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August 24, 2015 #7
August 24, 2015, Issue 7
Be informed, do business in ajara
Prime Minister Visits Ajara
Avtandil Beridze: Supreme Council Efforts Will Soon Resolve Land Legalization Issues Pg. 3 Joseph Alexander Smith Betsson Acquires Europe-Bet in $85 million Deal Pg. 2
The Bestselling Spring Water Brands in Batumi The Ajara Business Week (ABW) and Market Intelligence Caucasus, a market research company, continue a join project for conducting weekly research works in Batumi in order to determine five top-selling brands in the specific product categories on the local consumer market. Market Intelligence Caucasus, a subsidiary of the market research global network of TNS, applies modern and international-standard methodologies. Within this project, we have explored the soft drinks retail market and questioned 500 respondents in
the 18 to 65 age category. The ratio of female respondents marked 57%. At the same time, 42% of the respondents were of 18-34 years old and 58% were of 35 to 65 years old. 56% of the respondents were employees. Before we introduce the report, several interesting facts should be also submitted. Namely, 59% of the respondents enjoy spring water at home, 39% in the street, 8% at cafes, 15% at offices, 5% at fiends’ home, 3% at bars, 4% at restaurants, 1% at transports, 2% at motorcars, 4% during travel and 5% everywhere. Pg. 5
Pg. 8
New Ski Resort to New Oil Refinery Open in Ajara in Batumi
The ski resort construction works at the Goderdzi Pass has reached a final phase. The first stage of the resorts infrastructure construction works will be finished in autumn 2015. Ajara Finance and Economy Minister David Baladze says the ski resort will launch operation in the 2015-2016 winter season. The tourism infrastructure construction works at the Goderdzi Pass are financed by 8 million GEL. The final stage of the works at the Goderdzi Ski Resort proceeds in an active regime. All infrastructural projects will be finished in 2015 and the ski resort will receive first visitors in the winter period. The length of skiing tracks is 4 kilometers. The highest point of the ropeway is located at 2350 meter high and this adds special importance to the ski resort. The Goderdzi Ski Resort has already become an interesting destination for foreign tourists. The asset will attract more visitors in the course of time. Pg. 7
The new enterprise will be built on several tens of hectares on the territory of the former refinery, the Akhali Taoba newspaper reads. The new asset will employ local residents. The refinery will be equipped by modern European-standard technologies and the asset will be the most modern refinery in the post-Soviet space. The project’s investment value exceeds 100 million USD. According to the edition, the project is associated with Multiplex company. The Georgia Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC) says Georgia has extracted 27.7 million tons of oil on average. For the last 10 years an average annual extraction marked 70.6 thousand tons of oil. “The government is actively working on the mentioned project implementation. This project is of vital importance for our country. The new oil refinery will not only strengthen our energy independence and ensure production of European standard products in the Region, but also lower oil prices and regulate the market prices”, the newspaper reads. Pg. 7
2 main events GEORGIA PALACE HOTEL TO HOST MEXICAN FOOD FESTIVAL IN KOBULETI
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tarting August 24 Georgia Palace Hotel will host the Mexican Food Festival. The event is organized by Temuri Tchkonia, Honorary Consul of Mexico in Georgia and The Ambassador of Mexico to Georgia , H.E. Mrs. Martha Bárcena Coqui, a plenipotentiary ambassador of Mexico to Romania. The Festival will last 5 days. Restaurant Ajara will officially unveil the Festival at the Hotel at 19 o’clock on August 24. The guests will taste delicious dishes prepared by Mexican cooks. Representatives of the accredited diplomatic corps and other official guests will attend the Festival. The event’s objective is to make contribution to the development of trade and economic relations between Georgia and Mexico.
Georgia’s PM: Businessmen and Gov’t must work together to strengthen economy
government ajara business week
PRIME MINISTER VISITS AJARA Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili together with Head of Ajara AR Government ARchil Khabadze and other representatives of government visited different finished and under construction facilities in Batumi.
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he Prime Minister of Georgia is encouraging the business sector to work together with the Government and support local production in order to enjoy a better economy and a stronger national currency. Despite an increase in tourist numbers and the fact the country hosted several major sporting and business forums recently, which saw an inflow of US dollars into the country, Georgia’s national currency still continued to devaluate. The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) said the external shock effect on the Lari exchange rate was now over, which encouraged experts to assume the Lari would strengthen this summer however the Lari has continued to fall against the greenback. Since August 20, 1 USD equalled 2.3245 GEL. Before this the exchange rate was 2.3214 GEL for every US dollar, meaning the GEL had slightly depreciated. Now, some experts believed the Lari will depreciate further in autumn when tourist numbers drop. However Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili claimed “people created false expectations” and said the crisis period had already passed.
Turkish Investors to Build Textile Factory in Ajara Highland
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he investors from Turkey are planning to build a textile factory in Upper Ajara. According to the Secretary General of the International Investors Association, at this stage negotiations are underway with representatives of the company and in 2-3 months more effective steps will be taken. Osman Chalshkan says that the company will invest one million dollars in the initial stage and employ 150 people in the factory. “The investors are Turkish, however, a brand is foreign and Icannot yet specify details. There are a lot of unemployed people in Upper Ajara, people mainly go to work in neighboring Turkey. We want to build not only the textile plant there but also other plants and bring foreign investors,” Chalishkan notes. He adds that investors visited Ajara last week and watched the alleged territory the factory will be located. The company representatives met with the head of the government of Ajara and the Minister of Finance and Economy as well.
HONEY FESTIVAL IN AJARA
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irst Honey Festival in Ajara to be held in Batumi Boulevard, alongside Colonnades. Beekeeping in Ajara has been practiced for centuries and is known for its unique traditions. According to the data, Ajara is one of the leading honey producing regions. Local honey has special taste and characteristics, as it is collected in ecologically clean.
August 24, 2015 #7
12 floor hotel complex “Metro City” will have 203 numbers. At this stage, 6 floors of hotel and 9 floors of apartment have been built. Hotel will have conference hall for 1500 people, shopping mall, VIP residence, casino and other facilities. As representatives of the company say, investment considers employing up to 1000 people. “Metro Atlas Georgia” realizes 90 million investment project in region. What about 5 star hotel “Colosseum”, Irakli Garibashvili cut the ribbon with the representatives of the hotel and said, that this is the third hotel, opened in Batumi this year, what promotes development of tourism. As he mentioned, in the scopes of realized investment 200 people were employed. Hotel “Colosseum” is situated on 14 000 square meters, 10 floor building has 101 room numbers, conference hall, 2 swimming pools, spa center, fitness hall and casino. Also, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Head of Ajara AR Government Archil Khabadze
The New Enterprise Opened In Keda The plant, which was funded by the state’s co-financing, will be dispensed on the whole region and is already ready to serve, take the medium and high-quality fruit. This enterprise is the most important for this region. Our peasants, our farmers, the local population has an opportunity to take their harvest of all the varieties of the fruit in this company. Over the years, the harvest was thrown, and breakdowns, people have had the opportunity anywhere to turn over the fruit. By the initiatives of Zurab Chkhaidze: This enterprise will pass fruit. Such kind of projects are really important for our government. The government took active participation in building of this venture – last year we gave 400 thousand dollars as the finances of the project and half a preferential agro-credit. We are pleased that today we see the results – the company “Kakhetian Traditional Winemaking”is opening the second venture in the region, “- The Prime Minister mentioned in his speech. The head of government said that three years ago by the initiative of Ivanishvili the Agrocredit program has began, last year launched a new program “Invest in Georgia” and the government has already funded 135 factory. “30 000 jobs were created last year, of which 90% comes from the agricultural sector. It is very important, and state-backed projects before the sector is developing. I appreciate the fact that it
BUSINESS WEEK
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was so audacious businessmen, such as Zurab Chkhaidze (who opened the factory), which are not expected to do something special, something that people are waiting for 25 years, should be able to be supported to develop business in Georgia. However, the government can not substitute for the private sector, as well as the private sector can not replace government. This day is a successful example of the fact that the government and the private sector can successfully co-operation, “- Irakli Garibashvili said.
visited 5 star hotel and entertainment complex under construction in Batumi, viewed construction works and stage of project development. This complex is the biggest investment procet in region, realized by Austrian company’s “GAB Resorts Holding and Development GMBH”subsidiary company in Georgia LTD “GIMG”. As for today, already 60 million dollars have been spent for the project, part of them are privet direct investments of company shareholders. Hotel complex consists of 232 different hotel rooms, conference and business halls, open terrace, spa and fitness center, closed swimming pool, boutiques, restaurants, bars and cafes. Complex also has entertainment center, casino, CIP casino, cabaret theatre, night bars, bowling center and children and family entertainment center. Living complex “Palm Apartment” has 33 lux apartments and 51 business residences. The investment necessary for the accomplishment of the project is 120 million dollars.
Metro City – Hotel Complex In Batumi
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he project, which the company “Metro Atlas Georgia” implemented will be finished by the end of next year. Investor Galip Ozturk invited the Prime Minister for the Hotel complex opening ceremony on 1 June 2016. Galip Ozturk is planning to invest half a billion dollars in Georgia and employ more than 3 thousand people by the next three years. Prime Minister believes that a successful investment will develop tourism and will make this region even more attractive for foreign visitors. “Mr. Galip launched a large project, which cost $ 100 million in Georgia. He has already employed 800 people. The construction began in February, black work is completed and the complex will be opened in the next year”, – said the Prime Minister. Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to the investor for his half million GEL transfer into”Solidarity Fund”. 12-storey hotel “Metro City” will have at least 203 rooms. In the territory of the complex there will be 3 building with 594 apartments. The hotel has already built 6 floors and 9 floors of apartment at this stage. The company plans to invest US $ 100 million with this project in the region. Hotel “Metro City” designed conference rooms for 1500 people, shopping center, VIP residences and other facilities. The construction contract will be completed ahead of schedule.
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Interview
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ajara business week
August 24, 2015 #7
Avtandil Beridze: Supreme Council Efforts Will Soon Resolve Land Legalization Issues
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The Ajara Supreme Council chairman Avtandil Beridze has updated the Ajara Business Week (ABW) on the achievements and future plans. The Ajara Supreme Council is working on the land law reformation issues on behalf of 20 000 families. We have transformed the Ajara Supreme Council into an efficient mechanism, Avtandil Beridze told the ABW.
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e have transformed the Ajara Supreme Council into an efficient body that provides rationale and productive job. Previously, before 2012, the council did not function, in practice, and it was unable to take efficient decisions. We have implemented many innovative projects. We have introduced many innovations that had never taken place before. For example, the Ajara Supreme Council has transformed the Ajara TV Company into a regional public broadcaster. We have developed and adopted a suitable bill and the Ajara Region has got its own public broadcaster instead of a government channel. We consider this decision to be one of the major achievements. - The land law reformation has been carried out across Georgia, excluding the Ajara Region. As reported, the Ajara Supreme Council was working on this issue. What steps have been taken in this direction? Is it available to register arbitrarily-hedged land plots under certain conditions? - The land law was not reformed in Ajara. No legislative changes have reached the Khelvachauri and Kobuleti municipalities in this direction. In Keda, Shuakhevi and Khulo districts inherited land plots were legalized on the ground of personal agreements locally. But this process was different from the remaining part of Georgia. The land legalization process is our major challenge. I have been working on the issue since we came to the power. Finally, we adopted a bill and submitted it to the parliament of Georgia. The land legalization issues were not resolved in the Ajara region since 1991. If the Georgian Parliament approves our bill, about 20 000 families will legalize their land plots and this is our merit and achievement. - Mr. Avtandil, citrus sales issues are relevant every year in Ajara. How does the agro insurance pilot program work?
Ajara Region Provides Positive And Good Business Environment For Investors
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We Have Introduced Many Innovations That Had Never Taken Place Before
- Last year over 55 000 tons of citrus was picked in the Ajara Region, of which 30 000 tons were exported to Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia and Azerbaijan. 10 000 tons of nonstandard mandarin was bought by the Kobuleti-based enterprise. This year phytosanitary laboratories will operate at pavilions and citrus will be examined there. A total of 35 private pavilions operate in Ajara, including 19 ones are registered in Kobuleti. - Will pavilions buy all sorts of citrus from farmers? - Indeed, if a farmer brings 10 tons of mandarin, the pavilions will process all the volume. If 8 tons are standard mandarins and 2 tons are nonstandard ones, the payment will be commensurate to the product quality. The pavilion owner will sell the nonstandard mandarin himself in Kobuleti. Farmers will not bear losses. We will provide overall assistance and farmers will sell their products without leaving their villages. - Before the project inauguration very few farmers were insured. Why did farmers ignore the agro insurance products? - Agro insurance was an expensive product and farmers had no full information of expected benefits. They were afraid of having problems similar to the health insurance program. I believe the state intervention was a correct step, because this was a pilot project. The population was to be persuaded they would not face any problems. On the other hand, the project was to become attractive for the insurance sector too. The same situation was discerned in the bank sector too, when the sector’s agro loans portfolio was very small because of incompetent policy. This sector was forgotten, no one was interested in it and it was considered a high-risky field. The same approaches were dominated in the insurance companies too. These sectors had no practical knowledge and skills and had no interest in insuring the agriculture products. When the state sector interfered in this direction, a very good precedent was created and farmers realized positive aspects of the agro business insurance product. Once you insure the product, you do not depend on outer factors.
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Farmers frequently have to take loans from banks and if their products spoil, they turn out in a critical situation, because they have to sell their houses or concede their property. - How would you appraise the current business environment in Ajara? - I would not say we have already reached the ideal and perfect business environment, but I assure you currently the Ajara Region provides positive and good business environment for investors. We provide overall support to investors in doing business in our region. The previous Authorities had spent 65 million USD on the Tower of Alphabet, but we apply this asset for our population. Hilton hotel is one of the picturesque assets in Batumi. Metro Atlas has started construction works and this signifies the region provides a good environment in terms of business sector development. Our region has got enormous potential. I update all investors on the existing business opportunities in our region. Investors are always interested in political moods in the region. I assure them Batumi is a special city in Georgia. Batumi is an only city in Georgia with valuable transportation system. Doing business in Ajara is favorable and convenient. We should emphasize our potential better to draw more investors. Moreover, we make accent on the agriculture sector. For the first time in Georgia, the new Authorities have announced the agriculture sector its priority direction. Last period we have improved the situation and Georgian tea have returned into the retail chain. If we offer Turkish tomato to tourists, we will receive no benefit and the tourism sector development will be nonsense. Therefore we should host our tourists by our own agriculture products.
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economy ajara business week
Tourism Season:
August 24, 2015 #7
Only Hope for Stabilizing GEL Exchange Rate
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his year the Georgian Authorities expect the tourist inflows to increase impressively, as one of the major factors for drawing a significant volume of foreign currency and stabilizing the GEL exchange rate. Along with the summer season commencement,
the tourist inflows started rising. According to the Georgian National Tourism administration, a total of 496 758 visitors arrived in Georgia in 1H15, up 9.3% year on year. Despite the pessimistic start in 2015 and a decline in tourist inflows in the January to February period, the first half of 2015 still recorded a little upturn. A total quantity of international visitors made up 2 332 303 with a 3.5% year on year upturn in the first half of 2015. Tourist inflows increased from Belarus by 47%, Kazakhstan (+32%), Lithuania (+27%), the UK (+22%), Germany (+18%), and the USA (+12%). According to the national tourism administration, the June flood has not made essential affect on the number of tourists. The administration says it had provided significant work, including AD campaigns. Georgia spent 4.4 million GEL on AD campaigns in 2014 and drew 5.5 million tourists in this way. The figure will reach 7.8 million visitors throughout 2015. Meanwhile, the Ajara tourism department statistics looks out more optimistic – the month of July
Israeli Investors Commit to Multimillion Dollar Projects in Georgia
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eorgia is positively welcoming a new phase of Georgia-Israel relations that includes implementing several multimillion dollar Israeli investments in the country in the comings months. This was decided at the Georgia-Israel business forum held in Israel on August 17 where Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania introduced Georgia’s investment potential to 101 businessmen. During his speech he mentioned Georgia’s favourable business environment and simplified tax and customs procedures. A statement released today by Tbilisi City Hall noted the Mayor of Jerusalem was interested in Georgia’s tourism and medical sectors. I visited Israel to attract investments and imple-
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2.2% year on year. Despite growing statistics of visitors, the GEL exchange rate keeps depreciating. As a result, more and more experts point to incorrect policy of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG). They express doubts the problems are being artificially created to the national currency.
Georgian Nuts Saturate European Markets
ment specific projects, to establish cooperation in the sphere of tourism and to support the development of high-technologies. Tbilisi’s door is open for investors and I guarantee to support all projects and investors,” said Narmania. Meanwhile president of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business Itsik Moshe said a new format of cooperation had started between the two countries and confirmed several multimillion dollar projects will be implemented in Georgia. Today is the last day of Narmania’s three-day visit to Israel. During his trip Narmania held several meetings with the Mayor of Jerusalem and the business community that focused on deepening bilateral cooperation. The Mayor of Jerusalem will attend a reciprocal visit to Georgia in December this year.
Foreign Direct Investments up 87% in 2014
eorgia’s Foreign direct investments in 2014 increased by 86.6% year-on-year, amounting to USD 1.75 billion, the biggest inflow since 2007, according to the final figures released by the National Statistics Office, Geostat, on Monday. The final data has been revised significantly upwards from Geostat’s preliminary 2014 FDI figures, released in March, which stood at USD 1.27 billion. According to final figures, FDI stood at USD
has recorded the ongoing year’s highest indicators in terms of tourists inflows. According to the report of Ajara-based accommodation assets, a 5.8% year on year upturn was registered in July 2015. According to the Ajara Tourism Department’s statistics, the January to July period has recorded a 3.40% year on year growth. Namely, the number of visitors has increased from Turkey by 3.2%, Azerbaijan (+1.5%), Russia (+3.7%), Ukraine (3.5%), Armenia (+0.8%), Poland (+3.7%), Israel (4.6%), Belarus (+6.8%), Kazakhstan (+11%) and Lithuania (+5.5%). Ajara-based customs houses have also registered a 6.10% growth in July, namely the Sarpi customs house, the airport and Batumi Seaport customs houses. The number of foreign tourists has increased by 9.16% and the number of domestic visitors has increased by 3%. According to the information-analytical department of the Interior Ministry, over 737 000 foreign visitors have crossed the Georgian state border, up 9.5% year on year. Over 336 000 tourists have arrived in Georgia for holidaymaking, up
309.4 million in the first quarter of 2014, going down to USD 196.2 million in the second quarter, increasing to USD 726 million in the third one and reaching USD 526.7 million in the final three months of 2014. Transport and communications received the largest share of FDI in 2014 – USD 433.7 million, a three-fold increase over the previous year, followed by construction sector – USD 316.6 million, up from USD 49.8m in 2013; manufacturing – USD 205.4m, more than two-fold increase over the previous year; energy sector – USD 189.9m, down from USD 244.7m in 2013; real estate – USD 138.7m, up from USD 42.3m in 2013; hotels and restaurants – USD 124.9m and financial sector – USD 115.3m. Most of the FDI in 2014 came from companies registered in the Netherlands – USD 373.7 million, followed by Azerbaijan – USD 341.4m; China – USD 217.9m; the United States – USD 181.9m; Luxembourg – USD 109.6m; UK – USD 107.6m; Russia – USD 82.2m; Panama – USD 70.7m; Turkey – USD 63.1m. According to preliminary data, FDI in the first quarter of 2015 stood at USD 175.3 million, down by 43.3% compared to final figures of the same period of last year.
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eorgian nuts are invading the European market and are fast becoming the country’s main agricultural export product. The country’s nut exports to Italy increased 321 percent in January-June 2015 compared to the same period of 2014, while exports to Germany rose 143 percent and to Great Britain by 98 percent in the same time, according to latest figures provided by Geostat, the country’s national statistics office. To bolster the country’s nut production, Georgia’s Agriculture Ministry has launched a dedicated nut sector development programme which aimed to grow the production of nuts in Georgia while simultaneously decreasing the cost price of nuts and increasing export possibilities. Those who want to get involved in the project should have a 500-member strong nut cooperative in Zugdidi municipality and own at least 500 ha of nut gardens. The first farming cooperative of 500 members will soon be established in Samegrelo and the Government promised to co-fund construction of a nut drying plant. An agricultural cooperative has also started in Kakheti region where farmers are uniting to become more influential nut sup-
pliers in the local and international market. This gives farmers more opportunity to sell their products for a higher price. The first nut plantations appeared in Kakheti only seven years ago when Russia enforced an embargo on Georgian wine and the Kakheti population had to find an alternative product to export. The Government of Georgia has been a strong supporter of developing the country’s nut production sector, particularly by introducing 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 eightnine 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. 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, stated the country’s Agricultural Ministry.
August 24, 2015 #7
research ajara business week
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The Ajara Business Week (ABW) and Market Intelligence Caucasus, a market research company, continue a join project for conducting weekly research works in Batumi in order to determine five top-selling brands in the specific product categories on the local consumer market. Market Intelligence Caucasus, a subsidiary of the market research global network of TNS, applies modern and international-standard methodologies. Within this project, we have explored the soft drinks retail market and questioned 500 respondents in the 18 to 65 age category. The ratio of female respondents marked 57%. At the same time, 42% of the respondents were of 18-34 years old and 58% were of 35 to 65 years old. 56% of the respondents were employees. Before we introduce the report, several interesting facts should be also submitted. Namely, 59% of the respondents enjoy spring water at home, 39% in the street, 8% at cafes, 15% at offices, 5% at fiends’ home, 3% at bars, 4% at restaurants, 1% at transports, 2% at motorcars, 4% during travel and 5% everywhere. Naturally, each respondent could name several places, where they enjoy spring water. We introduce this report with interesting results in several directions.
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Restaurant ajara business week
August 24, 2015 #7
Batumarani Restaurant
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atumarani restaurant is the best place for tasting delicious dishes and Ajara-made wines. The concept for creating the Batumarani restaurant was based on the idea of introducing the Ajara Region, Vine and Sea in a complex percept. Foreign tourists, as well as a major part of Georgian citizens are unaware vineyards are grown on vast territories in Ajara and high-quality wines are bottled in our region. Moreover, various historical and archeological materials prove the wine transit was carried out through the Black Sea routes many centuries ago. The interior of Batumarani restaurant depicts Ajara, the Sea and the Vine in a joint concept (Pitchers depicted on boats display the wine transportation process).
Batumarani is the best place to taste yummy dishes and Ajara-made wines and to receive information on the local winemaking history. Batumarani offers five varieties of Ajaramade wines on tap: (Chkhaveri, Satsuri, Tsolikauri, Aladasturi, Noe) Honey Spirits, Wild Plum Spirits, Vodka, Spirits with Oak Aroma. Batumarani also offers bottled wines and wines on tap, as well as spirits and vodka, that are made in various regions of Georgia. BatuMarani is owned by LLC Lunch-Time that, besides the restaurant services, unites two additional directions in the food business: organizing a fourchette and food delivery service within Batumi. The kitchen of Batumarani restaurant is equipped with modern inventories. The restaurant infrastructure satisfies all international standards (hygiene, products storage and processing conditions, healthcare of staff and so on). Batumarani prepares dishes, cakes and dessert, as well as bread, pelmeni and sauces by high-quality products. Restaurant Batumarani Address: Gorgasali Street 111, Batumi.
Adjarian Wine House
Ajarian Festive Wine – at Adjarian Wine House
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djarian Wine House is located in Khelvachauri, a 15 minute-drive from Batumi. We offer an unforgettable experience to the wine appreciators, an exquisite service and the warm welcome to Ajara that will stay in your hearts for a long time. Adjarian Wine House was established in 2010. It is a small winery with at a beautiful location. It was built on the ruins of an 18th century historical winery in Ajara’s beautiful district of Khelvachauri near the river Ajaristskali. Besides the bottling line and winery, Adjarian Wine House also owns a vineyard of Chkhaveri grapes, wine tasting halls, wine cellars and a
restaurant. Adjarian Wine House produces 100 000 bottles a year. Chkhaveri and Tsolikauri grapes are picked in the Ajara highlands. This year the company has bought about 10 tons of Chkhaveri from Qeda and Shuakhevi farmers. Currently, the wine cellar employs 25 persons. Ukrainian Laro Donbass holds a 60% stake in the company. A total of 7 000 bottles of rose-color Chkhaveri bottled in 2014 and 2015 are mainly sold in Ukraine. The price of a bottle of wine in foreign currency is equivalent to 50 GEL. The bottles are made in France, corks are imported from Portugal. Squeezing, bottling, other technologies are
mainly performed by hand. Employees receive monthly 600 GEL salaries. Adjarian Wine House will produce 7 000 bottles of Chkhaveri, 10 000 bottles of Tsolikauri and 2000 sparkling wines through Georgian and European technologies. The company also provides wine tours for visitors, who are enabled to see the company vineyard, Georgian wine cellar, European production line, participate in the wine bottling process, taste wines and local dishes. “Adjarian Wine House also offers Ajarian dishes, boiled chicken and boiled-fried shin or shoulder-blade, as well as fried calf ribs, barbeque and tea, coffee, lemonade, Adjarian Festive and Chacha.
Our mission is to restore the ancient vine and winemaking traditions of Ajara and popularizing unique wine variety of Chkhaveri. We offer an unforgettable experience to the wine appreciators, an exquisite service and the warm welcome to Ajara. You are welcome to taste Adjarian Festive at our winery. This wine variety is made of two grapes, namely, from Ajara-grown Tsolikauri and eastern Georgian Rkatsiteli. The wine contains gilded color, acidity of Tsolikauri and fruits aromas and character of Rkatsiteli. With comparatively severe character this wine bears tones of dry grasses and ripe white plum”, the Adjarian Wine House management says.
Tourism
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ajara business week
August 24, 2015 #7
New Ski Resort to Open in Ajara David Baladze
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Ajara Finance and Economy Minister
Our Main Objective Is To Introduce The Highland Ajara’s Tourism Opportunities To Foreign Visitors
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he ski resort construction works at the Goderdzi Pass has reached a final phase. The first stage of the resorts infrastructure construction works will be finished in autumn 2015. Ajara Finance and Economy Minister David Baladze says the ski resort will launch operation in the 2015-2016 winter season. The tourism infrastructure construction works at the Goderdzi Pass are financed by 8 million GEL. The final stage of the works at the Goderdzi Ski Resort proceeds in an active regime. All infrastructural projects will be finished in 2015 and the ski resort will receive first visitors in the winter period. The length of skiing tracks is 4 kilometers. The highest point of the ropeway is located at 2350 meter high and this adds special importance to the ski resort. The Goderdzi Ski Resort has already become an interesting destination for foreign tourists. The asset will attract more visitors in the course of time. Naturally, the new infrastructure will further develop the Goderdzi Ski resort. New public assets
will be also arranged around the ski resort. All these efforts will make positive influence on the Ajara Region’s economic development. Our main objective is to introduce the highland Ajara’s tourism opportunities to foreign visitors. The Ajara genuinely has got huge potential to become one of the best ski resort destinations in Georgia”, David Baladze said. Hotel construction and accommodation works have been already completed, the Minister noted. “At this stage we are constructing 6 hotel-type cottages at the Goderdzi Ski resort. Sewage net-
works and purification headwork are also being arranged, as well as accommodations for the resorts staff. We have also announced tender on arrangement of the resort territory. The resort’s electricity supply and water supply systems have been already organized. The construction of a 11suite hotel was also finished. Skiing tracks and security systems have been installed, as well as two ropeways of 4 kilometers in length. We have bought all required appliances and inventories for valuable operation of the ski resort”, Baladze said.
Goderdzi Ski Resort
The Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara
Results of Current Israeli Media Tours
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or several times this year, the department of tourism and resorts of Ajara has welcomed representatives of Israeli leading mass media and tour operators. As a result of a media tour held in May, different promotional articles of Batumi and Ajara were already featured in popular Israeli newspapers, magazines and news portals. Special promo videos about Ajarian cuisine and sights have been prepared for ‘’FOOD NANA ‘’ Israeli TV program. Information featured in these promotional articles and videos has reached the audience of up to 3 mln. people.Another press
tour for Israeli mass media was organized by Department of Tourism from 5 to 8 August, as a result of which different summer events, information on mountainous Ajara and other news have been published. (Article 1 , Article 2 ). Such an activity of Israeli mass media helps promote our region in the State of Israel even more. In should be noted that Israel is one of the target tourism markets for department of tourism and resorts of Ajara where different promotional activities have been carried out. Beginning from 2012, direct charter flights are performed twice a week from Tel Aviv to Batumi international airport. At first, seasonal charter flights were performed by Israeli travel agency Eshet Tour under support of department of tourism and resorts of Ajara. This year, Israeli travel agency in cooperation with local travel agencies continues to operate at Georgian and particularly Ajarian tourism market. One of this season’s newcomersis another Israeli airline company “ARKIA “ which plans to perform charter flights to Batumi once a week. For the first time this year the flights from Israel are also planned for autumn-winter period. Israel in recent years has demonstrated an increase as per the number of incoming tourist. According to statistics, in 2014 compared to 2013 an increase of 8,2% was recorded in the number of incoming Israeli tourists to Ajara. According to current statistics, from January to July 2015, a growth of 4,6% in the number of Israeli tourists was recorded in accommodation facilities.
The Results of Promotional Campaign in Lithuania
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his year the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara, along with other target countries, has organized a promotional campaign in Lithuania. The Department has started to work in Lithuanian tourism market shortly after the start of regular flights between Vilnius and Georgia. For 2 straight years, various kinds of marketing activities have been held in Lithuania in order to promote Batumi and the region. Before start of the summer season, ad campaigns of Batumi and Ajara were carried out in three Lithuanian cities (Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda). Lithuanian residents could see billboards, advertising posters on city buses and other kind of advertising of Batumi and Ajara as a priority touristic destination. In addition to outdoor advertising, the Department of Tourism has also organized 3 information tours for the Lithuanian journalists and tour operators. As a result of these press tours, leading Lithuanian media have prepared 7 promotional articles and 1 television spot which reached the audience of 2,749,723 people. In January 2015, the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara took part in the international exhibition in Lithuania under the name of «Advanture 2015”, where promotional materials reflecting the tourism potential of Ajara region were presented on a separate stand. It should be noted that the stand of the Department of Tourism was very
popular among visitors. Marketing campaigns aimed at promoting Batumi and Ajara held in Lithuania, already have a positive effect on the statistics. In particular, from January to July 2015, a growth of 5.5% in the number of Lithuanian tourists was recorded in accommodation facilities of Ajara. As for the last year, in 2014 compared to 2013 year, 4.7% growth was recorded. For more information please see photo album of the advertising campaign and the media monitoring document published in Lithuania.
8 news AJARA’S DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR STRONGER ECONOMIC GROWTH
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he Government of Ajara continues actively working for the welfare and for the better living standards of its citizens by facilitating effective Regional Development Strategy formation. Realizing that effective strategy needs strong foundations, the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara (GoARA) together with GIZ contracted Policy and Management Consulting Group (PMCG) to assist the government to analyze the current situation in-depth. Regional economy and infrastructure; education, culture and sports; environment protection; agriculture; and social welfare and healthcare are the five main areas PMCG will study. According to the analysis of the collected data, PMCG will formulate strategies and priority documents for Ajara line ministries and support the implementation phase by developing performance monitoring instruments. The strategy has crucial importance for the further development and economic growth of the region. It will unite all the ministries’ strategies under one umbrella and contribute to long-term and profound planning, so that financial and human resources will be allocated according to the priorities defined in advance. The project represents the first phase of a larger initiative that should help the region’s government to develop a Regional Development Strategy and set up functional mechanisms for implementing, monitoring and evaluating the Strategy. Having extensive experience in developing regional development strategy and action plans, PMCG was selected to conduct context analysis of these five main sectors.
Armenian Citizens Prefer to Spend Vacation Period in Georgia
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rmenians prefer to vacation in Georgia. According to Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs data, 181,000 citizens of Armenia visited Georgia in July. This figure is by 11,9% more compared to the same period of last year. Azerbaijan occupies the second place, with 160,200 having visited Georgia, 7,9% more compared to last year. Turkey ranks third per tourism to Georgia – 152,000 Turkish citizens have visited the country in July, which is 12% more than in the previous year. Russia occupies the fourth place: 140,300 Russians have vacationed in Georgia in July, which is more by 6,6% compared to last year’s figure. In total, 737,700 people have visited Georgia in July.
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Visa Regime In Batumi
itizens of the European Union and Eastern Europe as well as USA, Canada, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, the Baltic States, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and many other countries are now able to enter and stay in Georgia for a year visa-free. Citizens of European Union member states may enter Georgia with a travel document as well as with an ID card that is issued by an EU member state and contains the person’s name, surname, date of birth and a photo. In addition, entering Georgia and staying for 1 year visa-free is also possible for citizens who hold a United Nations (UN) Laissez-Passer, a travel document issued by the UN or its specialized agencies. To enter Georgia it is necessary that one has a passport, valid for at least 6 months from the date of entering the country. Citizens of other states need to arrange visa before traveling to Georgia. In some cases, visa can be issued at land border crossings or international airports upon arrival. Georgia’s electronic e-Visa portal went online in 2015. This system enables foreigners coming to Georgia as tourists or for business to obtain an e-Visa without having to apply to Georgia’s consular offices abroad. LIST OF 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 • Armenia – 32 Gogebashvili street; t.: 0 422 21 63 02
business ajara business week
August 24, 2015 #7
Betsson Acquires EuropeBet in $85 million Deal
By Joseph Alexander Smith
S
tockholm-based Betsson AB has acquired Georgia’s second-largest gaming company Europe-Bet in a deal worth up to $85 million. The purchase gives Betsson a 30% share of Georgia’s local gaming market and further strengthens the company’s ongoing expansion into Eastern Europe. Speaking to the press on his first visit to Georgia since the deal was struck in June, CEO of Betsson Malta, Ulrik Bengtsson spoke of the “island of stability” offered by Georgia in a sometimes volatile region which made expansion into the country so attractive. “This [acquisition] fits quite well with our portfolio of brands, and our acquisitions strategy, because it’s in a region which we know” says Bengtsson. “We have a big office in Kiev, where we operate software development and we have one of our business-to-business partners that runs a business in Turkey. [Another] reason why it made sense is that Georgia actually has a very robust, predictable, fair and commercially viable license regime which we really liked.” Since its formation by a group of private entrepreneurs in 2010, Europe-Bet has established itself as a leading brand in Georgia’s gaming market, clipping at the heels of market-leader Adjarabet. Like most gaming companies, Europe-Bet does most of its business online, offering customers a range of gaming experiences from online poker and backgammon to live casino gaming.
In 2014, Europe-Bet’s revenues amounted to $52.4 million, with online operations accounting for $40.8 million, and the remainder coming from land-based business. The company’s EBIT margin was 38.1% and the company has managed to achieve solid double-digit growth in the few last years. Betsson’s acquisition of Europe-Bet brings a company with 50 years’ experience in the gaming industry into the Georgian market. The company has been investing heavily in software development, counting 400 developers and software engineers within its group. Bengtsson is optimistic that expansion into Georgia can signal a step forward in sharpening its competitive edge in online customer experience. “There are opportunities for us to over time move some of our central development to Georgia as well. However this requires a good talent pool of engineers” – Bengtsson explains – “if we think that the environment is good enough for us to do that, both in terms of the regulation for our existing business, but also in terms of having good cooperation with universities and the education system to provide the talent we need for building something like that. For a technology company in 2015, there is always a shortage of engineers. If we find them in Georgia, no one’s happier than me.” According to Bengtsson, Georgia’s domestic market is made all the more attractive by a regulatory regime which is robust, fair and commercially viable even by the standards of many EU member
counties: “If you look at France, for example, it has a regulation which is completely not viable commercially and not particularly fair. It’s purely rigged to protect the local monopoly, so in that sense Georgia is actually quite advanced.” The stability of Georgia’s regulatory regime is a key factor in Betsson’s decision to expand into a new market. Europe-Bet was purchased from shareholders for an initial consideration of $50 million, with a further $35 payable after one year should Georgia’s gambling regulation remain unchanged. Meeting with government representatives during his time in Tbilisi, however, Bengtsson is confident that the Georgian government is committed to keeping the country open for business. Given the success of Europe-Bet over the last few years, Betsson is also keen to keep majority of the current management in place, “We intend to keep the business here” says Bengtsson, “and we don’t want to move a lot of things outside of Georgia, we want to keep the Georgian business and the 750 people that are employed here.” Betsson’s other key priority will be the continued growth of Europe-Bet and the continued improvement of customer experience: “We’re a growth company” Bengtsson explains, “and we expect this brand to grow at least at the same pace as the rest of Betsson, if not more. We’re going to do that by continuing to improve the product and customer experience and to launch more features for the sites to improve the customer journey.”
Georgia is Getting Ready for the Next Significant Step
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eorgia has rightly proved to be ready for hosting another successful investment forum. September 18th, 2015 is already marked on the calendars of international investors, since, Cushman & Wakefield | Veritas Brown together with Georgian National Investment Agency and the Autonomous Republic of Ajara are planning to organize “Investment Forum, Batumi 2015” at the Hilton Hotel in the Black Sea Region of Batumi. The aim of this forum is to provide an intensive dialogue between international investors and Georgian counterparts, with the view of efficient future cooperation. After the background of economic crisis in the region, 2014 turned out to be successful in terms of investment outweighing the climate in 2013, according to preliminary assessments, 2015 is deemed to show even better growth tendency. Meanwhile Georgian government remains to be open to investment offers and meet with both small and large-scale investors who are interested to invest in the region. Ajara is on track to become the new heartbeat of the region, thus government in coordination with all engaged businesses, is driving the city to a meaningful success. “In recent years, Batumi has become not only a major tourism center of the Black Sea region, but it’s also most attractive investment destination. This has resulted in a growing interest towards the whole Ajara region from both foreign and local investors. The forum will provide potential investors with an opportunity to get familiarized with Georgia’s attractive investment environment, as the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow is the main priority for both central and regional governments. The aim of the forum is to inform interested groups about the investment potential of the Ajara region, its leading economic sectors and ongoing projects.” - said David Baladze the Min-
ister of Finance and Economy of the Autonomous Republic of Ajara. A similar forum was organized in London during May 2015, by CW|VB and the Georgian National Investment Agency, Local and foreign investors, regional and central government representatives, and business organizations came together to discuss various topics, including investment projects and climate characteristics in commercial real estate and hotel development sector in Georgia, the event has definitely showed reported success. Georgia demonstrated to be an opportunistic market for investment and gained further international recognition as a competitive country to invest in. “Typically regional and global investors want to see at least a 15-20% internal rate of return per year to invest in real estate projects in the Ajara region. Where a development project needs part or full financing, the Cushman & Wakefield | Veritas Brown, Investor Services team then aims to bring about investment by matching the available projects to our extensive database of global investors. Our Investor Services team is on track to place over USD $100M in transactions by the end of 2015 in the form of client acquisition and investments in project developments in the Ajara region. We see a strong and growing interest in real estate investments in the Ajara region both, from European and Western European countries,” said Tom Day, Regional Director – Hospitality services & Investor Services at Cushman & Wakefield | Veritas Brown.
“Georgia has a fair, transparent and secure investment environment, a vast untapped potential in different sectors of the economy, excellent geographic location and free trade agreements with strategically important countries. But, still to this day, one of the main challenges for Georgia is awareness at international levels. This is why, large-scale business events inside and outside the country are very important for attracting more companies to Georgia. With the help of the “Batumi 2015” investment forum we aim to bring a closer attention to the advantages and business opportunities in our country. “ said Giorgi Pertaia, Director of the Georgian National Investment Agency. According to Pertaia’s words the Forum will bring together up to 250 business decision makers and investors from the region. “ They will have direct access to the representatives of government, consulting companies and organizations providing access to finance and we are sure that this will be a productive platform for engaging investors from the wider region into some large and medium-sized commercial projects in Georgia.” Pertaia said. One thing that is clear is that Georgia has demonstrated repeated readiness to serve as a positive investment environment, It is obvious, that this specific and other similar investment forums shall assist global investors to enter the Georgian market, this is the big step forward to countries progressive development and vast economic success.
world news
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reasure hunters in the US say they have discovered a haul of Spanish gold coins from the 18th century that are worth $4.5m. The 350 coins have lain on the Atlantic sea bed off the coast of Florida for the past 300 years. The coins are from a fleet of 11 Spanish galleons that sank during a hurricane while making the journey from Cuba to Spain. Treasure hunting is a popular activity in the waters around Florida. The discovery is the second major find by treasure hunters in recent months. In June, they found about 50 coins worth about $1m. The 350 coins, which were brought to the
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August 24, 2015 #7
Florida Treasure Hunters Find Gold Coins Worth
$4.5m
surface at the end of July, turned up in just a metre of water close to the shore, buried under the sand.Under US state law, Florida will keep 20% of value of the find. The diver who discovered the coins, William Bartlett, declined to say what his cut would be, telling a local newspaper: “I’m just a guy on a boat living the dream.” Brent Brisben, who owns the rights to the wrecked ships, says the find includes nine rare pieces known as “royal eight escudos”. Only 20 were known to be in existence before this latest find. “These royals are perfect specimens of coinage of the time and they were made on royal order for the king of Spain,” Mr Brisben said.
New Devaluation in Kazakhstan?
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azakhstan’s currency lost more than 20 per cent of its value at the start of trading on Thursday, about an hour after the surprise announcement that the government would allow the currency to float freely. One US dollar now buys 257.7 tenge, taking the Kazakh currency’s year-to-date plunge to nearly 30 per cent. The Kazakh central bank scrapped the trading band for the tenge early on Thursday, just one day after widening the currency’s trading band and allowing the tenge to weaken 4.7 per cent to 196.88 per dollar, which was its lowest since at least 1994. The oil-dependent central Asian country trades heavily with Russia and China and is being buffeted by the fall in the Russian rouble and crude oil prices. The twin steps to alter how the Kazakh currency trades come within nine days of China devaluing the renminbi and changing how its daily reference rate is calculated, ostensibly to give more voice to markets. Kazakhstan’s move followed in the footsteps of Vietnam, which has expanded the trading band for the dong twice since August 11. The decision to freely-float the tenge is a major move and could fuel worries of an unintended currency war sparked by China. The steps by these and other emerging market countries have prompted expectations of further depreciations that could crimp financial solvency. As developing countries in Asia respond to signs of rising capital outflows, there are concerns that currency weakness could expose financial vulnerabilities. Figures from the Bank for International Settlements show that emerging market countries more than doubled their dollar-denominated debt in five years to $4.5tn.
German Parliament Overwhelmingly Wall Street Hit Approves Greek by Falling Oil Bailout Prices
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ermany’s parliament overwhelmingly approved a third bailout for Greece on Wednesday, removing a key hurdle to providing new loans to the country and keeping it from defaulting on its debts in as little as 24 hours. The vote’s result also dispelled speculation that Chancellor Angela Merkel would have difficulty getting her conservative bloc to sign on. Lawmakers voted 453-113 in favor, with 18 abstentions. The approval is among the last due from parliaments across Europe, with the Dutch scheduled to vote later Wednesday, after which Greece is expected to get the first installment of its new 86 billion euro ($95 billion) loans package. The country needs the cash to make a debt repayment Thursday. The board of the European bailout fund that will disburse the money will hold a teleconference Wednesday night to discuss the matter. The German parliamentary approval was never in doubt but in a similar vote last month, 60 members of Merkel’s conservative bloc voted against. Some local media had speculated that as many as double that could rebel this time as Germans are increasingly skeptical about giving Greece more money, but in the end only 63 from her bloc of 311 voted against.
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S stocks fell on Wednesday with oil companies seeing some of the biggest declines after a sharp drop in the price of crude. The Dow Jones closed down 162.61 points, or 0.9%, at 17,348.73. The tech-heavy Nasdaq shed 40.30 points to 5,019.05, while the S&P 500 dropped 17.29 points to 2,079.63. The release of figures showing unexpectedly large stockpiles of US oil was the trigger for a big fall in the price of crude. The price of Brent crude fell $1.65 to $47.16 a barrel. US oil majors were the biggest fallers on the Dow, with Chevron closing down 3% and Exxon Mobil dropping 2.1%. The publication of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s July meeting failed to inspire markets. The minutes showed policymakers thought conditions for a US rate rise “were approaching”, but there remained worries over inflation and the strength of the global economy. Stocks rose after the minutes were released, but then fell back again. Markets are also awaiting the outcome of the Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes that will be examined for clues as to the central bank’s timing on an interest rate rise.
NASA: July 2015 Was the Hottest Month in Earth History
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or the Earth, no other month was likely as hot as this past July in records that date back to the late 1800s. And the global is well on its way to having its hottest year on record. The monthly anomaly of the global average surface temperature in July 2015, and was the warmest since 1891. On a longer time scale, global average surface temperatures have risen at a rate of about 0.67°C per century. NASA’s map of July temperatures shows large areas of much warmer than normal temperatures in the Pacific Northwest, western Europe, central Asia and Africa. It also reveals the telltale signature of the powerful El Nino event, portrayed by the much warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central tropical Pacific.
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August 24, 2015 #7
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August 24, 2015 #7
events
ajara business week
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
Street Theater Days are Over, Heat Batumi 2015 Goes on The Street Theater Days are over in the seaside city of Batumi. On August 11-16 Batumi has hosted 5 Georgian and 4 foreign theatrical companies as part of the Heat Batumi 2015 project. Outdoor Performances – theater companies from Spain, Hungary, Britain and India were staging performances jointly with Georgian colleagues in the Batumi Streets for a week. The seaside city residents and visitors have expressed much pleasure and admiration with the performances that were held at the Batumi Colonnades, the summer theater, Piazza, Boulevard and the old streets of Batumi. Inauguration In the morning of the 11th of August actors of the Amiran Shalikashvili Georgian State Pantomime Theatre created pleasant and positive mood to the Batumi residents and visitors. Pantomimes were staging special programs for them – they started theatrical procession from the Boulevard and walked along the seaside. During the procession the actors were demonstrating various performances to the visitors in various streets. “Batumi is a particularly beautiful city and its concept is designed to similar festivals. There are extraordinary and special spectators and audience in this city…. Therefore, we are waiting for you. Every day you will see various of miracles here”, Ekaterine Mazmishvili, the Kote Mardjanishvili State Drama Theater director, said. “Very interesting programs are being demonstrated here, but our performances are special. We are demonstrating our show programs such as novels and mini performances to the city visitors in the streets. This program is very entertaining and joyful for both mature persons and children”, the Pantomime Theater director Amiran Shalikashvili said. Bollywood Masala Orchestra and Dancers at Batumi Tennis Courts This evening the Batumi Tennis Courts has hosted the Bollywood Masala Orchestra. The team has visited the seaside city of Batumi as part of the Heat Batumi project. The Bollywood artists have magnificently tuned the mood of the city residents and visitors. The musical orchestra that attracts thousands of spectators in various countries through romantic songs, the Bollywood movie hits, dancer women and hypnosis tricks, has inspired the audience at the Batumi Tennis Courts with pleasure and joy. “The Bollywood Masala Orchestra and its dancers – this is a bold project in the Bollywood World, Individual Live Music and Dance, professional artists at the stage – this is a genuine festival. Scenes from Indian movie films sparkle your eyes. All this environment is tuned by Indian and western instruments like bass, drums, clarinet and so on”, these estimations were emotionally expressed by the spectators at the Batumi Tennis Courts. At midnight a sparkling parade was also held in Batumi – Spark! LED Drummers from London again. Magic performances in the seaside city lasted up to August 16. Where to Have Supper?! – The Table for Two Where could we have supper this evening?! – The Spanish have already answered the eternal ques-
tion of tourists. The Table for Two – all theater lovers were specially getting ready for this performance. The theatrical performance was held on the Era Square and fortunate spectators could even taste a fizz. Despite bad weather, the performance was a success – the raining atmosphere has particularly beautified the performance. “The rainy evening has further inspired the improvisation in Spanish artists. This is not a barrier for actors. The performance was a success…”, the Kote Mardjanishvili State Drama Theater director Ekaterine Mazmishvili said. The Trojan Women at the Batumi Summer Theater Stage The Batumi Summer Theater has introduced the Royal District Theater’s performance of the Trojan Women. The performance has emotionally inspired the audience. Two years have passed since the first performance, but the audience sensational perception was not dismissed. Today the Trojan Women met with residents and guests of the seaside city of Batumi. Shakespeare’s As You Like It on Piazza The Kote Mardjanishvili Theater has staged the As You Like It, the most exciting play by Willing Shakespeare, on the Batumi Piazza. The play about rivalry and love of two brother, sudden changes in the life of persons; The woodland story with saints, love stories, wild animals and the virgins dressed in male clothes. Gakra (Separation) at the Batumi Colonnades The Street Theater Days were over today. On August 16 the Batumi Colonnades hosted the performance of Gakra (Separation) staged by the Music and Drama Theater director David Doiashvili. Despite bad weather, the vaudeville in two parts has recorded a full attendance.
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
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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 architecturallyunique 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
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August 24, 2015 #7