Does Georgia Need Highly Educated Workers?

Issue no: 1002/106

MarketsAs of 24 Nov 2017

STOCKS Price w/w m/m BONDS Price w/w m/mBGEO Group (BGEO LN) GBP 33.34 +0,6% 5,2% GEOROG 04/21 107.46 (YTM 4.37%) +0,0% +0,8%GHG (GHG LN) GBP 3.40 1,6% 5,7% GEORG 04/21 112.34 (YTM 3.00%) 0,1% 0,0%TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN) GBP 16.28 2,5% 5,9% GRAIL 07/22 111.96 (YTM 4.83%) +0,1% +0,1%

BGEOLN 07/23 103.58 (YTM 5.26%) +0,3% +0,4%COMMODITIES Price w/w m/mCrude Oil, Brent (US$/bbl) 63,86 +1,8% +9,5% CURRENCIES Price w/w m/mGold Spot (US$/OZ) 1 288,37 0,3% +0,9% GEL / USD 2,6951 0,7% +6,9%

GEL / EUR 3,2165 +0,6% +8,4%INDICES Price w/w m/m GEL / GBP 3,5945 +0,3% +8,5%FTSE 100 7 409,64 +0,4% 1,6% GEL / CHF 2,7557 +0,6% +8,4%FTSE 250 19 944,79 +0,7% 0,8% GEL / RUB 0,0460 0,2% +5,0%DAX 13 059,84 +0,5% +0,4% GEL / TRY 0,6813 2,9% +1,0%DOW JONES 23 557,99 +0,9% +0,5% GEL / AZN 1,5860 1,0% +6,8%NASDAQ 6 889,16 +1,6% +4,4% GEL / AMD 0,0056 +7,7%MSCI EM EE 166,02 +3,2% +4,5% GEL / UAH 0,1001 2,5% +5,9%MSCI EM 1 154,26 +1,6% +3,7% EUR / USD 0,8380 1,2% 1,4%SP 500 2 602,42 +0,9% +1,3% GBP / USD 0,7497 0,9% 1,5%MICEX 2 161,17 +1,4% +4,8% CHF / USD 0,9795 1,0% 1,2%MSCI FM 2 892,31 +1,1% +0,2% RUB / USD 58,4488 1,0% +1,4%GT Index (GEL) 1 582,68 TRY / USD 3,9553 +2,0% +5,7%GT Index (USD) 1 208,13 AZN / USD 1,6988 +0,1% 0,1%

ISET PAGE 4

POLITICS PAGE 13

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• • NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

Continued on page 2

Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

NEWS PAGE 2

BUSINESS PAGE 7

SOCIETY PAGE 12

BUSINESS PAGE 11

CULTURE PAGE 15

FOCUS ON BP IN GEORGIAAhead of the Belt & Road Forum, we look at Georgia-BP relations PAGE 6

Work of Legendary Lithuanian Photographer at Georgian National Museum

A Deeper Look at Turkey-Russia Relations

New Recycling Spots in Tbilisi

Fire at Batumi Hotel Kills 11, Injures over 20

IWA Acting President on the IWA Winter Fair

Former Reader’s Editor at The Guardian Advises Media on Best Practice

Galleria Tbilisi Grand Opening Planned This WeekBY NINO GUGUINISHVILI

The Grand opening of Galleria Tbilisi is planned for 8PM on November 30. The new multi-functional shopping mall will have up to 100 international and

local brand names, a Cavea Movie Theater, bowling center, entertainment center for chil-dren, cafés, Goodwill supermarket and more. Griboedov Theater, Liberty Theater and metro station Freedom Square are to be integrated into the shopping center. Galleria Tbilisi will also have an underground car park for almost 300 cars.

Gary Jones, BP Regional President

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 20172 NEWS

Fire at Batumi Hotel Kills 11, Injures over 20BY THE GEORGIA TODAY TEAM

Around 150 fi re-fi ghters and 200 Police offi cers were mobilized at the Leo Grand hotel in Georgia’s Black Sea coastal city Batumi on Fri-

day, where an extensive fi re killed 11 people, amongst whom 10 are said to be Georgians. 21 others were seriously injured.

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported that the emergency ser-vices were notifi ed of the blaze at 20:01 on Friday.

Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia told reporters that fi refi ghters had to use rescue cranes to evacuate guests from the building and added that an investi-gation had been launched under Article 243 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, entailing a breach of fi re and safety norms.

“The main stairs of the hotel were blocked due to the fi re and the hotel guests were stuck on the 7th fl oor. I would like to thank the fi re-fi ghters, who managed to save around 100 people,” Gakharia said.

Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who was returning to Georgia from Brus-sels, re-directed to Batumi to visit the scene. He stressed that the investigation will reveal the cause of the fi re, and all those responsible will be brought to jus-tice in accordance with the law. “We all stand by the families of the deceased. This is a huge tragedy for us,” he added.

The Government of Georgia declared November 27 as a Day of Mourning for

the victims of the November 24 tragedy. National fl ags were lowered throughout the country.

After the tragic fi re, Public Defender of Georgia, Ucha Nanuashvili, called for an inspection of all the hotels through-out the country in terms of fi re and security norms. Nanuashvili offered his condolences to the families of the deceased, saying that not only are hotel personnel to be held responsible, but the state also. “This case should serve as grounds for the implementation of rel-evant regulations by authorities in order to check the safety of all hotels and guesthouses,” Nanuashvili said, adding that it is important to quickly and effec-tively investigate the cause of the blaze.

The Chair of the Adjara Government, Zurab Pataridze, told media that the Leo Grand hotel had earlier been fi ned by the corresponding agency of the Minis-try of Internal Affairs due to poor fi re safety norms, adding the Tourism Depart-ment had also issued recommendations last year.

Kakha Tsereteli, the lawyer of Leo Grand hotel, stated the company is not

avoiding responsibility and is ready to cooperate with the investigation. He said law enforcers had been provided with all requested documents by the company.

The owner of Leo Grand, Erol Ave-goren, claimed the hotel has not been fi ned for neglecting safety guidelines and that safety measures were in line with legal standards.

"The security measures at the hotel meet national standards. The hotel has never been fi ned for non-observance of the safety rules," Avgoren told reporters.

Despite Avgoren’s comment of a clean safety record, their lawyer stated that the hotel had been fi ned 100 GEL on June 20.

"The hotel was fi ned on June 20 with regard to fi re-extinguishers. The hotel corrected the defi ciency, but, unfortu-nately, this tragedy occurred. The com-pany will support the families," Tsereteli said.

11 people were killed in the fi re, includ-ing 10 Georgians and 1 citizen of the Republic of Iran. 21 people were injured, including a fi refi ghter, 4 Turkish citizens and 1 Israeli.

Continued from page 1

Galleria Tbilisi Grand Opening Planned This Week

In concept, Galleria Tbilisi is said to be not only a place for shopping, but also an area where customers will have a chance to dine out, have fun and enjoy various services. “Galleria Tbilisi will bring back ‘the heart of the city’ status to this area, in the center of Tbilisi,” Nika Tsintsadze, Galleria Tbilisi CEO told GEORGIA TODAY.

At Galleria Tbilisi, brands like H&M, Calvin Klein Jeans, Armani Exchange, Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Guess, Trussardi, United Colors of Benetton, IKKS, BNG, Delfy, Roman, and NYX are among the names set to be represented, some of them opening their stores for the fi rst time in Tbilisi and Georgia. Of special note is an Apple offi cial premium reseller.

Cavea Movie Theater at Galleria Tbi-lisi is to be the fi rst Dolby Atmos movie theater in Georgia, equipped with a 360-degree high-quality sound system and comfortable chairs for movie lovers to fully enjoy the experience. Alongside Cavea Movie Theater, the Griboedov and Liberty theaters will be integrated into the new shopping space, together

with a children’s entertainment center and an entire fl oor of Galleria Tbilisi dedicated as a Food Court, with McDon-alds, KFC, Burger King, Tashir Pizza, Mado, Sakhachapure N1, one of the Deli-france Bakery chain sub-brands, and more.

“As Freedom Square is integrated into Galleria Tbilisi, visitors can reach the shopping mall directly from the metro, hugely convenient for our customers,” Tsintsadze told us. “And because of its excellent location, for people who live and work in the city center, Galleria Tbilisi will be within easy reach, com-fortable to shop for anything they might need,” he adds. “We consider tourists to be just as important a part of our target audience, and we’ll be sure to attract them through our location and services,” Tsintsadze notes.

Galleria Tbilisi will have both com-mercial and higher-segment brands, so offering “something for everyone”.

On November 30th a number of stores and other amenities will be functioning.Galleria Tbilisi is a project of the Co-Investment Fund, under the real estate and tourism man-date.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 3NEWS

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

Tbilisi's Budget will be increased by 60 million GEL in 2018, Kakha Kaladze, Tbilisi Mayor announced after a meeting with Min-

ister of Finance Mamuka Bakhtadze on Monday. As Georgian media sources report, additional fi nancing via transfer from the central budget will be used for

Tbilisi Budget to Increase in 2018

the Tbilisi Metro and the restoration of the historic part of the city.

“2018 will be a signifi cant year for our city, as we will start to realize projects that we promised prior to the elections,” Kaladze noted. According to the media source, technical details were discussed and agreed on during the meeting of the Tbilisi Mayor and Minister of Finance of Georgia.

The Tbilisi city budget will amount to 875 million GEL overall, the Georgian Public Broadcaster states.

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

On November 28, the Parlia-ment of Georgia is to pre-sent a concept note “Acces-sible Parliament for All” which will kick off the

re-arrangement of the Parliament prem-ises in Tbilisi to ensure easy access for people with mobility and vision impair-ments.

The event will be attended by Members of Parliament, representatives of the Georgian Government, civil society, international organizations and associa-tions of people with disability.

Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia; Irina Pruidze, Chair of the Permanent Parliamentary Council on Open and Transparent Gov-ernance; Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga, Head of Political, Press and Information Sec-tion of the Delegation of the European Union in Georgia; Shombi Sharp, UNDP Resident Representative in Georgia; and Giorgi Kldiashvili, IDFI Director, will address participants with welcome remarks.

The concept note “Accessible Parlia-ment for All” was developed by the Par-liament of Georgia in partnership with the Georgian non-governmental organ-ization “Mariani”. The initiative was

Parliament of Georgia to be Fully Accessible for People with Disabilities

supported by the European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Pro-gram (UNDP), in cooperation with the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI).

By endorsing the Accessible Parlia-

ment plan, the Parliament of Georgia joins the ongoing Global Legislative Openness Week (GLOW) on November 20-30, which promotes advocacy and initiatives aiming to increase legislative openness.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 20174

THE ISET ECONOMISTA BLOG ABOUT ECONOMICS AND THE SOUTH CAUCAUS www.iset-pi.ge/blog

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

BUSINESS

10 Galaktion StreetTel: (995 32) 2 45 08 08

E-mail: info@peoplescafe.ge

BY TAMTA MARIDASHVILI

A pleasant surprise awaited me on my fi rst day as a student of Tbilisi State University’s Business and Economics Faculty. Thanks

to my performance in the national admis-sion exam (ერთიანი ეროვნული გამოცდები), I was inducted to the so-called “Elite Group”, piloted by TSU in an effort to attract Georgia’s best and brightest. There were 50 of us in the group, mostly from working class fami-lies, and none feeling like they belong with any kind of “elite”.

In the end, I really enjoyed my “elitist” status. Not because I could assert dom-inance over “mere mortals”, but because it was fun to be surrounded by likeminded guys, learning together, and having a positive impact on each other’s motiva-tion. The education we received was only marginally better than the rather pedestrian TSU business and economics standard, but the majority of us looked beyond TSU, taking part in student exchange programs, seeking out (and fi nding) opportunities for further edu-cation abroad.

Being part of the “elite” was not exactly a rose garden. Often, students from other groups would make sarcastic comments. Some of the TSU faculty not selected to teach us would try to teach us a lesson in modesty by attempting to lower our self-esteem. Soon enough, a “class con-fl ict” evolved, and within just a few years, the elite group concept was ditched in favor of a more egalitarian approach to education.

ABILITY-GROUPING: PROS AND CONSTSU’s attempt at merit-based selection of students into an “elite group” repre-sents something known in the literature as “ability grouping,” one of the most controversial topics in general education over more than 70 years. Its effects on student achievement have been exten-sively studied over that time period, suggesting that it primarily benefi ts the group of high achievers. Meta-analysis conducted by Adam Gamoran in 1992 concluded that ability grouping typically leads to more inequitable outcomes: high-track students are gaining, and low-track students are falling farther behind. In the end, overall achievement at the

Does Georgia Need Highly Educated Workers?school level may not improve.

The pros and cons of ability grouping were summarized by Slavin (1990) as follows:

Of course, ability grouping is just one possible response to excessive stand-ardization in the traditional model of mass education. Alternative pedagogical approaches, such as the Montessori method, completely obviate the need for segregation into ability (or age) groups by doing away with standardization. If every child or student is offered a choice of activities and is allowed to develop according to her motivations, innate talents and abilities, the whole idea of segregation into rigid ability groups goes by the wayside.

Still, given that there is only one Mon-tessori school in Georgia and what the vast majority of Georgian students are offered is standard mass education, the question of ability grouping loses none of its relevance. How much importance should Georgia attach to promoting aca-demic excellence at the top? Is it socially optimal to invest in a small number of high achievers or should the entire thrust of Georgia’s education policy be on clos-ing social and cultural gaps?

IT DEPENDS…How much academic excellence a coun-try needs (and can afford) may depend on its level of economic development. This is a key insight from Michael Por-ter’s theory of stages of development, as practiced, for example, by the World Economic Forum in its Global Com-petitiveness report.

According to this theory, at low levels of economic development (as measured, for example, by income per capita), a country’s progress mainly depends on its factor endowment, such as unskilled labor, land and natural resources. Com-panies sell basic products e.g. raw agri-

cultural products and commodities, competing primarily on price. Maintain-ing competitiveness at this stage hinges primarily on the availability of an inex-

pensive, healthy and basic-skilled work-force.

When a country exhausts its cheap labor reserves, wages start rising, forc-ing companies to invest in more capital-intensive technologies, substituting machines and highly skilled machine operators for low-skilled labor. At this intermediate stage of development, economies progress depending on how successful they are in making more effi -cient use of available factors and, in particular, upgrading the skill endow-ment of their workers. Companies now focus on adding value, processing raw materials, assembling garments, vehicles and electronic equipment. With quality and effi ciency becoming the name of the game, competitiveness increasingly depends on the availability more pro-ductive, middle-skilled workforce.

Finally, as a country’s income per cap-ita continues to increase relatively to the rest of the world, its labor becomes too expensive to be competitively engaged in the mass production of standard goods (that can be produced in cheaper juris-dictions). At this stage, any routine operation that can be outsourced over-seas gets outsourced. Companies are forced to focus their domestic operations on high-end services (e.g. fi nancial), highly automated manufacturing, R&D and product innovation, posing very high qualifi cation requirements for their work-ers and offering higher compensation in return.

Importantly, countries at any stage of development need workers of all three qualifi cation levels. However, they don’t need them to the same extent.

HOW MANY IT ENGINEERS

CAN GEORGIA TRAIN AND PRODUCTIVELY EMPLOY?Having been recently upgraded by WEF to the group of effi ciency-driven econo-mies (the second, intermediate category on Porter’s list above), Georgia does not stand out when it comes to the perfor-mance of its education system. Far from it. Judging by Georgia’s performance in the internationally comparable PISA tests in math, science and reading (most recently available data are from 2015), Georgia’s schools produce about the “right” number of high achievers, slightly less than 1% of total student population. This is, of course, far below top perform-ing countries, such as Singapore, but ok for our level of development. Likewise, with slightly more than 50% of Georgian students qualifi ed as “low achievers” in PISA, our performance in this regard is also roughly in line with that of other members of our club. Yes, Russia and Bulgaria are doing much better, but they also have much higher levels of income per capita and lesser shares of rural population.

PISA RESULTS FOR GEORGIA AND A GROUP OF EFFICIENCY-DRIVEN ECONOMIES WHAT IS PISA?PISA is an international study which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and sci-ence. Georgia participated in two PISA waves (2009 and 2015) involv-ing almost 4,000 students from about 200 schools. The 2015 results indicate considerable progress over time. That said, Georgia remains far behind most countries that chose to participate in PISA, ranking 60th in mathematics, 63rd in science, and 65th in reading out of 72 par-ticipating countries. A comparison of PISA results for 2009 and 2015 suggests that Georgia has been relatively more successful in addressing the equity challenge by improving performance at the bot-tom, and relatively less successful in promoting academic excellence at the top of the performance dis-tribution.

As Georgia ponders its future educa-tion strategy, it faces a stark choice.

First, it could try to do more to promote excellence at the top by encouraging private investment in schools, universi-

ties and colleges, creating “elite” ability groups within its public schools and universities, and removing bureaucratic hurdles for those willing to create the new and different in education.

The alternative is to continue enforc-ing certain minimum standards of edu-cation as a means of closing social gaps and cultivating a cadre of middle-skilled workers: steady, responsible and hard-working, able to speak a foreign language and operate computers or machines.

The fi rst strategy, while appealing to the proud Georgian ego, is wrought with risks. First, it may not be feasible given the dearth of high quality instructors and institutional capacity to innovate and nurture talent. Second, it may not be affordable from the purely fi nancial point of view – high quality instruction comes with signifi cant costs, including faculty compensation and infrastructure. Third, even if Georgia were to educate hundreds of world class IT engineers, it may not be in a position to retain its top talent. When it comes to wages, availabil-ity of venture capital for startups and career prospects in established compa-nies, Georgia is simply no match for more development competitors in West-ern Europe, North America or Russia. Thus, overinvestment in high-end edu-cation may result in brain drain, rather than faster development.

*countries belong to the group of effi ciency driven economies in 2017, according to the WEF classifi cation**Students who are able to creatively and autonomously apply their knowledge and skills to a wide variety of situations (PISA test, 2015)

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 20176 BUSINESS

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

On November 29, the Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum is to be opened under the patron-age of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikash-

vili. It is jointly organized by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. The International Belt and Road, or as it is also called, the Silk Road Forum, brings together high-profi le delegates from 34 countries worldwide, with Prime Minister of Moldova Pavel Filip, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman, and Vice Prime Minister of Slovenia, Karl Erjavec, among the numerous public and private sector representatives attending the event.

As the Ministry of Economy and Sus-tainable Development of Georgia states, quoting Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Min-ister, “Georgia is to become a platform

for international dialogue, with the pos-sibility to discuss the links and connec-tions countries have [in order] to develop and increase trade, enhance infrastruc-ture and attract investments”.

“On November 28, high level discussions will begin on both business and political levels, about the issues related to increasing our country’s transit potential,” Arveladze said, noting that Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum

is aimed at boosting Georgia’s potential, as a country connecting Europe and Asia.

As a biennial platform for fostering high level private and public-sector dia-logue, the Forum, which is to host more

Tbilisi Belt & Road Forum Kicks Offthan 1000 participants, political fi gures, diplomats, experts, international organ-izations and business sector represent-atives, is seen as a platform for strength-ening the economic, political and cultural links between European and Asian coun-tries. The two-day event is to focus on the topics of transport infrastructure development, regional and global trade, e-commerce, regional cooperation oppor-tunities in the energy sector, communi-cation technologies, digital connectivity through panel discussions, B2B meetings; with thematic sessions to be held also.

The Tbilisi Belt and Road Forum started on November 28 at Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater. The Prime Minister of Georgia opened the event, addressing the forum participants. On November 29, the Forum is to continue at The Bilt-more Hotel, Tbilisi.

Tbilisi Silk Road Forum was initiated and held in 2015, with 34 offi cial delega-tions and business representatives from 50 countries participating.

Photo: A clip of the documentary “Vagif, as I knew him,” presented by BP in recognition of Azerbaijan’s grandmaster of jazz, Vagif Mustafazade

BY MATE FOLDI

It is just over two decades now since oil giant BP began its operations in Georgia. In that time, a mutually benefi cial rela-tionship has blossomed which

has seen the company invest more than $4bn in Georgia’s energy infrastructure, introducing international standards of safe and reliable operations, and help-ing support local communities in busi-ness start-ups, agriculture, education and Paralympic sports. Moreover, BP’s

BP President in Georgia for the Belt & Road Forum

three major energy projects that oper-ate in Georgia have signifi cantly changed the energy map of both Georgia and the Caspian region, with the new South-ern Gas Corridor expected to bring profound changes to the energy map of Europe.

Both in operation since 2006, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline (BTC) and South Caucasus gas pipeline (SCP), run by BP on behalf of two interna-tional consortia of energy companies and investors, run side by side for 248 kilometers within the territory of Geor-gia. Gas off-take pressure reduction and metering facilities on the SCP,

along with two BTC pump stations can also be found within Georgian terri-tory. There is also the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP) and Supsa terminal, which BP operate on the behalf of an international consortium of energy companies, transporting oil from the Caspian Sea oil fi elds via Azerbaijan’s Sangchal terminal to Geor-gia’s Supsa terminal on the Black Sea.

Ahead of the Tbilisi Belt & Road Forum, BP held a special event at the Georgian National Museum auditorium dedicated to the offi cial presentation of the documentary “Vagif, as I knew him”. recognition of Azerbaijan’s and

one of the world’s grandmasters of jazz, Vagif Mustafazade founder of jazz-mugam, a unique musical genre. The screening was opened by Georgian Minister of Culture, Mikheil Giorgadze, and attended by many of the late pia-nist’s Georgian friends, in addition to Country Manager for BP in Georgia, Chris Schlueter, and BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, Gary Jones.

Gary Jones is BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, accountable for all of BP’s upstream activities in the region. Starting his career with BP in 1981, Gary has held many leadership positions in drilling, operations and projects. Key leader-ship positions have included, heading BP’s operations in Iraq as General Manager Rumaila / Vice President Operations, serving as a key leader in Russia as the Project Director/Perfor-mance Unit Leader: Verkhnechonskoye, and holding multiple senior leadership positions across BP’s North Sea asset base. Ahead of the Tbilisi Belt & Road Forum, GEORGIA TODAY sat down with Gary for an exclusive interview on the signifi cance of BP’s presence in Georgia, and what plans are in place to continue their over two decade-long partnership.

The full interview will be printed in Friday’s issue of GEORGIA TODAY. Don’t miss it!

Gary Jones, BP Regional President

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 7BUSINESS

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

On December 2, the Inter-national Women’s Asso-ciation of Georgia (IWA) is to hold its annual Win-ter Fair at Radisson Blu

Iveria Hotel Tbilisi, from 10AM to 6PM. What started as a project to introduce Georgian artisans and craftsmen to a wider audience has become one of the major charity events in Tbilisi, gather-ing international organizations, embas-sies, diplomatic missions, Georgian and international sponsors, Georgian artisans and NGOs.

In 2016 alone, the Fair saw 4,000 visi-tors, and 22 diplomatic missions, 2 inter-national organizations, 5 NGOs and 150 Georgian artisans selling their products and works, from food to Christmas gifts.

The goal of each event is to raise funds for IWA Georgia charity projects and activities in Georgia, focused on sup-porting those in need, be it the elderly, children or women. In 2016-2017, the International Women’s Association of Georgia supported the Anti Violence Network Georgia with about 50% of last year’s winter fair income, helping them to purchase infrastructure, industrial kitchen equipment and utensils, along-side providing funds to furnish their new shelter. IWA Georgia also supported eight other projects carried out by NGOs, and helped provide medical aid to seven individuals from socially deprived and disadvantaged families. In 2017-2018, IWA plans to have “Empowering Women” as a motto, focusing on assisting women both in Tbilisi and in the regions of the country.

GEORGIA TODAY met with Barbara Kohler Beglinger, Acting President and Fundraising Chair of the International Women’s Association Georgia, to talk about the organization, their projects, and the upcoming Winter Fair.

LET’S START WITH YOUR INVOLVEMENT AND WORK AT THE IWA GEORGIA. HOW DO YOU FIND IT?I’ve been a fundraising chair for two years now, and I was also the Vice Pres-ident of the organization, so that’s why I’m its acting- president currently… Of course, if you’re the wife of an ambas-sador [Mrs. Kohler Beglinger is the spouse of Ambassador of Swiss to Georgia, Lukas Beglinger] it’s customary to be a member of international associations of this kind. Sometimes those are exclusive to spouses, but IWA-Georgia offers a platform for international women to work alongside

IWA Acting President on the IWA Winter Fair

Georgian women. It really is an active charity organization; it’s not a club to just socialize. For me, being a member of IWA was a challenge to a certain point, because I also work as the ambassador’s wife and manager of a Swiss artist.

IWA HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN CHARITY WORK SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 1996. WHICH OF THE PROJECTS WOULD YOU UNDERLINE?I’m very happy and proud about the Focus Project we implemented this year, with the funds we raised at the 2016 Winter Fair going to support the Anti Violence Network Georgia. Their shel-ter is now up and working, and when you see what they do, how they help these people to fi nd jobs, get an educa-tion, fi nd housing, this is truly an inspi-ration.

This charity aspect and, indeed, the existence of the IWA, is really needed in Georgia. All of us work voluntarily. Most signifi cant was getting Charity NGO status, meaning that the IWA is not subject to taxation and our sponsors can donate without paying taxes.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE WHICH PROJECTS TO SUPPORT?

IWA adopted this year new stringent guidelines for project selection and management. With our Focus projects, the main projects we do, we work with NGOs. When we receive a request of support, our CPC (Community Project Committee) visits and then we discuss it at the CPC meetings. Once funding is agreed, we consistently monitor pro-gress. It’s hard work and it’s important for people to know that we will monitor everything and that we will take money back if we are not satisfi ed with the way

that money is being used.

WHERE DO YOU SEE MOST ASSISTANCE BEING NEEDED IN GEORGIA?Basically, help is needed everywhere. However, while working with the Anti Violence Network Georgia, we saw that it’s vitally important to support women in this country. This is not a gender ques-tion per se; we’ve observed that the pil-lar to really holding a family together is very often the wife. It may sometimes be hidden, but it’s a reality. That’s why for 2018, we decided to focus on projects that empower women and support women in need. Last year, through our Winter Fair, we managed to raise GEL 153,000, and 50% went to one focus project, which is the highest amount we’ve ever spent on any one project. In 2018, we aim to support women in the regions, in shel-ters, and women living in IDP settle-ments. For the rural women, it’s often not easy to fi nd employment, as they have children and need to stay at home. We saw that there are potential spaces for kindergartens and one of our ideas is to get kindergartens up and running so that these women can leave their children and work for a few hours a day. We also have a project to support women

with cancer, and their rehabilitation, with the same goal to enable them to take care of their children, to work and so on. Our goal is to support women in need and their families, which will ulti-mately result in supporting society at large.

TELL US ABOUT THE UPCOMING WINTER FAIRThis year, we have 26 embassies partici-pating, two international organizations, 35 different food stalls, 19 international

product stalls, about 200 vendors and 40 sponsors, and all of it to be located within 2000 sq.m. of Radisson Blu Hotel, in the Lobby-Lounge area, the Ballroom, the conference rooms, in the Filini restaurant, and on Filini terrace. It’s a huge event, and there’ll be a lot of food! The prepar-atory process is not at all easy, because of the diversity of participants and the challenges of product procurement, some-times from abroad, which takes time. What makes us proud is that the annual IWA Fair is an event not to miss, both for people from Georgia and from the inter-national side. At the Winter Fair, you can fi nd very nice gifts that you wouldn’t fi nd anywhere else, and for all the vendors and sponsors, it’s a good place to be because they know they’ll reach Georgian and international public.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME TO THE WINTER FAIR?Well, you’ll fi nd things you won’t be able to fi nd elsewhere, as well as an impres-sive diversity of food and other products from all over the world. It is really an attractive fair with a nice ambiance, not to be found in ordinary shopping malls - good for smart shoppers and families. At the opening – at 10am - we’ll have a choir singing, and we’ll have Jako Radio interviewing different people. But more importantly, the Winter Fair serves a good and important purpose. Just by coming, you’ll be doing good, because

with every Lari you spend there, you’ll be helping someone Georgian who is in need, bringing the true meaning of Christmas to life.

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF SUCCESS BEHIND THE IWA WINTER FAIR? I think the secret is the collective com-mitment and engagement of innumerable people; , if you count the people who are helping, it can be in the thousands, all doing it together. What is also unique about the Fair is that it links the Georgians with the international community; you feel it in the entire ambiance.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 20178 BUSINESS

Within the framework of the Georgian Hotels’ Regional Network Development Project “12 hotels in 12 regions” by

been opened in Kutaisi under the Best Western International brand.

The hotel accommodates 45 guest rooms, including 40 standard rooms and 5 suites. The hotel was designed taking into consideration special conditions and safety for guests with disabilities.

Three mobile conference halls are available with a total capacity of about 100 persons.

and a grill-bar menu in the roof top restaurant with panoramic views over the city.

The International Hotels Management Company “T3 Hospitality Management,” providing the hotel management, has 20 years’ experience in hotel management in different countries globally.

Address: 11 Grishashvili Str., 4600, Kutaisi, GeorgiaTEL 219 71 00 info@bwkutaisi.com

FIRST BRAND HOTEL IN KUTAISI UNDER BEST WESTERN INTERNATIONAL

BY ROBERT EDGAR, LONDON

On 20 November, the think-tank Emerging Europe co-hosted ‘Out-look on Georgia’, an investment conference, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Develop-

ment (EBRD) at the EBRD’s headquarters in Lon-don. What struck this Londoner from the outset is just how pro-business the Georgian government is: whilst there is a growing backlash against cap-italism in the UK, with our nominally Conserva-tive government doing little to buck the trend for excessive legal and economic regulation, in a desperate attempt to banish the looming spectre of a Jeremy Corbyn-led government, hearing politicians actively boast about their low-tax economy as a means of courting investment, was refreshing indeed.

Mattia Romani from the EBRD was the fi rst to speak and gave an overview of Georgia’s economy as it appears today. Describing it as an example for the region with a “clear Western orientation,” he listed the key recent economic developments as being the focus on competition; social change; women and youth in the workplace; and invest-ment in renewable energy. Giorgi Cherkezishvili extolled the virtues of a small economy reaping the benefi ts of recent reforms. Corruption is min-imal, and Georgia is breathing down the UK’s neck in the Economic Freedom Index, coming 13th place just behind the UK’s 12th (Georgia notably increased by 3.4 points on last year whilst the UK remained the same), crime is low, and Moody’s recently upgraded Georgia’s credit rating from BA3 to BA2.

Both individual speakers have a vested interest in presenting Georgia in the best possible light, and it wasn’t until Maximilien Lambertson, from the Economist Intelligence Unit, spoke, that we heard a slightly more sober view. Georgia’s GDP is down from 2015-16 due to a downturn in global energy prices, but exports are up and the projected GDP for this year is regularly being revised upwards. The main problem cited in Lambertson’s talk was uncertainty: both on a global scale, with political risk being a factor in Turkey, Russia, the USA, and Europe; and domestically, with reference being made to the recent prohibition on foreigners buy-ing agricultural land which was enshrined in the constitution this year. Theoretically, the govern-ment can grant exemptions to this rule, but uncer-tainty remains. Nevertheless, transport links such as the recently opened Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, and the great potential for hydro-electric invest-ment, as well as the booming tourism industry,

Outlook on Georgia Conference Held in London

ensured that the content of the talk remained overwhelmingly positive.

The panel discussion on fi nance shined a light on improvements which have to be made in that sector: Koba Gvenetadze, governor of the National Bank of Georgia, explained that the fi nancial sec-tor in Georgia is 90% composed of commercial banks, but there is very little in terms of microfi -nance, and the capital market size is comparatively negligible. The solutions presented by Gventadze were the coming introduction of a corporate bonds market, harmonizing local regulation with EU and IOSCO regulation, and ensuring that proper mar-ket supervision is in place. Georgia can probably never become a huge capital market, but there is certainly plenty of room for it to grow, and the fi nancial sector in general has become more open; Otari Sharikadze from Galt and Taggart made the point that there has been a tangible shift towards meritocracy and away from nepotism.

Most striking, however, was the discussion on the Anaklia Deep Sea Port, which aims to be operational by 2021. It’s a vast and ambitious pro-ject which aims to link Europe with the East by utilizing the above mentioned transport links with Georgia’s neighbors in order to transport cargo across the Black Sea. It also aims to become a focal-point for goods coming from Russia and eventually from India up through Iran. Keti Bochorishvili (CEO, Anaklia City) made the entic-ing point that through their position as a cross-roads between North, South, East, and West, Georgia has the potential to act as a gateway to a market of around 2 billion people.

I suppose the Georgian government is building on its past successes with big international com-panies (Emily Olson from BP praised the “ease of doing business” there) by making the country as amenable as possible to business opportunities. Anaklia’s literature lists the Georgian government as “concessionaire” which shows shrewdness on the government’s part; they attract investors to help develop the infrastructure, charging them very little in tax until dividends start being paid, but they reap the end-benefi ts in terms of increased imports / exports. It’s a risk, of course; if it doesn’t work then they’ll have given away concessions for nothing, but if it does then it will be yet another example of trust and stability which business needs in order to function.

¬¬¬Karl Marx opined that history repeats itself “the fi rst time as tragedy, the second as farce”. Thankfully, it would appear that the Georgians have had rather enough of Karl Marx and are tak-ing a more optimistic view as they attempt to reposition themselves as a trade bridge between the Silk Road and the West.

ADVERTORIAL

The German Business Association (Deutsche Wirtschaftsvereinigung/DWV), the second largest bilateral business agglomeration in Georgia, is to celebrate its 10th anniversary on

December 1 at the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater.

DWV is also representing the world´s third big-gest trade fair company, Messe Frankfurt, and Sen-ior Expert Service, an internationally highly respected provider of distinguished experts to companies and institutions in Georgia. During the last 10 years, it has brought various major German investments into Georgia and works to promote Georgian-German business relations in a European context. Due to its close liaison with the German Embassy and German development cooperation, as well as

10th Anniversary of German Business Association (DWV) in Georgia

with the worldwide network of chambers abroad and its strong web presence, it serves thousands of addressees all over the world with information about business opportunities in Georgia each year.

The Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theater stands exemplary for Georgian-German relations since it is based on a German architectural design and uses German stagecraft. The Georgian State Ballet will perform a masterpiece with music from German composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

The exclusive event, part of the German-Georgian Year, is invitation only. Gold sponsors of the anni-versary are Hansa-Flex Georgia, Insta, Knauf and HeidelbergCement Caucasus. Sponsors also include Arvato Bertelsmann, Barth_Co. Spedition, Caparol Georgia, Ivermedi, Lufthansa, Messe Frankfurt, Orient-Logic and Unimedi. Media partner of the event is GEORGIA TODAY.

WHERE: Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet TheaterWHEN: 1 December, 18:30

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 9BUSINESS

ADVERTORIAL

New restaurant “La Boheme,” at 34/36 Abashidze Str., Tbilisi, stands out for its unique North African interior and cozy atmosphere. Abashidze is famous for various restaurants and

cafes, but La Boheme is the fi rst of its kind there to offer such a rich menu, making it the perfect dining place for lovers of Mediterranean food. Ital-ian chef, Enzo Neri, who is very experienced in this sphere and has worked in different countries including Italy, England and the UAE, is ready to offer you the autumn favorite, a tender and mouth-watering beef short rib, velvety pumpkin and gin-ger puree. Enzo is specialized in classic cuisine with a modern twist.

La Boheme also offers exquisite Lebanese chicken,

La Boheme: All about the Good Life

and prosciutto pizza that will melt your heart, our personal favorite from the menu. Enzo has worked in Georgia before, so he is familiar with Georgian culture and food: he says he believes that Geor-gian people won’t be disappointed with what he has to offer. As the restaurant is multicultural, it varies in taste, with Enzo evaluating ingredients so that people can actually feel what they eat: “I make the ingredients express themselves,” the chef says.

He also differs from other chefs in the fact he doesn’t use a lot of cream, fat or fl our and focuses a lot on the use of extra virgin olive oil.

Another huge plus about the locale is the hospi-table atmosphere, not only from the staff but the owner himself, who is very keen on what he does, having successfully created a perfect combination of high class restaurant with affordable prices and a fancy lounge where you can listen to relaxing music and enjoy a variety of cocktails.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 201710 BUSINESS

In the last two weeks of November, ISET’s Retail Food Price Index showed a signifi cant, 10.8% y/y increase (compared to November 2016). On a monthly basis (com-

pared to October 2017), food prices in Tbilisi’s major supermarkets increased slightly by 0.9%. We recorded the big-gest bi-weekly price increases for egg-plant (41.2%), cucumbers (20.5%), and onions (16.3%). Prices dropped the most for tangerines (-8%), garlic (-3.2%), and carrots (2%).

RETAIL FPI THROUGH THE YEARSIn the last three years, food prices in Tbilisi’s retail markets have been stable. Monthly infl ation was minimal in July 2016 (-4%), and hit its maximum in Jan-uary 2017 (6%). In the remaining months, food prices have been fl uctuating at around 3%.

Taking November 2014 - October 2015 as a base year, it is noticeable that food

Retail FPI | ISET’s Retal Food Price Index Is Three Years Old

prices decreased from January 2016 to November 2017. From that point forward, food prices have been increasing. In November 2017, Retail FPI is the high-est compared to the same month in previous years (November 2016, Novem-ber 2015, November 2014). This might be a signal of further price increases, especially with New Year coming soon.

Looked at from an annual perspective (November 2017 vs. November 2016), on average, Tbilisi’s retail markets experi-enced signifi cant annual price increases in the fi ve food categories comprising the Retail FPI: fruits (3%), grocery (3%), non-alcoholic beverages (6%), meat (9%), and dairy products (16%). However, veg-etables are 18% cheaper on average com-pared to the previous year. Given the upcoming skiing season and the fact that Georgia is rich with skiing resorts, the number of tourists might increase; this in turn might put additional upward pressure on food prices.

BY MATE FOLDI

On November 22, the “New Skills for Agriculture” conference brought together representatives of the Georgian govern-

ment, businesses, civil society, farmers associations and educational institutions, to discuss the new trends in vocational education and training, including Work-based Learning and university minor programs for vocational trainers, while also focusing on the prospects and chal-lenges of vocational education and train-ing in agriculture. The conference was a part of the EU Vocational Skills Week 2017 which was held between November 20 and 24 across different European and EU neighborhood countries under the slogan “Raising VET attractiveness & excellence”.

Ketevan Natriashvili, First Deputy Min-ister of Education and Science of Geor-gia, and Shombi Sharp, Deputy Head of UNDP in Georgia opened the event.

“I’d like to thank involved all partners for making this program a possibility,” Natriashvili said. “I think it’s extremely relevant and pertinent that we are hav-ing this discussion today as part of the broader EU Vocational Skills Week 2017. The EU is of course also a very impor-tant player in promoting and modern-izing vocational training here in Georgia, and I think that this fi ts very well with Georgia’s broader European path. Geor-gia is already a well-known leader in the region for many reforms, in governance, public services, anti-corruption, so now strong reform in the education and agri-culture sector, centered around voca-tional training, is perfectly within that already developed identity,” she con-cluded.

“The challenges are clear and very

signifi cant: Georgia is facing a 12% national unemployment average, 30% unemployment among youth, and hid-den unemployment in agriculture,” Sharp added. “Vocational education and training is one of the most effective ways to address these issues and create more jobs and learning opportunities, in rural areas especially. Indeed, we are fortunate to be able to learn from the European and Swiss experiences on how to best address these challenges. This begins with making the profession of being a vocational trainer an exciting and fulfi lling prospect, and bringing the most modern and exciting curriculums and technologies into the process and creating vocational training as an excit-ing fi rst choice for young students as a career path. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting a job and creating employment, so bringing employers, the private sector, businesses, into the fold is crucial, while new approaches

has to tell them that they have made the right choice,” the UNDP Deputy Head concluded.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Agriculture, with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Swiss Agency for Develop-ment and Cooperation (SDC), in partner-ship with the National Center of Education Quality Development, Georgian Farmers’ Association and other partners.

to work-based learning and life-long learning are also very exciting develop-ments. As an example from the latest private project from the Georgian Farm-ers Association, we have 40 students who have been placed across four dif-ferent regions in Georgia getting real-life experience as part of their vocational training. So, if anyone asks, ‘how can we make vocational training more attrac-tive?’ I always tell them to go and speak and speak to those 40 students. Nobody

‘New Skills for Agriculture’ Conference Promotes Vocational Education

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 11BUSINESS

ADVERTORIAL

Tbilisi is becoming more and more environmentally friendly and it’s now pos-sible to sort and take waste to several recycling points

across the city. Most modern cities face consumerism and waste management issues, but not everyone is willing to make the necessary changes to their lifestyles and habits to deal with these modern challenges.

In order to reduce waste and follow a city’s sustainable waste management plan, sorting waste and placing it in recycling bins should become part of a person’s everyday routine. Therefore, the WMTR II program has put waste separation corners at the following loca-tions in Tbilisi:

Goodwill Hypermarket (Parnavaz Mepe Ave); the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia (6 Dimitry Gulia Str.); Old Meidan Hotel (9/11 Samghebro Str.); East Point Mall (2 Aleksandre Tvalchrelidze Str.); and Fab-rika Hostel Tbilisi (8 Egnate Ninoshvili Street).

WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED AND HOW? You can take the following sorted paper, glass, plastic and aluminium. waste to the

New Recycling Spots in Tbilisiabovementioned spots.

Before placing waste into the bins, be sure to pay attention to where you dis-pose of each specifi c type of waste. The waste bins have labels stating what type of waste they are for.

Remember that separated waste must always be clean. Dirty waste cannot be disposed of in the bins, as this will make the whole contents of the bin unsuitable for recycling. Make sure that plastic or glass bottles or aluminium cans have no liquid inside.

Place the waste in the correct bin. Paper containers are for: books, journals

and newspapers, notebooks, envelops, and other clean waste paper.

Glass containers are for: glass bottles and jars

Plastic containers are for: plastic bottles and vessels

Aluminium containers are for: alumin-ium cans

More waste separation corners are planned, so start sorting your waste today!

Separated waste pa rtially goes to local recycling companies and partially to export.

Check out our map with all the loca-tions and directions here: environment.cenn.org

For daily updates and tips on recycling, visit our Facebook page: WMTR II pro-gram

The WMTR II program is supported by USAID and implemented by CENN.

BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE

The Czech Republic supports the implementation of the project for the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, stated Czech

President Milos Zeman while in Russia on a fi ve-day offi cial visit.

"Based on the materials, and based on the position of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, I can express the support of the Czech Republic for the Nord Stream 2 project," Zeman was quoted as saying by TV Barrandov.

The Czech president is also said to have noted that, "some countries criti-cize the project," but "the Czech Repub-lic has its own position and defends its own interests”.

In the past, the Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that a number of European countries, despite the obvi-ous benefi t of implementing the project for Europe as a whole, are trying to exert pressure on Russia and its Euro-pean partners participating in the con-struction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline.

Today, the construction of Nord Stream-2 is provoking even greater res-onance in the EU, as a number of coun-tries, mainly Eastern Europe, have come out strongly opposed to the project, claiming it a political rather than eco-nomic project that allegedly “violates

Czech Republic Supports the Implementation of Nord Stream-2

the EU's ‘energy unity’” and encourages “dependence on Russian energy sup-plies”.

The fate of the project largely depends not on the economic, but on the geopo-litical component. Several strong players, especially Germany, still insist that the gas pipeline should be built for economic reasons. Severely opposed to Nord Stream-2 are the US, who are trying to lobby in Europe for the supply of their own liquefi ed natural gas (LNG).

The benefi t for Berlin is obvious: Ger-many will become the main gas hub through which the distribution of "blue fuel" to other EU countries will pass.

Poland and Slovakia actively oppose the gas pipeline: if it is to be built, these countries are likely to lose their cash receipts for the transit of Russian gas. Further, Poland has an interest in pre-venting the construction of the Nord

Stream-2, with Warsaw trying to impose its own role on Europe in promoting American LNG gas, hoping in return to become a major gas hub for the supply of this type of fuel.

Italy, in principle, is annoyed by the position of Brussels and opposes the project because the European offi cials actually blocked another Russian project - South Stream, which is very benefi cial for the Italian side. Italy says it fails to understand why Russian gas should go to Europe, not through the Black Sea, as previously thought, but through the Bal-tic, through which another Russian gas pipeline, the Nord Stream-1, is already passing to Germany.

The Nord Stream-2 project envisages the construction of two branches of the gas main through the Baltic Sea, the total volume of which will amount to 55 bil-lion cubic meters of gas per year.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 201712 SOCIETY

INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

With the “Terror Raid” of Tbilisi on Novem-ber 22 making inter-national headlines around the globe,

there was one crucial aspect that wasn’t touched upon by international outlets, yet seemed to be a subject of much vex-ation in Georgian society: how Georgian media opted to report on Special Forces operations broadcasting detailed live coverage from the areas they shouldn’t have been allowed to enter, thus inadvert-ently assisting the sieged combatants and potentially even providing them with important logistical information. Where is the fi ne line that separates competitive professionalism and ethics? That was the question GEORGIA TODAY and Pano-rama Talk Show asked Chriss Elliott, former Reader’s Editor at The Guardian, who kindly agreed to share with us the Western know-how on the matter.

DESPITE THE POTENTIAL LOGISTICAL RISKS [MENTIONED ABOVE], THE MEDIA SAYS IT’S THEIR DUTY TO INFORM THE PEOPLE. WHAT’S YOUR TAKE? HOW SHOULD MEDIA BEHAVE IN SUCH SITUATIONS?The fi rst thing is to borrow from the Google code of conduct: do no evil, do no harm. I remember there was quite a lot of criticism two years ago, when, two days after the Charlie Hebdo killings in Paris, there was an attack on a super-market during which some people hid from the gunmen in a refrigerator. There was huge criticism, I think even a civil law case, against the 24/7 live TV station which was broadcasting, in real time, telling their viewers and the terrorists in that supermarket, that there were people hiding in the fridge. That could have led to the deaths of those people. Clearly, that is not responsible media! Of course, it’s our duty to give viewers and readers the clearest picture on what’s going on, but do no harm! Do not reveal information that may allow terrorists to kill more people. Responsible media would see that as a fi rst guideline on

covering any terror attack or counter-terrorism operation. MEDIA OUTLETS WERE TRYING TO COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER TO SHOW THE MOST SHOCKING LIVE MATERIAL. JOURNALISTS WERE GOING INTO A RESTRICTED AREA TO FILM We had a conference yesterday where we talked about media ethics in the modern age. Christina Nikolitis Squires, the head of content at Sky News UK, made an unequivocal point: we want to be right, not fi rst. So, you do not release info that you are unsure about and you defi nitely don’t’ release anything if it could lead to someone being killed. One could almost call it slow journalism, because you have to wait until you are certain with your reports. I don’t know everything about the raid in Tbilisi but I think if competitive media organizations are more concerned about competition than people’s lives, then something is quite clearly not right. You have to make a judgment. This is where news organization professionalism comes in. On the one hand, if we tell the public that there are people hiding in the fridge, knowing that terrorists are monitoring live broadcasts and that it could lead to their deaths, that’s clearly wrong. If, on the other hand, state authorities restrict reporting without clear reasons, then that’s more problematical. It comes down to the professional judgment, but the interests of saving people’s lives should come fi rst. Competition should come second.

THE GOV’T CAME UNDER HEAVY CRITICISM FOR NOT HAVING A MEDIA STRATEGY FOR SUCH A SCENARIOAll big public authorities in the UK have incident plans. Of course, media should accept its responsibilities, but it would be a lot easier for media to be responsi-ble if there was a thoughtful, guided process run by the authorities, be it police, army or special forces. Journal-ists around the world need to learn that to be credible, we should do our best to verify info and put it into context. One of the major ways we can do that is to have nominated spokespersons from the public authorities dealing with the inci-dent. Therefore, they have to have plan,

do rehearsals and so on. Actually, it would be sensible if authorities talked with journalists and the journalists pushed for such a system themselves.

THE COMMENTS SECTIONS OF SOME OUTLETS WERE SWARMED WITH HATE SPEECH AGAINST THE ETHNIC GROUP THAT THE TERROR SUSPECTS WERE THOUGHT TO BELONG TO. WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES OF THE BRITISH MEDIA ON REPORTING THE SEMANTICS OF TERROR ATTACKS? Hate speech is a serious problem. I sup-pose you mean the language of describ-ing the terrorists in a way which sug-gested that everyone from that community is a terrorist. You’ve got to be really careful about the language you use in these incidents. One of the other problems in social media. Last week, we had an incident in London’s Oxford sta-tion: reports of gunshots right in the heart of London at the busiest time of

the year. 16 people were injured in the crush. At least two British newspapers were ramping up twitter reports that it was actually a terrorist attack. And in one of the tweets last night they used an image used two weeks ago from some other terror attack.

SO IT’S NOT JUST A PROBLEM IN GEORGIFar from it. We live in more fearful age. When you look at the coverage of migra-tion, and we are in the biggest period of migration since the end of WWII, mil-lions of people are leaving their homes seeking better lives. Newspapers, espe-cially mainstream media, which is losing ground in terms of advertising, are edgier than ever and eager to increase clicks on their website. I think that’s a real danger. It really borders inciting violence. I think hate speech is a real danger these days and we should aim to avoid it.

IN GEORGIA, PANKISI GORGE

IS BEING TURNED INTO A BLACK SPOT BECAUSE SOME OF ITS INHABITANTS WENT TO FIGHT FOR ISISThat is foolishly discriminatory because it won’t solve the problem and you’re actually playing the terrorists’ game. They want you to do that because it creates further pain and suffering and is therefore, likely to draw more people into terrorism. News organizations have a responsibility to avoid that- not just a moral responsibility; it is sensible commercially, too. If we want to build a commercial model for journalism in the future, journalists have to be cred-ible and people have to trust them. While it is actually a moral imperative (in saving lives and having happier com-munities) it is also really important if you want people to pay for journalism, be it broadcast, print, web, whatever: you have to show you can be trusted. And that’s why you should be really careful what you say, when you say it and the images you use.

Photo source: i.guim.co.uk

BY THEA MORRISON

The President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili stated that the offi cial sta-tistics of 22 femicide cases in 2017 is a “tragic” set of

data.The President added that further efforts

are necessary in this direction for future prevention.

However, Margvelashvili pointed out that women’s awareness in terms of domestic violence has increased in the country.

“Nowadays, the state and society are reacting better to facts of violence and oppression against women. More than 10,000 cases of violence have been reported,” he added.

Margvelashvili also expressed satisfac-tion over the ratifi cation of Council of Europe Convention on violence against women and domestic violence adopted in 2011 that further aids Georgia in elim-ination of violence against women.

He said that in terms of preventing femicide, Georgia does not have an ideal standing, nor even close to ideal.

"We should realize that femicide is an issue for our entire society. Many prob-lems can be prevented by adopting leg-islative amendments or carrying out new policies; however, today I would like to address Georgian society: you play a crucial role in preventing violence against women,” Margvelashvili told participants

of the international conference ‘Femicide Cases Monitoring Tools and Mechanisms,’ held last Thursday.

The Deputy Public Defender, Eka Skh-irtladze, said that this year the number of attempted murders is also high, with 11

2017 Statistics for Georgia: 22 Cases of Femicide

Former Reader’s Editor at The Guardian Advises Media on Best Practice

cases having been observed, eight of which were identifi ed as domestic violence.

The law enforcement agencies claim that addressing domestic violence vic-tims has increased, and not the cases themselves. According to Deputy Interior

Minister Nino Javakhadze, in 2017, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) issued 3,137 restrictive orders on domestic vio-lence. Last year, 2,910 orders were issued.

The data of restrictive orders since 2013 is as follows: 2013 – 227 orders, 2014

– 817, 2015 – 2.598, 2016 – 2.877 and 2017 [as of October] – 3.137.

Moreover, the Chief Prosecutor's Offi ce of Georgia reports that according to data of 11 months, the proceedings for domes-tic violence cases began against 1,180 people. Last year, the proceedings started against 1,356, in 2015 - 1,066 and in 2014 - 550.

The Public Defender Ucha Nanuash-vili, believes that it is necessary for femicide to be defi ned in the Criminal Ccode of Georgia.

“This will be recognition of the impor-tance of the offense and in case of quali-fi cation it will be possible to consider the offenses as crimes committed in aggra-vating circumstances,” Nanuashvili stated.

Vice-Speaker of the Parliament of Geor-gia, Tamar Chugoshvili, also supports the introduction of the defi nition of femicide in the Criminal Code of Georgia.

As Chugoshvili says, the existing legal framework in the country is not enough to eradicate the problem.

The draft law on defi ning femicide as a separate crime failed twice in Parlia-ment last year. It was supported only by 48 MPs during the voting, while a min-imum 50 votes was necessary for adop-tion.

In January 2017, the Republicans applied to Parliament with the legislative ini-tiative of defi ning femicide. The amend-ments also included recognition of gender crimes as an aggravating cir-cumstance, but the Parliament’s Com-mittee on Legal Issues discussed and did not support it.Photo source: Tabula

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 13POLITICS

OP-ED BY EMIL AVDALIANI

Despite the fact that, historically, Mos-cow and Ankara have been geopo-litical rivals, there are now a number of common interests driving both countries to work more closely. The

fi rst arena of cooperation is the Syrian battlefi eld. Although the two powers have different views on the future of the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, Moscow and Ankara cooperate not to allow the Kurdish issue to get out of hand. Russia has been closely working with Iran since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011 and, quite naturally, this must have alienated the Turkish side. However, there are hints from time to time that Russia and Iran have disagreements over the future of Syria. For instance, the Iranian formula of support for the Syrian government does not include any compro-mises regarding the Assad family, whereas Russia has been always willing to make some concessions on the diplomatic front as long as its core interests in Syria, military bases and political infl uence, are retained. And here, too, Ankara and Moscow could at times share similar views on constraining Iranian ambitions.

Both share somewhat ambiguous relations with the US. Although Turkey is a NATO member and quite naturally should have been closely aligned with the western powers in Syria, Ankara never-theless has its own clear goals based on its geo-graphical needs and interests in the broader Mid-dle East. Ankara was wary of the US military aid to the Kurds in Syria and other issues on the future of Assad’s regime. Russia is also concerned with the US actions in Syria and within the wider for-mer Soviet space.

Beyond the Middle East conundrum, Turkey and Russia also share diffi cult relations with the EU. Ankara has been strongly criticized by Brus-sels of late, while Russia has been in a standoff with Europe over Ukraine since 2014. Moreover, the two countries have extensive economic and military projects, such as the selling of Russian S-400 to Turkey; Russian participation in the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear plant in Tur-key and the progress on the massive Turkish Stream gas project which will enable Russia to bolster its gas exports to south Europe by cir-cumventing Ukraine.

THEY ALSO SHARE DIFFERENCESDespite some concrete steps in furthering bilat-

eral relations, Turkey and Russia still remain geo-political rivals with overlapping interests in sev-eral strategically vital regions. One such theater is the Black Sea region. Turkey’s geographic posi-tion gives it the longest shore on the Black Sea and natural control over the Bosporus and Dar-danelles straits, making the country capable of projecting its military and economic power across the entire Black Sea. The area has historically been a battle ground between the Russian and Ottoman empire since the 18th century, followed by the Cold War military dispositions. Thus, Tur-key, like Russia, has a natural interest in extending its zone of infl uence in the Black Sea, leaving lit-tle room for the two countries to fi nd a founda-tional compromise in the longer run. To this should be added Russian military moves in the region since 2014, when Moscow incorporated the Crimean Peninsula which, due to its geographic position, gives the Russians the upper hand in terms of military infrastructure and the ability to cover all the shores of the Black Sea.

To the east of the Black Sea in the South Cauca-sus, Turkey and Russia share somewhat different views on the region. Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkey has actively worked on reconnecting the South Caucasus region to its growing energy consumption market by initiat-ing/facilitating various east-west energy and infrastructure projects. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Tbilisi-Supsa pipelines, as well as the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, are only some of those major projects Ankara is currently support-ing. (At the same time, as I wrote several weeks ago for GT, Turkish-Georgian relations will not be sacrifi ced because of progress in Russo-Turkish relations).

It is in Turkey’s vital interests to keep Russia away from the Georgian transit corridor. Indeed, there are reasons for Turkey to worry, as Russia recently moved makeshift border signs of the South Ossetia demarcation line further south, threatening the vital East-West highway connect-ing the Caspian and the Black Seas. Although it is very unlikely at the moment that Turkey will militarily confront Russia in the region, Ankara nevertheless is thinking about increasing Geor-gia and Azerbaijan’s military capabilities. The Trilateral Format of cooperation between the three countries has boomed since its inception in 2012.

Another area of different worldviews between Russia and Turkey is the simmering Nagorno-Karabakh confl ict. Russia has its own agenda for

In Central Asia, Ankara deems itself a natural ally of all Central Asian states. As Russian economic infl uence in the region decreases, so is Russian cultural infl uence

A Deeper Look at Turkey-Russia Relations

confl ict resolution. In fact, Moscow would prefer to keep the existing status quo as long as pos-sible, but constant fi ghting with occasional rad-ical spikes in clashes leaves little room for keep-ing the existing formula. That is why Russia would always want Turkey (as Azerbaijan’s ally) be as much distanced from the confl ict as pos-sible.

Further east in Central Asia, Ankara deems itself a natural ally of all Central Asian states as there are strong ethnic ties between Turkey and Turkic peoples of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Tajiks have always been more infl uenced by Iranian culture). As Russian eco-nomic infl uence in the region decreases, so is Russian cultural infl uence. For instance, Kazakh-stan announced this year that the country will be transitioning from a Cyrillic to a Latin version of alphabet. The move is widely seen as the slow process of Central Asian states slowly rejoining the Turkic cultural world which they have his-torically belonged to.

Thus, overall, when we talk about Russia-Turkey relations, we should always discuss them in the wider context of the Black Sea and the Middle East.

Emil Avdaliani teaches history and international rela-tions at Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University. He has worked for various international consulting companies and currently publishes articles focused on military and political developments across the former Soviet space and the Middle East.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 201714 POLITICS

BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, held a meeting with Volodymyr Groysman, Prime Minister of Ukraine on Monday. “Georgia

fi rmly supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its inter-nationally recognized borders, and strongly condemns the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the occupation and annexation of the city of Sevastopol, as well as illegal actions and aggression of the Russian Federa-tion in the Eastern regions of Ukraine,” the Georgian PM said.

Kvirikashvili also underlined the stra-tegic partnership of the two countries, and the intensifi ed, active cooperation between Georgia and Ukraine this year particularly, with numerous high-level visits held, and the two country dynamic interactions on sectoral and parliamen-tary levels. As the PM of Georgia empha-sized, Ukraine remains a major trade partner to Georgia, with an increased trade turnover between the two coun-tries increased by 19% this year.

Kvirikashvili said that within the Prime Minister of Ukraine’s visit to Georgia,

Georgia, Ukraine to Increase Trade & Tourism Cooperation

two memorandums will be signed; one on land registration and cadaster system development, and the second on devel-oping cooperation in the sector of med-ical drugs quality control.

Kvirikashvili thanked the PM Groysman for his unconditional support of the ter-ritorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia, noting that Georgia and Ukraine share the same aspirations to become valuable members of the European and Euro-Atlantic area, and pointing out that Georgia is ready to conduct active steps; with a complex, ambitious plan to achieve that goal.

“Further deepening our relations has huge potential, and with joint effort we will be able to overcome the challenges Georgia and Ukraine are facing, and ensure the peaceful development and prosperity of the two nations”. Prime Minister of Georgia said.

Groysman thanked Georgia’s PM for inviting him to Georgia and for the con-tinuous effort in supporting Ukraine. He talked about the positive trends in trade relations of the two countries, pointing out the potential of growing annual the $500 million turnover to 1 billion. “We can increase cooperation in various sec-tors such as agrarian and economy. and we’ll be delighted to increase business relations in Georgia,” he said.

At the Belt & Road Forum this week, a plan will be agreed upon to build a road for the transportation of goods to ensure high quality logistics together with other partners, in order to offer the best service for the transportation of

goods from Europe to Asia. Travel between Ukraine and Georgia

is to become easier, and the parties decided to start dialogue towards rec-ognizing ID cards to ease travel between the countries for Georgian and Ukrain-

ian citizens. “Our government team is ready to take

concrete actions that will support the development of the relations of our countries,” the Prime Minister of Ukraine said.

BY THE GT TEAM

Within the framework of the Eastern Part-nership (EaP) 5th Summit, Georgian Pr ime Minister

Giorgi Kvirikashvili held a meeting with President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. Both parties dis-cussed the achievements of Georgia, the positive development of dynamics in Georgia-EU relations, and the bilateral relations agenda. It was pointed out dur-ing the meeting that Georgia is ready to take even more active steps to further draw closer to the EU.

The President of the European Com-mission commended Georgia's reforms and congratulated the Prime Minister on the successful October 21 local elections.

Kvirikashvili also held a meeting with his French counterpart, Édouard Philippe. The main topics of discussion were bilateral cooperation, the progress achieved by Georgia in European and Euro-Atlantic integration, and the further strengthening of the Eastern Partnership format.

Attention was paid to the ongoing and implemented reforms in Georgia. The positive dynamics of cooperation between France and Georgia in various sectors was also acknowledged. The sides also talked about the Open Government Part-nership, which Georgia has recently taken over following the French Presi-dency.

The Georgian PM also met his Swed-

Georgia Getting it Right: Overview of the PM’s Meetings at the 5th EaP Summit

ish college, Stefan Löfven. They positively assessed the boosted economic coop-eration between Georgia and Sweden. It was noted that in the fi rst 9 months of 2017, trade turnover with Sweden increased by 38.5%. Particular attention was also paid to the current situation in Georgia's occupied territories. The Prime Minister of Sweden expressed his fi rm support for Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internation-ally recognized borders.

Prospects of the intensifi cation of eco-nomic relations and growing dynamics of trade turnover, which exceeded 41% in 2017, were the main topics discussed by Kvirikashvili and the PM of Finland, Juha Sipila. The Prime Minister of Geor-gia informed his Finnish counterpart on the progress achieved by Georgia on the path of European and Euro-Atlantic inte-gration, implemented reforms and the leading positions of the country in var-ious international ratings.

Kvirikashvili, then met Theresa May, British PM, in Brussels on November 24.

As Georgian Public Broacaster (GPB) reports, the Prime Ministers of Georgia and the UK discussed the high level of political dialogue between the two coun-tries and the active economic relations; discussing further potential for expand-ing their economic partnership. The Wardrop Strategic Dialogue 4th plenary session held in London in October also indicated a great potential for the further

strengthening of political and economic diplomacy between the two countries. During his meeting with the UK Prime Minister, Kvirikashvili also talked about the importance of cooperation with UK in the process of Georgia’s NATO and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Kvirikashvili also spoke about the ongo-ing reforms in Georgia, and thanked Prime Minister May for supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity and sov-ereignty, and for supporting Georgia in its European and Euro-Atlantic integra-tion.

“The Eastern Partnership Summit has ended, with everyone in agreement on how Georgia has managed to realize a very ambitious reform plan, and at the same time consolidate democracy,” Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated at the end of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels. “This is a great achievement for our country, for which there was a full con-sensus. It is very important that this format appeared to be an instrumental role for Georgia, enabling us to make the steps that we made to date; such as the Association Agreement signing, trade agreement and visa liberalization,” he said, further noting that the Georgian government’s ambitious reform plan is to continue “bringing [Georgia] a pos-sibility to move even further towards Europe”.

“We have full readiness from our part-ners to support Georgia in this process, as Georgia has achieved great success. When a window of opportunity opens to Georgia, our country needs to be ready. This is our task and we’re fulfi lling it,” Kvirikashvili said.

GEORGIA TODAY NOVEMBER 28 - 30, 2017 15CULTURE

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BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI

A stunning 1500-year-old Georgian Church Moisaic Discovered in Israeli Port City- the Jerusalem Post article by Daniel K. Eisen-

bud reads. “The well-preserved remains of a 1,500-year-old colored mosaic fl oor from a Georgian church or monastery was unearthed during an excavation in the coastal city of Ashdod, the Antiqui-ties Authority announced this week”. It appears the mosiac was found in August, under the direction of Dr. Alexander Fantalkin of Tel Aviv University’s Arche-ology and Ancient Near Eastern Civili-zations Department, and Prof. Angelika Berlejung of Leipzig University.

The mosaic includes “a four-line Greek commemorative inscription dedicated to the structure’s builder, Bishop Proco-pius, as well as the year of its construc-tion, based on the Georgian calendar, saying: “[By the grace of God (or Jesus)], this work was done from the foundation under Procopius, our most saintly and most holy bishop, in the month Dios of the 3rd induction, year 292”.

As the article states, according to Dr. Leah Di Segni of the Hebrew Univer-sity of Jerusalem, the date following

1500-Year-Old Georgian Church Mosaic Discovered in Israel

the Georgian calendar goes back to 539 CE, making it the earliest appearance of the use of the Georgian calendar in Israel.

“This was many years before it was used in Georgia itself,” Segni, who deci-phered the inscription, is quoted as say-ing.

Ashkelon district archeologist Sa’ar Ganor noted that Ashdod is believed to be home to the largest community of Jews of Georgian origin in the world. “Testimony to the presence of actual Georgians in the Land of Israel as far back as the Byzantine period has been found dozens of kilometers from Ash-dod, [as well as in] Jerusalem and its surroundings,” said Ganor. “But this is the fi rst time that a Georgian church or monastery has been discovered on the Israeli coast,” the recently published piece says, further noting that according to information from the archeologists, and according to historical sources, Peter the Iberian, was believed to have lived in Ashdod–Yam before his death.

“This public structure, which has only now begun to come to light, is part of an extensive archeological complex in the southern part of modern Ashdod. We are now hard at work to raise addi-tional funds to continue the archeolog-ical excavation of Ashdod-Yam.” Sa’ar Ganor said.

BY TOM DAY

Photographs of one of the most infl uential photographers of our time, the late Vitas Luckus, are on display in the newly opened exhibition at the Geor-

gian National Museum. Jointly organized by the Siauliai Ausros Museum and the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to Georgia, the exhibition displays Luckus’s travel photography from his travels in the Caucuses.

To call Luckus a mere photographer is like calling Mount Elbrus a hill, or Tbilisi a small village. The Lithuanian Legend’s images go beyond the limits of even today’s traditional photojour-nalism. He was unique in the way he worked, behaving unlike the average traveler. Although his lenses captured plenty of ordinary material, his shots are much more than mere refl ections of reality. His unique talent as a com-municator allowed him to establish a personal and trusting relationship with the people he encountered. Choosing not to remain an observer but to fully participate in the events, the photogra-pher found an organic way to enter the daily life of his subjects and managed to convey them in their purest, uncen-sored form. He became a character in

Work of Legendary Lithuanian Photographer at Georgian National Museum

the narrative, and although he is not visible in any of the pieces, his presence can certainly be felt.

Although he was famous for his art and his personality, both in Lithuania and throughout the former Soviet Union, only a few of his personal exhibitions were held during his lifetime, and no substantial publications were produced. He did not conform to the Soviet regime that would brutally edit the pieces of work to be shown. He wouldn’t accept this and kept true to himself and his ideas. Usually artists were silenced dur-ing these times, but he was too big. He was well-known everywhere he went and was a strong public fi gure.

This exhibition is one of many projects created to further enrich relationships between Georgia and Lithuania. The Minister of Culture for Lithuania, Liana Ruokyt-Jonsson, spoke at the opening night. “We hope that this exhibition will further build cultural connections between our countries. This is not the fi rst exhibition of this kind. We have so many names to show in Georgia. I see that Georgian appreciate good art. We hope to continue this cultural exchange into the future.”

The Minister of Culture for Georgia, Guram Odisharia, added that “this is one of many cultural exchanges between Lithuania and Georgia. We have Geor-gian artists’ work being shown in Lithu-

ania, and vice versa. The cultural dialogue is very important, and we are trying to encourage it as much as we can. When you know each other’s culture, their val-

ues, this builds trust.”The exhibition is on show until Decem-

ber 14, 2017, and is open Tuesday - Sun-day 10am – 6pm, closed on Monday.

Entrance Fees to the museum itself: Adults 3 GEL, Students 1 GEL, School Children 0,5 GEL. Children under 6 are Free.