AJARA BUSINESS WEEK #3

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July 27, 2015 #3

July 27, 2015, Issue 3

BE INFORMED, DO BUSINESS IN AJARA

GEORGIA

Batumi Hosts Medical Conference

AJARA1

Pg. 2

Casino Investors Discuss Ajara Region’s Gambling Future

TURKEY

Lira weakens nearly 4 percent on week over security concerns Pg. 4

Temur Chkonia: I Believe This Newspaper is Capable of Even Making Revolution in Ajara Region

RUSSIA

Russia’s rating agency to start by year end – Central BankPg. 5 UKRAINE

European Commission unlocks first tranche of €1.8bn package to Kiev AZERBAIJAN

Pg. 6

U.S. company to supply turbo compressors for TANAP ARMENIA

Pg. 7

EBRD ready to support development of reliable and modern infrastructure in Armenia WORLD

Pg. 8

The 10 Countries with the highest/lowest levels of wellbeing Pg. 9

New Wave of Georgian Cinema Starts Travel All Over the Country

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tarting today, audience in 19 Georgian regions will see eight films made in the country and recognized at leading international festivals.

Each of the films will be released every Thursday for a week’s screening in culture centers and auditoriums throughout the regions, as part of the project run by the Ministry of Culture and the National Film Center. The selected films were produced from 2013-2015 and will be projected using equipment installed in the halls by the Culture Ministry.

Pg. 7

David Baladze: The Business Sector’s Turnover in 1Q15 Marked 721.3 million GEL Pg. 3

Pg. 4

Ajara Improves Sea Resorts Infrastructure, But Prices Grow As Well

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olidaymaking prices in Ajara have increased by 10-20% and tourists seem to be spending the same amount at Georgian and Turkish sea resorts. There difference is insignificant, travel companies assert.

Moreover, sometimes domestic service tariffs are

much higher in Batumi and Kobuleti compared to Antalia.

Batumi-based hotels are overloaded. Currently, two-bed suites with a breakfast are rented at 100-150 GEL. Some hotels assure prices will further increase in August and suites should be booked several days earlier.

Pg. 5

Ukrainian Visitors to Develop Cycling Tourism in Ajara

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krainian guests are interested in developing the cycling tourism in Ajara. Bicyclist Mikhail Diuba says for the first time he visited Ajara in 2013 and discovered a huge potential for cycling tourism development in the Region. Diuba has already started implementing the project and unveiled

a bicycles store in Batumi.

“For the first time we arrived in Ajara from Ukraine in 2013. We fell in love with this Region immediately, because there is a unique nature, hospitable people and the best dishes. For the first time we arrived in Georgia as tourists, visited mountains and a new idea was born that we would return here by bicycles the next time.

Pg. 6

International Standard Rugby Stadium to Open in Batumi

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atumi will have an international standard rugby stadium in the near future. The Chairman of Ajara AR Government Archil Khabadze together with the General Director of Association ATU Karlo Lekveishvili has visited the place and got introduced to the ongoing process today. The playground is being built on Leonidze Street.

This fact will contribute to the urban develop-

ment of surrounding area.

The total project cost is 7 775 988 GEL. 1 800 000 Gel worth of work has been already done. Kartu Group started construction works in March, 2014.

Complex area covers 4.5 hectares. The main stadium is designed for 2500 spectators. There is also a field with artificial surface for 500 spectators and sand playground for physical activity and training.

Pg. 2

Ancient Roman Mosaic Found in Georgia’s Seaside Adjara Region

Natia Kobakhidze: Opportunities That Protected Areas Offer To Visitors Pg. 7 Metro City Project Implementation to End Ahead of Schedule

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hairman of Ajara AR Government Archil Khabadze visited a newly constructed residential building on Lermontov street, Batumi. Batumi Botanical Garden area residents will move to the 5-storey, 42 apartment building soon. The house was constructed by the Company ATU and ordered by Batumi City Hall.

The house is well equipped with water, gas and electricity. Kitchen faucets, bathtubs and water heaters are installed. Kitchens and toilets are decorated.

Pg. 2

CLINIC

MEDI

Full span of State of Art Dentistry . . .

Pg. 7

Pg. 4

New House Built for Batumi Botanical Garden Residents

International Network “Aesthetic Medical Clinics Group” – Prague, St.Peterburg, Tbilisi

52 Kostava str. Tbilisi Tel: 291 00 00

Pg. 3

AJARA GOVERNMENT

2 MAIN EVENTS PM MEETS NDI STAFF

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eorgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili held a meeting today with National Democratic Institute (NDI) board member Howard Dean and the organization’s resident director Laura Thornton.

Garibashvili’s meeting with Thornton and Dean – the latter a former US presidential candidate and Vermont state governor – involved discussion of the Georgia-US strategic partnership and ongoing political processes in Georgia.

Among the subjects discussed were NDI’s future plans in the country, the Open Government Partnership and the recent developments in Georgia’s occupied territories.

HUGARY GIVES HONOR TO MEMORY OF TBILISI FLOOD SACRIFICES

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ungarian people have honoured the memory of the victims of disastrous June 13 flood in Tbilisi, which caused death of 23 people.

The ceremony was held within the annual Danube Day in Budapest, which is dedicated to the victims of flood around the world.

The event was organised by local non-governmental organisation (NGO). It’s Secretary in General Laszlo Bota delivered a speech on the ceremony and spoke about June 13 tragedy.

US FINANCES GEORGIA’S VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM BY $12 MILLION

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nited States government has allocated $12 million USD (26,938,853 GEL) to the professional development of Georgia.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is ready to give out this money to those who will create new vocational education programs and develop already existing projects for the Industry-led Skills and Workforce Development Project (ISWD). A grant competition has already been announced, which is open for all public or private Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) providers and companies, educational establishments such as universities and public or private schools, professional organisations and non-governmental organisations.

ELECTRICITY TARIFFS TO RISE IN GEORGIA

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ver one million customers of Energo-Pro Georgia power distributor company will see electricity tariff increase by 3.95 tetri (about 1.75 U.S. cents) per kWh starting from August 1, prompting the government to consider subsidies for socially vulnerable households.

Energo-Pro Georgia, which is part of the private Czech group Energo-Pro, is the largest electricity distributor in the country with 63% of market share, supplying electricity to customers in the regions, except of Kakheti

NATO WELCOMES GEORGIA’S REFORM PROGRESS A high-ranking official from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has commended Georgia for its “considerable” reforms.

NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow welcomed Georgia’s Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili to Brussels today and acknowledged the “good progress” the country had made regarding the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, which aimed to help Georgia strengthen and develop its forces and defence system.

Modern convoy vans serve Georgian prisoners A new auto park for prison guards has opened in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi today, allowing Georgian inmates to now be transported between destinations in new convoy vans. The country’s Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Giorgi Mgebrishvili personally opened the modern auto park and an office for the guards.

July 27, 2015 #3

ajara business week

International Standard Rugby Stadium to Open in Batumi

B

atumi will have an international standard rugby stadium in the near future. The Chairman of Ajara AR Government Archil Khabadze together with the General Director of Association ATU Karlo Lekveishvili has visited the place and got introduced to the ongoing process today. The playground is being built on Leonidze Street. This fact will contribute to the urban development of surrounding area.

The total project cost is 7 775 988 GEL. 1 800 000 Gel worth of work has been already done. Kartu Group started construction works in March, 2014.

Complex area covers 4.5 hectares. The main stadium is designed for 2500 spectators. There is also a field with artificial surface for 500 spectators and sand playground for physical activity

and training.

Tribune, fence, stadiums, drainage systems, coverings and roofing works are underway. At the same time the internal electrical and sanitary works are carried out. The administrative part of the building, showers and pools will be located around the stadium. Stadiums will be illuminated by the lights of European quality that will enable organizing any kind of games at nights. Parking space for 220 vehicles, sidewalks and greenery will be arranged. 60 locals are employed on construction works. Internal and external façade covering will start in two weeks, during which the number of employees will double. Works should be finished by the end of this year.

‘Rugby stadium of European standards is being built in Batumi. As Company representatives say, the facility will be ready to open by the end of 2016. The construction pace is normal. This

project is a very important step in the direction of sport. Batumi will have a playground and a base for athletes of one of the most developed sport in Georgia,’ – the Chairman of Ajara AR Government Archil Khabadze said.

Intercity and Suburb Microbuses to Serve Passengers at Three Bus Stations in Batumi

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ntercity and suburb microbuses will serve passengers at the existing three bus stations in Batumi. According to the agreement with Batumi City Hall, microbuses will move to the legal bus stations from

their own illegal stations. “We have reached an agreement with the transportation companies and drivers and microbuses have moved to the legal bus stations from illegal ones. We would like to warn passengers that all microbuses will move

from the existing bus stations in Batumi: Batumi Central and bus stations on Gogoli and Mayakovski Streets. Microbuses driving to Kobuleti will be off from the Mayakovski Street bus station”, a Batumi City Hall statement reads.

Batumi Hosts Medical Conference

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he Georgian International Medical and Public Health Association (GIMPHA) and Evex medical corporation have held one of the major international medical conferences in Georgia. The event was hosted by Radisson hotel in Batumi. The conference was attended by 25 doctors from various countries. A group of

Europe-based Georgian doctors have also specially arrived in Batumi and delivered reports on the world achievements in various fields of the medicine, Evex reports. The two-day conference has hosted six scientific sessions on such topics as oncology, palliative care, ethical aspects of euthanasia, management of sugar diabetes, modern treatment of insults and liver transplantation.

David Baladze Admonishes Goderdzi Resort Construction Company

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avid Baladze, the Finance and Economy Minister of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, has visited the Goderdzi resort to see a final stage of the construction works. The Minister has admonished the construction company concerning the works sched-

ule. Mr. Baladze notified the company representatives that he would visit the Goderdzi Resort in 10 days again and the company must finish a part of the works in this period.

“The construction works are being carried out in an intense regime. But there are certain shortcomings concerning inauguration of certain works

and the existing paces and schedules. In 10 days I will visit the Goderdzi Resort again and the situation is not improved, I will take strict decisions”, David Baladze said.

Currently, 6 cottages, a sewage system, hotelstyle wooden cottage, skiing tracks and ropeways are being constructed in the Goderdzi Resort.

New House Built for Batumi Botanical Garden Residents

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hairman of Ajara AR Government Archil Khabadze visited a newly constructed residential building on Lermontov street, Batumi. Batumi Botanical Garden area residents will move to the 5-storey, 42 apartment building soon. The house was constructed by the Company ATU and ordered by Batumi City Hall.

The house is well equipped with water, gas and electricity. Kitchen faucets, bathtubs and water heaters are installed. Kitchens and toilets are decorated. All entrances and apartments have metal doors. Basement is in order. Attic will be also constructed in the upper part of the building.

The house is surrounded by 2000 sq/m yard where greenery and parking lots will be arranged.

“The house is comfortable and there are all

BUSINESS WEEK

AJARA The Editorial Board Follows Press Freedom Principles Publisher: LLC Caucasian Business Week - CBW Director: Levan Beglarishvili Address: Aleksidze Street #12 Editor-in-chief: Zura Kukuladze. Tel: 599 00 82 12 Mobile phone: +995 591 013936 WWW.ABW.GE Email: ajarabusiness@gmail.com

the necessary conditions for normal life. Procedural issues will be completed in a week and Botanical Garden residents will be settled in this place. This process is followed by Botanical Garden rehabilitation. It is the area necessary for the scientific research, where people happen to live.

The main thing was to finish the construction.

The house, which was built for the population, provides the desired space and comfort,” – Archil Khabadze said.

Two, three and four room apartments’ owners are already selected. The agreement was reached with the population in advance and real estate was distributed in accordance with the request.

Procedural issues with Batumi City Hall will be finished in several days and settlement process will be started in two weeks.

The English-language weekly is distributed to over 1000 assets in Ajara, including, major companies, commercial banks, international organizations, state offices, high-class hotels, shopping malls, Batumi airport, Kobuleti, Sarpi. Businessmen and Managers Read ABW.

Source: www.commersant.ge, www.bpi.ge, www.gbc.ge, www.agenda.ge, www.civil.ge

July 27, 2015 #3

INTERVIEW

3

ajara business week

David Baladze: The Business Sector’s Turnover in 1Q15 Marked 721.3 million GEL What major projects will be implemented in Ajara and how have the investments inflows changed? How active is the Ajara’s business sector and how much was the sector’s turnover in the first quarter of 2015?

DAVID BALADZE, the Minister of Economy and Finances of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara, answers these and several other important questions.

- What major projects have been implemented in Ajara after the new Authorities came to power?

- Many large-scale projects have been implemented in Ajara since 2012. I am excited various construction projects are being carried out on the New Boulevard territory for two years. Investors show growing interest in the mentioned territory, while it had no investment value for many years. The new boulevard will become Batumi’s one of the most active business activity zones in several years.

Metro City is one of the major projects in the new boulevard. The project’s investment value is 90 million USD. The project of Metro Atlas Georgia Ltd includes a13-floor hotel complex and 3 buildings with 594 apartments. The project will employ 1500 individuals and in this respect this project is of vital importance for us.

Besides Metro City, two new investments projects worth 50 million USD are also being carried out in the New Boulevard. Metro Atlas Georgia Ltd and Air Meridians Ltd are constructing 220-suite and 200-suite hotels in the zone. The finished assets will be managed by the world brands. Both projects will employ over 800 individuals.

Several significant projects were inaugurated after 2012. This format does not enable to describe all of them in details. Anyway, it is worth noting Alliance Ltd will implement a 30 million USD investment project and build a 100-suite hotel.

Rekan Group Georgia will invest 50 million USD, Mega Palace Ltd will carry out 6 million USD investment project. Orbi Group Ltd is also carrying out many projects, including the newest 40 million USD project for constructing Orbi Beach Tower hotel.

Currently, the region’s total investments portfolio makes up 1. 7545 billion USD, while projects worth 1 251 800 00 USD will be implemented in the 2015-2020 period. This year the investments portfolio is valued at 366 200 000 USD. - Investments Inflows to Ajara have increased by 41.2%. Which specific fields have drawn major resources?

- Priori to describing the Ajara investment climate, I would like to refer to main indicators of the Ajara business sector. The sector’s economic activity,

namely, the turnover in the first quarter of 2015 made up 721.3milion GEL, up 10.3% compared to the same period of 2014. This period has recorded a 10% upturn in employment in the business sector and the figure constituted 47 781 employees. The unemployment index in the Region increased by 2.3% in 2014 compared to the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2015 private direct investments in Ajara has increased by 41% compared to the same period of 2014. A major part of the private direct investments was directed to the tourism sector (39%), energy sector (39%) and development field (19%). We have already talked about the large-scale projects that are being carried out in the Region. I would like to stress today the business sector is free of any pressure. Foreign and domestic investors feel protected while making investments in the Region. We have created balanced, healthy, competitive environment.

We maximally promote businessmen so as they most efficiently carry out business activities.

We periodically introduce the Ajara region’s investment potential to our foreign partners in the target countries. We organize business forums abroad to update potential investors on the region’s investments and tourism opportunities. In the near future we will hold a business forum in Belarus and Turkey. Any similar meetings provide additional opportunities to draw new investments, even more so the interest in the Region is quite impressive in foreign countries.

- The construction of a stadium in Batumi has been suspended. The Ministry has terminated a contract agreement with IBERPROTEX company that had won the announced competition several months before. Later the company was found not meeting the requirements. The Spanish projecting company plans to sue against the Ministry in an administrative rule. The winner company also talks about pressure from the antitrust agency.

- Seemingly, the company had not realized the scales and importance of the project when it was signing the contract agreement. They were given a 20-day period to remove the problems, but they failed and the company asked for additional 50

day period to fulfill the obligations.

Initially, the company asked additional term for preparing geological documentation and the company could request larger terms for more important works. The Ajara government does not plan to waste time. Therefore, we have terminated the contract agreement. As to the appeal, they have the right to sue against us and no one is able to deprive them of this right. At this stage, we are providing active job to sign a new contract agreement. I believe this year we will have a new project for the stadium construction.

The Ajara government pledges the population and football fans Batumi will have a valuable football stadium.

- The Tower of Alphabet and the land plot around it have been handed over to Spanish company Boost Spain for a period of 20 years.

What assets will be placed in this building?

- Initially, I would like to note Batumi municipal budget used to spend 700 000 GEL a year to serve the Tower of Alphabet and we have spared 700 000 GEL in the municipal budget by signing a contract agreement with Boost Spain company.

We have handed over the asset to the Spanish company at 1 GEL for a period of 20 years. The investor plans to unveil a restaurant and a gallery in the Tower. Open-air cafes will be organized on the adjacent territory and the amusements square will be further developed. Batumi visitors will have a new public asset.

- How do the Gonio industrial zone construction works proceed? As reported, a new industrial zone will be constructed in Gonio on 315 hectares, but the company has received neither the territory in ownership nor the status of an industrial zone.

- We are preparing a concept for developing the former military range in Gonio. The project is being prepared by experts of international consulting company Colliers International. Under the project, the former military range in Gonio will be developed and new investments will be attracted.

We have been permanently considering investment proposals for Gonio and the whole Region.

Naturally, if there are real interesting projects, we

will explore them in details and take decisions to the benefit of our region.

- Your opponents often criticize you and note larger-scale and more important projects were implemented in previous years in Ajara and today only residential buildings are being constructed. They name the Ajara government’s inactivity as one of the main reasons and assert the ruling of Levin Varshalomidze was more active in this respect.

- I do not agree with the consideration as if Levan Varshalomidze has provided more active job. I have already named major projects that are being implementing in Ajara today.

We have rejected unreal, façade and only politically-motivated projects. The Batumi Tower and the Tower of Alphabet are good examples. 150 million GEL resources were spent on useless projects, while there are so many socially unprotected families in the Region.

We make focus on quality and results. We prioritize the region’s development and today we do not take decisions in our personal interests, contrary to the previous Authorities.

The New Boulevard is a genuine proof of how actively major investment projects are being carried out in the Ajara Region. Currently, projects worth 140 million USD are being implemented. Everybody remembers useless new boulevard and I am delighted this place will become one of the important multifunctional centers in Batumi Giorgi Siradze

Temur Chkonia: I Believe This Newspaper is Capable of Even Making Revolution in Ajara Region Temur Chkonia is one of the most successful businessmen in Georgia. He has taken active and interesting decisions in the Ajara Region too. He owns a hotel in Kobuleti and a McDonald’s restaurant in Batumi. His considerations on the Ajara Region’s potential are very important. Therefore, we have contacted Mr. Temur Chkonia to learn his opinion on Ajara’s tourism potential and business environment. We were also interested in his position on how actively cooperates the local government with the business sector.

Mr. Temur Chkonia has congratulated us on the foundation of a new business weekly and wished us all success. Coverage of the Ajara Region and the Ajara business sector is invaluable and this newspaper will play a significant role for the Region development, Temur Chkonia said. The weekly should highlight all directions of the Ajara business sector and the existing cooperation between the Ajara government and the Ajara based business companies. This newspaper is capable of even making revolution in the Ajara Region, Temur Chkonia concluded.

The interview with Businessman TEMUR CHKONIA.

- How would you appraise the Ajara tourism potential? Is the Region capable of becoming one of the most attractive tourism destinations worldwide? What steps should be taken to achieve this goal?

- Let’s imagine a highway from the capital city to the Region. A certain section meets international standards, but then the Hell bursts out. Various animals, especially, cows cross the highway. So many cows are unusual in any country, even in India, where this animal is considered a sacred one. All these factors, indeed, frustrate the tourism development. Tourism business does not imply only hotels and services. Highways should be also constructed and protected. Crime, robbery should be minimized; cities and river banks should be cleaned up. For example, according to my information, French tourists were robbed in Kobuleti and they were left in underpants on the

seaside. As to the pollution, enormous volume of sunflower is eaten along the seashore and even Zoo monkeys do not act in this way. Unfortunately, cigarette butts are frequently dropped along the seaside, they pollute the beach and all these problems should be resolved and removed. We should protect the existing infrastructure from pollution and clean it up valuably. We must prevent the movement of cows on highways, even more so the Authorities have adopted due regulations, but they are infringed.

Visa regime restriction with various countries has also considerably frustrated the tourism business development. As a result, tourists’ inflows have sensibly shrunk. Now they have changed the mind and are trying to correct everything and introduce visa-free regime with certain countries, but the fact is that no one bears responsibility for this frustration.

- What is your opinion on the Ajara business environment? Does the local government keep valuable cooperation with the business sector?

What steps should be taken to further promote the Ajara business sector?

- Local governments in all regions are frightened.

The same situation is discerned in the Ajara Region too. The local Authorities fully depend on the central Authorities and they cannot take personally decisions locally. We have adopted a law on local self-governments, but the fact is no local self-government is able to take final decisions.

This is a major problem.

I own a hotel in Kobuleti and a McDonald’s restaurant in Batumi. I have no personal acquaintance with the Kobuleti governor. I have never talked with the Batumi Mayor. They have never asked me and showed interest in my activities and future plans. Instead of this, if a Sheikh arrives in Ajara, they meet him with concerts of the Sukhishvilis and the Georgian Voices. They have never asked me what I would further do for the region development or what they would do to promote my business activities. And this happens when my transactions to the Ajara budget from

the McDonald’s restaurant exceed total transactions from all other Batumi based restaurants.

- You provide intense business activities in various resorts in Ajara. How would you characterize the 2015 summer season? Do you plan to launch a new project in Ajara?

- Another McDonald’s restaurant will be built in Batumi, because the existing one is overloaded and the demand is high. For example, yesterday over 4 500 persons visited our asset, while averaged number of visitors makes up 3 200 persons a day. I have already started working on the issue. I hope they will allocate a suitable territory for the construction project, because the private property is very expensive in Batumi.

I also plan to build apartments around the hotel in Kobuleti starting 2017. As to the current year, I would not say the tourism season is active. Not only invaluable development of the tourism sector, but also unfavorable weather and various other issues frustrate this process.

Giorgi Kapanadze

BUSINESS

4 TURKEY FITCH: TURKISH BANKS TO KEEP ACCESS TO CAPITAL MARKETS

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nternational credit rating agency Fitch Ratings expects Turkish banks to keep accessing to capital markets, Fitch Financial Institutions director Lindsey Liddell said on Friday.

Evaluating the Turkish banks’ outlook ahead of potential U.S. FED rate hikes, Liddell said they could impact the margins of Turkish banks, given their high dependence on U.S. dollar funding.

But Liddell believes that Turkey has the means to overcome the hardships and risks linked to the potential rate hike. “Turkish banks will continue to enjoy good market access and be able to roll over foreign debt, while their available foreign currency liquidity should make them well-placed to cope with a short-lived market closure,” Liddell said. “However, a sharp and prolonged market closure could give rise to refinancing risks.”

WASTE RECYCLING PROJECTS IN TURKEY TO GET $125M BOOST

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nvestments aimed at promoting waste recycling in Turkey will be financed with a budget of up to $125 million, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development announced Thursday. “The ‘Near-Zero Waste’ initiative, approved by the board of directors today, is set to drive a profound transformation of waste management in a move to help Turkey advance towards a more competitive, resource-efficient circular economy,” the bank said in a statement.

The new project involves financing of waste recycling investments in infrastructure, biomass and biogas facilities; technologies that reduce packaging waste; and use of alternative fuels in key energy intensive sectors.

TURKEY: CENTRAL BANK LEAVES ALL RATES ON HOLD

ajara business week

Casino Investors Discuss Ajara Region’s Gambling Future

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eorgia’s seaside resort Batumi will become a networking haven to over 150 gambling professionals representing upwards of 20 countries to share ideas about current trends in the gambling business.

All members of the gambling industry, from investors to operators, software and platform providers, gaming operators and Government

representatives, will gather in Batumi on July 31 to attend the Casino Investors Day summit. The summit will also provide insight into the development of gambling in the host country’s global economic territory.

The gambling business is booming in Batumi, generating the tens of millions in revenue per weekend. Today, six land-bases casinos operate in Batumi while eight more are coming by the

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he lira’s weekly losses against the dollar reached almost 4 percent on Friday as Turkish air strikes on Islamic State insurgents in Syria and nationwide police raids on militants fueled investor concerns about Turkey’s security risks. The lira hit 2.7500 against the US currency by Friday afternoon, marking a 3.6 percent loss on the week -- far underperforming the currency’s emerging market peers and the biggest weekly loss since the June 7 election. The lira rebounded temporarily during the morning after the central bank cut its US dollar one-week deposit rate to 3 percent from 3.5 percent and raised the remuneration rate which it pays on forex required reserves to 0.21 percent from 0.15. Fears of a snap election if efforts to form a coalition government fail also weighed on sentiment, with the two-year benchmark bond yield rising above 10 percent for the first time since mid-June.

TURKISH GROWTH TO MISS GOV’T TARGETS THIS YEAR AND NEXT

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urkey’s economic growth is likely to fall short of government targets this year and next, a Reuters poll showed, as heightened political uncertainty has blunted investment and exports to Europe remain under pressure.

The poll of 24 economists, taken in the past week, showed the economy would expand 2.9 percent this year and 3.4 percent in 2016. That’s well below the 4 percent growth the government has forecast for 2015 and the 5 percent it expects for 2016.

After several years of strong expansion, Turkey is now among the world’s top economies. But growth has slowed recently, slipping to 2.9 percent last year from more than 4 percent in 2013.

end of 2017.

The leading hotel chains such as Sheraton, Hilton, Radisson, Kempinski, adds luxurious accommodations there, [and] Batumi is starting to look like the Las Vegas of the East. Another $1.2 billion USD is currently being invested in another 23 hotel development projects as we speak,” said the summit organisers.

Batumi offers easy access to gambling business for everyone who is attracted to betting, while there is a bank on gambling in neighbouring countries.

Read what representatives of different business sectors had to say about Batumi: “We are opening a Hilton Hotel here in Summer 2015. We are welcoming you to the Hotel, to Batumi and to Georgia,” Stuart Nelson, General Manager of Hilton Batumi.

“Batumi Sea Port is considered to be the strategic port of the countries of Central Asia and Caucasus for its geopolitical location,”Tengiz Varshanidze, Operations Manager of Batumi Sea Port Paul Blanchard Chief Construction Engineer of Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC “We are delivering a world class hydropower project that will significantly improve Georgia’s energy independence.

Metro City Project Implementation to End Ahead of Schedule ping mall, a VIP residential suite, a casino and other assets.

“The project implementation is being carried out without obstacles and the works meet the schedule. It is one of the successful projects. The complex will include apartments, hotel suites, an entertainment center, a shopping mall, arranged inside and outside infrastructure. The hotel will launch operation in 2016 and additional beautiful asset will appear in Batumi in the next season”, the Ajara government chairman Archil Khabadze said.

The project has drawn over 90 million USD investments to the Region and will employ 600 to 1500 individuals. The project implementation will end two years earlier ahead of schedule, at the end of 2017.

he Central Bank of Turkey has left all key rates on hold in its latest monetary policy meeting, linking future decisions to improvements in the inflation outlook.

According to a statement from the bank on Thursday, at its July monetary policy meeting it held the one-week repo rate at 7.50 percent, the marginal funding rate at 10.75 and the borrowing rate at 7.25 percent in line with market forecasts which see no change in rates.

The bank pointed out that loan growth kept reasonable pace in line with tight monetary policy and macro prudential measures, contributing to an improvement in the current account balance

LIRA WEAKENS NEARLY 4 PERCENT ON WEEK OVER SECURITY CONCERNS

July 27, 2015 #3

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he Metro City complex construction works will end ahead of schedule, JSC Metro Atlas Georgia managers noted at the solemn presentation of the major investment projects sales office in Batumi, the Autonomous Republic of Ajara.

JSC Metro Atlas Georgia director Onur Tanriverdi noted the construction of hotel buildings, two 420-apartment complexes and a casino will be finished in the near future.

Metro City, a 12-floor hotel complex with at least 203 suites will hold one of the major conference halls in the South Caucasus for 1500 attendants. The complex will also include a shop-

Media Manager’s Gift to Batumi Listeners

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atumi, July 27, Public Speaker and General Manager of “Night Show Studio” David Gogichaishvili is planning to hold a masterclass in Management.

The Public Lecture will be hold at Batumi State University. Around 250 listeners have already registered to attend the event.

Gogichaishvili will talk about Human Resource recruitment and contemporary attitudes and trends in management.

“I like speaking to variety of audience and this is the first time of holding public lecture in Batumi. I hope the listeners will like it, since I will be ready to answer their questions “ says Gogichaishvili.

Gogichaishvili is Edmund Muskie fellow,

holds MA in Media Management, completed Global Executive One MBA program; has 10 year experience of teaching and training in Management and 8 year experience of producing TV shows.

The masterclass is organized by the PR and Marketing Company “GEPRA”. The company’s chief consultant Kakha Maghradze admits that the event is organized within the framework of Batumi Summer School, where trainings were hold in Public Relations, Branding, Crisis Management, Media Relations, Presentation skills, Social Media Management and International Etiquette. GEPRA Batumi is going to arrange more interesting trainings for Batumi audience.

The attendance to the masterclass is free of charge.

July 27, 2015 #3

SERVICES

Ajara Improves Sea Resorts Infrastructure, But Prices Grow As Well

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olidaymaking prices in Ajara have increased by 10-20% and tourists seem to be spending the same amount at Georgian and Turkish sea resorts. There difference is insignificant, travel companies assert. Moreover, sometimes domestic service tariffs are much higher in Batumi and Kobuleti compared to Antalia.

Batumi-based hotels are overloaded. Currently, two-bed suites with a breakfast are rented at 100-150 GEL. Some hotels assure prices will further increase in August and suites should be booked several days earlier.

Ritsa hotel is located on Zviad Gamsakhurdia Street in the Old Batumi, where two-bed suites are available at 120-130-150 GEL, while EurAsia hotel on Inasaridze Street offers the same conditions for only 100 GEL. The price of a two-bed suite at Marina hotel with a swimming pool and a fitness center is 160 GEL, but the price will increase to 200 GEL in August. Prestige hotel offers a two-bed suite at 100-120 GEL, but the management plans to increase the price of the 100-GEL room to 120 GEL. Higher prices are reported at hotels of Sheraton, Radisson, Intourist and Divan Suite. A two-bed suite at Sheraton hotel is available at 265 USD, Radisson – 248 USD and Intourist – 215 USD and Divan Suite – 180 USD. The small sector is also very active. There is much deficiency of desirable apartments in Ureki, Kobuleti and Batumi. Prices start from 15 GEL and exceed 30 GEL. The property owners openly say prices will hike in two weeks, because the demand is huge, while rooms are insufficient.

In Kobuleti apartments rental makes up 20

GEL. Guesthouses offer comparatively higher tariffs and prices range from 50 to 60 GEL. Different situation is reported in Batumi, where the rental makes up 30 GEL. In Kobuleti the management of hotel Eldorado says the demand will hit the peak in August. “The season started in early July and it is being still intensified. August is considered to be the most active and hot season. Kobuleti weather is unforeseeable. The price of a standard suite with all comforts in Kobuleti is 50 GEL. There is a barbecue house in the yard and live music at the restaurant. The price does not include the breakfast service. The demand is high. Several suites for August were booked in advance. We have already a segment of our clients, who stay at our hotel every year. There is huge competition on the market. Tourists’ inflows have not changed compared to the last year”,

the hotel’s manger told us.

As to comparatively smaller hotels, they follow different price policies. For example, two-star guesthouse Golden Fish offers a standard suite at 130 GEL, a luxury suite rental is 180 GEL and a semi-luxury suite rental is 160 GEL. The price includes the breakfast service too.

Four-star hotel Daviti basically serves foreign tourists. The price of a standard suite is 180 GEL and a luxury suite rental is 250 GEL. Prices at Kvariati guesthouses are seasonal. In July guesthouses offer three-bed rooms with triple meals at 250-270 GEL a day. Prices are lower at private houses with a common kitchen and bathrooms.

Prices start at 10 GEL in Gonio, but similar rooms have got common kitchens and bathrooms.

European-standard two-room apartments with one meal are available at 150-170 USD a day.

“Agriculture Support Project” Ends Successfully in Georgia

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he “Agriculture Support Project (ASP)”, which has been in development in Georgia for five years, is successfully entering its completion stage. Regarding the ending of the project, at the end of the month the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia will share details of the project’s goings-on and results with media representatives, as well as speak about future plans in the country.

The Georgian Government has been carrying out the Agriculture Support Project (ASP) with the financial aid of the International Fund for Agriculture Development since 2010. The proj-

ect’s goals are to resolve the infrastructural issue and contribute in economically strengthening the farmers. An important aspect of the project is to rehabilitate irrigation systems and solve irrigation water issues in various Georgian regions, which will significantly promote local agriculture development.

In order to inform more regarding the rehabilitation activities and specify all the benefits to farmers during the project’s execution, various workshops were held with local farmers across Georgia. The workshops were led by Irma Inashvili, an expert from the Georgian University.

The International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) is one of the most generous

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tion from households and fee payment remains voluntary and seldom paid. Overall, there is a fairly low level of awareness: households do not understand why a fee should be paid and they generally express very limited willingness to pay. In some municipalities, inhabitants do not have information about the amount they are supposed to pay.

Due to lack of cost recovery mechanism, in Adjara and Kakheti the gap between revenues from waste charges paid by households and organizations/businesses and waste collection and treatment expenses is significant in both regions, giving no room for further improvements in waste management. The development of an effective tariff policy is one of the key components of sustainable waste management.

On July 1, Policy and Management Consulting Group (PMCG) finished working on the study of the current situation regarding waste tariffs and issued policy recommendations. The study showed that there is a need for fundamental changes including population behavior and capacity building in municipalities.

RUSSIA RUSSIANS BLAME EU, ATHENS FOR GREEK CRISIS

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he Greek situation has caught the eye of most Russians, the Russian Public Opinion Study Center (VTsIOM) said, adding that 57 percent of its respondents were watching the events in that country. Speaking of the culprits behind the Greece crisis, 42 percent pointed the finger at the European Union which gave more loans to Greece then it could repay. About a third (30 percent) put the blame on the national government that assumed the back-breaking loan obligations. Twenty-four percent of the 1,600 people interviewed in 130 populated localities in 46 regions on July 18-19 were undecided.

In the opinion of 46 percent of Russians, Greece’s secession from the European Union will weaken the EU. Seventeen percent argued that the EU would even benefit from that, and 37 percent could not answer the question.

Opinions differed on what standpoint Russia should maintain regarding Greece.

A third (33 percent) suggested that Russia assist in diplomatic negotiations between Greece and the European Union. Another third (30 percent) proposed economic assistance through the lifting of sanctions against Greek commodities, promotion of Russian tourism in Greece and so on.

RUSSIA AND CHINA STRENGTHEN STOCK EXCHANGE TIES

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ussia’s key trading floor the Moscow Exchange (MOEX) and the China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFEX) have signed an agreement that’ll help further develop financial ties between the countries.

“The signing of this MoU (memorandum of understanding – ed.) will further cement the relationship between CFFEX and Micex, generating new opportunities for the two exchanges to step up cooperation in the common pursuit for development,” said Shenfeng Zhang, Chairman of CFFEX Thursday at the signing ceremony.

RUSSIA’S RATING AGENCY TO START BY YEAR END – CENTRAL BANK

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he Russian rating agency is expected to start work in the fourth quarter of 2015, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) said, adding that its initial capital would be at about $52 million (3 bilion rubles). “… credit rating agencies are one of the most important elements of the financial market infrastructure. Their activities must be stable to various factors, including geopolitical risks,” the CBR said in a statement Friday. donors in the agriculture sector. It has been financing various projects in Georgia since 1998.

Areas of activities are the Inner Kartli, MtskhetaMtianeti, and Samtskhe-Javakheti municipalities, where 6 irrigation systems were rehabilitated.

Obstacles to Effective Waste Management System for Ajara and Kakheti Examined

he current cost recovery and waste tariff system in the Georgian regions of Adjara and Kakheti need significant improvements, a study conducted by PMCG has revealed.

There are no effective enforcement instruments in these regions to facilitate waste fee collec-

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The recommendations covered the following issues: Waste fee setting and collection Fee administration and enforcement Awareness raising Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) contracted PMCG under the project “Waste Management Technologies in Regions (WMTR)”. The WMTR Program is designed to support waste management system development and recycling in two regions of Georgia - Adjara and Kakheti. The purpose of one of its components – Tariffs and Cost Recovery Assessment Report - was to study the current status of waste tariffs in these regions and elaborate recommendations to address the gaps and shortcomings currently existing in this system.

The main findings and recommendations provided in the “Tariff and Cost Recovery Assessment Report” will help municipalities of Adjara and Kakheti regions in designing waste tariff policies and, importantly, implementing a viable cost recovery system.

PMCG

RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY: U.S. TO MODERNIZE UP TO 50 SHIPS WITH AIR DEFENSE SHIELD SYSTEMS BY 2020

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lans for the development of the U.S.-led global air defense shield envisage the modernization of 48-49 ships equipped with interceptor missiles of this shield by 2020, Col. Oleg Pyshny, who heads a department at the 4th Central Scientific Research Institute of the Russian Defense Ministry, has said. “We expect some 48-49 American ships [equipped] with systems of the air defense shield to be modernized by 2020,” he told a press conference at the Interfax central office on July 21. The overall number of interceptor missiles installed onboard U.S. ships equipped with air defense systems may reach approximately 200 by 2020, he said.

RUSSIAN OPPOSITION POLITICIAN GAIDAR IN PROCESS OF ACQUIRING UKRAINIAN CITIZENSHIP, READY TO RENOUNCE RUSSIAN Russian opposition politician and public figure Maria Gaidar, who has left for Ukraine and is preparing to take the office of deputy head of the Odessa regional administration, is in the process of acquiring Ukrainian citizenship. Speaking at a press conference in Odessa on July 22, Gaidar told journalists that she had prepared the necessary documents. She did not make it clear whether the documents have been submitted to the Ukrainian president. Gaidar said also that, if need be, she was prepared to renounce Russian citizenship, although she admitted that this would be a hard step for her to make.

BUSINESS

6 UKRAINE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK LENDS UKRAINE 400 MLN EURO FOR MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE RESTORATION, DEVELOPMENT

New Hotel Complex Opens in Machakhela

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new hotel complex has opened in Machakhela. The investment value of the construction works made up 1 million GEL. The hotel was constructed by Machakhela 25 company and it includes 20 suites and 2 luxury apartments, a restaurant, a pool room and a conference hall with 60 seats. At this stage, the complex employs 25 individuals. Finance and

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he European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed a loan of 400 million euros for Ukraine for financing projects aimed at maintenance and recuperation of local utilities infrastructure in large and medium sized cities, the Ukrainian Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Services Ministry reported.

Ukrainian Deputy for Minister Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Services Hennadiy Zubko and EIB Vice President Laszlo Baranyay signed an agreement for financing the program of development of municipal infrastructure of Ukraine, the ministry’s press service said.

“The EIB offered Ukraine some unprecedented conditions for raising the cheapest and ‘longest’ money, which is quite significant in the context of the limited governmental financing opportunities. Implementation of this agreement makes it possible for us to change quality of services rendered to our people and modernize outdated utilities infrastructure,” Zubko said.

The total repayment period for the loan granted under projects on modernization of energy supply systems, will be 22 years, and for the loan granted under projects on modernization of water supply systems, 30 years, he said. The interest rate will be equal to 2%.

On May 19, the EIB board decided to lend Ukraine 400 million euros as a framework loan for restoration and development of municipal infrastructure. The project is designed to extend the lifetime of local infrastructure that is critical for energy supply, water supply and sewage.

The project is also aimed at minimizing losses, decreasing pollution, as well as reaching higher energy efficiency level.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNLOCKS FIRST TRANCHE OF €1.8BN PACKAGE TO KIEV

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n Wednesday, the European Commission transferred its first tranche of €600 million to Kiev as part of the third MacroFinancial Assistance package worth €1.8 billion.

Another two similar tranches are expected later in 2015-2016, provided Ukraine makes structural and economic reforms. The IMF board of directors will hold a meeting to discuss the Ukraine crisis on July 31, TASS reports.

In the second half of this year, Ukraine had to make payments on its external public debt worth about $5 billion at the current hryvnia/USD exchange rate, according to TASS.

AUSTRIA RATIFIES EU-UKRAINE ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT

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he upper chamber of the Austrian Parliament has ratified the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Austria Oleksandr Scherba informed this on Twitter.

“The upper chamber of the Austrian Parliament voted for the ratification of the Association Agreement. Thank you and my congratulations!” he wrote. As a reminder, 18 countries completed the ratification procedure, four countries ratified the agreement, but did not send the documents to Brussels, while four countries ratified the agreement in one of the chambers of parliament.

UN TO HELP UKRAINE REFORM ENERGY SECTOR

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n the framework of current projects the United Nations will provide Ukrainian officials with consultative assistance on reforming the energy, infrastructure and environmental sectors, the press office of Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Valeriy Voschevsky said.

KYIV ACCUSES RUSSIANSEPARATIST FORCES OF NEW ARMED PROVOCATIONS

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rmed provocations staged by the militants on the territories under their control have become more frequent after the declared arms pullback with the purpose of laying the blame on the Ukrainian army, the command of the Ukrainian army operation in Donbas said on July 23.

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Economy Minister of Ajara David Baladze has attended the complex inauguration. Machakhela 25 founder Levan Mskhaladze introduced the government members with the project details.

After the solemn ceremony the government members saw the interior of the hotel and the restaurant.

Four cottage-style hotels are also located near the asset to serve domestic and foreign visitors.

Mineral Water Baths and Recreation Complex to Open in Qeda

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okotauri Ltd is constructing a modern standard enterprise, the Finance and Economy Ministry of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara reports. Besides mineral water, the enterprise will bottle spring water too. The company will also arrange a hotel and a mineral water baths. Initially, mineral and spring water will be bottled in plastic containers that will be

later replaced by glass containers.

“Currently, Kokotauri mineral water is bottled in the former enterprise. We will move to a new building in a month. The construction works have reached a final stage. The enterprise is equipped with modern Italian and Russian machineries.

The enterprise will bottle 10 000 bottles of mineral water a day. The existing reserves enable to bottle much more water. We possess 18-22 ton

reservoirs, but they should be packed, sold and 10 000 liters suffice at this stage. A hotel will be arranged on the second floor of the building. The hotel will include 22 suites with two beds each.

A mineral water bath complex will be arranged beside the hotel. Visitors will be able to enjoy the bath complex services and bathe in mineral water. At this stage, we bottle only mineral water”, the company director Badri Nakashidze said.

New Social House to Open in Tamar Settlement

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new social house will be constructed in the Tamar settlement.

The 10-floor building will include 45 apartments. The construction process will employ 400 persons, the company asserts. The finished building will have a white interior. The company will arrange

water supply and sewage systems, illumination and gas supply networks. The construction works will end in July 2016. At this stage, a total of 5 residential buildings with 122 apartments are being constructed for eco-migrants and socially unprotected families in Ajara. All construction sites employ about 115 workers.

Citrus and Fruits Processing Enterprise and Refrigerator Complex to Open in Ajara

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new citrus and fruits processing enterprise and a refrigerator complex will open in Ajara in late August. The project’s investment value makes up 1.5 million USD, the management of Agro Invest Service company says.

The fruits processing enterprise will sort and pack 10-12 tons of products an hour. The enterprise is equipped by modern German machineries.

Initially, the enterprise will have about 1000 beneficiaries and the number will increase in the future, Agro Invest Service representatives noted.

Besides the Ajara Region, the company will buy fruits and citrus in the Guria Region too. The company will care for the products sales itself.

The company plans to export products to Belarus, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic states.

Prior to the citrus picking season, the enterprise

will make focus on accepting persomon. The picking season will start on September 15, while the company will start accepting citrus in October.

The refrigerator complex will store about 1000 tons of products, but the company will increase the volume to 5 000 tons. The company will make additional investments to this end. The refrigerator complex will mainly hold seasonal fruits to sell them in the deficient seasons.

Ukrainian Visitors to Develop Cycling Tourism in Ajara

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krainian guests are interested in developing the cycling tourism in Ajara. Bicyclist Mikhail Diuba says for the first time he visited Ajara in 2013 and discovered a huge potential for cycling tourism development in the Region. Diuba has already started implementing the project and unveiled a bicycles store in Batumi.

“For the first time we arrived in Ajara from Ukraine in 2013. We fell in love with this Region immediately, because there is a unique nature, hospitable people and the best dishes. For the first time we arrived in Georgia as tourists, visited mountains and a new idea was born that we would return here by bicycles the next time.

This year we have developed a route from Bakuriani to Batumi, but having entered Batumi, we guessed there are wonderful conditions for the cycling tourism development in Ajara.

We have decided to unveil a bicycle store in Batumi and on this basis we will try to develop cycling tourism in the Region.

Our friends in Ukraine are interested why we have chosen Ajara and not Svaneti or Tbilisi.

There is a simple explanation to this: people are mainly attracted by sea resorts, while here we can spend time in mountains and bathe in the sea in the evening simultaneously, while there are only

mountains in Svaneti and Tbilisi is a megalopolis’, Mikheil Diuba noted.

We are cooperating with the Ajara tourism department and we are also exploring the cycling tourism potential in the Machakela Gorge and the Ajara highlands in whole, he added.

“We are examining the local environment and conditions. There are genuinely best conditions, waterfalls, rivers, unique bridges. In the future we plan to spread information on our business through social networks. Our friends in Germany, Poland, Scandinavian countries are much in-

terested in Ajara, because the Ajara Region has the preferences that absent in Europe. I mean hospitality, Georgian dishes. The wild nature also attracts us”, the Ukrainian businessman said.

Mikhail Diuba unveiled the bicycle store a month ago and only 5 bicycles have been sold yet. “This is not much success, but our store will become famous in the course of time. We will also add new services. We are entering the market now.

But the next year will show whether our business has justified”, Mikhail Diuba said.

July 27, 2015 #3

DISCOVER GEORGIA

Exotic Georgia: Opportunities That Protected Areas Offer To Visitors The holidaymaking season is gaining momentum and Georgia’s protected areas draw more and more visitors. NATIA KOBAKHIDZE, a head of the Georgian Agency of Protected Areas, talks about opportunities the protected areas offer to tourists.

- What infrastructural projects are being implemented in Georgia’s protected areas?

- We are constructing a visitors’ center in the Lagodekhi Protected Area. Infrastructure rehabilitation works are being carried out in Sataplia. An administrative center will be also built in Kobuleti/ Kintrishi. We also plan to build sisitors’ and administrative centers in the Kobuleti, Algeti and Kazbegi protected areas in 2015. A footpath was arranged in Okatse area at the end of 2014. This is a suspension footpath, from where visitors are able to watch the Okatse views. Metal frames make much pressure on the Okatse infrastructure and no additional projects will be implemented there. There are natural pathways and we plan to raise information signs there.

Footpaths are necessary, but they should not be overloaded with artificial elements. Visitors have to buy tickets to enter the Okatse territory. In Autumn we will start arranging visitors’ and administrative centers and small infrastructure for visitors. We also plan to construct bridges, sightseeing platforms, picnic places and boat docks.

- What are your plans for resolving the problems with Martvili Canyon pollution?

- In 2014 the situation was critical there. We keep no administrative unit there, but we are conducting meetings with the local municipality, local residents and law enforcers. They asked us to let them serve visitors with their own boats. They have chosen two individuals, who every day clean up the zone. Municipal service has allocated rubbish bins and assumed responsibility for keeping the territory clean. Local residents have promised to care for the territory if we let them provide boat services before the completion of the construction works.

- What opportunities does the Kolkheti Protected Area offers to visitors?

- The Kolkheti Protected Territories consist of the Kolkheti National Park, the Kobuleti Reserve and the Managed Reserve. Marshland in the National Reserve is a source of clean water. There is a unique marshland in Kobuleti, where scientists pay visits to and there is a magnificent sightseeing. A Birds’ migration corridor crosses this territory and there is a special place for watching and supervising migratory birds. This opportunity attracts many visitors, while another part prefers rowing boat oars. The infrastructure provides valuable recreation opportunities. We have got a visitors’ center with four relaxation rooms. The national park must bring profits to the local population. Ecosystem service is a one side, including continuous clean water, clean air, but, at the same time, all these efforts must bring revenues and benefits to local residents.

- How prepared is the Mtirala National Park meeting the summer season?

- The Mtirala National Park is a genuinely active

zone in summertime as visitors are able to simultaneously sunbathe at the seaside and have a rest at the nearby Mtirala National Park with special Kolketi woodlands, restaurants and traditional Georgian dishes. Visitors are also able to buy natural honey and domestically grown food products.

- Which protected areas would you suggest visitors to visit this summer?

- Everything depends on the age category and interests. We can offer all territories. If visitors are interested in semi-deserts and bungalow nights, I would suggest the Vashlovani Park with special nature at the eastern borders of Georgia. Visitors are able to catch fish at the river Alazani, to ride a horse and drive a vehicle. If visitors like exotic places, I would advise Tusheti, where the beautiful nature merges with human arts and this is very interesting, especially, in this period various festivities are held in Tusheti. If visitors like relict woodlands of Kolkheti, I would offer the Mtirala Park or Kintrishi; I would suggest Okatse for visiting canyons, Prometheus and Sataplia for visiting caves jointly with Kolkheti woodlands.

CASPIAN SEA OIL AND GAS WEEK DUE IN BAKU

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aku will host the 3rd annual Azerbaijan and Caspian Sea Oil and Gas Week at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel in Baku on September 28-30. The event will be organized

by Oliver Kinross, an internationally renowned business research organization. The forum will bring together international exhibitors, more than 250 delegates and 30 top level expert speakers.

The aim of the forum is to provide a platform in which oil & gas corporations, government officials, solution & service providers and global oil and gas experts who will be able to invest the abundance of new business opportunities in one of the world’s most exciting markets.

The event will feature post conference workshops, exhibition space showcasing the latest industry technologies and services etc.

AGRICULTURE BANK CREATION POSTPONED

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he state-owned non-banking credit organization CJSC Aqrarkredit has put aside the goal of transforming into an agrarian bank for now, giving priority to overseeing the disserted assets of the International Bank of Azerbaijan.

The NBCO told Trend that the management of problem loans transferred from the IBA – which will be privatized after undergoing a cleanup effort to get rid of distressed assets resulting from poor management – is a more important task for Aqrarkredit at this stage. Economists have repeatedly raised the issue of the need to create a bank specifically devoted to financing agricultural projects in the country. The need to establish an agrarian bank emerged with the growing strength of the country’s agriculture sector, which employs over 40 percent of the population and is given significant assistance by the state.

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unique ancient Roman mosaic has been discovered at the Gonio Castle site in the seaside region of Adjara in western Georgia during archaeological works by a joint Georgian-

Polish team.

The artistic creation – supposedly dating from the rule of the Roman emperor Vespasian through 69 – 79 AD – represents a geometric mosaic picture made on the floor of a compound in the Castle. The area of the piece comprises roughly 100 square metres.

It was the first such discovery in Adjara,

with few similar findings made in Georgia’s other regions. Adjara’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport said the mosaic was created by Roman soldiers at the site of their residence.

The archaeological work on the site of the supposed Roman military barracks is currently in its second season. Initiated in 2002, the Polish team’s geodesic and geophysical work at the Gonio Castle enabled researchers to select an area most promising for future discoveries. The area subsequently yielded findings of an ancient bathhouse in 2014.

New Wave of Georgian Cinema Starts Travel All Over the Country

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AZERBAIJAN

POPULATION’S INCOMES RISE IN AZERBAIJAN

Ancient Roman Mosaic Found in Georgia’s Seaside Adjara Region

tarting today, audience in 19 Georgian regions will see eight films made in the country and recognized at leading international festivals. Each of the films will be released every Thursday for a week’s screening in culture centers and auditoriums throughout the regions, as part of the project run by the Ministry of Culture and the National Film Center. The selected films were produced from 2013-2015 and will be projected using equipment installed in the halls by the Culture Ministry.

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Minister Mikheil Giorgadze said the initiative would “benefit local film distribution network development” and enable citizens in the regions to view the award-winning cinema.

The films chosen for screening include Corn Island by director George Ovashvili – winner of various international awards – as well asLine of Credit by director Salome Alexi and Brides by director Tinatin Kajrishvili, both nominated for prizes at European cinema competitions.

The project will conclude on September 10.

espite fluctuations in oil prices in the world market along with a devaluation of the national currency in early 2015, the incomes of Azerbaijanis are on the rise.

From January to June of the current year, Azerbaijani income earnings reached a total of 19.8 billion manats, an increase of about 6.2 percent from the previous year, according to the State Statistics Committee. In 2014, total population income increased by 4.8 percent. The average monthly salary amounted to 443 manats, while the average monthly pension was at 173.4 manats.

Statistics show that 74.2 percent of household incomes went to final consumption expenditure, 9.4 percent to taxes, social insurance and voluntary membership fees, while 2.4 percent of incomes were allocated to payment interest on loans, and 14 percent to fees. Income per capita grew at a rate of 4.9 percent during the period as annual inflation held steady at 3.5 percent.

U.S. COMPANY TO SUPPLY TURBO COMPRESSORS FOR TANAP

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eneral Electric Oil and Gas Company, a well-known U.S. company engaged in building appliances, lighting, power systems and other products, will supply modern turbo compressors for the first phase of the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline project. High pressure compressors produced by GE Oil & Gas are more suitable for TANAP, as they differ for the lowest emission level, APA-Economics reported quoting local Turkish website. According to a few million-dollar agreement on aeroderivative gas turbines which is considered the “heart” of pipelines, they will be produced and tested in Florence, Italy and handed over to the partners in 2017.

CORRUPTION LEVEL DECREASES IN AZERBAIJAN The number of criminal cases on corruption registered in Azerbaijan decreased in the first half of 2015, amounting to 99 criminal cases against 158 people. Last year the here were filed 103 criminal cases against 147 people.

These figures were presented by Kamran Aliyev, the Deputy Prosecutor General, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department, as he spoke about the range of measures taken against corruption for the first six month of this year.

8 ARMENIA ARMENIA TO GET $300 MILLION LOAN FROM EURASIAN ANTICRISIS FUND

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urasian Fund for Stabilization and Development will allocate a loan of $300 million to Armenia, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Sergey Storchak said.

The experts of the Fund are working with the Armenian officials, but a political decision has been made, he added.

The loan will be provided in three tranches with intermediate discussions of lending goals, RIA Novosti reported.

ARMENIA’S PROCESSING COMPANIES PURCHASED MORE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS THAN IN 2014

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ince the beginning of this year, Armenia’s processing companies have purchased more vegetables and fruits than last year, Deputy Agriculture Minister Robert Makaryan said. A total of 8593,5 tonnes of fruits and vegetables was purchased as compared to 1537,7 tonnes last year.

The Agriculture Ministry is following so that the farmers could be paid on time.

ARMENIA ALREADY EXCEEDED LAST YEAR’S EXPORT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

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ince beginning of the year Armenia has already exceeded fruit and vegetable export of entire 2014, Deputy Agriculture Minister Robert Makaryan said.

Armenia has already exported 46,456 tonnes of fruits (including grapes) and vegetables (including potatoes) since the beginning of 2015, about 65 tons more than last year.

Last year export of fresh fruit fell sharply due to the poor harvest of apricots.

GEORGIAN ECONOMY ajara business week

EU Countries Take 30% Share in Georgia’s External Trade

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ore Georgian products are being enjoyed in Europe and at the same time, Georgia is reducing its imports and using more locally produced goods.

Preliminary data from the country’s National Statistics Office, Geostat, revealed Georgia was now becoming less dependent on markets it formerly relied on, particularly markets within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Geostat data showed in January-June 2015, Georgia’s external trade with the EU amounted to $1,434 million USD, up by two percent compared to the same time of last year. Exports amounted to $293 million USD, while imports amounted to $1,141 million USD. The share of these countries in the external trade of Georgia amounted to 30 percent; 27 percent in exports and 31 percent in

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WORLD BANK: ARMENIA STOCK OF LOANS HAS DECLINED

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he World Bank has issued its monthly economic bulletin with respect to Armenia.

“Recent economic developments confirm a low-growth environment for 2015 as a whole.

Economic growth in the first quarter of 2015 was 2.2 percent. Accumulative index of economic activity (i.e. for January-February, January-March, etc.) has been fluctuating between 2.5-2.7 percent (year-on-year) since February, while it historically tends to pick up as the year progresses. Agriculture drove growth during the first five months of 2015, reflecting good harvest of apricots. The demand side of GDP remains constrained as a reflection of reduced trade and remittances from Russia. This is manifested in a protracted and deepening decline of retail trade – 8.6 percent in January-May of 2015 (year-on-year).

ARMENIA FOREIGN TRADE REDUCES BY 29.8% IN JANUARYJUNE

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he foreign trade turnover of Armenia has dropped by 29.8 percent in the first half of the current year, as compared to the 32.3percent reduction from January to May. According to the National Statistical Service data, the rate of decline in the country’s exports and imports has slowed down.

The foreign trade statistics for January-June are incomplete due to unfinished compilation of mutual trade indicators between the Eurasian Economic Union countries (Armenia, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan), and these statistics are subject to adjustment sometime thereafter.

imports.

The value of Georgia’s External Merchandise Trade (export and imports) was on a downward trend, noted Geostat.

In January –June 2015, external merchandise trade (excluding non-organised trade) in Georgia amounted to $4,761 million USD, which was a 13 percent decreased year–on–year (y/y).

Georgia’s exports equalled $1,082 million USD (24 percent lower), while imports stood at $3,680 million USD (nine percent lower). The negative trade balance was $2,598 million USD in the first six months of 2015 and its share in external trade turnover constituted 55 percent. A third (33 percent) of the trade deficit came to EU countries, while this was 31 percent in JanuaryJune 2014.

Meanwhile, the external trade of Georgia with

CIS countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) dropped 21 percent compared to January-March 2014.

In January-June 2015 Georgia’s external trade with the CIS countries totalled $1,356 million.

Exports stood at $417 million (45 percent lower), while imports equalled $939 million (two percent lower). CIS countries had a 28 percent share in the total external trade of Georgia; 39 percent in exports and 26 percent in imports.

In January-June 2015 the share of the top ten trading partners in the total external trade turnover of Georgia amounted to 64 percent.

Georgia’s top trading partners by turnover for the first part of the year were Turkey ($756 million), Azerbaijan ($409 million) and China ($371 million).

Copper ores and concentrates reclaimed the first place as top export items, equalling $130 million, or 12 percent of total exports. Exports of Ferro-alloys totalled $110 million, and its share in total exports amounted to 10 percent.

Motor cars occupied third place. Exports of this commodity group stood at $99 million and nine percent of total exports.

The top import commodity in January-June 2015 was petroleum and petroleum oils, imports of which amounted to $305 million and eight percent of the total imports.

Medication was the next biggest commodity imported with $298 million, or eight percent of imports. Motor cars came third with $ 244 million (seven percent of imports).

Georgia Bolsters Hazelnut Production

EBRD READY TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF RELIABLE AND MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE IN ARMENIA he Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understating (MoU) on cooperation.

The objective of this MoU is to enhance, on a non-exclusive basis, cooperation, and to facilitate collaboration between the parties to promote projects that support sustainable economic municipal infrastructure development in Armenia.

July 27, 2015 #3

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eorgia is fostering hazelnut production by launching a dedicated hazelnut sector development programme.

The programme aimed to grow the production of hazelnuts in Georgia along with the simultaneously decreasing cost price of hazelnuts and increasing export possibilities.

The programme was initiated by the Georgian Government and implemented by the Ministry of

Agriculture through the Agriculture Cooperatives Development Agency, using European Union (EU) budget support.

Last year Georgia’s export volume of nuts exceeded the export volume of wine for the first time, meaning nuts became Georgia’s main agricultural export product, according to data from the country’s Agricultural Ministry.

Georgia’s Minister of Agriculture Otar Danelia believed hazelnuts had created a new perspective for Georgia’s agriculture sector.

Within the framework of the project, the Agriculture Ministry has begun constructing the facilities for a hazelnut-in-shell drier and storage business in the village of Darcheli, in Zugdidi Municipality. Upon completion, the business will have the capacity to dry over 24 tonnes and store over 500 tonnes of hazelnuts.

Due to be completed by the end of August 2015, Darcheli’s hazelnut industry will then be handed over to a 500-member strong hazelnut cooperative.

As the Agriculture Ministry will ensure international food security standards are implemented, the Darcheli hazelnut cooperative will be obliged to implement Good Agricultural Practices (Global GAP) by September 2018, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) by June 2019.

Nut producing has been supported by the Government, especially with VAT free taxation.

This has allowed the price of Georgian nuts in the global market to become more competitive.

The cost of nuts is increasing worldwide because of higher demand. In recent years the average price per kilogram of shelled nuts was four GEL while in 2014 this price had increased to eight-nine GEL as a result of international market trends. Last year Turkey, the world leading nut exporter, lost half of its harvest due to freezing weather so the global price of nuts increased and turned into a beneficial situation for Georgian entrepreneurs.

Mountain Law: What Social Benefits Will Locals Receive?

G

eorgia’s Parliament has adopted a law to encourage people to live and work in the country’s mountainous regions.

The Law on Development of Mountainous Regions passed the legislative body at its third hearing and it will see mountain communities in Georgia enjoy greater benefits with the aim of developing mountainous regions.

Abandoning mountain areas has been an issue for Georgia for decades. Mountain populations leave their homes and migrate to bigger cities to pursue better job opportunities. According to the 2002 figures, 164 villages in Georgia were deserted and 152 villages were barely inhabited, with ten families or less. The creation of the Mountain Law aimed to curb this. “The project provides social benefits for people living in the mountainous regions and creates incentives for economic activity,” Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said while introducing the draft bill earlier this year.

“It also envisages allocation of additional funds for infrastructural development of the mountainous areas.” So with the law now adopted, what exactly are the benefits people in Geor-

gia’s mountainous areas are going to enjoy?

Each family in the country’s mountain regions will receive a monthly financial aid from the state with the amount of GEL 100 during two years for every newborn child. This financial aid increases to GEL 200 for every third, fourth and subsequent children. Mountain residents will enjoy a non-taxable income if their salary is up to GEL 6 000.

Individuals and legal entities in mountain regions will be exempted from profit tax for ten years. Those who permanently live in a mountain region will be exempted from property tax for any land they own. State-funded schools and other educational institutions in mountainous regions will enjoy increased vouchers.

Doctors in mountain regions will receive supplemental salary twice as high as the state pension, while nurses will receive supplemental salary as high as the state pension.

People of mountain regions will enjoy 20 percent higher pensions and social assistance. The Government will partially fund heating expenses for mountain population during winter months.

Teachers in mountain regions will enjoy supplemental salary as high as at least 35 percent

of their original salary. Teachers in mountain regions who will participate in programs initiated by the country’s Education Ministry will see their salary increased by 50 percent.

Those living in mountainous regions will get 50 percent of their electricity expenses funded by the Government.

All of these changes will be implemented step by step until 2017.

An area will be considered as mountainous if it is situated 1 500m above the sea level, however in some exceptional cases this number can be reduced to 800m. A Mountain Agency will be established to deal with such issues.

Permanent residency of a mountainous region will be offered to people who spend at least nine months of the year in the mountains while temporary residency will be offered to those who spend at least six months of the year there.

A number of international experts including professionals from UNDP Georgia and the Governments of Switzerland and Austria have been actively supporting Georgia in preparing the new law through expert consultations, working discussions and study visits abroad.

July 27, 2015 #3

EVENTS

Heat Batumi 2015 Moves to Active Stage

H

eat Batumi 2015” moves to an active phase – fun’s going down all day-round!

In frames of thesummer project, Batumi was host to Italian stars on July 16th through July 17th. The Sanremo Days have come to an end in the seaside town; however “Heat Batumi 2015” carries on.

The first of the Sanremo days was devoted to the “Spaghetti Swing” band and their famous hits.

Batumi dwellers and guests to the city were privy to an unusually wonderful performance – the virtuoso band offered both music and spaghetti to attendees of Club Take Five. David Gomarteli, who hosted the Sanremo Days, was also there.

The inimitable Umberto Tozzi and group “Ricchi e Poveri” sang their famous hits on the Batumi Tennis Court stage which was newly built. The Sanremo Days doubled as its debut.

“We go and sing wherever we’re summoned, we respect all listeners. There are no political agendas for us, only music and nothing else,” stated Ricchi e Poveri’s soloist, Franco Gatti, during his visit to Batumi.

“We carry music and joy! We’re musicians, not politicians! What we bring to the people is happiness, positivity.” – noted Ricchi e Poveri’s Angela Brambati.

“Music is a universal language for communicating relationships. It’s what we do in every country – we sing in every country. And we take great pleasure in that.” – said the group’s singer, Angelo Sotgiu.

The concert was led by Georgian singer David Gomarteli, who loves Italy, the country’s cuisine and music, and is fluent in its language. He knows all there is to know about Italians. He sang during the concert as well, evoking several Italian hits.

It’s important to note that Umberto Tozzi was in Georgia for the first time conducting a concert.

“Heat Batumi 2015 also saw the Batumi Performers’ Days take place, which began on July 14th. Visitors to Batumi were treated to various hits by local groups like the Black Sea Band, Seaside, Lasha Ghlonti, and Vazha Tugushi’s band on the open stage near the boulevard colonnades.

Other performers on the stage included Vanilla Cage, pianist Lado Katashvili and the Batumi Queartet.

The Performers’ Days ended with Sopho Khalvashi’s concert, who gifted a wonderful evening to citizens and visitors of Batumi.

In a nutshell, the Batumi residents and city guests had a magical weekend. Soon, in the area around the “Sheratoni” hotel, in frames of “Heat Batumi 2015”, the “KOLGA” exhibition opened that will run until September 6th.

The international photo contest “KOLGA” took place for the fourteenth time this year. For two months, 38 photo projects and 18 photos will be displayed for Batumi dwellers and visitors.

Photographers from up to 40 countries took part in this year’s contest, and the best photos were chosen from a pool of over 9000 entries.

“The International Photo Contest ‘KOLGA TBILISI PHOTO 2015’ took its start on May 1st in Tbilisi, showing off the year’s best photos and rewarding winners until May 8th. In frames of the festival, individual and group-based exhibitions were held. Apart from contest exhibitions, various others were invited from countries around the world. A record number of people were participating in this year’s contest, photographers from up to 40 countries. A large number of photographers visit our country through this period, which is also quite important. For now, “KOLGA” has already opened and is awaiting onlookers. Batumi will pay host to it till September 6th,” – noted the founder of KOLGA TBILISI PHOTO, Beso Khaindrava.

Apart from this, in frames of “Heat Batumi 2015” and the modern art gallery CAC 41N/41E,

the Street Art festival was opened. Tezi Gabunia, Zura Arabidze and Dr. Love were the artists who got to show off their work. The festival took place for the third time in the seaside town.

5 walls were painted in frames of the project that were picked in various districts of the city.

Throughout one week the Batumi people were able to look on as at the art’s creation. The festival was organized by the art studio DOTCOMMA. The Street Art festival took place in Batumi for the first time in 2013, and it united 9 Parisian and 6 Georgian artists from both Tbilisi and Batumi.

From July 21 to July 22nd, the Batumi colonnades stage was taken by the Batumi Jazz Big Band, with completely free attendance. Apart from this, the entirety of the Jazz Festival has taken start and will end on July 26th with a concert from Snoop Dogg.

The 60 days of Heat Batumi will cover over 200 events hosting 259 foreign artists from over 20 countries. With up to 2000 participants overall, Heat Batumi will be split into 11 thematic weeks, with each and every one of them having a unique topic and artistic accent. Heat Batumi is suitable for people of all ages and allows visitors to plan their vacation based on what they wish to see most. There’s fun going down all day-round.

G

THE 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE HIGHEST/LOWEST LEVELS OF WELL-BEING

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anama emerges as the country with the highest level of well-being in the 2014 Country Well-Being Rankings report, which surveys citizens in 145 countries and territories on five elements of well-being – purpose, social, financial, community and physical – and ranks countries based on the proportion of the population who say they are “thriving” in three or more of them. Panama has 53% of people believing they are thriving in at least three of the categories. Other countries in the Americas dominate the top of the rankings, with Costa Rica and Puerto Rico in second and third places respectively.

Afghanistan ranks last with 0% of people thriving in three elements of well-being, followed by Bhutan and Cameroon.

Panama emerges as the country with the highest level of well-being in the 2014 Country WellBeing Rankings report, which surveys citizens in 145 countries and territories on five elements of well-being – purpose, social, financial, community and physical – and ranks countries based on the proportion of the population who say they are “thriving” in three or more of them.

The 10 countries with the highest levels of well-being 1. Panama 53.0% 2. Costa Rica 47.6% 3. Puerto Rico 45.8% 4. Switzerland 39.4% 5. Belize 38.9% 6. Chile 38.7% 7. Denmark 37.0% 8. Guatemala 36.3% 9. Austria 35.6% 10. Mexico 35.6% The 10 countries with the lowest levels of well-being 136. Ghana 5.6% 137. Haiti 5.3% 138. Benin 4.8% 139. Ivory Coast 4.5% 140. DR Congo 4.1% 141. Tunisia 4.0% 142. Togo 3.9% 143. Cameroon 3.1% 144. Bhutan 3.0% 145. Afghanistan 0.0%

F third year of the project. Distinctive murals already present in the city completed as part of the Festival include 10 compositions created in 2014 by 18 artists of the Paris’ L’attrape Rêve gallery as well as six Georgian creations. The gallery coorganised the Festival project together with the Dotcomma art studio, while the project is supported by Georgia’s Ministry of Culture.

Batumi Grafikart Festival 2015. In the piece Dr Love, who is known for his works in the capital city Tbilisi, created a sea “selfie” scene that took up the entire façade of the building.

Paintings by a group of urban artists are being created throughout Batumi as part of the Festival’s 2015 theme of Sea and Love, with 700 square metres of new art planned for 2015 in the

WORLD

JAPAN’S NIKKEI TO BUY FINANCIAL TIMES GROUP FOR $1.3 BLN

“Sea selfie” Among New Series of Batumi Urban Art Pieces

eorgia’s seaside town Batumi now boasts the largest piece of mural art in the country.

A wall of the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University building on Ninoshvili St - next to the city’s Hilton Batumi Hotel - was used by urban artist Dr. Love to create the iconic piece of art as part of the

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inancial Times Group is not a major revenue generating business for the holding.

More than 70% of the proceeds media holding Pearson brings an educational segment.

And the strategy of further development of the company requires a focus on this area. Executive Director John Pearson Fallon said that amid the rapid growth of mobile and social resources, “the best way to ensure journalistic and commercial success FT – is to make it part of a global digital news company,” reports the words of one of Fallon’s main competitors FT – US business publication The Wall Street Journal.

MARK ZUCKERBERG IS NOW THE NINTH RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD

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acebook has become one of the highestvalued companies in the world after a stock surge saw it leapfrog General Electric to join the ranks of the top ten companies on the S&P stock market index. And quietly, in the process, its founder Mark Zuckerberg has become the ninth richest person in the world.

Zuckerberg leap-frogged Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of Ikea and Sweden’s richest man and his steady ascent of Bloomberg’s list of the world’s richest continues apace. Just a few weeks ago, he slipped past four members of the Walton family to become the world’s 11th richest man.

APPLE SHARES FALL BY NEARLY 7 PERCENT

A

pple Inc (AAPL.O) shares slumped nearly 7 percent in after-hours trading as its fourth-quarter revenue forecast fell short of estimates and it missed some targets for iPhone sales. The shares dropped to $121 after the company released its results on Tuesday, from $130.75 at the close.

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July 27, 2015 #3

International Network “Aesthetic Medical Clinics Group” – Prague, St.Peterburg, Tbilisi

CLINIC MEDI

Full span of State of Art Dentistry . . .

Diagnosis and treatment at CLINIC MEDI are carried out in all major areas of dentistry: therapy, orthopedics, micro, maxillofacial surgery and implants, periodontics, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, as well as X-ray diagnostics with the ability to receive a 3D-image.

All kinds of dental work performed using innovative materials and modern equipment that ensures a high level of quality of care, can achieve the most accurate and efficient results.

All dental procedures are conducted by qualified experts with considerable experience, unique knowledge and clinical skills.

The system of clinics MEDI identified Level 2 clinics, depending on the volume and complexity of services: the elite and business class.

COMPUTER 3D-DIAGNOSTICS - 3D-tomography - a digital three-dimensional image of dental systems, obtained by X-ray diagnostic study, which was made possible by a fundamentally new diagnostic equipment - dental 3D-computer tomography. Doctors of MEDI are able to work with more accurate, more detailed threedimensional images, which greatly enhances and improves the efficiency of dental treatment.

DENTAL TREATMENT - Treatment of caries and aesthetic restoration, Root canal treatment.

At the final stage of the channel using the cream with hot gutta-percha - a plastic material that provides tightness without undue pressure on the walls of the root MICROPROSTHETICS - inlays, onlays, crowns and veneers in only one appointment!

Dental Robot with the most precise computer technology!!!!

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY - including all modern technologies of therapy, surgery orthodonty; Teeth Whitening - Clinical whitening, Laser whitening TREATMENT OF GUMS (periodontics)- full span of paradontology PROSTHETICS TOOTH - Prosthetics zirconia, Prosthetics on noble alloys, Prosthetics on Metal Ceramics, Prosthetics on ceramics, partial denture SURGERY AND DENTAL IMPLANTS Implantation Exodontia

SURGICAL TREATMENT Surgical preparation for dental implants

50% Discount For Consulting and Professional Oral Hygiene

ORTHODONTICS Installation of aesthetic bracket systems Installation of metal braces Installing lingual braces Installing lingual braces Incognito Installing lingual braces WIN Installation of orthodontic appliances Orthodontic appliances Service PROFESSIONAL ORAL HYGIENE Professional hygiene for adults Professional hygiene for children

Clinic MEDI 52 Kostava str. Tbilisi 291 00 00

ABSOLUTE SAFETY OF PATIENT = ONLINE ANTI-VIRUS, ANTI-SPID PROGRAM Clinic MEDI 52 Kostava str. Tbilisi 291 00 00

July 27, 2015 #3

INFOGRAPHIC

When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do But what if you travel elsewhere?

Holiday season is on, so food ordering service foodpanda (www.foodpanda.ge) selected 9 destinations and their peculiar drinking habits to help you celebrate with locals when traveling abroad. All countries have their habits and eccentricities and if you want to have the authentic experience, you should follow them. For instance, if you go to Russia, drink your vodka straight or don’t drink it at all – have you ever

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seen a Russian man breaking his vodka with cranberry juice? Don’t think so. But make sure you’ve ordered some food on the side to keep you strong. Bottoms up! foodpanda, together with its affiliated brands hellofood and Delivery Club, is the leading online marketplace for food delivery, being active in more than 40 countries across five continents.

The company enables restaurants to bring their menus online and extend their customer base.

For consumers, foodpanda offers an online marketplace with the widest gastronomic range from where they can choose their favorite meal on the platform or via the app that is available for free on AppStore and Google Play.

The brand began its operations in Georgia in 2014, and already spans over 70 restaurants throughout the largest cities in the country, including Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Mtskheta and Rustavi. www.foodpanda.ge

AJARA GUIDE DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN BATUMI: • Azerbaijan - 14 Dumbadze street; t.: 0 422 27 67 00 • Estonia - 60 Gorgasali street; t.: 0 422 27 09 10 • Turkey - 9 Ninoshvili street; t.: 0 422 25 58 00 • Iran - 83 Parnavaz Mepe street; t.: 0 422 22 86 01, 0 422 22 86 02 • Armenia - 32 Gogebashvili street; t.: 0 422 21 63 02 AJARA TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES: • Batumi boulevard information centre - 2, Ninoshvili str.; m.: 577 90 90 91; t.: 0 422 29 44 12; w.h.: 09:00-22:00 (Everyday) • Batumi cable-way information centre - Gogebashvili street; m.: 577 90 90 93; t.: 0 422 29 44 10; w.h.: 24/7 • Batumi airport information centre - 220, Airport highway; t.: 0 422 29 44 14; w.h.: according to flights schedule • Sarpi information centre - Sarpi Customs; mob: 577 90 90 72; w.h.: 09:00-21:00 (Everyday) • Kobuleti information centre 642 Aghmashenebeli street; tel: 0 422 29 44 13; w.h.: 09:00-20:00 (Everyday) • Keda information centre Aghmashenebeli street; w.h.: 09:00-19:00 (In summer) • Shuakhevi information centre 22 Rustaveli street; w.h.: 09:00-19:00 (In summer) • Khulo information centre 29 M. Abashidze street; w.h.: 09:00-19:00 (In summer) SIGHTSEEING AND CULTURE BATUMI CIRCUS - 13 Services: Parking, Toilet The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian Prices; Discounts are available CONTACT • Mob.: 599 68 02 23 PUPPET AND YOUTH STATE THEATRE - 13 Working hours: 10:00-17:00 Services: Parking, Toilet The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian Prices; Ticket: 2 Gel Discounts are available CONTACT • Tel.: 0 422 27 62 34 • Mob.: 599 40 45 38 • E-Mail: info@puppet-show.org • CINEMA APOLLO - 13 • Working hours: 12:00-00:00 • Services: Credit cards accepted, Free Wi-Fi, Exhibitions, Cafe, Toilet • The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian • Prices • Ticket: 6-10 Gel • Tel.: 0 422 22 72 27 BATUMI BOTANICAL GARDEN - 13 Working hours: 09:30-18:00 Services: Credit cards accepted, Free Wi-Fi, Exhibitions, Guide service, Cafe, Information board, Parking, Toilet The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian, German Prices Ticket: 8 Gel Guide service: 30 Gel Discounts are available • Tel.: 0 422 29 49 29 • Mob.: 577 10 16 07 • E-Mail: info@bbg.ge AJARA KHARITON AKHVLEDIANI STATE MUSEUM - 13 Working hours: 10:00-17:00 Services: Free Wi-Fi, Exhibitions, Guide service, Information board, Parking, Toilet The staff speaks: Georgian, Russian Prices Ticket: 2 Gel Guide service: 5 Gel Discounts are available • Tel.: 0 422 27 11 75 AJARA STATE ART MUSEUM - 13 Working hours: 10:00-18:00 Services: Exhibitions, Guide service, Information board The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian Prices Ticket: 2 Gel Guide service: Free Discounts are available • Tel.: 0 422 27 38 94 BATUMI ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Working hours: 10:00-18:00 Services: Exhibitions, Guide service, Information board The staff speaks: Georgian, Russian Prices Discounts are available • Tel.: 0 422 27 65 64 • Mob.: 599 15 41 50 THE NOBEL BROTHERS BATUMI TECHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM Working hours: 10:00-18:00 Services: Exhibitions, Guide service, Information board, Parking The staff speaks: Georgian, Russian Prices Ticket: 3 Gel Guide service: 5 Gel Discounts are available • Mob.: 599 43 03 68

DANCING FOUNTAINS Working hours: 20:00-00:00 Services: Parking • PricesTel.: 0 422 27 88 08 • E-Mail: info@boulevard.ge Ticket: Free BATUMI ILIA CHAVCHAVADZE STATE DRAMA THEATRE Working hours: CLOSED until late June / early July 2015 Services: Parking for around 15 cars. Accessible for disabled people with 10 wheelchair spaces.

Toilets (but not accessible). No theatre bar or restaurant but plenty of bars and restaurants nearby.

The staff speaks: Georgian, Russian, English, Turkish • Tel.: 0 422 27 06 14 • Mob.: 555 36 63 99 • E-Mail: info@batumitheatre.ge BATUMI SUMMER THEATRE Batumi Summer Theatre is located in a central part of Batumi Boulevard and is designed for concerts and other entertainment events. An architecturally-unique wooden building is adorned with wooden ornaments and features a ceiling painted in imitation of the sky. The Summer Theatre has a long history. It was renovated in 2013 and has operated since then.

• Tel.: 0 422 29 45 24 Adress: Batumi boulevard BATUMI ART CENTER Working hours: 10:30-22:00 Services: Exhibitions, Parking, Toilet, Café, Concerts, Performances, Opera, Traditional Georgian Folk Song and Dance, Orchestra Performances The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian, Turkish, French Tel.: 0 422 27 62 40 • Mob.: 555 37 75 99 • E-Mail: info@muscenter.ge ZOO Working hours: 11:00-19:00 (Except for Monday) Services: Parking, Toilet The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian el.: 0 422 22 17 30 • E-Mail: office@parkbatumi.ge CONTEMPORARY ART SPACE Working hours: 11:00-19:00 (Except Monday) The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian • E-Mail: batumiartspace@gmail. com Working hours: 11:00-20:00 The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian Prices:Free entrance • Tel.: 0 422 27 97 00 RUSUDAN PETVIASHVILI ART CAFE-GALLERY Working hours: 11:00-24:00 The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian • Mob.: 599 74 52 23 KEMAL TURMANIDZE ART SALON Working hours: 11:00-19:00 The staff speaks: Georgian, English, Russian Prices Ticket: 5 Gel • Tel.: 0 422 24 07 19 • Mob.: 599 27 34 70 • E-Mail: info@akvani.ge MAKHUNTSETI BRIDGE Date: IX-X centuries Makhuntseti Bridge is located 54 km away from Batumiin the village of Makhuntseti on the Batumi–Khulo central motorway. The bridge is large and is supported by rocky piers.

Volcanic rocks were used for the creation of a a lime mortar.

Additional stone rows show that it had been restored several times.

In 2008, the bridge was fully reconstructed.

• Tel.: 0 422 22 56 03 • E-Mail: info@ajaraheritage.ge GONIO-APSAROS FORTRESS-MUSEUM Working hours: 10:00-17:00 Services: Free Wi-Fi, Exhibitions, Souvenirs, Guide service, Workshop, Information board, Parking, Toilet The staff speaks: Georgian, Russian, English Prices Ticket: 3 Gel Guide service: 10 Gel Discounts are available Mob.: 599 57 96 23 ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH Greeks living in Batumi gave a gift to an Ottoman sultan for his jubilee thus earning his approval to build a church on one interesting condition – not to ring the bells. In 1865 building was started, and in 1878 bells was installed and are kept until the nowadays. In 2012 the building was rehabilitated and today it is one of the main churches in the city.

BATUMI CATHOLIC CHURCH The Batumi Catholic Church of the Holy Ghost was built in 2000

by Catholics living in Batumi.

The church was consecrated by Giuseppe Pasotto, the Ordinary of the Apostolic Administration of Caucasus. The church is often visited by the Ambassador of the Vatican to Georgia.

Ceremonial liturgiesare delivered at the church. There are approximately 50,000 Catholics in Georgia.

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July 27, 2015 #3