Issue #1292

Issue no: 1292

• APRIL 16 - 22, 2021 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY

FOCUS

ON PROTESTING THE HPP On the 170+ day protest to shut down the Namakhvani HPP

PAGE 11

PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

May 4-11 Declared Public Holiday in Georgia NEWS PAGE 2

Russia’s Concerning Military Movements Are Only The Beginning POLITICS PAGE 4

MEP Viola von Cramon on Gakharia’s Political Plans POLITICS PAGE 4

Nika Melia Kept in Custody POLITICS PAGE 5

Inflation of Trust ISET PAGE 7

Overview of Key Source Markets for Tourism in Georgia BUSINESS PAGE 8

Minister: Georgia’s Economy is Recovering

Corona Updates: Epidemiological River vs. Road: Etseri, Svaneti Situation Deteriorating in Georgia BUSINESS PAGE 9

SOCIETY PAGE 10

BY TEAM GT

T

he epidemiological situation in Georgia has been significantly deteriorating, with an average of over 1000 new cases and up to 10 deaths now being reported daily, climbing since lockdown restrictions were lifted. This naturally results in increased concern among the public and epidemiologists, with expectations high of a repeat lockdown.

However, health officials this week have been assuring Georgian society that there is no need for a systemic lockdown at this stage, and only targeted restrictions might need to be imposed.

On April 14, the Head of the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC), Amiran Gamkrelidze, urged citizens again to observe COVID-19 rules to avoid tougher restrictions.

Continued on page 2

Social Workers to Work with School Children SOCIETY PAGE 10 CULTURE PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

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2

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

May 4-11 Declared Public Holiday in Georgia Source of photo: report.ge

Peter Neumann on the Landslide Prevention Works: Our Actions Have Really Paid Off

BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

T

he Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi, Irakli Bendeliani, after getting acquainted with the preventive measures taken in the landslide risk zone, said that the works carried out on Machavariani Street and the measures taken had been positively assessed by the German specialists.

“The work done in recent weeks saw the removal of a large amount of earth in order to reduce the landslide risk directly. The goal was to remove the load from the landslide area and reduce the movement of the landslide mass. Barriers were created, wells were drilled, and

cementation was carried out. Further, a monitoring system was installed, giving us the ability to monitor the situation on an ongoing basis. The fact that the risks are much lower today than they were three weeks ago is the result of such works and monitoring,” Bendeliani said.

Spokesman for the Bureau of Geology, Peter Neumann, noted that emergency work was being carried out first .

“We decided to carry out a combination of different measures. Some of the masses were removed, some hardening and drilling works were carried out.

Next, it is vital to fill the cracks so that water does not accumulate there and the process does not continue. Our actions thus far have really paid off,” Neumann said.

BY ANA DUMBADZE

B

ased on the decision of the Interagency Coordination Council, May 4-11, the period following the Easter Holiday in Georgia, has been declared a public holiday nationwide.

Considering the increase in the new

coronavirus cases, the Council recommends employers to switch to remote working.

Deputy Minister of Health Tamar Gabunia, however, noted that the “holidays” will not apply to the operation of public transport, and details will be further specified soon.

The government administration reports that the Coordination Council discussed the epidemiological situation at the

meeting, which is deteriorating around the world, including in Georgia.

It was noted that the dynamics of the increase in the number of cases observed in the country are noteworthy and requires a particularly responsible approach from both the government and the citizens.

The need to observe the established regulations was once again underlined, which will reduce the impact in the country from the third wave of the virus.

Georgia’s Lasha Talakhadze Sets New World Record by Snatching 222 kg

BY ANA DUMBADZE

G

eorgia’s record-breaking weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze has claimed the gold medal in the European Weightlifting Championships by snatching 222 kg in the 109+ kg category on

Sunday.

He is the current world record holder in the snatch with 222kg.

Russian capital Moscow hosted the 2021 European Weightlifting Championships.

Talakhadze is an Olympic Champion, four time World Champion, and five time European Champion competing in the super-heavyweight category (105 kg + until 2018 and 109 kg + starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories).

He is a three-time winner of the IWF Male Lifter of the Year and the current world record holder in the snatch (222 kg), the clean and jerk (264 kg) and the total (485 kg), where his 222 kg snatch and 485 kg total are both all time world records respectively.

Because of these achievements and world records, he is considered to be the greatest super-heavyweight weightlifter of all time.

Corona Updates: Epidemiological Situation Deteriorating in Georgia Continued from page 1 “We don’t want to face strict restrictions, so, we must adhere to the recommendations: wear a face mask, avoid large social gatherings and get the vaccine,” he stated on Wednesday, going on to confirm again that Georgia is facing its third coronavirus wave.

Georgian capital Tbilisi, SamegreloZemo Svaneti, and Adjara have recorded a high number of daily cases, while the remaining regions also show increasing dynamics in this regard.

During Wednesday’s meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council, Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze presented a plan for speeding up the vaccination program, with priority groups for vaccination being gradually expanded.

The Council, emphasizing the worsening epidemiological situation, reiterated the need for citizens to be scrupulous about observing regulations, to ensure against the need to introduce tougher restrictions. Of enormous importance in this context, they say, are facemasks, social distancing, and avoidance of large

gatherings, including social events prohibited by the law.

On the Prime Minister’s instructions, relevant agencies are enforcing strict control over the implementation of all regulations, in order to flatten the curve.

The Georgian government is also working actively to get hold of an additional one million Pfizer jabs.

THE STATISTICS The NCDC unveiled the coronavirus vaccine takers rate this week, saying that 23,493 people had received the COVID19 jab in Georgia so far. The Center urged more citizens to book vaccine appointments via the platform booking.moh. gov.ge, or by calling hotline 1522.

Georgia reported 1030 coronavirus cases, 706 recoveries, and 7 deaths on Thursday.

Georgian capital Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 538 Covid-19 cases within the last 24 hours, followed by the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region with 119 cases, and the Adjara region with 103 cases.

The total number of confirmed cases since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the

country has reached 292,244, among whom 279,389 people recovered and 3908 died.

The daily test-positivity rate stands at 3.14%, while it was 2.68% over the past 14 days.

Presently, there are 8947 active cases of coronavirus in the country, 155 of them in government-assigned quarantine facilities, 2616 in hospital, and 394 asymptomatic and “mild symptom” patients are being treated at government-assigned treatment facilities.

OPENING THE BORDERS Despite the increase in domestic corona cases, and in respect of the more active vaccination campaigns being carried out abroad, Georgia is going ahead with its recovery plans and opening the borders Initially, recommendations were set that “Citizens of all countries traveling by air from any country may enter Georgia if they present a document (a Covid Passport) confirming the full course (two doses) of any COVID-19 vaccination at the border checkpoints of Georgia.”

Yet, entry rules for visitors from India have been tightened due to the pan-

demic. Effective April 15, the above rule will not apply to those traveling from India, regardless of their citizenship.

Such visitors will be required to present a negative PCR test taken within the 72 hours before arriving in Georgia, even if they have a Covid Passport. After crossing the border, they will then be subject to compulsory self-isolation and repeated PRC testing within three days (72 hours), at their own expense. Further, based on a government decree, incoming students from the Republic of India will enter Georgia only by charter flight.

The epidemic situation in India has been deteriorating, having this week hit a record high overnight number of Covid19 infections worldwide.

RESUMING FLIGHTS The Ministry of Economy reported that Hungarian low-cost airline WizzAir will resume some flights from Kutaisi International Airport starting April 18.

WizzAir is expected to resume operation with flights to Warsaw and Vilnius on April 18. Flights are set for once a

week initially, and will become more frequent later.

From May, WizzAir flights will also be carried out to Riga and Dortmund, while, from July, to 13 more countries in Europe.

From Tbilisi International Airport, from July 21, Eurowings will be connecting passengers to Düsseldorf from 89.99 Euros. The Lufthansa subsidiary is to launch three new direct connections starting in July, flying passengers from Düsseldorf to Russia for the first time, to Ekaterinburg and Krasnodar in southern Russia, as well as to the Georgian capital Tbilisi.

The new routes will be operated by Airbus A320. On Wednesdays and Sundays, it will take off from the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia to Georgia.

Return flights to Düsseldorf are to be offered on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Wednesday: DUS – TBS, 11:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.; TBS – DUS, 6:50 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Sunday: DUS – TBS, 07.15 a.m. – 1.30 p.m.; TBS – DUS, 2.20 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

The flight times are local times and can be booked online already.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

3

Surging Pandemic Surpasses 1 mln Deaths in the WHO European Region on vaccination targets, but on the basis of epidemiology and the ability of our health services and workforce to cope with COVID-19 and to maintain basic public health services.

BY ANA DUMBADZE

A

top official from the World Health Organization says Europe has surpassed 1 million deaths from COVID-19.

Dr. Hans Kluge says the situation remains “serious,” with about 1.6 million new cases reported each week in the 53 countries that make up its European region.

Addressing recent concerns about vaccines, Kluge says the risk of people suffering blood clots is far higher for people with COVID-19 than people who receive AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine.

Kluge pointed to “early signs that transmission may be slowing across several countries,” and cited a “declining incidence” among the oldest people.

He says the proportion of COVID-19 deaths among people over 80, who have been prioritized for vaccines, had dropped to nearly 30%.

“Last week, we surpassed 1 million confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the WHO European Region.

“The situation in our region is serious; 1.6 million new cases are reported every week. That’s 9500 every hour, 160 people every minute.

“It is only among the oldest that we are seeing declining incidence. Over the past 2 months, the trend among people over 80 years of age has diverged from the trend seen in every other age group, possibly due to high vaccination uptake in this high-risk group. Since February, the proportion of COVID-19

SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT

Image: apnews.com

deaths in Europe, among those older than 80, has gradually fallen to close to 30%, the lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic.

“Hospitalization, nonetheless, remains at high levels, with continued reports of intensive care capacity having been exceeded, from all parts of the region, including Greece. This April, COVID19 admissions to hospitals and intensive care in France reached the highest levels since this time last year.

“There are early signs that transmission may be slowing across several countries. Let me be clear: early signs of decline are not equal to low rates of transmission. Transmission must be driven down to low rates and kept low by harnessing our energy and resilience to beat the virus.

“The availability of all public health and social measures is critical, including the roll-out of vaccines. Adjusting social measures must be done, not based

“Globally, there has been a very small number of cases of rare blood clotting disorders among the 200 million people that have received the AstraZeneca vaccine,” Dr Kluge notes.

“WHO takes safety events extremely seriously and our Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety and the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization continue reviewing the evidence. WHO will provide guidance to Member States shortly. We urge Member States to report any adverse events that may occur following vaccination, as early as possible.

“For now, the risk of suffering blood clots is much higher for someone with COVID-19 than for someone who has taken the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“Let there be no doubt about it, the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in reducing COVID-19 hospitalization and preventing deaths. WHO recommends it to all eligible adults to gain protection from the SARSCoV-2 virus, as quickly as possible.

“We are also aware of reports of thromboembolic events with low platelets following vaccination with the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. WHO is monitoring these reports closely and will communicate its findings in due course.

“To date, some 171 million doses of 7 COVID-19 vaccines and products have been administered in the Region. Nearly

13% of the European population have received 1 dose, while close to 6% have completed their series.

“In Greece, where I am now, nearly 2 million people or 11% of the population, have received at least 1 dose.

“I congratulate my Greek counterparts on their extensive preparations to ensure that the country was ready to effectively receive and deploy vaccines. As part of the EU, Greece has demonstrated solidarity by supporting COVAX, acknowledging that the economy and prosperity of one country is intricately bound to another country’s prosperity, and in this case, bound to defeating the virus.

EQUITY WITHIN BORDERS “But this is not only about equity between countries, it’s also about equity within a country, making sure that vaccine access and utilization doesn’t further marginalize the underserved.

“Low-income migrant workers, irregular migrants, those unable to physically distance or living in camps or camp-like settings, are a priority group for vaccine allocation, in the second stage of vaccination, when there are sufficient vaccines for 11–20% of a population.

“Again, Greece has led by example.

The country’s entire refugee and migrant population, more than 100 000 people, are part of the national vaccination strategy, as they should be – alongside the general population. Mass vaccination campaigns in Greece’s refugee camps are scheduled next month.

“Once again, only vaccinating a chosen few, and excluding population segments, undermines our fight against the virus, everywhere.”

Representatives of Georgian Railway Take Part in Working Meetings of the "Middle Corridor" in Istanbul

O

n March 16-17, the f i r s t working session of the Trans Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) was held in Istanbul since the beginning of the pandemic. Representatives of the participating countries in the Middle Corridor presented a report on the results of the work of 2020, and talked about their plans for 2021.

The event was attended by the leaders of the Georgian Railways' freight transport. Participants of the TMTM (Middle Corridor) working group determined the volume of cargo to be transported in 2021 and agreed on competitive tariff rates. The agreement represents an increase in the volume of transit container shipments.

The attendees of the meeting, in order to fully realize the potential of the TMTM route and improve the technicaleconomic indicators, decided to develop a TMTM development strategy for 2025, which includes clear, consistent and accountable action by all participants in the Middle Corridor.

4

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

Russia’s Concerning Military Movements Are Only The Beginning

Photo by Anton Pedko/Landov

ANALYSIS BY MICHAEL GODWIN

T

he visible movements in recent days of Russian military hardware have raised concerns. From local community leaders to global leadership, people have been reacting to this aggression with almost universal condemnation. However, it should be noted that it is uncharacteristic of the Kremlin to openly display its intentions in this way, and it should be in the minds of political, defense, and internal security leaders that there is more to this iceberg than meets the eye.

Beneath the waterline there lies a much greater threat that is already active. This threat comes in the form of counter intelligence, sabotage, and aggressive information warfare tactics designed for destabilization and preparation of the battlefield. This tactic is not generally uncommon in warfare, and is taught at virtually all military academies worldwide. It is known cumulatively as “Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield,” or simply IPB. The United States Army’s own field manual on the matter, Field Manual 34-130, offers a broad definition as “IPB is a systematic, continuous process of analyzing the threat and environment in a specific geographic area. It is designed to support staff estimates and military decision making.” Simply put, it is a

multi-faceted analysis of a coming battle for commanders and their teams to plan and war-game various possible situations.

Russia is currently in this process, some of which offer visible signs, but others are far below the surface. However, they have added more components to the IPB process not a part of the American Army doctrine. These components include the more covert informational subversion and overt probing, harassing, and fixing attacks. While these have been going on since well before 2014, there has been a rise in both of these actions in recent months.

Russian subversion operations in Eastern Ukraine have been working diligently to sway public opinion and erase any remaining Ukrainian identity in the people. Even prior to the invasion in 2014, agents had been pushing propaganda across the country to sway public opinion against the EuroMaidan movement and any pro-Western sentiment, and to slow the advancement of national defense development. In the east, villages and towns were systematically targeted with pro-Russian messaging centered around how remaining in the Russo-centric world best suited their individual and community goals.

The Ukrainian military units that first entered the battlespace were met initially with these “separatist” fighting units that were heavily supported, armed, trained, and often led by Russian special operations elements. These elements had been

working for months in the shadows to build popular support for the planned invasion and Russian presence. In addition, as the Ukrainian military scored early victories, weaponry, uniforms, and identification documents found on bodies, and equipment, it clearly confirmed these covert actions.

Now, the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as other internal security elements, have been encountering weapons smugglers, Russian propagandists, and undercover sabotage teams operating in the country. From behind their iron fence, the Kremlin and its puppets in eastern Ukraine have been injecting ideas into the population to solidify their control, even if ground is lost militarily. Many people who used to associate themselves with local ethnicities, such as the Crimean Tatars or those who believe in their Ukrainian heritage, have been forced to accept a new Russian oriented identity.

Any opposition is “erased.”

An increase in more openly aggressive actions has also brought more attention to the world’s eye. While the internal movement of military units in Russia towards its 2,295 kilometer border with Ukraine is raising flags on news and social media, the pressure on the Donbas aggression line is heating up. New electronic warfare, artillery, and sensory equipment has been identified as being used.

Small penetration teams have been encountered by Ukrainian soldiers holding the line, and the frequency of salvos

of artillery have increased, resulting in the death of 27 Ukrainian service members this year. Compared to a total of 32 in 2020, this is on par to exceed last year’s death toll as a direct result of the increased aggression. This aggression serves multiple purposes for the IPB mission.

Reconnaissance has always been an important component of military planning. While reconnaissance, or simply recon, can be done in a wide variety of ways, the Russian occupation forces have used a renewed “recon-by-fire” approach to determine soft points in the Ukrainian line. Small probing and recon teams have been sent forth, sensing and monitoring but also provoking resistance to estimate Ukrainian unit size and composition. This information is vital to any brigade or assault maneuver.

In addition, usage of drones and electronic surveillance methods have begun providing an image of the battlefield-tobe. These systems have offered a refined picture of the depth of the Ukrainian opposition. Russian occupation commanders are gaining information that will allow follow-on tactics to be used should they break through the first line.

Course of Action, or CoA, preparation is another vital point, and is simply defined as the planning for what the enemy will do upon one’s offensive actions.

Assessing the CoA of Ukrainian forces may be somewhat predictable, but the predictability of large global entities is far more difficult. Anticipating a response from NATO, the UK, US, and other relevant entities is something that even the “masterminds” in the Kremlin will be

tested to map. Additionally, the Caucasus is in the crosshairs and will not be spared the rising tension, let alone any increase in hostilities.

While Georgia and Ukraine have developed a close bond in this counter-aggression movement against Putin, and with the total objective of reclamation of Soviet Black Sea and Caucasian dominance, Georgia will either be directly or indirectly involved. Tactically or strategically, operations along the ABL and other areas will become tense. But actions that would normally capture headlines will fall to the wayside and go largely unreported in lieu of renewed combat in Ukraine.

While military support is most likely improbable given the size and capabilities of the Georgian Armed Forces, maintaining pressure on another front is important. Drawing resources away from Ukraine will be a key tactic against any attack, just as in Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and even Norway in the far north. Ensuring that the South Caucasus is still a “front” would force the Kremlin to divert attention and, if necessary, alleviate pressure on any defense on the Dnieper River.

Ukraine, with Georgia, needs now more than ever to embrace NATO tighter as Putin hisses and shows his teeth in the Black Sea region. This brotherhood between the two allows for a defensive axis to form, with backing from Turkey and Eastern European nations. Leaders and military commanders from all nations must take note that this IPB is being done for a reason, and the only answer to the threat of this Bear is vigilance and a firm united defense.

Photo by Sergei Malgavko / TASS

MEP Viola von Cramon on Gakharia’s Political Plans

BY ANA DUMBADZE

M

EP Viola von Cramon says she had a conversation with former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia this week, during her stay in Tbilisi, but claimed that they “did not discuss specific topics,” and rather stuck to broader issues.

“We talked, but not on specific topics; we spoke about broader issues, about plans and proposals he might have, but we did not discuss anything specific,” she said.

Von Cramon also commented on Gakharia’s plan to establish a political party.

“If people want to form a new party, and this is a concrete step to overcome the current crisis, why shouldn’t that happen if we want a more moderate electorate, more moderate positions, a pro-European party. This choice doesn’t depend on me: it is up to the Georgian voters to decide,” she said.

The MEP held information meetings in the Georgian capital Tbilisi earlier in

April. She came to Georgia following the second visit of Christian Danielsson, Personal Envoy of European Council President Charles Michel, when the second round of talks between the ruling

party and the opposition, which he was mediating, ended without agreement.

Von Cramon held meetings with the leaders of opposition parties, among them Lelo and the United National Move-

ment, focused on the mediation processes.

Gakharia resigned as PM on February 18 due to differences of opinion about the arrest of Nika Melia, the leader of the United National Movement. Follow-

ing his resignation, the former PM stated that he is not going to leave politics and instead plans to establish a political party and a new political force.

On April 14, Georgian Dream MPs of Gakharia’s team, Giorgi Khojevanishvili, Alexandre Motserelia, Beka Liluashvili, Shalva Kereselidze, Mikheil Daushvili and Ana Buchukuri, left the ruling party to join the ex-PM. “We are former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s team and share his values. By joint decision with Gakharia, we are moving to a new phase of building a party.

We are leaving the Georgian Dream and will continue working in Parliament as independent MPs,” Khojevanishvili said.

Chairman of the Parliament Archil Talakvadze said that the decision of the 6 majority deputies to leave the party was wrong.

“It is unacceptable and unjustified that they refer to the responsibility of the team, but exempt themselves from that responsibility.

“We will see what party they form. It is a shame when you avoid responsibility and yet talk about the problems for which you also responsible,” he noted.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

5

Nika Melia Kept in Custody

Source: report.ge

Source: netgazeti.ge

BY TEAM GT

T

he trial of Nika Melia, the leader of the United National Movement, was held on April 13 in Tbilisi City Court. Based on the decision of Judge Nino Chakhnashvili, Melia was able to attend his trial.

Pre-trial detention was ordered for Melia on February 17, and he was arrested on February 23, following a hold-off when Giorgi Gakharia stepped down as Prime Minister and Irakli Garibashvili replaced him. Melia stands accused of organizing group violence and attempting to break into the parliament building during the anti-occupation protest rally in front of Parliament in 2019.

On the day of this week’s trial, the organization ‘Meliebi’ (Foxes), which consists of members of the youth wing of the National Movement, held a rally in support of Melia in the yard of the Court. Various youth organizations also

took part in the rally, with all present demanding Melia’s release.

Yet, Judge Chakhnashvili decided to keep Melia in custody, upholding the restraining order against him. In response, Melia called her a “slave of Chinchaladze” [Editor: Mikheil Chinchaladze, Chairman of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals], and was expelled from the courtroom.

His next trial is scheduled for April 29.

Georgian politician Irakli Okruashvili reflected on Melia’s arrest on Formula TV the following day, claiming the decision to imprison the politician was “illogical,” and expressing his concern about the impact this incident will have on the reputation of the country.

“The current government is not subject to any logic with the court verdict concerning Nika Melia. The country’s reputation suffers every day because of his arrest. We are damaging our country’s image in the eyes of our international partners because someone made a decision on a whim that Nika Melia should be in jail. If I were to ask any child in the street, even they would say that the Melia

incident has a political context to it.

“Issues in court have existed during every government our country has had.

And yes, corruption was much higher during Shevardnadze, but there have never been such low professional standards in judges as now. I did not attend the trial intentionally, so as to avoid having to listen to that absurd theatrical performance.”

Okruashvili also commented on the actions carried out by the opposition: “Our society is divided: some want more radical steps; others want a softer approach. One thing is clear: the decision of the opposition to start a boycott and not enter Parliament worked quite well. The government was damaged by this, though there are undoubtedly those who would disagree,” he said.

Opposition spokesman Gigi Ugulava also commented on Melia's detention.

“The Prosecutor's Office has been complaining for two whole months, telling lies, in fact, which the Georgian Dream MPs are repeating, that ‘he has the key to pay and get out,’ and finish this himself

[Editor: referring to the bail Melia refuses to pay]. We saw that the Prosecutor's Office is staffed with dishonest swindlers.

Today, Bulbulashvili [Prosecutor Amiran Guluashvili] clearly said that he was asking for imprisonment and more! Speculation about it should end.”

On April 7, Melia sent a letter to Mtavari TV, saying he had no expectations the Court would overturn his “political” detention.

“I don’t think the court will overturn the decision to detain me politically, because, unfortunately, we do not have

a well-established legal environment.

We have a wild agenda in the country, where the government believes that opponents should be oppressed, which includes arresting them,” Melia wrote from prison.

“Despite pressure from the West, the government will not allow me to be released, because in this case, in the post-negotiation round, Ivanishvili's representatives will have to sit at the table with me, a table where I will surely have the greatest moral and psychological advantage,” Melia added.

Source: georgia today

There May Be a Way to Resolve the Conflicts OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

T

here is a political scientist in Georgia who says that the frozen geopolitical conflicts in the South Caucasus are resolvable. This might sound overly loud and bold to the ear of a regular civil servant, but there is certainly a lot of gravity and charge to the statement, as there is in the thought of ending those gory conflicts resulting from the noisy soviet collapse, still kept smoldering by Russia.

Image source: marketing91.com

The world knows of many unresolved conflicts, but it remains incapable of ending them. It is presumed that the main cause of such impotence is the world’s reluctance to look into the reasons that triggered said conflicts. The attitude has to be altered towards conflict resolution mastery, by introducing a renovated general outlook and a subtler strategic thinking, based on actual opportunities and strengthened with intellectual arguments.

The goal is to give impetus to reasonable trust in values like freedom, justice and love. This might sound a little too farfetched in the political reality as we know it, but digging in with the belief that good

can win over evil might save the day for all of us sufferers in those interminable conflicts. And what might save the day is the creation of something new, compared to a ceaseless reiteration of the same old story.

Why do conflicts persist and never get resolved? The triad of universally recognized solvers is made up of governmental, nongovernmental and international bodies. On the level of extant political thinking, the presence of each of them is essential in solving the problem, but it is not enough. None of the threesome is free enough in their status, thinking or actions to serve the purpose of conflict

resolution: they usually end up fighting over the result, not the reason for the conflict; always leaving the reason unnoticed and untouched. Moreover, they never go to the extent of detecting and studying the sources of those reasons. In short, all three are limited in their opportunities because of their nature. They have no chance to solve anything independently from each other, too often contradicting each other in the process.

Not only do they not serve the purpose of conflict resolution, but they sometimes become the victims of conflict themselves.

Governments are free in exercising their own ideology and power, but they are

also unwilling to jeopardize their presence in power. To be active and functional, NGOs use either local or external funding, trying to satisfy the grant demands while serving their donors’ purposes, made up of individuals who, though they may be good and talented people, often do not fully understand the larger mosaic of which they are part. And as far as the international organizations are concerned, they are akin to clubs consisting of united countries, within which each nation wants to serve its own interest.

What we now want is to put together under one aim every resource owned by the above triad, and create one big strategic plan for conflict resolution, which will necessarily be peaceful. We can’t afford another fight! The plan must be based on relevant education, active science, and vigorous youth. All these ingredients of the future plan are accumulated within the university space: the most progressive, pragmatic and adequate place for such plans to be worked out and enforced. The instrument for the action is the newly invented medium called University Diplomacy, which is focused on introducing the Georgian paradigm of peace; Georgia becoming an actual international player; Georgia acquiring a new function, compatible with the international environment; Georgia embracing the politics of a winner; the South Caucasus region becoming a mutual space, where every player has its share of gain, and within which conflicts are resolved.

Based on the theory of Professor Zurab Khonelidze, Doctor of political sciences, rector of Sokhumi State University, president of the Georgian pedagogical Academy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary

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POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

COE’s GRECO: Georgia Implemented 7/16 Recommendations on Preventing Corruption among MPs, Judges and Prosecutors

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ver the past two years, Georgia has implemented two more recommendations issued by GRECO in 2016, on the prevention of corruption in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors, said the Council of Europe anti-corruption group GRECO in a new compliance report published this week. All in all, seven out of 16 recommendations have been implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner, another seven have been partly implemented, and two have yet to be implemented.

The report is the second of two analyzing the implementation of the 2016 recommendations. The first such report, published in 2019, concluded that five recommendations had been implemented, and the remaining 11 were still outstanding. These outstanding recommendations are the subject of the report published this week.

With respect to Members of Parliament, the regulations on transparency of the legislative process on the side of the parliament have been greatly enhanced, with a more visible publication of draft legislation, amendments thereof, and information on the work of committees. “But rules should also be adopted to allow for meaningful consultations to take place,” it notes. “Furthermore, training of MPs on the Code of Conduct has taken place, but further practical measures for the implementation of the Code (such as confidential counselling and monitoring) still have to become fully operational. The implementation of these measures has to some extent been hampered by political developments following the 2020 parliamentary elections. Finally, a clear requirement

participation in judicial decision-making (”functional immunity”) remains not implemented.”

On prosecutors, the report states that positive measures have been taken for the practical implementation of the Code of Ethics and that GRECO welcomes the improvements made to the rules on the recruitment and promotion of prosecutors. GRECO concluded that two of its recommendations in these areas have been implemented.

“However, in spite of improvements made to the disciplinary regime applicable to prosecutors, further amendments are clearly necessary, in particular by defining sanctionable conduct more precisely,” they noted in their report.

“GRECO also concluded that its recommendation on widening the scope of application of the asset declaration regime under the Law on Conflict of Interest and Corruption to cover all prosecutors, remains not implemented.

“GRECO asks the Head of delegation of Georgia to submit additional information on the nine outstanding recommendations by 31 March 2022 at the latest.” *** source of photo: coe.int

or rules are still required for MPs to declare conflicts of interest when they occur (ad hoc).”

As far as judges are concerned, the report notes that changes to the legislation on the recruitment of judges have improved the criteria on which decisions on recruitment are based, as well as the reasoning and the possibility of review of such decisions. “It is noted, however, as demonstrated by the appointment process to the Supreme Court, that appar-

ent good intentions on paper are still too easily trumped by other considerations. GRECO therefore urges the authorities to take further measures to enhance public trust in the recruitment processes of judges, be it to the Supreme Court or common courts, in particular in respect of the decision-making of the High Council of Justice,” the report reads.

“That said, positive steps have been taken as regards disciplinary proceedings (even if some remaining amend-

ments would still need to be made to fully implement the recommendation in question), in particular, by more clearly defining disciplinary offences, and in developing an update of the Rules of Judicial Ethics, which is still to be adopted.

“Finally, as regards judges, GRECO regrets that the limitation of the broad immunity of judges is still under consideration and concludes that its recommendation that the immunity of judges be limited to activities relating to their

The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) is a Council of Europe body that aims to improve the capacity of its members to fight corruption by monitoring their compliance with anticorruption standards. It helps states to identify deficiencies in national anticorruption policies, prompting the necessary legislative, institutional, and practical reforms. Currently, it comprises the 47 Council of Europe member states, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the United States of America.

TV Dozhd Chief Editor on Pozner’s Visit and Why Everyone Reacted the Way They Did s the dust settles on the infamous Pozner saga, and tempers are no longer flaring, it is perhaps time to take a sober look at this, yet another “Kremlin-friendly Russian visits, Georgians surprisingly not thrilled” scenario. And as it is swiftly becoming a curious mix of tradition and something of a national pastime, now might be as good a time as any to start analyzing it.

To that end, GEORGIA TODAY spoke to Tikhon Dzyadko, Editor in Chief at TV Dozhd, one of the few remaining independent TV channels in Russia.

The thinking goes that “if we have money and we have friends in the right places in Georgia, then we can get a beautiful holiday for ourselves, even if everything is otherwise closed, because doors will be opened for us.” It’s a multi-layered problem. The first layer is the conflict itself, what happened between Georgia and Russia. The second is the covid situation, the curfew and its limitations.

The third layer exacerbating the situation is the ongoing political crisis in Georgia. And when you’re one of the main faces of a Kremlin-backed TV channel, all of this creates a Molotov cocktail. I don’t think it was a premeditated gesture on his part, I think he and his entourage simply didn’t think it through, and that’s why a lot of people in Georgia felt humiliated.

YOU WROTE: “TO STEP ON THE NATIONAL TRAGEDY OF THE COUNTRY WITH YOUR STATEMENTS ABOUT ABKHAZIA, AND THEN GO THERE LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED.” WHERE DO YOU THINK HE GOT THE NERVE TO DO THAT?

WHAT IS THE REASONING BEHIND PEOPLE’S REACTIONS, WITH SOME VEHEMENTLY AGAINST HIS VISIT, AND OTHERS SHOCKED AT THE TREATMENT HE RECEIVED? IS IT DOWN TO RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA?

First of all, I think freedom of speech is important in Georgia, as a democratic country. If Pozner thinks Abkhazia is not part of Georgia and never will be, he has the right to say so, and he still has the right to come and visit Georgia. But at the same time, he has to be prepared for the fact that a part of Georgian society won’t be happy with such words, and that yet another part of society might choose to express their discontent in not so pleasant ways. Another thing to consider is that Vladimir Pozner might just not understand, like many who live outside of Georgia, that despite the fact the war happened about thirty years ago, the gravity of it has not passed from Georgian memory. It remains a huge problem for Georgia.

There’s another faction, and many friends of mine belong there too, that didn’t like what Pozner did, but we weren’t exactly thrilled about egg-throwing and painting of statues as a means of protest. It was seen as compromising the protest’s credibility. And if you read what has been written about this precedent in government-run Russian press, you will see that no-one is talking about Georgia, about Abkhazia, about the motivation, about covid. All they show are the ugly pictures of people throwing eggs, and vandalized statues. That’s how Russian propaganda works. It very nicely tied into the narrative that Russia is a besieged fortress, surrounded by enemies. It is well aware that it should show the ugly side of it, instead of the noble one.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

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HE MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM, YOU SAY. MANY WERE LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION HE DOESN’T EVEN UNDERSTAND THAT GEORGIA IS A SOVEREIGN COUNTRY, PERIOD. It was ugly, but I think he’s aware that Georgia is an independent country. And

I think responsibility lies also with his entourage that arranged this trip, got the quarantine clearances and so on. The third party involved is the Georgian government, which greenlighted it all. I think of it as an example of foolishness. I don’t think Pozner did this to demonstrate his disregard toward Georgian sovereignty.

But the way he acted left that impres-

sion: it was like Spanish colonizers going to South America.

WHY IS THIS NOTION OF “BIG MAN FROM MOSCOW VISITING GEORGIA” SO PERSISTENT? SHOULD WE SEEK ITS ROOTS IN SIMILAR VISITS OVER THE DECADES?

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

7

THE ISET ECONOMIST A BLOG ABOUT ECONOMICS AND THE SOUTH CAUCAUS

www.iset-pi.ge/blog

The ISET Policy Institute (ISET-PI, www.iset-pi.ge) is an independent think-tank associated with the International School of Economics at TSU (ISET). Our blog carries economic analysis of current events and policies in Georgia and the South Caucasus region ranging from agriculture, to economic growth, energy, labor markets and the nexus of economics, culture and religion. Thought-provoking and fun to read, our blog posts are written by international faculty teaching at ISET and recent graduates representing the new generation of Georgian, Azerbaijani and Armenian economists.

Inflation of Trust

BY TAMAR SULUKHIA

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orld economies hampered by the pandemic; countries facing public healthcare crises, with millions killed by COVID-19; thousands of cities under lockdown; social distancing and transformed social practices; countless institutions functioning online; youth spending endless days and nights in front of computer screens; and, globally, over a year of online education. This is the reality in many countries around the world, including Georgia, in the spring of 2021.

Arising like a spring syndrome, there also are signs of an inflation of trust throughout the country. The unfortunate chain of events has affected virtually everybody. Post 2020 elections, political polarization has deepened, and the dialogue between the opponents has become increasingly complicated, despite the direct involvement of highly competent foreign strategic partners. Awaiting the resolution of said impasse, citizens are puzzled and confused, thus resulting in shrinking trust towards the most significant state processes. Cases of vindictive action, at times translating into criminality, have also been on the rise in our deeply polarized society, further

shaking the foundations of societal trust.

Right now, when the voice of public figures and leaders is of utmost importance, many leaders have become discredited, and public interest in their opinions is plummeting fast, while the economic challenges brought about by the pandemic and lockdowns have also led to deterioration in business confidence (see ISET Policy Institute’s Business Confidence Index on www.iset-pi.ge).

In order to withstand the pandemic, a speedy vaccination of the population appears necessary; however, research (and anecdotal evidence) suggests there is low uptake, ultimately due to a lack of trust in the benefits of vaccines, and fears surrounding its potential risks.

Furthermore, the tragic post-vaccination death of a young nurse from Akhaltsikhe has unfortunately created a phobia towards vaccination, further exacerbating the negative public opinion. This is clearly evidenced by extremely sluggish registration for the AstraZeneca vaccine (booking.moh.gov.ge).

So, why is this blog dedicated to the inflation of trust? Primarily, trust will be vital for any post-pandemic recovery from the economic, political, and social crises (without long-lasting or even permanent impacts), and for effectively utilizing local and global opportunities and resources during the aftermath of the pandemic. In order to achieve this, significant public trust, alongside a spirit

of partnership and social capital, will be required.

Social capital represents a feature within society that defines the potential for achieving notable prosperity and a spirit of cooperation towards common objectives, and it is grounded within a particular country’s culture. In his famous work Trust (1995), the well-known American scientist and author, Francis Fukuyama, suggests that social capital is a manifestation of trust within a society that rests on its existing levels. Fukuyama claims that achieving prosperity is tied to the trust factor within a society.

Even without providing a legal definition of trust, it could be said that, with a highlevel of social capital, resource and capital mobilization can be achieved in a more effective manner. Fukuyama proposes that the existing levels of trust within a given society consequently determine its economic competitiveness.

In societies with high social capital, individuals and institutions can more effectively mobilize, develop, manage, and redirect human and institutional capital and resources towards cooperation for common goals and benefits. In such societies, the trust factor is in many ways based upon attitudes towards public institutions, such as the judiciary, the police, etc. In turn, the strength, consistency, and sustainability of these official institutions, including economic institutions, heavily depends on the social

capital within a society. Therefore, countries and societies with high social capital are more resilient. They are able to tackle expected and unforeseen challenges more easily by adapting to new realities, and are also able to retain the ability to make better use of presented opportunities during their development.

Social capital and the existing level of trust in any society significantly affects the formation of political culture and values. In countries with high social capital, governments are more accountable to their people, thus following the values and attitudes of the public. In a culture with high social capital and trust, cooperation between formal and informal institutions is more effective; including public authorities, parliament, universities, research institutions, NGOs, professional unions and clubs, private companies, religions, and local authorities. Despite the often-contradictory views of these institutions, they can cooperate to achieve outcomes in the best public interest. This process, however, is ineffective or completely nonexistent in societies with low social capital.

This issue is highly relevant today, considering our ability to benefit from new opportunities. In the post-pandemic period, the shuffling of regional and global competitiveness may well bring about greater opportunities for Georgia.

The potential benefits for development

from innovative technologies and scientific achievements may prove unprecedented, although, to utilize such opportunities, a flawless network of cooperation is required both inside as well as outside the country – between the state, NGOs and private organizations; among political parties; between the country and its international partners; between investors and local organizations; with universities, research institutes, and scientists; and within society as a whole, regardless of individual political beliefs.

The prerequisite for such cooperation is trust within Georgian society, seemingly at a fairly low level today and which is hardly easy to improve, and this requires time, effort, and it has to be earned and deserved. In order to overcome the existing crisis in the country, we need there to be trust towards the vaccine, as to reach public immunity to fight the pandemic; public trust towards the government and political processes; trust between political actors to overcome the political crisis; trust in scientific proof, not only in vaccinations, but also related to climate-change and the necessity of mainstreaming green policies in the post-pandemic recovery; and trust from investors to finance Georgia and support restoration of the economy. It is therefore time to consider how to restore the nation’s currently inflated trust.

8

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

Overview of Key Source Markets for Tourism in Georgia

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arch 2020 marked the start of nationwide restrictions on movement in countries around the globe, with the aim of curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tourism has been hit hard by the combination of the pandemic itself and corresponding restrictions, which is reflected in tourism figures plummeting to 1990 levels, according to the UNWTO*. However, with the rollout of vaccines in the first quarter of 2021, the first glimpses of an end to the pandemic are emerging. To plan ahead and ensure the recovery of the tourism industry, countries are carefully selecting which markets to direct their marketing campaigns toward.

With this in mind, an analysis of the key source markets for tourism in Georgia in the pre-COVID era might offer some insights into how the country as

a whole, and tourism industry stakeholders specifically, should position their marketing campaigns in order to attract the highest-spending visitors.

Graph 1 ranks the top 10 countries of origin when it comes to highest average expenditure by one visitor per visit over the period of 2015-2019 in Georgia. Several Gulf states, namely Saudi Arabia (ranked as #1), Qatar (#3), and United Arab Emirates (UAE) (#4) stand out, while the United States (#2) and the United Kingdom (#5) complete the top five.

Graph 2 ranks the top 10 countries of origin when it comes to the highest average expenditure per day over the period of 2015-2019. It could be argued that this indicator more accurately captures highvalue visitors, as expenditures are analyzed on the same scale (daily expenditure) for each country.

While all three Gulf states that were

present in the abovementioned top five by average expenditure per visit still reside in this top five, visitors from Turkey emerged as the top per-day spenders in Georgia, with Armenia taking the place of the United States.

Contrary to popular belief, visitors from the EU do not seem to have been spending significant amounts in Georgia, at least when daily expenditures are analyzed (just 186 GEL spent daily on average). In fact, EU visitors ranked among the lowest daily spenders, along with those from China and Russia (both 179 GEL).

To make the most financial gain in the short term, visitors from Turkey, as well as the three aforementioned Gulf states, along with Armenia and the United States, should also be targeted by Georgian tourism marketing campaigns. In addition, the evidence gleaned by MasterCard from data for flight searches for March-May 2021, identified Turkey as having among the highest level of interest in flights to Georgia**. To further

increase demand from consumers in Turkey, and to stimulate tourism inflows in the short term, opening up land borders for entry would be advised, as in 2015-2019, 78% of all visitors entered the country by land.

HOTEL PRICE INDEX In March 2021, in Georgia the hotel price index1 increased by 7.1% compared to February 2021. The 3-star, 4-star and 5-star hotel price index increased by 6.9%, while for guesthouses, the price index increased by 3.4%.

Due to the abnormal impact of the pandemic on 2020 prices, we will use 2019 as the comparison year for the Hotel Price Index for the rest of 2021. In March 2021, compared to March 2019, hotel prices in Georgia decreased by 8.1%. The

prices of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels decreased by 9.7%, while the prices of guesthouses decreased by 10.7%. It is worth noting that compared to March 2020, the hotel price index increased by 8.1%.

AVERAGE HOTEL PRICES In Georgia, the average cost of a room2 in a 3-star hotel was 124 GEL per night in March 2021, while the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 219 GEL per night, and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse3 was 80 GEL per night.

The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in March 2021 was 332 GEL per night. In Guria, the average price was 587 GEL, followed by Tbilisi at 436 GEL, Adjara at 295 GEL and Kakheti at 293 GEL.

*https://www.unwto.org/news/tourism-back-to-1990-levels-as-arrivals-fall-by-morethan-70#:~:text=Tourism%20Back%20to%201990%20Levels%20as%20Arrivals%20 Fall%20by%20More%20than%2070%25,-All%20Regions&text=International%20 arrivals%20fell%20by%2072,in%20the%20history%20of%20tourism. **Georgian National Tourism Administration, in collaboration with MasterCard, launched a series of monthly webinars based on MasterCard's "Tourism Insights Platform," which makes use of data about card transactions and flight searches in order to identify travel trends and produce relevant insights for policymakers and tourism industry representatives alike.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

9

Minister: Georgia’s Economy is Recovering Minister said.

For the record, on April 13, the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) released a new report, in which it stated the value of export in January-March 2021 had increased by 5.3% to reach $821.1 million.

The report also noted that the External Merchandise Trade (excluding nondeclared trade) of Georgia amounted to $2,773.5 million in January-March 2021, 0.3% lower year-on-year.

The value of export increased by 5.3% reaching $821.1 million, while import decreased by 2.4% and amounted to $1,952.4 million.

The trade deficit equaled $1,131.4 million and its share in trade turnover constituted 40.8%.

BY ANA DUMBADZE

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inisterofEconomyNatia Turnava claimed this week that the Georgian economy is “recovering and developing.”

“We are witnessing the economic recovery, and foreign trade statistics confirm that. In March, we have a record increase in exports.

“We have very positive expectations, despite the great danger of the third wave approaching – the Georgian economy is reviving, developing; local production is expanding its export opportunities and entering new markets,” the

Grace Hopper Award: Recognition for Georgian Georgia Women Working in Communication Technologies to Receive izations fail to realize the virtues of their involvement, do not encourage the involvement of women, and so on. That is why they launched a program that, on the one hand, turns girls and women already active in the field into role models for others, and, on the other hand, highlights organizations that work in this direction.

TO WHOM WILL THE GRACE HOPPER AWARD BRING RECOGNITION?

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ith a boundless interest in science, a tongue-in-cheek but brilliant, astonishing Grace – this is how an American programmer was characterized, who was not only one of the first female computer scientists, but also an outstanding mathematician and a successful naval officer. Grace Hopper’s legacy still inspires people working in technology or other fields. This is reflected in an award named after her, which was established in Georgia by USAID’s Economic Security Program in cooperation with TBC, the Mashavi Center, and the United Nations Women.

WHAT WILL THE GRACE HOPPER AWARD CHANGE FOR WOMEN IN THE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SECTOR? Much can be said about Grace Hopper, however, one interesting fact about her best sums up the situation of women in technology – in 1969, the Data Processing Management Association recognized her contribution as a male computer scientist of the year, as there was not even a separate category for women at the time.

Since then, more than half a century has passed and technologies have developed at an unprecedented rate, however, women employed in this field are still rarely gaining recognition. Moreover, the share of women employed in this sector is still quite low. This is evidenced

by a recent EU report – in 2018, women make up only 17% of those employed in information technology, only 19% of those involved in entrepreneurial activities in this field, and among ICT developers, just 9% are women. The reason for this, in addition to the stereotypical views in society, is that women often do not have access to information about career opportunities in this sector.

That is why the Grace Hopper Award was established this year to encourage women’s involvement in information and communication technologies in Georgia. In this format, it is the first program to present women involved in technology in our country, as well as organizations, programs and initiatives aimed at empowering women in this area.

Mariam Kobalia, a gender and youth affairs expert with USAID’s Economic Security Program, says the award serves as a positive example for more women to see themselves in the field. “If we talk about the economic empowerment of women in particular and look at the situation, we will see that women in Georgia are mainly employed in less profitable fields and at the same time in low-paid positions. As a result, we get a big difference between the average pay of men and women. Such is the ICT sector, which creates one of the highest paid jobs,” she said.

Mariam notes that the reason for the low involvement of women may be social norms, stereotypes and lack of role models. She also points out that often organ-

The Grace Hopper Award recognizes the contributions of women and organizations that promote gender equality and diversity.

Future Leader Woman, ICT Champion, Technology Startup, Women in Empowerment Program, Diversity Supporter, ICT Supporter for Women – these are the six categories in which organizations and programs will also be awarded along with individuals, for positive change within the organization, for creating an innovative product or service, or for empowering women in general. Along with individuals, organizations and programs will also be rewarded.

WHAT PRIZES WERE SET FOR THE WINNERS? In addition to public recognition, the winner of all six nominations will travel to Israel on a 2-week study visit with the support of the Mashawi Center, with the UN Women supporting the winner of the Technology Startup category and helping to strengthen and expand it.

Outstanding prizes were awarded by TBC – in the Future Leader and Women and Technology category, it will offer winners programs tailored to their needs, focused on professional development.

In addition, TBC has developed a largescale communication plan that promotes awareness of the program throughout Georgia. “We want everyone to know that we can succeed in technology. The society will get acquainted with specific examples of successful women in Georgia, and based on this, many future professions may be connected with technology,” said Tina Kavadze, TBC External Communications Leader.

Tina notes that the field of technology will become even more in demand in Georgia and around the world in the future. “That’s why it’s very important for TBC, as a technology leader, to support women here and now so that they can be even more successful tomorrow.”

WHO CAN REGISTER FOR THE GRACE HOPPER AWARD, AND HOW? Applications started on March 26 and will last until April 26. For details, you should visit www.ictwomen.ge, where you can not only nominate yourself but also present another, familiar person, organization, program, initiative.

“We wanted women not only to be able to nominate themselves but also to encourage others to be inspired by people,” said Nino Nanitashvili, Grace Hopper Award Program Consultant.

Each winner in each of the six categories will be revealed at a large-scale awards ceremony in late May.

WHO WILL EVALUATE THE NOMINEES? Nominees for the Gray Hopper Award will be judged by technology and innovation professionals from both academic and practical fields. These include: Nana Dikhaminjia, Vice-Rector of Ilia State University, for the development of innovation and popularization of science; Maria Doliashvili, Microsoft Software Engineer; David Chechelashvili, Executive Vice President of Xpand; Tamuna Papava, Senior Program Manager at Amazon; Paata Sirbiladze, USAID Economic Security Program e-Commerce Manager; Mariam Kobalia, USAID Economic Security Program Gender and Youth Expert; Nino Nanitashvili, Digital Development Consultant, Ambassador for Women Techmakers.

The Grace Hopper Award is not just a one-time initiative, it is becoming an annual tradition. The organizers hope that with the help of the project positive changes will begin – in the future more women will find themselves in the field of technology, and organizations will be more encouraged to involve women.

“Georgia does not have the luxury of not involving half of the population in the industry that our country hopes for.

This is a field that will help us develop a knowledge-based economy,” said Nino Nanitashvili.

So everything is ahead. For those who are still hesitant to choose technology as their future profession, we remind the words of Grace Hopper – “A ship in port is not in danger, but it was not built for that. You have to swim and find out novelties.”

$111 million from IMF

BY ANA GIORGADZE

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he International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board completes the eighth review under the extended fund facility for Georgia, the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) reports. This is the last review under the arrangement and its completion will release $111 million, bringing total disbursements to $687 million.

Repeated restrictions on movement and economic activity took a toll on economic growth with output contracting by 6.2% in 2020. The authorities’ policy response helped limit the human toll of the pandemic and rightly focused on protecting the vulnerable, the review reads.

NBG underlines the points concluded in the review: The completion of the eighth review concludes the EFF supported program which has helped strengthen the economy’s resilience to shocks, as underscored

by Georgia’s ability to successfully navigate the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Georgian economy is expected to resume growth from the second quarter of 2021 onwards and output is projected to expand by 3.5 percent this year.

Continued prudent macroeconomic policies and implementation of structural reforms would help ensure a durable and inclusive recovery.

Photo:halqaran.com

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SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

River vs. Road: Etseri, Svaneti BLOG BY TONY HANMER

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ne of my self-set tasks at home in winter and into spring is to use a shovel to divert running meltwater off the road which runs past our house, giving it short channels to the nearby river and preventing it from eroding deep gullies along the road.

Having kept a set of such channels running nicely for some weeks (with daily maintenance to undo tire damage from cars), I was rather surprised recently to find all my work having been undone, overlaid by heavy machine tracks and a stone/silt mixture, obliterated. I walked up the road to investigate.

As I ascended, I heard what I assumed must be thunder several times, and looked for the lightning which must accompany it. But the weather was all wrong, and so was my reasoning. What I was actually hearing, getting louder as I neared the river, was its fury smashing unseen rocks against each other. Other people in the village had heard this too, so it wasn’t just me. One had lost a bull, swept away by the flood. Several homes had had their basements inundated. Elsewhere the same river had also cut across the main Zugdidi-Mestia road inside our village, but this at least was less a local matter, more a provincial one, and was quickly dealt with. At home, we had had to dig a channel through earth and inchesthick snow-turned-ice to divert our own flow of water away from the house and down to the fields it usually washes over in spring. Our little river is only a hand’s width wide, but it has been flowing stead-

ily for a few days now, clearly necessary.

More and more chaos, impossible for one person with a shovel to reorder. Up, up I went… and near the house of the president of Toyota in Georgia, I found what was going on.

An unseasonably large amount of snow fell on us in February and March, this followed by warmer temperatures and rain.

So a big melt was underway, much more water running downhill towards the Enguri River than usual; enough that our little river had overflowed even the large concrete pipe laid to take it under the road.

The several hamlets of Etseri above this point, starting with Barshi, were cut off, forced to use a secondary road in considerably worse repair than the usual one.

A group of about 15 men was at the pipe, now invisible under the massive flow of water. A large wheeled digger was busy excavating the clayey and rocky soil to try to restore the road, but the sheer volume of water was making this quite a challenge. It seemed that we would have to wait for the weather to improve, the flow to diminish enough to stop overwhelming the pipe, before normalcy could be reestablished. Meanwhile, a furious shouting match in Svan was going on between two of the men, who were being restrained by two others from lunging at each other to make it physical. Likely a disagreement over procedure, which had then disintegrated into insult and rage. I took a few photos and some video for posterity.

A couple of days later was my next opportunity to hear the repair progress.

In the meantime, we had seen an even larger excavator being driven to the scene on the back of a big flatbed truck, presumably to save fuel. It has now done

its job, and the road is back to usable. I know that this is on a small scale, as far as time and effect go, compared to what a river can do when it overflows. But it is a sobering reminder of the power of nature to bring chaos. Rain here (even in Ushguli!) in January, leading to the trees starting disastrously to bud far too

early; now this. It also reminds me to be as prepared as possible against the possibility of being cut off from the rest of lower Georgia in general… which also has happened before.

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

Social Workers to Work with School Children

BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE

T Source of photo: The Ministry of Education and Science

Georgia Marks Mother Language Day

BY ANA DUMBADZE

T

he Day of Mother Language (Deda Ena) was celebrated in Georgia on April 14, as it has been annually since 1978.

In 1978, the new constitution adopted by the Georgian Soviet Socialistic Republic deprived the Georgian language of state language status. It was a decision that sparked large-scale protests.

Participants of the resulting peaceful rally on Rustaveli Avenue on April 14 demanded legitimacy for the Georgian language to be named the state language. The government conceded and Georgian was declared the mother tongue of the state.

A special monument was later erected to honor the day’s events, in what is known even today as “Deda Ena Park” on the riverbank.

The Georgian language, described as a “living culture of three writing systems”, is included on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage list.

he Ministry of Education and Science announced that for the first time in the education system of Georgia, social workers will help students overcome various social barriers by providing a healthy, positive educational environment in schools and supporting parental involvement in school life.

28 qualified workers will be distributed in the psycho-social service centers of

Georgia, in offices based in Tbilisi, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Adjara-Guria, Imereti, and Racha-Lechkhumi. Another 22 applicants will be selected and eventually the centers of all regions of Georgia will have a social worker who will provide relevant social services to students and their parents.

Ekaterine Dgebuadze, First Deputy Minister of Education and Science, notes that the integration of social workers into the education system will reduce and eliminate the factors hindering the effective involvement of children in the educational process.

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 16 - 22, 2021

11

The 170+ Day Protest to Shut Down the Namakhvani HPP

Photos by Ana Giorgadze/GT

BY TEAM GT

O

ver 170 days of protest against the construction of the Namakhvani Hydropower Plant in northwest Georgia this week continued with a “Guardians of the Valley” rally next to the construction site, and then further protests in central Kutaisi after police dismantled the protesters’ camp and fenced off access to the area.

The HPP cascade project is to be built in the Tskaltubo and Tsageri municipalities north of Kutaisi by Turkish construction firm Enka Renewables. Despite strong local resistance and the involve-

ment of activist groups, construction work has been ongoing, with the territory being strictly controlled by police forces.

The criticism surrounding the project is actively supported by green activist groups, non-governmental organizations and experts, who suggest that the project will impact the environmental and social setting in the region, with consequences that may well be dangerous for the whole valley, even potentially putting Kutaisi, one of the largest cities in Georgia, at risk.

After failing to find common ground with the protesters and to address their concerns, the government opted for police force , creating checkpoints, blocking off several villages, and dismantling

what had been the main base for the protest near the construction site.

The tents at the Namokhvani camp, which the protesters set up on private land belonging to one of their number, Lali Efremidze, were removed by the police last Sunday, who claimed the area was unsafe due to the high water level of the nearby River Rioni which “could overflow.” This decision followed Saturday’s incident, where a young man disappeared from the camp after going into the river.

The officers then set to preventing protesters from coming back onto the land.

At the end of March, an agreement was reached between the government and Enka Renewables, based on which the

construction of the dam will be suspended for 9-12 months.

“We have reached an agreement with the company on several points, among them that the dam construction works will be suspended for 9-12 months,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced. “Everything will be

checked well, with the participation of foreign and local experts. The potential impact on the environment will also be re-examined. A GEL 5 million fund will be created for the development of the Rioni Valley at this stage. At the same time, I would like to highlight that this company has already spent 30 million in compensation to date,” Garibashvili said.

In response to their camp being shut down on Sunday, protesters blocked the road in Gumati village, 10 kilometers north of Kutaisi, in order to prevent the

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trucks ordered by Enka from continuing to feed the construction works in Namokhvani. Government representatives once again tried to reassure the Guardians that only the road and “secondary elements” are being built, but the protesters remain firmly convinced that the dam is still being worked on.

Protesters then demanded safe entrance to Namokhvani village to allow them to replace their tents and resume their peaceful protest. They were refused, and, on Monday, the protesters tried to break through the police lines in Gumati, resulting only in the number of officers being doubled.

One of leaders of “Guardians of the Valley,” Varlam Goletiani, asked the police why they were blockading, to which he received the reply “the checkpoints are necessary for the safety of the people, and to prevent interruption of continued search operations for the missing man.”

Goletiani pointed out that the original camp territory had nothing to do with search operations in the river, nor did it represent an area at risk of possible flooding.

“This is just an answer for an answer.

We know exactly what they’ll say, but we ask anyway, so people can see their deliberate policy and rhetoric,” Goletiani told journalists.

The protesters set up one tent near the police checkpoint in Gumati for three days, and clashes broke out, seeing 9 members of the “Guardians” arrested.

But on Wednesday, the group moved to Kutaisi accompanied by a convoy of cars which drove around the city, calling on people to join their protest. One of the

arrested protesters joined the Kutaisi rally, having been released from court.

The other eight remain detained.

The same day, police blocked access to Namokhvani with an iron fence.

In Kutaisi, the Guardians of the Valley continue to demand safe passage to Namokhvani village, so they can set up a new camp zone and continue their peaceful protest against the hydropower plant construction.

Keep up-to-date with this story on georgiatoday.ge

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