Issue #1270

Issue no: 1270

• OCT. 30 - NOV. 5, 2020 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY

FOCUS ON THE VOTE

GD Confident of an election win as int'l supporters urge citizens to support Georgia's democracy

PAGE 3

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In this week’s issue...

Renovated Vani Archaeological Museum to Receive Visitors for Free for 2 Months NEWS PAGE 2

What Went Wrong: Zugdidi is a “Black Eye” for Georgia NEWS PAGE 3

Georgia’s “Typhoon Misha,” Now a “Super Spreader”?

POLITICS PAGE 4

Czech Ambassador: Georgia is One of Our 6 Priority Countries POLITICS PAGE 6

Make the Most out of the Digital Nomad Program BUSINESS PAGE 8

Image source: verovoting.com.au

EU4Youth, CENN & Mercy Corps Strengthen Youth Employment through Social Entrepreneurship

Y

outh policy and youth work is a relatively new field in Georgia; however, it is becoming increasingly popular among young people and organizations. The main drivers of this field are youth organizations, which create and promote various services and possibilities for increasing the active role and involvement of youth.

The EU4Youth Program, in partnership with the EU Delegation to Georgia, plays one of the key roles in the development of this direction in the country.

The EU4Youth Program was launched by the European Union in 2017 to empower young people in the Eastern partner countries. As part of the Eastern Partnership, EU4Youth fosters the active participation of young people in society, and their employability, by developing youth leadership and entrepreneurship through a variety of actions, including capacity building, fellowships, and support to policy dialogue, and by providing grants to organizations active in these areas.

Continued on page 7

The Second Wave of the Pandemic: New Restrictions in Europe SOCIETY PAGE 9

WE’AR ART: Interview with Salle de Mode CULTURE PAGE 11

Brand New UEFA Category IV Stadium in Batumi to Promote Healthy Lifestyle SPORTS PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

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2

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Opposition UNM Party to Hold Rally outside Parliament on Election Day

BY ANA DUMBADZE

T

he opposition United National Movement America Party (UNM) and its supporters are planning to hold a mass protest rally in front of the parliament building on election day, October 31, the party leader Zaal Udumashvili has announced.

He stated that the party supporters will gather on the central Rustaveli Avenue after 20:00, once the polling stations are closed and the counting of votes begins, to "Monitor the process together and

celebrate the victory."

Initially, the information was spread by Tbilisi City Hall that the rally would start in the afternoon at 12 o'clock, however, the opposition party representatives deny these reports and claim that "This is only the technical part, as at 12:00 the technical staff should come and start setting up the stage, which takes 6-7 hours."

"We are definitely going to hold a demonstration on Rustaveli Avenue, but not at 12:00 as the City Hall announced. We cannot give the Georgian Dream the luxury of us standing on Rustaveli Avenue and leaving the polling stations open to them for election fraud," Udumashvili stated.

Renovated Vani Archaeological Museum to Receive Visitors for Free for 2 Months

BY ANA DUMBADZE

T

he newly renovated Vani Archeological Museum started receiving visitors again last week and is to host guests for free for two

months.

The museum building, which meets international standards, has both permanent exposition and temporary exhibition spaces.

The new building is equipped with modern infrastructure, science laboratories, an auditorium, a library, a media library and public spaces. The permanent exhibition in the museum presents samples of Colchian goldsmithery found in the luxurious tombs of Vani.

The renovated museum auditorium is to host Vani International Symposiums with the participation of the world’s leading scientists.

The museum was rehabilitated by the government with the support of the World Bank.

Vani Archaeological Museum is located in the Imereti region, Vani municipality.

Photo: Georgian National Museum / Ana Davarashvili

It was founded on September 25, 1985, on the initiative of Academician Otar Lortkipanidze, the head of the Vani Archaeological Expedition. Today, the museum is named after him. Unique samples of goldsmithery, silver and bronze items, numismatics samples and more are preserved there.

This museum holds the majority of the

Photo: Georgian National Museum / Ana Davarashvili

archeological discoveries from the site of Vani. In 1987, the Gold Reserve was opened within the museum, which preserves unique pieces created by Vani’s ancient goldsmiths. The exhibition also displays architectural materials, unique bronze figures and fragments of pottery.

Address: 32 Lortkipanidze Str., Vani.

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

3

The Upcoming Elections: GD Confident of a Win, US Partners Express Hopes for Georgia’s Continued Democracy

BY TEAM GT

I

do not need these polls, I can feel that Georgian Dream is enjoying significantly more support, - Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia told reporters this week, following the release of Survation poll results, according to which Georgian Dream is in the lead with 55.7%.

The head of the government then called again on GD supporters to go to the elections to express their opinion calmly, peacefully, and with the highest standards of justice and dignity.

“These [Survation results] are rather cautious numbers. I’ve had many meetings during the last two months. I don’t need these polls: I can feel that Georgian Dream is enjoying significantly more support, and we will see this at the elections. Our opponents can feel this too, hence the hysteria and the commotion that we hear, and with which, unfortunately, we will have to coexist over the next days. No doubt it will be quite toxic.

I would like to once again call on our supporters to go to the elections to express their opinion calmly, peacefully, and with the highest standards of justice and dignity, and I am certain that this will be a convincing victory not just for Georgian Dream, but for Georgia as well, as another step forward for Georgian democracy," PM Gakharia stated.

SAFE TO VOTE “I would like to tell our citizens that visiting some shopping malls can be

much riskier than voting at a polling station,” the Georgian PM noted at a meeting of the Interagency Council on Coronavirus, adding: “We will defeat the pandemic, regardless of how this might upset many people. We will hold the elections in an open and democratic manner, Georgian Dream will win, and we will begin implementing the postcrisis economic plan the very next day, with the creation of jobs as the main goal,” he told reporters.

THE US AMBASSADOR & CONGRESSMAN ADAM KINZINGER ON THE OCTOBER 31 VOTE “Ultimately, the success of these elections is up to the Georgian government and the Georgian people. And we hope that Georgians will go out there and vote, and make sure that their voices are heard at the ballot box,” US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan stated in an interview with acting Public Affairs Officer Christopher Anderson this week.

“I would just encourage people to wear a mask, social distance, but please get out there and cast your votes! There has been a lot of work put into making it possible for people to vote safely despite the COVID-19 pandemic. But, ultimately, the success of these elections is up to the Georgian government and the Georgian people,” she stated.

“The US has been supporting elections in Georgia for over 20 years, partnering with the Central Election Commission (CEC), to build its systems and procedures; working with the legislature to develop election legislation that meets

Image source: gov.ge

international standards; helping political parties to focus their platforms and programs on voter priorities instead of this very divisive personality politics.

“This year, the US has done some extra work with the CEC to try and ensure that voters can vote safely, despite the COVID pandemic, to try to protect voter information, private information from potential cyber-attacks, and also trying to help them to strengthen their systems against foreign interference in the form of the disinformation campaigns,” noted Degnan.

She said the US is working very closely with monitoring organizations, both local and international.

“They play such an important role. We also work closely with Georgian civil society organizations like GYLA, ISFED, TI, PMMG, and international organizations like NDI, IRI, IFES. These are highly respected professional organizations that perform a very important role in any election,” she said.

Ambassador Degnan closed by saying she would like to see “candidates that focus on explaining how they are going to meet voters' priorities, like creating jobs and stimulating growth. I’d love to see an end to the policy of individuals that has so polarized Georgian society and that just opens the way for Russia and other malign actors to create divi-

sions.”

“I sincerely hope that the Georgian people will be able to participate in a fair and transparent election process this weekend, with a result that will be decided only by the Georgian people,” Congressman Adam Kinzinger, Co-chair of the Friends of Georgia Group in the United States Congress, said in an interview with the Georgian edition of VOA this week. “This is an important step for their democracy and should be conducted without interference or incident. I will be monitoring the election this weekend and will continue to play an active role in making Georgia an important partner for the United States.”

What Went Wrong: Zugdidi is a “Black Eye” for Georgia OP-ED BY MICHAEL GODWIN

G

eorgia had its eyes glued to the television last Wednesday when a man, equipped for war, took control of a branch of the Bank of Georgia in Zugdidi. While many in the West might see this as just a bad day, for Georgians this is an extreme outlier. For hours, the armed man made demands and kept police units at bay, even firing his weapon, and ultimately maintaining total control of the situation. Initially, police responded in a timely and hasty manner with a common law enforcement tactic: contain the issue and monitor so as to develop a base of intelligence on the suspect. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs proceeded to make some of the largest mistakes any police force could make.

In the early afternoon of Wednesday, October 21, a man kitted with a small backpack, MultiCam uniform with a Georgian flag patch and army insignia, a chest carrier with magazines and grenades, and an AKS-74, chambered in the 5.45x39 millimeter cartridge, entered the Bank of Georgia office on Zviad Gamsakhurdia Avenue, Zugdidi. After firing several rounds as a sign of domination, he ordered the people to the ground, and immediately subjugated the patrons and employees.

Naturally, local police elements responded in earnest. However, despite modern protocol for active shooter situations used by western law enforcement, they merely sat outside and watched the man control everything. After the horror of the Columbine High School in the United States in the 1990s and the subsequent recurring issue of active

Image source: AP

shooter situations, virtually all law enforcement changed police response tactics to an active interdiction doctrine.

This doctrine pushed officers to form teams and immediately engage and eliminate attackers so as to reduce their tactical initiative, limit any further casualties, and end the situation as fast as possible by restoring the rule of law and order.

With active shooter situations taking to the stage the world over, law enforcement has largely countered this with similar aggressive tactics. Whereas the standard policy was to stand by for tac-

tical teams and negotiators, the responding officers are now to engage, corner, and preferably arrest or, if required, eliminate the perpetrator. This training became mainstream in the early 2000s.

Now, United States and European police forces do not limit the advanced Close Quarters Combat (CQC) training to special teams, but to all officers in the field.

The new program, dubbed ‘Immediate Action Rapid Deployment’ (IARD) is a training program aimed at getting police officers that are the first to respond to counter with equal force. Ideally, a 4 to

8 officer team would immediately enter the location and engage the attacker. Part of this training was to even pass wounded victims and other dangers such as small fires, so as to halt the threat at all costs, and allow supporting elements, known as “trailers,” which include fire and medical personnel, to care for the wounded or deal with environmental hazard issues. These tactics have proven highly successful in active shooter situations to date.

The police that arrived that day in Zugdidi failed in this. The attacker was afforded every opportunity to dominate the situation, influence the media, and even barricade himself so as to prevent a police assault. He was even allowed to broadcast vicariously from his position and deliver messages to the public via the media. At no point were the police prepared to eliminate the threat. In addition, despite the building being predominantly glass on the street-facing sides and exposing himself innumerable times, no police precision marksman unit engaged.

As a result of a complete abortion of law enforcement duties and responsibilities, the man, now identified as Badri Esebua, was able to manipulate police and bargain for his escape. A former soldier in the Georgian defense forces, he knew he could play them like an instrument. According to a recent GEORGIA TODAY piece, Esebua served in the 2nd Infantry Brigade, and as a result likely had at a minimum a basic understanding of area capture and defense techniques. Georgian police, slow to adopt the advanced tactics and techniques of the west, paid the price not only in a loss of professional appearance but also as a lesson that they are not the strong entity they make themselves out to be. Georgian police have long been

viewed as a symbol of pride since the 2005 reforms, even gaining acclamation from European partner entities.

After the incident, the police proceeded to further disgrace their office by letting the man go free. While he may have been armed and potentially handling a live F-1 fragmentation grenade, the issue stands that he was let free, and not tracked. Now, while the remaining three hostages he kept with him have been released, the police are still fumbling in the dark for the man that made a mockery of them.

This situation clearly calls for a reformation and modernization on counterterrorism and active shooter tactics.

While Georgia has been blessed by a broad peace in the realm of crime, particularly in gun crime and terrorism, this comes as a wakeup call. As is commonly said amongst soldiers stationed overseas for long periods of time, during long periods where combat is scarce, “complacency kills.”

Despite their continued work against narcotics and petty crime in the country, the preparedness of the everyday officers should never be left to the wayside.

Police serve in one of the most important day-to-day jobs of any community, and part of that is being prepared to serve their people in any capacity, even if that means engaging terrorists face-to-face, gun to gun, and win every time. Having been in these situations myself, many times, I understand this is often something that is easier said than accomplished.

More advanced training at the individual and patrol officer team level, as well as equipping officers for these difficult situations, should not be overlooked.

Thankfully, no innocent lives were lost, or severe injuries sustained. However, should there be a “next time” the same mistakes cannot be repeated.

4

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Georgia’s “Typhoon Misha,” Now a “Super Spreader”?

OP-ED BY PAUL M. JOYAL

O

n October 31, Georgians will go to the polls for the elections for its 150-seat Parliament. I have been involved in Georgia in many ways since my first trip in the autumn of 1991. This includes as its first lobbyist, Parliament Advisor, entrepreneur and now investment advisor. I was decorated by President Eduard Shevardnadze “Order of Honor” for my efforts in support of Georgia’s integration with the Western democracies. I still read the news in Georgia every morning.

Georgia is an ever fascinating and vibrant country that has led the way in Western orientation and democratic reform in the foreign Soviet space. It is an unabashed aspirant nation for full EU and NATO membership. This election will mark a new phase that will end the political life of one of Georgia’s most recognized politicians, who appears to have once again overplayed his political hand. This election will likely seal his future fate.

The role of Mikheil (Misha) Saakashvili, who was both a two-term President of Georgia and also Governor of Ukraine’s Odessa Oblast, is worth exploring. Georgia is a close and important ally of the US and NATO countries in a critical part of the world.

Misha Saakashvili has always been an outsized character. Charismatic and a human fireball of energy, he always talked fast and was overbrimming with ideas.

Whether it is his incredible appetites and numerous proclivities, or his proclamations and predictions as a god from Olympus, ready to descend and save his people, his latest recklessness may be a record-setter. Some would say he is like a hurricane, but I prefer Typhoon: it’s more destructive. Against the recommendations of health and governmental authorities, “Typhoon Misha” unleashed the dogs of COVID with a 5,000-plusperson rally in Batumi, a vacation spot on the Black Sea that was already in the midst of an infection spike following the

summer holiday season.

The October rally by his United National Movement (UNM) party will tragically expose many to the virus. Zaal Udumashvili, one of the leaders of UNM, noted that there were too many people in Batumi, creating logistical problems (without social distancing) and that many of the UNM supporters were not wearing masks. But, according to Typhoon Misha, the unprecedented new wave of COVID in Georgia is being caused by the government’s irresponsibility, corruption, double standards, and lies! In fact, the Georgian government’s disciplined approach to the pandemic had resulted in one of the world’s lowest infection rates, but with the Typhoon, it is always the other guys who are to blame, not him. The government is corrupt, the sky is falling and only he can save the nation. It’s getting very old.

After the rally, Saakashvili proclaimed in Leninist fashion that, “the National Movement is ready for mass mobilization… yesterday’s meeting of the United National Movement and the United Opposition - Power in Unity in Batumi was a very big, very exciting demonstration of the unity of people!”

Recklessness has always been the hallmark of the “Typhoon,” and now it’s again on full display, when a bit of humility should be in order.

It’s not often in political life that a major figure is provided with a serious political opportunity to redeem himself from humiliating defeat. Facing term limits in 2012, he decided to change the Georgian constitution in order to remain in power, potentially for life. His gambit failed. A humiliating defeat in the parliamentary elections led him to flee the country to avoid prosecution for abuses of power.

He was provided safe harbor in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Poroshenko offered him Ukrainian citizenship to protect him from extradition to Georgia and a government appointment to implement reforms and an anti-corruption program in the Odessa region on the Black Sea. This was a Typhoon Misha go-to favorite.

When in doubt, proclaim your purity and attack those who disagree with you as corrupt. With little support or under-

standing of the situation, he tried methods he had used in Georgia and brought to Odessa Georgians who had served in his government. His public relations campaign, including one video that showed an overweight and not-toonimble former President of Georgia attempting to demonstrate police methods on local TV, made him a laughingstock, and his efforts crumbled. But it appears he obtained a lavish penthouse of considerable value in Odessa. When questions were raised as to how the anti corrupotion fighter could afford an expensive penthouse, one response was that his mother bought it for him. Oh well, moving on….

But being rescued from Georgian legal action was not enough. Typhoon Misha decided to start a political party in Ukraine to challenge President Poroshenko, the man who had saved him from prosecution in Georgia from abuse of power.

Not just any political party, but one to fight the corruption at the top of the country! Needless to say, he soon became a stateless former president without his Ukrainian passport. It has since been reinstated by President Zelensky.

But Misha still has Georgia on his mind.

He has made more videos and more corruption accusations, pledging to save Georgia once again by returning before the election. He did not. He proclaimed he do not want any position, but soon changed his mind and suggested he would only serve two years as Prime Minister.

This of course was not coordinated with anyone in his coalition or the united coalition. No one wants to hear this. He announced he will “play nice” with the united opposition, and his UNM will cooperate with the other opposition parties in a “united front” to liberate Georgia from “the oppressors” (Georgian Dream). Please hold the laughter. But as soon as he saw the poll numbers not moving toward the “united front,” he jumped ship and betrayed the agreement that had been facilitated by the Western diplomatic community in Tbilisi, to go it alone with the UNM at the expense of the other opposition party candidates.

The Typhoon is at work again. Trying to grab as many UNM controlled seats

Image source: The Times UK/VALENTYN OGIRENKO/REUTERS

as possible.

Misha declared, “I will not put up with the illegality and rigging of elections.”

This is the man who famously declared on national TV immediately after the voting booths closed during the 2012 parliamentary elections that the United National Movement had won. Oops, the vote had not even been counted and, in fact, the Georgian Dream coalition won in a huge rejection of him and his party (UNM).

Unfortunately for the countries where Typhoon Misha lands, he creates such disturbance and instability that outside forces can take advantage of his experimental approaches by inexperienced cadres, as Russia did in 2008. There was a time that Misha had a partner who kept some guardrails around him to moderate the windstorm. Progress was achieved.

But Zurab Zhvania tragically died under mysterious circumstances, after which the authoritarian and messianic instincts took hold that ultimately produced the Misha we see today.

The Misha who recently lectured the American Secretary of State saying, “I am generally seen as the most prominent, consistently pro-American voice in this entire region... It is therefore an absolute waste of time for the US Secretary of State to engage Gakharia (Prime Minister of Georgia) in a conversation about democracy.”

Profiled in the New York Times as another former president in New York exile, the article noted that he “has commandeered his uncle’s apartment (former Soviet UN official-authors note) in a tower of the Williamsburg waterfront, where he luxuriates in the neighbor-

hood’s time-honored tradition of mysteriously sourced wealth.” Add to this the question of how the out-of-power UNM supports a lobby effort in Washington, DC for $500,000 a year with well-known Republican activists involved.

As the Georgian parliamentary elections approach, 2020 should mark the end of Typhoon Misha as a viable political force. His moment did indeed deliver a more mature democracy in Georgia, though largely in reaction to and not because of him: witness his precipitous fall from grace in 2012. His early days as President should be legacy enough for even the most self-centered messiah, but it is not, and he continues to work the forces of “divide and conquer.”

This year’s elections around the world will be determined in some measure by a simple question: How did your government handle the pandemic? The Republic of Georgia handled it in an exemplary manner. Typhoon Misha’s blame of the current Georgian government, as well as his promise to build the Trump Tower in Batumi, are just more reckless claims and promises. When it comes to Misha, as Ralph Nader said of the Chevy Corvair automobile, “unsafe at any speed.”

Paul M. Joyal is a security analyst and media commentator on political and security matters concerning Russia and former Soviet countries.

He was a staff member for the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. His most recent Op-ed: “Russians are masters of disinformation. Don’t fall for their lies on social media “ appeared Oct. 9th, 2020 in the Miami Herald. https://www.miamiherald. com/opinion/op-ed/article246096855. html

Handling Political Hostility with a Bit of Fun OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

T

he North American civilization, whatever it means, is fun to be into, including their political culture. The other day, having plunged into my daily journalistic chores, I briefly distracted myself from my routine by randomly browsing the internet, and guess what I came across? A four-yearold video recording of the Al Smith Dinner, a.k.a. the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Annual White Tie Dinner, supporting American children of different wants and needs. The renowned charity event hosted the-then presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on October 20, 2016, who roasted each other with concomitant pleasure and vehemence, using their wild sense of humor every step of the way.

The level of hostility between the two is universally known. More bitterness is hard to imagine between two humans.

But in America, the unimaginable may very well morph into the commonplace.

That’s exactly why it was fun to watch them in action. The famous Foundation had built a get-together of the rich and famous, with all of the seated ensemble under the same roof, breathing the same American air – Catholics and Protestants, Republicans and Democrats, Straights

Cardinal Timothy Dolan sits between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at the 2016 Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images

and Gays. And this is where the real American soul prevails in general. They are (more often than not) fully determined to go into action when some crucial mission is asking for completion, and they know precisely what steps to take to bring the venture to triumph, doing this with utmost elegance, courage and decorum. Not all of them of course! I am talking only about real McCoy Americans.

Trump and Clinton hate each other, being miles apart on every single national issue, but they will stand together when America needs their

hands clasped in unity, putting aside their innate vicious antagonism. Each would say: America above all! Being part of that charity dinner together, they both made speeches, as the protocol would dictate, bombarding each other with acid jokes and sour inferences, Don sounding like a regular Trump and Hillary acting like another sob sister. But during the entire strained altercation, the audience was supportive of both rivals and it was felt that each represented the same grandiose political culture, working to the benefit of their great country. Their sharp

wit and obvious rancor, whetted tongue and shining intelligence would only impress the viewer and listener as a testimony to America’s greatness, packed full of political reason and acumen, inherited from their great predecessors, qualifying with dignity the Founding Fathers of the nation.

Having once again looked at that celebrated scene of America’s major politics, I felt there was something in the whole show that deserves to be taken as an example of political cohabitation that we, Georgians, have as yet failed to achieve in our national political land-

scape. We definitely need to grow up to match the American level and style of doing big politics. They know how to handle both love and hatred, if these epithets are relevant at all when we try to count the bones inside the body of political animals in the arena, and measure the length of their guts and strength of their nerves.

Trump and Hillary, having run into one another at the gala dinner, sculpted together the already bygone instant, which is forever preserved in American annals. What currently matters more is the Trump and Biden clash, which will also go down in history soon; all those events being strong and memorable paradigms of American political behavior, which the world looks up to as a helpful example, and considers in detail on a regular basis.

Our Georgia, with its lackadaisically maturing political culture, should have enough readiness and intellectual energy to know where the American political culture is coming from and is headed for. No, I don’t mean copying it! Georgia doesn’t have to mechanically copy anybody else’s notes to pass the current challenging examination. What we Georgians need to do now is look deeper into what seems more polished and efficient than our own political modus vivendi and operandi. Lucky are our American brothers and sisters to be already enjoying what we are still looking for.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

5

Image source: ispionline.it

The ‘Three Seas’ Initiative: An All-important Project for Georgia & the Region ANALYSIS BY VICTOR KIPIANI, CHAIRMAN, GEOCASE, A TBILISI-BASED THINK-TANK

T

he formation of our new world differs in complexity, notably according to a number of pandemic and postpandemic factors that encourage the transformation of old ‘centres of power’ and the emergence of new ones. An unavoidable result of this process is the multiplication of multifaceted and multilateral formats of interest in international relations, particularly as a result of their regionalization. Accordingly, in every region we end up with overlapping or conflicting interests defined by the specific national and international characteristics of different states.

The Black Sea is one of the regional knots of the Eurasian strategic space, defined by its access to the sea and its proximity to Russia, Western Europe, NATO’s eastern flank and the Middle East. The region is not simply a geographical expanse, but a critical crossroads at which the Eurasian policies of the West, Russia and China are at loggerheads. In addition, the Black Sea is on the front line of the meta-conflict that opposes the two normative worlds of democracy and freedom on the one hand, and oppression and revisionism on the other. Any meaningful initiative or project to increase the resilience of democracies in the region, one that defines and follows policies capable of effectively containing hybrid or other threats, is therefore of the highest priority—in addition to the regular focus on protecting partner nations that are not formal members of NATO but are nonetheless closely linked to the Alliance in one way or another. The latter goal is especially relevant to Georgia which faces continuing Russian occupation, taking into account annexation of Crimea, and witnessing the regional quagmire in the Caucasus. New solutions are needed if we are to address these many challenges

in a bold and creative manner, and these solutions run through viable regional platforms, organically established in pursuit of a ‘kinship’ of geopolitical and geo-economic interests. No other part of Eastern Europe displays the same distortions in terms of preserving the unity of democracies and ensuring their sustainable development as the Black Sea and its surroundings. Nowhere is the asymmetry between the northern and southern halves of the Western security design as dramatic as with the Alliance’s members and partners in the Black Sea. Hence the pressing need to carry out new large-scale economic and investment projects in the region on a broad and uninterrupted scale.

The Three Seas Initiative (3SI) is in fact could well qualify as a twenty-first breakthrough for Central and Eastern Europe in geopolitics and geoeconomics and could also entail an added value for Georgia’s aspirations of becoming EU fully-fledged member. Its figures are impressive, with up to USD 1 billion to be contributed to the economic development of these regions, and its potential political and institutional impact is just as great: by interconnecting various actors, 3SI would help to maintain stability and democracy in countries that the Old West formally terms ‘peripheral’, thereby preserving democracy in the entire Western world. Yet realising this interconnection in terms of a ‘spill-over’ effect implies more concentrated efforts to solidify institutional governance and the rule of law in ‘peripheries’ that matter, and that are rightly seen as fitting into the Western political, security and cultural context to which Georgia clearly belongs. A key side-effect of 3SI is forging a new sense of unity between free nations in the Adriatic, Baltic and Black sea regions, with the Euro-Atlantic political community pursuing continued, meaningful and results-driven efforts with those regional partners that share its vision. While striving to employ every possible opportunity to make the region a platform for reducing conflict and accommodating clashing interests, the Euro-Atlantic community should even-

tually manage to master the art of balancing national interests and define a meaningful security concept stretching from the Baltic to the Black and the Adriatic Sea. Needless to say, 3SI is as important for Tbilisi as any other viable initiative capable of bringing the country closer to Europe, and increasing Georgia’s engagement with Central and Eastern Europe is indeed essential for the country’s economic development and efforts to upgrade her critical infrastructure, - both domestically-driven and transitoriented - not only for the benefit of Georgia, but also for that of the countries of the wider Black Sea region.

Besides the shared objectives of improving transport, energy and digital connections, however, Georgia matters to Europe’s eastern flank as much as democracy and security matter for the renewed presence of Western political and defence alliances in key regions of Eurasia; and knots and bonds are even more important to the establishment and entrenchment of resilient democ-

racies and sustainable economies in ‘grey’, ‘buffer’ or ‘in-between’ areas.

Ultimately, all such initiatives and venues are to facilitate increasing Georgia’s readiness and capacity for integrating with its key destination through our nation’s Euro Atlantic journey – the European Union.

That said, 3SI is one of the very meaningful (yet relatively rare) regional projects that promise a long-lasting impact for participating countries and beyond.

On 16 April 2020, Estonia – a host nation to the very recent Three Seas Virtual Summit - joined the 3SI Investment Fund that was specially designed to provide economic support to political capabilities by investing in large-scale infrastructure projects. Georgia would welcome any venue of possibly participating in this Fund as a first step towards gradually engaging with the Three Seas Initiative. We would also suggest that the 3SI countries begin to consider reaching out to others who, although not formal members of the EU, are undertaking political and economic reforms that fully

meet EU expectations and standards, as the entire palette of the European case calls for commensurately fast ideas and decisions.

Connecting non-3SI countries to the Initiative, among whom Georgia is clearly a front runner, would be an unequivocal message that the bearers of Western civilization stand shoulder to shoulder with the pro-democratic nations of ‘this side’ of the Black Sea region, and would better protect the interests of the new family of free nations gathered along the curve of the Three Seas Initiative. Timely decisions to integrate others in one way or another would also signal that we, without distinction of rank and file, will not recoil from the salutary mission of maintaining common values and freedoms, and that we stand united in our resolute commitment to face and resist the subversive effects of revisionists whose interests are alien to those of the West, and therefore to those of Georgia, too. The authority of any initiative must these days be based equally upon physical strength and moral rectitude.

Image source: balticsecurity.eu

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POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Czech Ambassador: Georgia is One of Our 6 Priority Countries THE FLAGSHIP ONES AND WHAT GOOD DO THEY BRING TO GEORGIA?

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

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s the Czech Republic celebrated its National Day on October 28, GEORGIA TODAY sat down with the Czech Ambassador to Georgia, H.E. Petr Mikyska, to discuss the relationship between the two countries and its perspectives.

“I would like to wish the Georgians a normal, democratic, European country, which means no daily headlines in the world’s media; which means daily development; which means the normal functioning of institutions; normal perception; a calm situation and life: this is what I wish for my Georgian friends,” the Ambassador began.

“I spent more than 20 years in Latin America; so I started by comparing everything with Latin America. The Georgian wine was as good as or even better than in Latin America, the food was as tasty or even better than Latin America, the people were as friendly or even friendlier, and I just fell in love with it; so when I received the offer to be posted here, I accepted it gladly.”

WHAT ARE THE CORNERSTONES OF YOUR WORK HERE? TELL US ABOUT THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES? Our relations at this moment are probably at one of their highest points. Politically, we are supporting each other in the international arena; we share the same values; we share, I hope, the same future. The Czech Republic supports Georgia's accession to both NATO and the European Union, and this is because we share the same values. In the economic field, I think it's even more positive, because we have a long history of Czech investment in Georgia. We have a growing economic trade turnover, and we have long-term cooperation: our trade is around EUR 110 million, with EUR 85-86 million of that Czech exports to Georgia last year, and around 25 million of that Georgian exports to us, which

Image source: BM.ge

can be and must be obviously increased because we have potential on both sides.

Georgia is developing, the need for technologies and investments in infrastructure is high, and the Czech Republic is ready to support this need and to provide everything necessary in this sense, even financing. On the other side, the development of Georgian exports must be at the center of our attention, because Georgia is a small country with a small market and can develop only with exports. The conditions are all set with the Association Agreement and DCFTA, so now we must use all this potential and help Georgian products find their way to European markets, including the Czech market.

negative impact of the distance between the EU market and Georgia.

The other problem is that the European agriculture and food market is quite saturated, and Georgian products are facing the agricultural policy of the EU, which makes European products much cheaper than imported goods. But there is a way out of this situation: natural production, bioproduction, and in this case, Georgia must be ready to certify its products, and this is where we also support Georgia.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR GEORGIAN PRODUCTS TO REACH AND BECOME POPULAR ON THE EUROPEAN MARKET?

Definitely. Georgian production is of very good quality, but only a small amount of consumers know about it; so there should certainly be a campaign. We know that Georgia is able to make a good campaign: we saw it in the tourism sector.

But so far, it has not been so visible in other sectors.

I think that the main challenge is in export capacity, because so far we see only traditional products being exported to the EU. We must widen this offer: Georgia is not only what is traditionally exported. We know the wine, we know the hazelnuts, we know other products, but there is much more potential and we must focus on how to mitigate the

IS THERE ALSO A LACK OF AWARENESS? DO GEORGIAN PRODUCTS NEED MORE PROMOTION TO THE EUROPEAN AUDIENCE?

THE CZECH REPUBLIC IS INVOLVED IN A PLETHORA OF COOPERATION AND JOINT ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IN GEORGIA. WHAT ARE

Georgia is a priority country for our development corporation: it's one of our six priority countries. Being a priority country means we have more means, financial means, human means, than in other cases supported by the Czech Development Agency, and those priorities we are following here correspond to the needs of the development of Georgian society. Our first priority is social welfare and healthcare, projected mainly in support of transforming Georgia and its primary healthcare, and seeing us cooperating with international organizations like UNICEF, a vital move in the current pandemic environment.

Second is the development of mountainous areas. We’ve been working for many years in the Tusheti region, and now we’re moving to Mtskheta-Mtianeti. We also have plans to work more in Adjara and in Samegrelo, which is also important in terms of Abkhazia and supporting the population of Abkhazia. Next is support of good governance, especially in the environmental field; it's something we feel we can make a nice impact on here.

We support civil society and free media, very important, especially in terms of foreign influence.

We also offer scholarships, and this year we quadrupled the number of government scholarships so that 20 Georgian students will be fully paid by the Czech government during the next academic year, and I’m sure this number will be repeated in future years too.

THE CZECH REPUBLIC HAS BEEN A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF GEORGIA'S ASPIRATIONS TO BECOME A FULLY EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATED COUNTRY. HOW WOULD YOU MAKE THE CASE IN GEORGIA'S FAVOR TO YOUR MORE SKEPTICAL COLLEAGUES IN THE WEST? Together with our Visegrad partners and Baltic partners, we have been quite successful at changing the mindset of several member states, especially the southern

member states, so the understanding of the importance of the Eastern Partnership and of the support to democratic countries on our eastern neighborhood is growing.

WITH THE BALKAN STATES IN, THE BELIEF IN GEORGIA AND UKRAINE IS THAT WE SHOULD BE NEXT. HOW REALISTIC IS THAT EXPECTATION? Those expectations are very realistic, and Georgia has very strong supporters within the EU and NATO. On the other hand, there are member states which don't see the urgency of such development, and what we need to do now is to convince those member states and to convince them that it's also in their interest and it's also in the interest of the international community, because the security and correct development of Georgia is part of the development of democracy in the whole region. So yes, it's a realistic expectation. It’s just not a short-term development, and will take some time. It depends on many factors, but it will happen.

THIS WEEK, GEORGIA WILL HAVE ITS FIRST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS WITH A 1% PASSING THRESHOLD. WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO THE GEORGIAN POLITICAL ELITE AND THE NATION? WHAT DOES THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY EXPECT OF US? What we hope for is a clean, calm, transparent pre-election campaign, hopefully free of hate speech and attacks. This is very important: how the campaign is conducted and how all political parties lead their campaigns, and obviously the elections themselves must be clean and transparent, up to all international standards and following the recommendations of the OSCE from previous elections implemented.

We think all the conditions are set.

Now it depends on political parties; now it depends on the population as to how democratic and respectful to others and respectful of the rules of the game. We will follow the developments very closely.

Russia is Re-assessing its Position on Nagorno-Karabakh ANALYSIS BY EMIL AVDALIANI

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ussia has been dominant in the South Caucasus, and has served as a security guarantor for its CSTO ally, Armenia. However, with Baku’s recent military success against Armenian forces, Moscow faces a major challenge.

Though not a member of any Kremlinled CSTO or the EEU, Azerbaijan has traditionally enjoyed exemplary relations with its northern neighbor, and Russia has to look at wider geopolitical trends too. which favor Azerbaijan rather than Armenia.

Russia’s traditional approach to maintaining the post-1994 balance between the two South Caucasus rivals can no longer be sustained, as Azerbaijan has raced far ahead in terms of purchasing high-tech weaponry from Turkey and Israel, as well as managing to contain even a slight chance of international recognition of NK’s independence.

Trying to stick to the previous equilibrium would drive Baku further from Moscow’s orbit to Ankara, Azerbaijan’s strategic partner. To prevent this scenario, Moscow would most likely choose to approve Baku's restoration of control over as many territories as possible.

This would also complicate Russia's position within Armenia. True, that legally Russia is not obliged to help Armenia, as the war is outside the international borders of Armenia. Many in Yerevan, however, believe Moscow should have aided. It was also suggested that the reason for the Russian reticence could lie in Moscow’s antipathy towards Armenia’s reformist PM Nikol Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018 following the Velvet Revolution, and who has even tried to foster deeper ties with the West.

If Armenian control over NagornoKarabakh is lost, resentment in Yerevan towards Moscow could spiral into an open anti-Russian mood. In the long-run, this is bound to cause a major headache for Russia. But for the moment, the policy of sticking to the victorious Azerbaijan, if properly navigated, could bring geopolitical results for the Kremlin. After all, Russia has its position in Armenia solidified and the latter would have little room for geopolitical maneuvering without a major foreign policy reconsideration towards Turkey and Azerbaijan, an unlikely scenario.

This scenario would test the long-held and presumably incorrect assumption that Moscow has been unwilling to allow Azerbaijan to make major territorial gains, for fear of losing Armenia. On the

Image source: france24.com

contrary, Baku’s success actually provides Moscow with some opportunities. A victorious Baku would be grateful. Russia could use the opportunity to re-engage Azerbaijan into looking more seriously at EEU membership prospects, or even a deeper cooperation with the CSTO. But Moscow also fears that as the fighting now spreads deep into the heavilypopulated parts of the enclave, allowing Azerbaijan to retake all the Armenia-held territories could eventually evaporate much of the traditional geopolitical leverage Moscow still possesses to influence Baku. As argued, potential cooperation within the EEU and CSTO could follow,

but in the longer run, a reunified Azerbaijan could end up pursuing the existing independent foreign policy more robustly, much to Russia’s detriment.

To leave a small lacuna for keeping direct Russian influence on Azerbaijan, one possibility could be dispatching a Russian peacekeeping mission. As recent statements by Armenian officials and Karabakh leaders indicate, Yerevan is slowly moving towards embracing the idea, while Baku as an advancing power still avoids vouching for it. Nevertheless, it is likely that Russia will push further for this initiative.

Russia's options are also limited due

to another important element of the NK war: Turkey. The latter’s growing military posture, its quest to be present at the negotiating table, and the ambition to anchor firmly on the Caspian Sea, upends the delicate balance pursued by Russia. Moscow has signaled that the Minsk Group format for negotiating the conflict resolution should be kept in place, signifying its unwillingness to give up a brokering role in the conflict. But to keep Turkey at bay continually, however, Russia will have to make sure that Azerbaijan is paid for its military success: as argued, most likely by returning at least some of the territories. Then, the Azerbaijani president, Ilham Aliyev, might be less pushy for the inclusion of Turkey in the negotiations process, an intention he has stated several times already.

The strong Azerbaijan-Turkey link is upending the post-Cold War geopolitics in the South Caucasus. Russia sees its limits and tries to navigate among its options, which seem less and less attractive unless the Russian leadership opts for major military involvement.

Emil Avdaliani (Twitter – @emilavdaliani) is a non-resident fellow at the Georgian think tank, Geocase, and teaches history and international relations at Tbilisi State University and European University.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

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EU4Youth, CENN & Mercy Corps Strengthen Youth Employment through Social Entrepreneurship Continued from page 1 Youth opportunities in Georgia was the central theme of a two-day conference in Tbilisi organized by the EU4Youth program on 21-22 October, aimed at local, national and international stakeholders in youth policy. The event sought to raise awareness, share best practices, and discuss new opportunities to strengthen youth employment, entrepreneurship and participation in Georgia.

In Georgia, the event on youth employment and entrepreneurship was held for the first time with a focus on exchanging information on youth entrepreneurship, their participation, and current trends in the field of employment.

In the format of a round-table discussion, the two days focused on the EU Youth Dialogue, the EU Youth Guarantee scheme and the Youth Social Entrepreneurship initiatives under the EU4Youth program that support opportunities for young people in Georgia. The agenda included speeches from European Union and Georgian officials, EU4Youth program teams, and organizations specialized in youth policy and advocacy.

and entrepreneurs. The EU-funded projects help Georgian youth, especially vulnerable young people, to improve employment prospects by enhancing entrepreneurial potential and developing the skills necessary for the labor market. The above provides better skills for a better future,” he pointed out.

Mr. Maragos noted that the EU-funded projects in Georgia contribute to having more competitive and highly qualified young professionals in the local labor market, and working in this direction will actively continue in the future.

“In March, the EU launched a Joint Communication on the future of the Eastern Partnership, outlining the strategic objectives for the coming years. These have been confirmed also by EU Member States and the leaders from all EaP countries.

Increasing engagement and continued support to youth will be a key priority in this context, both for mainstreaming across the different policy areas and for what we call a New Deal for Youth. This New Deal includes both a dimension of youth participation in policy-making and

The meeting brought increased understanding of the youth strategy and initiatives being developed and implemented in Georgia with the support of the European Union. Input from stakeholders shaped further opportunities for cooperation and best practices.

The first day of the conference was opened by the welcoming speech of Vassilis Maragos, the Head of Unit/ Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus and Eastern Partnership, DG NEAR. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized that from the EU side, supporting youth is one of the main priorities of the cooperation between Georgia and the Eastern Partnership.

“Through providing the necessary conditions for education, employment and more active involvement in society, we help them realize their potential and become future leaders

an economic dimension, linked to youth employment, education and skills and youth entrepreneurship.

To give an example, we are going to support more structured Youth Dialogue to enhance the involvement of youth in policy-making. In Georgia, we would hope that the National Youth Council and the Youth Agency can take a leading part in this. Last but not least, our future initiatives on education and skills, on youth employment and entrepreneurship should also support the key transformation of our age, i.e the green and digital transformations. These will be main points on our agenda and part of the EU’s long-term engagement for the coming years,” he said.

Maragos highlighted the importance of the reform proposed by the Youth Agency for the creation of an ecosystem

for the Georgian youth sector, and thanked Georgia for its implementation, which is “an excellent achievement for the country.”

Deputy Head of the Youth Agency, Vakhtang Baakashvili, took part in the round table discussion. At the meeting, the ‘Georgian Youth Strategy 2025’ was discussed in the context of youth participation, empowerment and entrepreneurship. He further discussed the approach and vision of the Youth Agency in the field of entrepreneurship, and announced the next phase of the Agency's reform and future plans.

The event was moderated by Giorgi Kakulia, Key Expert, EU4Youth Program Coordinator.

“Today’s event, supported by the EU, is a part of a long-term process which envisages consultations with various interested parties, which, as a result, is expected to provide for the creation of a kind of a mechanism for young people for further active participation and decision-making in political, economic and social processes,” he noted.

The Forum included discussion of preliminary outcomes of thematic reviews of youth related policies, practices and instruments in EaP countries, with a focus on Georgia, the role of the EaP CSF National Platform in Georgia in promoting and supporting youth participation, and the current status of youth policy in Georgia.

Ms Nino Veltauri, Acting Deputy Director of the State Employment Promotion Agency, spoke about the measures to mitigate youth unemployment in the country.

Parallel workshops on Youth Dialogue and Youth Guarantee were held within the framework of the event, where participants discussed the issues of giving more opportunities to the young people to become more active part of society and contribute to economic development of the country through their activities.

Workshop rapporteurs concluded that the conference served as an important opportunity to deepen communication and cooperation between various organizations and stakeholders in order to achieve the common goal: strengthening and supporting the young generation of the country and caring for their improved education and living conditions.

The second day of the event focused on the theme of Youth Social Entrepreneurship (YSE) and provided space for discussion about YSE needs and challenges in Georgia. Participants were able to hear from local and international NGOs dealing with Social Entrepreneurship projects, who provided their insights about various support mechanisms and the engagement of local actors in the field.

In her welcoming speech, Nana Janashia, CENN Executive Director,

stressed the importance of integrating environmental approaches with entrepreneurial ones in order to better contribute to sustainable development. She also stressed the role of organizations and the resources they provide as indispensable for creating fertile grounds for pattern-breaking social change.

“CENN, together with Mercy Corps, is pleased to co-host an EU4Youth event in Georgia, focused on youth opportunities, in order to strengthen youth employment, entrepreneurship and meaningful participation in their societies. Social and green entrepreneurship are key drivers of youth empowerment in the EaP region and CENN, with the EU’s support, is happy to contribute to this by encouraging young people in Georgia and Armenia to start their own green start-ups, generate income, become self-employed and contribute to their national economies. Speaking of economic development, CENN shares the EU Green Deal, a blueprint for greener and climate smart economies and societies, as a sustainable recovery plan, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Janashia said.

Nino Samvelidze, Program Manager at the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, addressed the EU’s contribution to youth empowerment in Georgia and accentuated the priority areas for the upcoming years.

“Investing in human capital is one of the objectives of EU-Georgia cooperation in order to foster societal and economic resilience. Bridging the gap between the labor market and the education sector, increasing support for the employability of youth, develop entrepreneurship skills, as well as supporting active labor market measures, are the main priorities for our interventions in Georgia”, she said.

All speakers stressed that supporting young social entrepreneurs through targeted capacity-building actions such as increased access to finance, boost in visibility and coaching, is vital. If these and more skills can be defined and taught, there is the chance that social entrepreneurship need not be so rare in the future. Instead of one entrepreneur in a million, there may be one in a hundred or one in five.

Over the last five years, Mercy Corps have spent a lot of their resources on programs that help people in need. The organization has been actively contributing towards the development of the entrepreneurial potential of young people to positively engage in society. Irakli Kasrashvili, Country Director at Mercy Corps, said: “In the EU4Youth SEAG program, Mercy Corps supports skills building of young people in terms of business and entrepreneurship, to establish and develop social enterprises in Georgia and Armenia. Over the years we have also supported the active involvement of youth from the SamtskheJavakheti region in Local Action

Groups, established in the framework of ENPARD projects, and their involvement in local decision-making to promote rural development.”

Revaz Charkviani, Head of the Youth Agency of Georgia, shared the core objectives of the Youth Agency’s development strategy in regards to creating a favorable ecosystem for youth empowerment and resilience in Georgia.

He too stressed the importance of removing specific sectoral, perception and legislative barriers in the enabling environment that prevent social enterprises from starting up, growing and thriving.

"Georgia will continue development of the youth sector and evidence and rights-based youth policy with the aim to create a sustainable ecosystem for youth development, which enable the youth to fully realize their potential and get actively involved in all areas of public life; increase young people's understanding of democratic values and principles and support them to claim their own rights; as well as to assure full and equal economic empowerment, protection of health and wellbeing and equal access of information and resources to all young people in Georgia", said Mr. Charkviani.

Social entrepreneurship bridges an important gap between business and benevolence; it is the application of entrepreneurship in the social sphere.

The discussion benefited from the insights of local CSOs working in the field, who succeeded at combining the passion of a social mission with an image of business. They all highlighted the importance of national government’s recognising of social enterprises and adopting relevant legislations to support them. The attempts of aspiring social entrepreneurs, they said, harbour many of the struggles merely because there are no legal frameworks to support the cause.

The overall objective of the 2-day conference was to raise more awareness, support and participation for the practice of social entrepreneurship in Georgia; also to facilitate the rapid circulation and sharing of solutions at the global level. The event was an important step in this direction.

The event was organized by the EUfunded EU4Youth Program, in partnership with the EU Delegation to Georgia and EU4Youth implementing partners in Georgia, CENN and Mercy Corps.

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BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Make the Most out of the Digital Nomad Program for their tourism-dependent economy.

On one hand, they can be seen as a longterm tourists, but they are in reality way more than that.

Before launching the Nomad Visa, the most important step is to unite the local business community, and create a strategy on how Digital Nomads and local businesses can benefit more from this idea.

The first thing would be organizing networking events where nomads and locals get to know each other; second, to invite Digital Nomads to lecture a couple of times at a local school; organize events with local start-up hubs to discuss innovation; and promote investment in your country. Third, if agriculture is big in your country, organize free trips for nomads to go and buy organic fruits and vegetables.

While doing all this, the main focus should be on making the Digital Nomads post online about their experience, write on their blogs, take a drone video and share it on YouTube, and more: just leave this part to them, they know better!

BY ERKAN MUNISHI, DIRECTOR OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY AT CONSULTDEMY

D

igital Nomads need no introduction anymore. By October 2020, we already have a list of countries who have introduced the digital nomad visa and are hoping to welcome long-term stay tourists into their beautiful countries. But is it all that simple?

Who are these digital nomads, and what would convince them to move to your country and stay at your hotel or rental place, drink at your bar, or eat at your restaurant? In other words, how do you make the most out of the digital nomad program?

CONVERTING REMOTE WORKERS TO YOUR NEXT DIGITAL NOMAD RESIDENTS In the United States, there were already over 4 million remote workers, and that number significantly increased during the pandemic. But there are a lot of factors that stand between a remote worker and moving to a country they have never been to before.

Walking the remote workers through the process, including the labor law questions their employer may have, regulations including taxes, providing a better understanding of what life will be like on a daily basis, what their lifestyle options are, and social activities, is going to bring the remote workers one step closer to you.

Finally, make things easy by providing a one-stop-shop method where they can find everything related to their program, and a hotline they can reach out for any questions.

in Georgia, or a luxury penthouse in Dubai. Understanding that this audience is different from a random tourist is the first step. Marketing a beach, city, museum, or amusement park is something that everyone can do in one way or another, yet this is a way of marketing that focuses on the product rather than the buyer.

Digital Nomads are mainly people who you can get the best results in conversion from through influencers. If their first impression about the place is through influencers actually showing them how it feels to sip that drink, eat that local dish and take a picture at their local landmark, your chances of getting a yearlong tourist will be much higher.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

UNDERSTAND THE DIGITAL NOMAD LIFESTYLE

The first impression starts the moment people find out about your country’s digital nomad program or your hotel/ rental place by the beach in Barbados or Bermuda, a cabin with a nice view

The Digital Nomad lifestyle is pretty much the way of life the entire world is slowly transforming into these days.

Your office can be anywhere you have good internet, your laptop, and good

food. Well, here is another business that is growing with the digital nomad idea: workspaces! They provide a great environment for nomads wherever they go, and it is important to create workspaces in strategic locations, keeping in mind things like location, options for things to do when taking a break, networking opportunities, or monthly gatherings in workspaces with particular topics, inviting the locals to attend as well.

Never forget what they came for: experience and ongoing activities related to their lifestyle which will keep them there longer.

A YEAR FULL OF THINGS TO DO! How cool is your hotel? How fun is your country? Every country has its beauties, and it will likely take years to explore everything, from visiting places to getting to know the locals and their culture. The Digital Nomad Visa is a great opportunity, but it is not a guarantee that someone will stay in

your country for the entire duration of the program. In other words, people will get bored and want to explore a new country they saw on Instagram, and this happens only when there is no ongoing activity or bond to the country they are in right now. According to our research at Consultdemy, surveying Digital Nomads, the key for them to staying in a place for a longer period is if there is a goal, a hobby, or something else they are trying to accomplish that can only be done in that country. That definitely depends on the background of the Nomads you are catering to; however, it is important to think outside the box and understand the customer behavior of this particular target group.

MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THE DIGITAL NOMAD VISA PROGRAM Every country that has launched the Digital Nomad Visa is identifying its goal as bringing year-long tourists and income

HOW CAN GEORGIA GET AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION? Combining all the aforementioned tips and suggestions, according to a study conducted by Consultdemy, at the moment, a large percentage of Digital Nomads are independent contractors: it can vary anywhere from YouTubers and independent programmers to entrepreneurs. Georgia will get better results if it focuses on a particular audience first.

It is important to first narrow the niche further, target a specific type of Digital Nomad, and make it for instance a ‘paradise for youtubers’, and focus on their specific needs, events related to them, and more.

The second important point Georgian businesses and its government should focus on is having a strategy for attracting larger corporation employees. Understanding that taxation is not the only barrier, that there are labor laws, regulations, and other legal obligations making it difficult for corporate employees to move, is very important.

1,100 Foreigners Applied for Work from Georgia Program Since August

BY ANA DUMBADZE

U BTU Knowledge Bank - BTU Launches New High-Tech Project to Grow Student Productivity

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TU Knowledge Bank is a new large-scale, high-tech project from the Business and Technology University. The unique online platform has been created especially for BTU students and graduates.

Knowledge Bank is a digital space, a form of digital and second memory for students, which collects and unites interesting and useful literature, books, articles, videos, podcasts and other types of educational material about various industries. The platform gives students the ability to create a personal working space, make notes, write plans or do any kind of work and keep it their life-long.

BTU Knowledge Bank is based on the “Notion” app, which was created in Silicon Valley, USA. The app is valued at $2 billion and it has been hailed as a new unicorn of technology. Investors in the project count companies like Google,

Pinterest, Twitter, Uber, and LinkedIn, among others. The app has 4 million users at this time, and more than 600 BTU students already have access to the platform.

The platform BTU Knowledge processes mega data in Georgian. So far, this is the first digital analytical working space in Georgian which will be a digital assistance and technological memory for students and graduates for their whole life, giving students the ability to monitor the development of their ideas and projects.

According to international experts, this is one of the best digital instruments for growing productivity and efficiency. Different surveys show that people remember only 3% of the information got from different sources after 5 years. The new app will solve this problem and help students to use information and knowledge their full lives.

SD 23.6 million has been attracted so far through the 'Work from Georgia' Project, Head of Georgian National Tourism Administration Mariam Kvrivishvili announced.

She noted that about 1,100 foreign citizens have applied for the Work Remotely from Georgia Program since August 27, which allows foreigners to travel to Georgia and work remotely from the country.

Kvrivishvili stressed that the project has already brought quite significant economic benefits to the country.

"1,100 applications were received. At

this time, the demand of 700 people whose average monthly income not only meets the minimum requirement of $2,000 but also exceeds and amounts to $5,700, has already been confirmed.

"The project continues and it is gratifying that the number of applications is growing daily and with this project already many hotels, apartments, car rental services, guides and other travel service providers are enjoying the economic benefits.

"197 people from the US, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and other countries have already arrived in Georgia within the framework of the project," she pointed out.

The project, intended for foreigners who are freelancers who work remotely or can manage their businesses from

any part of the world, continues, and the application process is still open.

Those wishing to come to Georgia within the framework of the project fill in special forms in advance at https:// stopcov.ge/ and confirm the necessary conditions for entering the country. In addition, they must fully provide 8-day quarantine and testing at their own expense.

Applications will be reviewed within 10 working days.

"We invite citizens who are working remotely for global companies in 95 countries to come to Georgia, where they’ll have the chance to fulfill their job responsibilities remotely for at least 180 days," Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia stated regarding the initiative.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

9

ADB Approves $200 Million Policy Loan to Support Georgia’s Economic Recovery

T

he Asian Development Bank (ADB) ON Thursday approved a $200 million policy-based loan to support Georgia’s recovery from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by addressing key fragilities in the country’s public financial management and social protection systems.

The Fiscal Resilience and Social Protection Support Program is part of ADB’s comprehensive and integrated package of support to help Georgia mitigate the pandemic’s adverse health, social, and economic impact.

“This program’s policy actions are critical in dealing with the economic impact of COVID-19 and ensuring macroeconomic stability in the medium to long term while continuing to protect the livelihoods of those most affected by the crisis,” said ADB Young Professional Rogerio de Almeida Vieira de Sa. “The program will benefit senior citizens

in particular who are disproportionately exposed to the impacts of COVID-19.”

While Georgia’s public health response has been generally effective in containing the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic is having a significant impact on the economy through a marked slowdown in tourism and foreign direct investments. The pandemic also created a large financing gap as public expenditure to fund the government’s anticrisis measures increased while tax revenues declined.

The ADB program aims to strengthen the management of public exposure to fiscal risks and deepen domestic markets for government securities. These measures seek to reduce the share of general government debt denominated in foreign currency and minimize public exposure to refinancing and currency risks that threaten macroeconomic stability, which is a prerequisite for economic recovery.

The program will also help ensure the

fiscal sustainability of social protection programs that were expanded during the crisis. It will support government reforms to the national pension scheme, benefitting senior citizens and other social protection systems to promote an inclusive return to economic growth.

The program complements ADB’s $100 million loan approved in May to support the government’s anti-crisis measures, including tax deferments for small and medium-sized businesses, temporary payments for pandemic-affected workers, and free access to COVID-19 diag-

nostic and treatment services.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members, 49 from the region.

SOCIETY

The Second Wave of the Pandemic: New Restrictions in Europe

BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE

T

he dreaded second wave of the pandemic is hitting us all, even appearing on the European shores. According to WHO’s report on Tuesday, within just one week, COVID deaths rose by nearly 40%. While Spain, the UK, the Netherlands and Russia accounted for the majority of cases, Belgium and Italy, too, are not looking at the best possible data.

On Wednesday, Russia reported a daily record of 320 deaths, this came after 16,550 new confirmed cases on Tuesday.

The authorities have now made wearing a mask in all crowded places obligatory.

On Sunday, following the announcement of a new state of emergency, a nationwide curfew started functioning in Spain. People in all regions, with the exception of the Canary Islands, are not allowed out of their homes after 11 PM and before 6 AM. The Czech Republic has the worst infection rate on the European continent, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Over 14 days, it has seen 1,448 cases per 100,000 people. The country is now in a partial lockdown.

The Republic of Ireland also announced its second national lockdown earlier this month for a six-week period.

Italy announced 221 new fatalities on Wednesday, and almost 22,000 new cases, though the officials have explained that they have expanded testing. The Italians, arguably hit hardest by the first wave of the pandemic, are seemingly done and tired of the ‘new norms’: protests rose across the country on Monday against the new round of restrictions.

The regulations that came into force on Monday made it compulsory for all restaurants and bars to close by 6 PM; shut the doors of gyms, swimming pools, theaters and cinemas; and banned gatherings for weddings, baptisms, and funerals.

However, Italy, ever-so-cultural, keeps its

Source: The BBC

museums, schools and workplaces opened.

Belgium, having reported over 13,000 new cases overnight early Thursday morning, asked the country’s doctors to continue working even if infected, since the Belgian health system is in danger of being overwhelmed.

France, having reported 36,437 new cases and 244 new deaths on October 28, entered a form of lockdown from Friday. The French will be allowed to leave their homes only if they have essential work to get to, or medical issues to take care of. French President Emmanuel Macron was quoted by the BBC as saying that the “second wave no doubt will be harder that the first.” True to his words, the French daily deaths are now the highest since April.

Macron said in a televised report Wednesday that the new regulations will have people needing to fill out a form before leaving their homes, to justify the reason they need to do so, much like the French state required the population to do back in March when the first lockdowns began. Social gatherings are now banned in the country, with the exception of public services and factories, in

order to keep the economy from stopping, or rather, from collapsing.

Germany has also moved to impose a lockdown, but a “softer” one than France.

The German lockdown includes the closure of restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters, according to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s report on Wednesday. While the German state’s rise in COVID infections is not as alarming as the recent data of many other European countries, Berlin has decided, as Chancellor Merkel put it, to “act now.” The country’s health system can still cope, but is in danger of reaching its maximum limits if the rate of infection continues to rise at the current speed.

Germany’s new partial lockdown will start on November 2, and if all goes well, end on November 30. Bars and restaurants will only offer takeaway services, and only up to 10 people will be allowed at social gatherings. However, schools and kindergartens will remain open.

The UK faced 310 new deaths and 24,701 new cases on Wednesday. In addition, a new study was published according to which 100,000 people are catching the virus every day. The British government

is under pressure to change their approach to handling the virus.

Despite the COVID situation in the country, the British government is not in favor of imposing a nationwide lockdown.

“Instead, earlier this month, officials announced a new COVID tier system, which enables regions to go into localized lockdowns,” writes the BBC. Tier three is the strictest category, which now covers a few areas of the country, including Liverpool.

The UK’s constituent states have separate administrations which can choose their own paths in setting the COVID restriction policies. Wales, for one, has announced a 17-day "circuit breaker" lockdown. Non-essential retailers have been ordered to close, and much like in France, people are only allowed to leave their homes for particular reasons.

The new and old restrictions have reflected on the EU economies. Italy, Spain, France and the UK, some of the biggest players in the European market were also some of the worst-hit states by the coronavirus. They also imposed some of the strictest regulations to prevent the

spread and fatalities resulting from the virus. On these terms, the lockdowns were effective, lowering the COVID mortality and infection rate, but hitting the countries’ economies hard. Traveling, restaurants, bars and shops were only reopened early in the summer. However, in August, maybe exactly because of the reopening of the economies, we saw a surge in the COVID cases globally. As a result, on Wednesday, the European Union saw sharp falls in the financial markets.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was even quoted as saying "I think that this year's Christmas will be a different Christmas."

The French President’s words that the “second wave no doubt will be harder than the first” is perhaps even more applicable for Georgia. Ever since late August, the country has been reporting an unseen rise in COVID cases, breaking anti-records of new daily cases almost by the day. On Thursday, 1709 new cases of coronavirus were detected in Georgia, bringing the total number of infected people to 35,567.

Adjara, Tbilisi and Imereti are still responsible for the biggest numbers, with 445 cases being recorded in Tbilisi, 437 in Adjara, and 388 in Imereti on Thursday. 3324 citizens are in mandatory quarantine and 4209 under examination in hospitals. 2346 people are in COVID hotels.

20 patients died of coronavirus in the last 24 hours in Georgia, bringing the total death toll since March to 273.

The number of recovered patients has increased by 2075, however, to reach a total of 16,904. Among them is a one month-year-old girl from Kutaisi.

With 18,390 active cases of coronavirus in Georgia at the time of writing, the country is near exhausting its hospitalization limits. Towards the end of the week, some speculations were heard about a new set of stricter regulations, or a possible lockdown, to come into force from Monday, after the country’s parliamentary elections on Saturday. The government has denied such claims, but nothing will be clear until the results of the elections are known.

10

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Rachaaaah: 2 BLOG BY TONY HANMER

C

ontinuing our recent exploration of Racha province on a 3-day driving and camping tour…

Our driver vaguely remembered a spot where we could set up camp for the night, and after some asking he found the exact location he’d been to some years before. On the way, we passed a sign for a village called Itsa, and another called Sori. Immediately, of course, I began wondering how one might add a third Georgian place name to complete the sentence, “It’s a sorry…” or “Sorry, it’s a…”.and the list turned out to include: Ghu (shortest place name in the country), Plate (pronounced WITH the e, but whatever), Sno, Saghamo (meaning evening), Tba (lake), Chrdili (shadow)… take your pick, or find a better one.

We were again in a mostly coniferous forest, as we had been in Tusheti in summer, so, plenty of fallen fire-making materials, from cones and needles up through all sizes of dead branch. Three hammocks, two tents and the driver in his van, as usual. The mix of evergreens and fall-colored leafed trees was spectacular, the sunny weather something of which we had carefully followed forecasts. The daytime warmth, at these altitudes and in mid-October, was nonetheless a surprise, but the clear skies showed us a frosty morning the next day.

Never mind, we had all the warm clothing we would need that night! Cooking with a gas bottle and the fire: shish kabobs, salad, hot drinks, snacks. Life was good.

The next morning, I went to explore a beautiful abandoned old wooden hotel nearby. The front door was open, so I walked right in and began taking photos of the decay of some years, which nonetheless had its own charm. I always find the takeover of nature, re-imposing itself on our careful constructions, to be a thing of wonder, and this was no exception. (It didn’t at ALL remind me of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining, no.)

Indeed, on my wife’s and my first trip into Racha 11 years ago on our honeymoon, she must have wondered what she was getting herself into. Walking, we found a set of sheet metal fence sections painted white and beginning to crack all over, and I waxed lyrical and photographic over them for some unreasonable time. Love cracked paint, for some reason.

Then we were off to my wife’s father’s home village, Mravaldzali (“many strengths”, 2000 m above sea level), from which the Skhirtladze family originates.

This, too, we had visited 11 years ago, but the 10 km rock road had been entirely asphalted last year, our driver said. Too bad that we knew this date: it already has so many holes, gaps and heaves that the poor job done on it is painfully obvious. Money going sideways again? At least it’s better than a similar job being done in nearby Tqibuli: there the asphalt being laid right now is already showing its many failures. No worries, election season, we must be seen being busy!

The 11th century church in Mravaldzali was being restored when last we saw it, and this is now wonderfully finished.

Unfortunately, there were none of my wife’s relatives to be found in the village

this late in the year… alive, that is. The church cemetery was more than half populated by Skhirtladzes, though, so that was something.

Again, our driver knew exactly the place to stop for the night. He assured us that the somewhat difficult road to it, above the village, would show us a location worth seeing. Indeed, the 4x4 got stuck in deep mud ruts, likely kept wet by some small water source as the surroundings were bone dry. It took much

gathering of small dead branches to put under the car to get it going again, and then we reached a small lake at which to camp. He was right: the reflections of autumn trees in the still water were stunning, and in both that evening light and that of next morning, I kept busy with my camera. The altitude and clear atmosphere also showed snowy peaks far in the distance, so the many contrasts made for gorgeous landscapes. Nothing like continuing to rediscover this many-

colored little country! More to come.

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

Over 40 UK Universities to Meet Thousands of Students at the British Council’s UK Online Education Fair

M

orethan10,000students, including those from Georgia, are expected to join the British Council’s online event promoting studying in the UK. Undergraduate and postgraduate students will be able to engage with over 40 UK universities via one-to-one online conversations. These include eight of the ‘Times Higher Education’s top 20 UK universities for 2021’ and many universities from the UK’s elite ‘Russell Group’.

The platform is part of the British Council’s Study UK campaign, working with university partners to promote study in the UK, and providing students with clear, reliable information and oneto-one engagement with universities.

The platform is free for students to join, and the program runs from 2–30 November.

It will also feature live and recorded online talks, where students can learn how to apply to study in the UK, future career opportunities, and how to plan their studies.

As the event is dedicated to students, there will be information on fees and new processes for applying for visas from January 2021, as well as newly announced scholarships and other ways students can financially support their learning.

This event will give students direct contact with leading UK universities, being cited as one of the most influential sources for making study abroad decisions.

Visit the website to learn more and register. http://bit.ly/studyukfairinvitation

CULTURE

GEORGIA TODAY

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 5, 2020

11

WE’AR ART: Interview with Salle de Mode of Arts, specializing in modelling and leather haberdashery.

INTERVIEW BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE

HAVE YOU TAKEN PART IN ANY FASHION SHOWS?

O

ctober kicked off with a new collaboration for GEORGIA TODAY, seeing us partnering with WE’AR ART to interview Georgian designers, who make the local fashion scene what it is. This week, we present to our readers Salle de Mode, a label known for its the hand-made, innovative details and high-quality works. The creator behind the brand, Salome Amanatishvili, discusses with us Salle de Mode’s main idea, the importance of being individualistic, the similarities between her and those clothed in her designs, her conservative view of Georgian traditional clothing, and more.

HOW DID YOUR CAREER AS A DESIGNER KICK OFF? From my 2nd year of study at the Art Academy, I made my own line of bags and started small production, then slowly, I complemented this by adding clothing.

WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR DESIGN EDUCATION? HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU DEEM PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN MAKING A DESIGNER? From the age of 12, I studied at the art studio "1 + 1" under the guidance of Nino Mirianashvili, then I enrolled in and graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy

Yes, a few, including the Kazakhstan Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Show Room in Paris – Benext with Sofia Tchkonia, MICAM MILAN, and SHANGHAI.

WHAT IS THE MAIN IDEA OF YOUR DESIGNS/BRAND? Individualistic, unique designs and approach. Unfortunately, recent trends and fashion shows have shown us many similarities. Too many, I’d say. It is difficult to distinguish brands from each other: their collections are so similar. That is why I believe that individuality is the main message aimed towards the brand customer. That’s what I hope to give them and that’s the main goal of my brand.

WHAT KIND OF PERSON WEARS SALLE DE MODE AND SALOME AMANATISHVILI? Well, since this is the person I create for, I imagine I share with her my emotional charge and character. I have this sense that maybe this person is at least a little like me because she’s clothed in my designs.

HOW HAS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AFFECTED YOUR BUSINESS AND DESIGNING STYLE? We’re coping well. The current situation

hasn’t changed the brand vision or style.

On the contrary, it’s been something of an incentive. I’ve used it as a stimulant to realize new ideas and set future goals.

WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORKS? Inspiration is always different, no matter the season I’m working on. What constantly recurs in my designs though, are relief figures made of leather.

HOW DO YOU VIEW GEORGIAN TRADITIONAL CLOTHING? HAS IT SOMEHOW INSPIRED YOUR DESIGNS? Although I have used some Georgian traditional clothing-inspired details in my design, I think Georgian traditional wear is a totally different direction. I’ve something of a conservative view on that: I think a fully classic costume should only be created by those who work, and have experience working, specifically in this direction.

WE’AR ART is a copyrighted brand/slogan with a unique philosophy: to create awareness of fashion and art. Since 2018, the WE’AR ART collection has only worked for one common ‘good’: raising funds through charity events and sponsoring competitions for young artists.

SPORTS

Brand New UEFA Category IV Stadium in Batumi to Promote Healthy Lifestyle

BY ANA DUMBADZE

A

new football stadium with a capacity to place 20,000 spectators that complies with Category IV of the UEFA standards has opened in Georgia’s seaside town of Batumi, the capital of the Adjara region.

A total of 500 people were employed during the work process. The construction of the stadium was financed from the budget of Adjara with about GEL 141 million.

The football stadium was constructed based on the motives of Georgian traditional dance Khorumi, with the figures on the façade depicting the movements of these dancers. A modern lighting system was installed on the facade of the stadium, which will be lit in different colors according to the relevant match.

Batumi Stadium will promote sports tourism in Adjara and promote a healthy lifestyle. In addition to sports activities, the football stadium will host various cultural events.

The opening ceremony of the Batumi Central Stadium was attended by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.

He noted that the opening of this sta-

dium was the dream of countless football fans, adding that it was supposed to have been opened in a completely different, much more festive, environment with full grandstands, but unfortunately, this could not be done because of the pandemic.

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George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Natalia Chikvaidze

GEORGIA TODAY

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:

Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

"Today, we are celebrating the opening of this wonderful stadium, which was the dream of countless football fans. Most importantly, despite the time of the pandemic, which is full of difficult challenges, we are building and opening new stadiums, new mar-

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

itime academies, we continue to build natural gas infrastructure, we build roads, and all this is done for our citizens. All this is what we call adaptation and what we call accountability to our citizens, and we must continue to do so. As you know, this stadium was sup-

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

posed to have been opened in a completely different, much more festive, environment with full grandstands, but unfortunately, given our situation and the era of COVID, this could not be done. However, we can see and feel that our athletes already need this stadium to be ready. We must give them the opportunity to train here, to develop their professionalism, and to bring even greater victories to our country. Therefore, we must all agree that in better times, we will organize a grand celebration here, the celebration of great victories," PM Gakharia stated.

He went on to mention the design.

"I am certain that for each of our football players, for Dinamo Batumi, for every team that will play on this field, the Khorumi will be a source of inspiration for further victory. In addition, Khorumi is a symbol of the Georgian fighting spirit, and I want you to know that we will all fight together for our future with the melodies of Khorumi; we will win in all directions; we will defeat COVID, the epidemic, and the economic crisis; we will hold the elections and we will all celebrate the victory of our football players together, with full grandstands. Congratulations on the opening of this stadium. I wish you great victories," the Prime Minister stated.

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