic. “The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences,” President Rouhani added to his tweet minutes later. The Ukrainian plane carrying 176 people crashed on January 8, the same day Iranian missiles attacked American bases in Iraq. At first, Iran insisted that ‘mechanical issues’ were to blame. International society found the claim reasonable at
first, with even the Ukrainian side ruling out an attack. By Friday, January 10, American and allied intelligence assessments had concluded that Iranian missiles brought down the plane by accident. American media were quick to publicize the fact, as the world waited for Iranian officials to take responsibility. Soon after the Iranian announcement, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia spoke to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky over the phone. During the conversation, the Georgian Prime Minister said he shared the pain over the loss of Ukrainian citizens in the UIA plane crash in the Iranian city of Tehran, and expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims. Gakharia assured the Ukrainian President that Georgia was ready to provide all necessary assistance to Ukraine. Zelensky in turn stressed that the key