Issue no: 1256
• JULY 24 - 30, 2020 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY
PRICE: GEL 2.50
In this week’s issue... Georgia Today Becomes Exclusive Media Partner of the Private Investment Group NEWS PAGE 3
Playing Truant in Parliament POLITICS PAGE 4
Mercure & IBIS Styles Tbilisi Get Bureau Veritas Safety Label for Hotel Sanitary Standards BUSINESS PAGE 7
FOCUS ON YACHTING SUCCESS
Azimut Yacht Georgia on a bright future for yachting in Georgia
PAGE 6
Carrefour & Miniso Collaborate in Carrefour Hypermarket in TB Mall BUSINESS PAGE 8
How the Beeline Mobile Gaming Portal Was Created & Developed BUSINESS PAGE 8
Precious Plastic Georgia Founder on Tbilisi Sea Cleaning Day & Future Plans
The Perfect Storm: Trade, Tourism, Inflation Indicators Deteriorate; Remittances Quick to Recover
INTERVIEW BY ANA DUMBADZE
ISET PAGE 9
E
nvironmental protection is among the most challenging issues in the world today, and we often find ourselves too “busy” with our work or leisure time to remember to protect our only home, the Earth. Luckily, the number of environmental activists and eco-friendly companies is on the up, giving hope that this global problem can be solved through joint efforts and by raising public awareness about the complexity of the issue. With this in mind, on Sunday, July 19, Tbilisi Sea Cleaning Day was held, organized by Precious Plastic Georgia, new eco and zero waste movement ‘Parki ar minda,’ the Tbilisi skateboarding school Rampa.ge, and pet-friendly Sololaki bar Valiko Mansion. The event, aimed at clearing the area from rubbish and also encouraging others to clean and protect it in the future, brought together environmental activists and ordinary citizens wanting to clean and protect their city from pollution. Continued on page 10
UNFPA Georgia Office & Avon Cosmetics Georgia Collaboration Kicks Off SOCIETY PAGE 10 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by
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1 208,13
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1,7000
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2
NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY
JULY 24 - 30, 2020
Georgia Today Becomes Exclusive Media Partner of the Private Investment Group
US Ambassador to Georgia Favors Dialogue in Armenia, Azerbaijan Conflict BY ANA DUMBADZE
U
S Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan spoke to Georgian reporters about the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict and the recent
flare-ups. "We are seriously concerned about the situation on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border," she said, going on to highlight that there are diplomatic mechanisms for settling the conflict, and that these instruments should be implemented as much as possible. "Casualties were reported as a result of the conflict, and this is very tragic.
BY ANA DUMBADZE
G
eorgia Today has become the exclusive media partner of the Private Investment Group, an international company headquartered
in London. Within the framework of the newly formed partnership, Georgia Today will gradually provide the local audience with exciting news about the company’s activities, economic climate, and some exciting stories related to business and economy. The Private Investment Group is a
global capital markets company operating in over 25 countries. Raising capital is one of the most important parts of any businesses journey, and sourcing that capital from the right place is key to its future success. The Private Investment Group is helping companies and projects all around the world, to gain access to new markets, raise capital when needed, or form strategic partnerships from the private sector or at a governmental level. In all countries and regions that the Private Investment Group operates in, it has some core mandates: to bring investment into the region and to bring new business into the local economy.
The situation should not continue like this. The dispute must be resolved through
dialogue," Degnan stated. The recent indictments come from the Armenian military, which has accused the Azerbaijani services of once again attacking one of its sites at the same section of the border where the fighting erupted. Armenian Defense Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanian stated that an Azerbaijani army unit experienced heavy losses, although the "Armenian side suffered no casualties," on Facebook. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry denied the claims. "There were no new attacks, let alone casualties, from our side. The Armenian report is yet more disinformation," ministry spokesman Vagif Dargahli concluded.
Resumption of Int'l Regular Flights Postponed until September 1 with Some Exceptions BY ANA DUMBADZE
G
eorgia is to remain closed for international regular flights until September 1. The Civil Aviation Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has issued another NOTAM, based on which regular air traffic is restricted until September 1. However, there are certain exceptions, and regular flights to Tbilisi are being allowed from Munich, Paris and Riga.
"Restrictions on regular international air services do not apply to direct international flights between Tbilisi International Airport (ICAO code UGTB) and the following airports: Munich (ICAO code EDDM); Paris (ICAO code LFPG); and Riga (ICAO code EVRA). The restrictions imposed in the framework of the prevention of the spread of coronavirus provided by NOTAM have been extended from 21.07.20 and is valid until 31.08.20)," reads the active NOTAM of the Civil Aviation Agency. NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) is a notice to inform aircraft pilots about the operation, service, changes, or potential
hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight. The opening of air traffic and international tourism in accordance with the safe corridors was scheduled for July 1. Based on the written plan, the restoration of air traffic was to be done in stages. However, finally, Georgia postponed the access to regular flights until September 1. Georgia opened its borders to travelers from five countries including Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, all of which have also opened borders for Georgia.
Coronavirus Global Updates: Total Cases Exceed 15 mln BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE
A
lthough the world’s attention has slightly shifted away from the coronavirus pandemic because we have, more or less, grown accustomed to the new way of life, the infection stands strong, spreading still in the old and new areas of the world. At time of going to press, the coronavirus total cases in the world stood at 15,400,761, with 630,781 deaths and 9,377,142 recoveries. The epicenter of the coronavirus infection moved from Europe to the US months ago. The States is the worst-hit country from the pandemic, recording more than 4.1 million infections, of which 1,943,503 have recovered while 146,192 have sadly lost their lives. According to the Reuters tally, this amounts to 2,600 new coronavirus infections every hour on average in the country, the highest rate in the world. The rate was probably the reason behind President Trump’s change of tone about the need to take precautionary measures. He had previously been reluctant to even wear a mask himself, yet he recently made a public appearance during which he wore a mask and even asked the American population to take the use of masks seriously. The country’s two parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, are deeply divided on the coronavirus aid bill, among other things: the virus relief bill of $3.4 trillion was passed by the Democraticcontrolled House of Representatives
back in May. The Senate, which is controlled by the Republicans, is expected to unveil a package later this week that will cost closer to one trillion dollars, according to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Latin America is another epicenter of the virus. With Brazil registering new daily records, confirmed cases across Latin America have exceeded an alarming 4 million. Brazil now comes second with its registered cases of over 2.2 million, while the death toll currently stands at 82,890. India comes third in the sad world ranking of confirmed coronavirus cases, and is the only other country with more than 1 million cases. It reported almost 40,000 new cases on Wednesday, and added another nearly 2000 cases on early Thursday. South Africa comes 5th, with nearly 400,000 infections. The country has registered 5,940 deaths from the virus and, according to WorldoMeters has 539 critical patients. While compared to other countries with the most COVID cases the death toll of the state does not seem so alarming, the pandemic effect on the economy is worrying the population. Thousands of restaurant and bar owners joined a protest on Wednesday, placing tables and chairs outside on the streets. What they were protesting was the national restriction that forbids them from selling alcohol or trading after 9 pm. Many business-owners call the pandemic a “job-killing virus.” Europe is still undecided about reopening its borders, with daily cases of COVID19 fluctuating across the continent. France
Photo by Edwin Hooper on Unsplash. Sources: The NY Times, Al Jazeera, Reuters
has recorded a rise in the pandemic cases, recording almost 1000 new cases on Wednesday. So has the Catalunya region of Spain, and this has had France wondering if closing the border to Spain should be considered: on Sunday, French Prime Minister Jean Castex did not rule out such a move. In response, Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said the resurgence in the region “was coming under control,” with data having shown a fall of infections in the past three days, which has her hopeful that there will be
no need for France to close the border. In total, Spain has registered 314,631 COVID-19 cases, making the country the state with ninth highest number of coronavirus infections. Georgia has so far registered 1085 COVID-19 cases. 911 have already recovered, and 16 have died, the latest death recorded this week, while 5936 people are waiting in quarantine. The country is taking the reopening of its borders slowly. On Wednesday, the Civil Aviation Agency of the Ministry of Economy
and Sustainable Development announced that international regular air traffic will be restricted until September 1. This entails some exceptions: at present, regular flights to Tbilisi are being allowed from Munich, Paris and Riga. With the continued virus spread, WHO has announced the wait for the coronavirus vaccine will last until 2021. "Realistically, it’s going to be the first part of next year before we start seeing people getting vaccinated," Mike Ryan, Head of WHO's Emergencies Program said this week.
4
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
JULY 24 - 30, 2020
USAID, Ilia State University Launch Public Opinion Polling Forum to Strengthen Democracy BY ANA DUMBADZE
O
n July 17, as a result of cooperation between USAID/Georgia and Ilia State University, a forum ‘Impartial Polling for Developing Citizen-Responsive Democratic Governance in Georgia’ was held in Tbilisi. The online event was aimed at raising awareness of non-partisan public opinion polling as a key component of Georgia’s democratic development. The public opinion polling discussion series will be held regularly and will last until September 2020. Bringing together five distinguished Georgian polling organizations: the Analysis and Consulting Team (ACT), Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC), Georgian Opinion Research Business International (GORBI), Institute of Social Studies and Analysis (ISSA), and IPM Research, the multi-week forum will build the capacity of Georgian polling organizations, establish a code of conduct to guide public opinion research, and raise awareness among the media, academic community, and political stakeholders about polling. The launch event featured remarks from US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, UK Deputy Head of Mission Claire Allbless, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Archil Talakvadze, and Ilia State University Rector Giga Zedania. In her opening remarks, Ambassador Degnan stressed the importance of independent, non-partisan public opinion polling for ensuring that political pro-
cesses respond to the needs of citizens. “I am very pleased to be here today for the first session of the public opinion Polling Forum, a partnership between Ilia State University and USAID,” the Ambassador said. “The forum is designed to build the capacity of non-partisan polling organizations to establish a code of conduct that will guide their work, and to help Georgian citizens better understand the important role that nonpartisan polling plays in helping their views be heard. The United States government views non-partisan independent polling as a critical part of building a democracy that better represents citizens’ priorities. And this is because polling is a way to get citizens views heard and it is a critical link to the communication between political leaders and the citizens that they are to represent.” After the event, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze emphasized the impor-
tance of public opinion polling in terms of the country’s democratic development and expressed strong support to conducting such surveys on behalf of the Georgian Parliament. “Today, a very exciting conference took place with the support of the US government, where a discussion was held about relevant topics, among them public opinion polling and its importance, the impartiality of surveys, standards, methodology used when conducting surveys in the process of economic development of the country, and more. I believe that this discussion, in the end, will significantly contribute to introducing certain standards in our country which are necessary for conducting objective and impartial surveys. At this forum, we saw common support toward public opinion polling, and on behalf of the Georgian Parliament, I also want to express strong support to such surveys and emphasize
their importance,” he said, going on to underline that the important of the poll has been further increased in the election year. “For us, politicians, media and civil society, a public opinion poll is an instrument crucial to understanding the tendencies in society, as it can provide important knowledge about public behavior, positions, aspirations, attitude and values. It is particularly important in the election year since an opinion poll may allow us to better plan the campaign, to be informed about the support of certain changes to the law, how the character of a candidate affects the decision of the electors, etc. Through the poll and by focusing on certain issues, we facilitate public discussions. Essentially, a poll about public preferences facilitates the responsible democratic governance of citizens and plays a fundamental role in the democratic development of a country, naturally increasing its value during the electoral changes,” Talakvadze stated. The parliamentary elections 2020 are to be held using an essentially proportional system, and the elections in 2024 will be held with a fully proportional system, as envisaged under the Constitutional reform of 2017-2018. Giga Zedania, Rector of Ilia State University, thanked the US government for its cooperation and timely initiative, and noted that the partnership between the University and USAID had brought together distinguished experts from the United States and all over the world, which will lead to the development of democratic standards in the country at an even higher level. “We are sure that as a result of these public opinion polling discussion series,
we will receive a kind of ‘instruction’ that will not only help society to be better informed about the processes which take place during these surveys but will be useful for the state to meet its citizens’ needs and aspirations better prepared. An impartial poll will increase the public trust in the process,” he pointed out. The event featured various interesting presentations and a panel discussion with representatives of leading international and Georgian polling organizations. During the discussion, the participants of the forum unanimously supported public opinion polling and emphasized its role in the development of a fair political and social environment in any country, including Georgia. In addition, they expressed hope that as a result of cooperation and close partnership between Georgia and the United States, this process will further expand. The forum is implemented by USAID’s Human and Institutional Capacity Development 2020 Activity (HICD 2020) and will complement USAID’s Elections and Political Processes program, the US Government’s primary electoral and political development assistance initiative for Georgia’s 2020 and 2021 electoral cycles and beyond. USAID’s flagship elections project aims to strengthen the conditions for pluralism and a more responsive political representation. In particular, it builds the capacity of political parties to forge connections with constituents, empowers citizens to engage with parties and hold them more accountable, and provides technical assistance to improve electoral administration and promote level-playing-field electoral competition.
Playing Truant in Parliament OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE
I
remember we had a childish propensity for playing truant when we were at school, sometimes even without any good reason. It was a huge youthful adventure, full of piquancy, but it was also considered as dreadful academic behavior, punishable both by the management and our parents with equal severity, although in different measure. The school administration would beat up non-attendance figures, and by the end of a semester the result would affect our academic success data. Our parents, who wanted their kids to excel, would die of shame and their love for us would temporarily turn into calculated frowns and insensitive language. In a nutshell, that model of scholastic exploit was outrageous in the public eye, but still tolerable enough to be overlooked in the long run. I now wonder if the same juvenile craze is taking place in the Georgian legisla-
tive body. If I try to ballpark, using my own tally, then the opposition members of parliament have aggregately missed more than half of their term time at their desks, assigned to deputies by the electorate, having mandated each and every one of them with a representative power to work out and adopt the laws conducive to the wellbeing of our people. What we see instead in the field where the lawmakers are playing their roles for money, and for conviction into the bargain, is officially recognized truancy. If there is a parliamentary bylaw that allows that much malingering, then we the people can sit back and watch how the quantitatively (and qualitatively) crippled legislation rules the country, but on top of the order of business, there should exist a sense of care and concern for the nation, for which those choice citizens were elected. It is not difficult to penalize the absenteeism in schools and colleges, factories and mills, hospitals and resorts, hotels and tourist joints, sports and the entertainment world, but how can you handle
the massive absence in a realm like parliament? They can easily afford to play hooky because there is nobody to castigate them: they are themselves the lawmakers, and there are so many twists and turns in that huge bunch of decrees. The whole high-level hullabaloo is named a ‘protest’ or a ‘demarche’. OK, granted, you can dissent from unsavory political decisions, but staying in the mode of protest is no good when it damages people’s business, especially if you have been chosen to find the most optimal ways out of any situation the legislature might find itself in. Why not fight within the walls of parliament instead of walking the corridors of the same building in fury and idleness, pushing the decision-making process into the open air? People love to shirk in general but the parliamentarians are not regular folks. They are different, and their job is different. Their time spent at work is much more valuable to the country than the amount of time I might spend at my desk writing another piece. From time to time,
Students playing truant is one thing, but our parliamentarians? Source: elsieapp.com
I malinger too, but I do this in privacy, not in the Republic’s Parliament. Avoiding duty is part of life, but it depends, because absentees differ greatly: some of us might shirk and nothing serious will happen as a result, but certain malingerers may damage the country itself by their absence at work, so we have to be very careful going AWOL, keeping in mind the possible consequences, especially when we are elected to do a job of a certain specificity, and we are getting paid for it.
A political protest is utterly up to standard, but truancy must not be part of the schedule of a legislator. There are so many other ways to say no to what you loathe. The contemporary political ways and means allow for “doing business as usual” without that much fuss and pain in the neck, but some of the legislative necks are not prepared to uncomplainingly carry the pain they have asked for, and a voter has willed to vest in them in return for hard work and patience to the benefit of the nation.
Adam Kinzinger: I Strongly Support Georgia's Immediate NATO Membership BY ANA DUMBADZE
I
Source: Ipn.ge
strongly support Georgia's immediate NATO membership, the fact that you have worked so hard for this membership, and the fact that Russia is on your border, and occupying you, is essentially the reason to bring you in NATO, - Congressman Adam Kinzinger said in an exclusive interview with news agency InterPressNews. The Congressman also discussed the influence of occupation on Georgia's possible membership in NATO. "If Russia knows all it has to do is to
take over disputed areas of every country on its border and NATO will let them, I mean, I have the playbook right there. I think the reality is this: Georgia has worked hard to be a member of NATO, Georgia has committed more per capita to the mission in Afghanistan than every country but the US, they have shown their partnership, they have shown their ability to fight. When I was in Georgia last time, I saw wounded Georgian heroes that fought hard, both to defend Georgia against Russia and also in Afghanistan. The fact you have worked so hard for this membership, and the fact that Russia is on your border, and occupying you, is essentially the reason to bring you in NATO. Because
we will show that 'if you stand for freedom, we will stand with you,' not 'if you are under the thumb of Russia, we’ll abandon you'. It would be a strong message for everyone around the world, for Ukraine also, and I don’t think Putin would ever mess with a united NATO, I know that for a fact, and so, that’s why I strongly support immediate NATO membership," he stated. In response to the question as to whether Georgia's membership would make Russia angrier, Kinzinger said that it would, however, the Congressman noted that Vladimir Putin moves forward as long as there is no obstacle. "Of course, it will make Russia angry.
But I also know that Russia has no ability to actually defeat the US and NATO in war, if it chose to do so. And I also know that Vladimir Putin understands that he will advance until he hits a brick wall, and when he hits a brick wall, he’ll back up. Two years ago, the US killed 200 Russian soldiers or more in the middle of Syria, and we didn’t hear a lot from Vladimir Putin after that. So that’s where we're at. Yeah, everything makes Putin mad nowadays, because he wants a failing country. But the fact is, I think bringing Georgia into NATO would be so much better for peace and stability in the region, and would make the conflict in that area far less likely", Kinzinger told InterPressNews.
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6
BUSINESS
GEORGIA TODAY
JULY 24 - 30, 2020
Azimut Yachts' Progress in Georgia INTERVIEW BY ELENE DZEBISASHVILI
W
ith over 50 years of history, the AzimutBenetti group has been recognized as the leading yachtmanufacturing company. Established in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli, the company continues to push the boundaries of quality, design and performance. AzimutBenetti has always had novelty as part of its heritage. One factor behind the company’s success has been its intent to strengthen its global yachting network, with a record number of 70 sales and assistance offices worldwide. After entering the Georgian market in 2018, with the name Azimut Yacht Georgia, the company’s services have already become available in Georgia’s charming seaside town of Batumi, the capital of the Adjara region. GEORGIA TODAY spoke with Giorgi Chikvaidze, the Regional Director of Azimut Yachts Georgia, and Irakli Papiashvili, the Deputy CEO of the Company.
TELL US ABOUT THE YACHTING SEASON FOR AZIMUT YACHTS IN BATUMI. HOW HAS THE CURRENT HEALTH CRISIS AFFECTED IT? This year, despite the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia has shown an abnormally increased interest in the yachting industry in general. The result is obvious: anyone who comes to Batumi and goes to the yacht
club can clearly see the high level of interest; something that keeps growing. We overcame the rather difficult period, handing over yachts to their owners so that they could undergo operational training. All this is already happening in Batumi, and we’ve been preparing for it for a long time. The yachting season looks set to be a very positive one for Azimut Yachts in Batumi. We’re really expecting a big uptick in activity. In fact, I think the current world crisis we’re all living through might be a wakeup call for many people who may have been waiting to buy or charter a yacht until the ‘right time,’ when the truth is, life can be short.
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY’S ACTIVITIES IN BATUMI. “Azimut Yachts has maintained a pragmatic and proactive management policy since its inception in Batumi. We have tried to improve the management sector as much as possible, for the most part dealing with the logistics services and after-sales management. “Our vision for the coming months is one of growth. We shall try our best to create more comfort for our clients and to cater for the uplift in demand. I think that by the end of summer, the yachting industry, with our minimal intervention, will have its say in Georgia,” Chikvaidze tells us. The Deputy CEO of Azimut Yachts, Irakli Papiashvili, also sees a bright future for the yacht market in Georgia and looks forward to continued company growth. “Georgia is now beginning to see its maritime sector as the backbone of
international trade and global markets for economic growth, something which promises huge possibilities for the country. “Yachts sold by our company are 2020 models, offering customers maximum
comfort, maximum relaxation at the sea. Our company has made a commitment to start a rental service this year and to serve the holidaymakers from this season. “Several more yachts are on the way;
this is just the beginning. Our company has adapted to the current situation as much as possible. Azimut’s success in Batumi is our great triumph because that is exactly what we were preparing for.”
Georgia Joins the Major Global Maritime Nations OP-ED BY AMB. TAMAR BERUCHASHVILI, PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF GEORGIA TO THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
T
he COVID-19 pandemic made unprecedented impacts on our lives, our economies and our societies. The collective efforts globally to combat the pandemic have demonstrated the critical need to ensure the continuous functioning of global supply chains to safeguard our economies, and the importance of facilitating the safe and efficient operations of the maritime transportation system, which moves over 80% of all global trade. In these difficult times, the ability for shipping services and seafarers to deliver vital goods, including medical supplies and food, is critical. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), together with other UN agencies, among them ICAO, ILO, UNCTAD, and WTO, has been developing practical guidance to facilitate international trade, coordinate responses and facilitate crew changes. Unfortunately, today, over 200,000 seafarers are still waiting to be repatriated after many months at sea, having stayed beyond their original contracts. Both their physical and mental health are being put to the test. In this challenging time, Georgia is a
successful example to follow. As a vital gateway for the region, Georgian ports guarantee safe and effective operations to ensure frictionless maritime trade based on relevant recommendations of the Georgian Government, IMO, WHO and ILO. Georgia is one of the first countries in the region to have designated seafarers as “key workers” and allowed crew change and rotation on its territory for both local and international seafarers. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of the tireless efforts of the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency (MTA) in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1400 seafarers returned home from different parts of the globe. During the same period, around 1000 Georgian seafarers have been assisted by the MTA to join international shipping operations in various ports worldwide. Taking into account Georgia’s favorable geographical location and the country’s successful response to the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Georgia is becoming known as a Safe Hub for seafarers, where representatives of the maritime industry and ship-owners are offered the possibility for safe transit of seafarers to reach their final destination. Mr. Kitack Lim, the Secretary-General of the IMO, highlighted this in his recent address: ‘’I wish to commend Georgia’s decision to allow crew changes in its ports both for Georgian nationals and seafarers of other nationalities, and for designating seafarers as ‘key workers,’
acting effortlessly towards the seafarers’ wellbeing.” Considering all the above accomplishments, I was honored to represent Georgia at the First International Maritime Virtual Summit on July 9, hosted by the UK and addressing the impact of COVID19 on crew changes globally. This event was a good opportunity for Georgia to join the Declaration of the Summit together with 13 major maritime nations across the world (UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, the USA), to express its appreciation to seafarers, and to call for more coordinated efforts to urgently resolve issues that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic. See: https://www.gov.uk/government/ news/joint-statement-of-the-international-maritime-virtual-summit-on-crew-changes)
BUSINESS
GEORGIA TODAY JULY 24 - 30, 2020
7
The Pearl of Batumi: Black Sea Towers Residential Complex Nears Completion because there are 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with beautiful views of the sea and mountains, in a good location, with equipment and infrastructure that guarantees each resident comfort and safety. All apartments have balconies.
INTERVIEW BY ANA DUMBADZE
S
ooner or later, each person is faced with the issue of buying their own apartment, and it is no easy choice. For those searching for an apartment in a newly built residential complex equipped with all modern infrastructure, the ‘Black Sea Towers,’ developed by the largest construction company in Georgia Real Palace, could be one of the best options. Imagine living in a peaceful and extremely beautiful environment in Georgia’s charming seaside city of Batumi, the capital of the Adjara region, and enjoying maximum comfort created through years of experience: this is what Real Palace offers potential residents of its complex, the construction of which will be completed soon. Black Sea Towers is the 11th project of the experienced builder Real Palace in Batumi. Representatives of the company note that the complex provides the richest infrastructure for a comfortable life, in particular, a perfect location, panoramic views of the city, sea, and mountains, a six-level modern carpark, a spa & fitness center, a concierge &securitysystem,fourelevators,anenclosed green yard of 2000 sq.m., tennis courts and a mini football field. Apart from this new wonderful project, the company Real Palace has developed many innovative and distinguished projects in Batumi and in the whole Adjara region. GEORGIA TODAY spoke to Lasha Zoidze, the Commercial Director of the construction company, who provided many interesting details about the cur-
WHAT DOES REAL PALACE OFFER POTENTIAL RESIDENTS OF BLACK SEA TOWERS? Black Sea Towers offers apartments from 29 sq.m, delivered as black frame, white frame, or complete renovation. Flat registration takes just a day, and can be done remotely, with a first installment payment of 30%, followed by interest-free installments for 30 months. Our highly qualified managers will help customers choose the apartment that suits the best.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL GIFTS OR SURPRISES FOR CUSTOMERS?
rent project and Real Palace’s activities in general. “Real Palace LLC was founded in 2011,” Zoidze tells us. “Within a short time, the company accumulated vast experience in the construction industry. We provide all the necessary resources for the implementation of construction work: from project development to commissioning. “The company is also an importer of high-quality building materials, which has a positive effect on the quality and cost of housing, which makes it stand out in the market by the ratio of optimal prices and high quality construction. We also cooperate with the best architects in Georgia. In our many years of work, we have successfully implemented 10
multifunctional housing and hotel projects / complexes in Batumi.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THESE DISTINGUISHED PROJECTS. The company has two ongoing projects in Batumi and one in Tbilisi, in which we try to reunite quality and convenience, so that everyone has the opportunity to live in a healthy environment, facilitated by the well-maintained and landscaped courtyards which occupy 1/3 of our completed territories. The priority of our company is not only the creation of decent and comfortable conditions, but also the establishment of a long-term partnership with our customers. One of the most distinguished projects
implemented by Real Palace is Black Sea Towers, which is already close to completion. The Black Sea Towers business class residential complex is two skyscrapers with a height of 40 floors each. The ultra-modern elite multi-functional residential complex is located in a developed area of Batumi, at 16 Zhuli Shartava Street, 500 meters from the Boulevard, next to the largest supermarket in the city, Carrefour. Nearby is the famous Ardagani Lake and the dancing fountain, a favorite place for many, a perfect location for loving couples, and a nice area for morning or evening workouts. Apartments in Black Sea Towers are the best option for living and recreation,
We, the Real Palace team, spare no efforts to make our customers happy and express our gratitude for their trust and loyalty to us. We’ve always offered them special bonuses and gifts since the start of operation. Now, we’re rewarding those who purchase an apartment in Black Sea Towers with a one-week vacation for two persons at five-star hotel Best Western Premier Batumi. Such gifts are among the priorities of our company, and we will continue to bring smiles to our customers’ faces in the future. Those interested in buying an apartment in Black Sea Towers can find additional information and details at the website www.realpalace.ge, or contact the construction company directly: realpalace2012@gmail.com; + 995 577 22 47 47; + 995 514 67 47 47; + 995 557 78 47 47.
Mercure & IBIS Styles Tbilisi Get Bureau Veritas Safety Label for Hotel Sanitary Standards
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ccor, a global leader in augmented hospitality, and Bureau Veritas, a worldleading provider in testing, inspection and certification, have joined forces to develop a label designed to certify that the appropriate safety standards and cleaning protocols have been achieved to allow businesses
to reopen after the lock-down caused by COVID-19. Bureau Veritas created a special checklist for the audit check to make sure that all safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to guarantee guest safety are strictly followed by the hotel. Mercure & IBIS Styles Tbilisi success-
fully passed Bureau Veritas’ audit check and received the ALLSAFE label, which is a guarantee of a safe and unique stay for each guest appreciating international quality and standards. Welcoming, protecting and taking care of others is the very DNA of both hotels and at the heart of what they do. Today, more than ever, employees, customers and partners need to be reassured of companies’ ability to offer them the best welcome possible. It is also part of responsible business to anticipate client needs and respond to health and safety requirements by adhering to the highest standards. The Bureau Veritas label will contribute to the reopening of the hospitality and restaurant industry with confidence. The label will cover both accommodation and catering, and will set the sanitary standards applicable to hotels. “For us, knowing how to best care for our guests and reassure them that they will receive a safe welcome in our hotels is part of our DNA and comes naturally,” says general manager of Mercure Tbilisi Old Town & IBIS Styles Tbilisi Center, Erdogan Sahin. “High standards of hygiene and cleanliness have always been strictly followed in both our hotels. But as our hotels re-open, we will go
further with the implementation of additional hygiene and safety measures that draw on our long-standing experience and best practices. Our mission is to protect guests, our staff and partners as well as to make sure that travelers know they will feel safe and, by doing so, revive their interest in travel.”
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BUSINESS
GEORGIA TODAY
JULY 24 - 30, 2020
How the Beeline Mobile Gaming Portal Was Created & Developed
INTERVIEW
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n the modern world, gamification is a global trend. More and more global companies are trying to gamify their services and increase their customer engagement with such a strategy. That is why Beeline decided 3 years ago to become one of the first conductors of this trend in the Georgian market. Jaba Shavishvili, Beeline Digital Products Manager, tells us how the company’s first game was created and how the portal is developing.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO CREATE YOUR OWN GAMES AND HOW DID USERS MEET THIS INITIATIVE? Mobile internet is the most in-demand service and biggest challenge for the telecommunication market today. We studied our customer requirements well and as a result we came up with unique gaming mechanics tailored to the wishes and capabilities of the local customers.
At the first stage, we created an interactive VR (virtual reality) game for our store visitors: users had the opportunity to easily win megabytes as a result of an interesting and fun experience. After the successful implementation of this project, it was decided to broaden this initiative and we gave Mobile and Desktop users the opportunity to accumulate mobile internet in the same way. Our games can be found on the portal beelinegamehub.gamiphy.co/, where there are 5 games posted at present. Users can choose what they want to play and start accumulating megabytes. This summer, we’ll launch a completely new, improved and more sophisticated portal, which will also have another function for our community, and users will learn a lot of interesting information about gaming.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF CREATING A GAME? We are partnering with one of the best startups in the region in this area, which has extensive experience in the field of gamification. First of all, a general idea of the game is created, which we think will be interesting for users. After that,
visuals and characters are developed for the game, with which the user will be able to easily associate - all this together making a memorable experience. We try our best to make the games ideologically different, so that different types of players have the opportunity to give it a go.
on their self-esteem. In addition, there is a mechanism of issuing "rewards" in games, which makes people more motivated to receive a well-deserved "gift" after each successful action. There is also the principle of competition, which every person has from birth, and its implementation is needed in both the real and virtual worlds. There are additional reasons for the popularity of mobile games: portability - you can start the game anywhere and anytime; availability - creating a mobile game is relatively less time consuming and costly; also, in a few seconds you can connect with a different player from different regions of the world, making the customer feel like a "citizen of the world" and affecting his motivation. We can say that mobile games "break down
borders" in this direction.
WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE? HOW OFTEN DO YOU CREATE NEW GAMES AND WILL YOU ADD ANY NEW EXPERIENCES? Beeline has long-term plans in this regard. First of all, of course, we’re going to increase our game portfolio and offer our customers different types of games. We don’t rule out the possibility of gamification not only of internet packages, but also of our other services. Also the most important - we will do our best to ensure the connection of Georgian Games with the commune, with developers whose number is growing in the country from year to year. I think we can start many common, successful projects with them in the future.
WOULD YOU SINGLE OUT ANY GAME IN TERMS OF POPULARITY? I would probably single out our "colorful" game, which gained popularity among users as soon as it was launched, and I think its interesting mechanics, attractive characters and, most importantly, beautiful visuals helped us.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF GAMING IN TODAY'S SOCIETY IN GENERAL? IS IT JUST A WAY TO RELAX? This popularity is due to the different dimensions of video games. It is not only a means of entertainment but also an opportunity to relax. It is also noticeable that most people like it when they dig into the role of their own ideal "Self" in games, which also has a positive effect
Carrefour & Miniso Collaborate in Carrefour Hypermarket in TB Mall
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rom July 113, the 'Store-in-Store' concept has opened its doors for the first time in Georgia: in Carrefour Hypermarket in Tbilisi Mall. Customers now can purchase the products of the Japanese brand ‘Miniso’ in Tbilisi Mall Carrefour Hypermarket. Miniso is a Japanese brand that entered the Georgian market in 2016. Miniso Georgia has 15 branches in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. Customers can also shop for Miniso’s products online on miniso. ge. One of the world’s biggest network of hypermarkets and supermarkets, Carrefour, operated in Georgia by Majid Al Futtaim, has been a player in the Georgian market since 2012. The brand aims to offer a large variety of high-quality products at the most affordable prices, and to create great moments for everyone, every day. Entering the Georgian market in 2012 was a strategic step for Carrefour. The company saw the possibility and potential of development in Georgia, and today, Carrefour has 21 stores and over 2000 employees in the country.
BUSINESS
GEORGIA TODAY JULY 24 - 30, 2020
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The Perfect Storm: Trade, Tourism, Inflation Indicators Deteriorate; Remittances Quick to Recover BY DAVIT KESHELAVA AND YASYA BABYCH
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SET-PI has updated its real GDP growth rate forecast for Georgia for the second and third quarters of 2020. Here are the highlights of this month’s release: • Geostat has revised its rapid estimate of real GDP growth for the first quarter of 2020. Estimated growth now stands at 2.2%, which is 0.7 percentage points above the previously estimated average growth rate for Q1. • The real GDP growth rate contracted by 16.6% and 13.5% year-on-year in April and May 2020, respectively. Consequently, the estimated real GDP for the first five months of 2020 amounted to -5.4%. • ISET-PI’s forecast for the second quarter of 2020 now stands at 2.7%, up from 2.0% in May. The third quarter growth forecast currently stands at 3.2%. The forecast, which is based on past and current data, does not yet fully account for the negative impacts of the COVID19 pandemic on the national economy, thus overestimates the reality. • Based on May’s data, we expect annual growth in 2020 to be 2.8% in the worstcase or “no growth” scenario, and 3.2% in the best-case or “average long-term growth” scenario. Our “middle-of-the road” scenario (based on average growth over the last four quarters) predicts 3.0% real GDP growth in 2020. Once again, these scenarios are based on the current data, and do not fully reflect the expected impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. • The National Bank of Georgia (INBG) has also released its annual growth forecast for 2020 and this number now stands at -4.0%. The main contributing factors of the GDP contraction are a decline in both external and domestic demand, reduced revenues from exports of goods, remittances and tourism, and weak domestic demand, especially for long-term consumption goods and services.
EXTERNAL MERCHANDISE TRADE. In the face of the harsh measures countries have taken to overcome the COVID19 pandemic, trade of all commodities, except food and medicine, are projected to decline; depending on the duration of the shock. In May, Georgia’s exports declined by 30.3% y-o-y, driven by reduced exports/re-exports of motor cars, cigarettes and medicines to Azerbaijan, together with declined export of ferroalleys, and mineral waters to Russia, export/re-export of motor cars, alcohol beverages and mineral waters to Ukraine, and re-export of motor cars to Armenia. There was also a slight decline in the export of merchandise goods to the Euro Union. During the same period, imports of merchandise goods decreased by 34.5%, driven by petroleum and petroleum products from Russia and Azerbaijan, motor cars from the United States, and reduced imports from China, Turkey, Germany, and Poland. As a result, the trade deficit shrank notably, by 37.8% y-o-y, and amounted to 261.1 million USD.
MONEY INFLOW. Since all countries will suffer economically in the aftermath of the health and oil price crises, we expect a significant slowdown in remittance inflows from the rest of the world. In May, remittances decreased by 9.6% y-o-y, decreasing people’s disposable income, consumption, and the real GDP growth. The main contributors to this decline were the Russian Federation, Turkey and Israel, while money inflow increased from EU countries. It is notable that remittances recovered relatively quickly, and even increased by 17.8% y-o-y in June.
INTERNATIONAL VISITS AND TOURISM. Tourism arrivals and receipts are expected to decline sharply as a result of the numerous travel bans, and due to precautionary behaviors. In May, the number of international visitors decreased
(PRAWM). Metal forms a significant share of Georgia’s exports, while food and oil are one of the main import items. Therefore, a global decrease in the price of metal will likely deteriorate the Georgian economy, whereas a decrease in the price of agricultural products is more likely to be beneficial. In May, metal prices, in annual terms, decreased by 13.5%, while raw agricultural material prices declined by 6.8% in annual terms. Adding the PMETA and PRAWM indicators to the model decreases the growth forecast in both quarters.
MONEY SUPPLY.
by 94.1% y-o-y, while the decline in tourist numbers (visitors who spent 24 hours or more in Georgia) amounted to 93.8%. Georgia has already opened borders unconditionally for Germany, France, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia (from July). In summary, decreased money inflow and the dramatically lower number of visitors and tourists in the corresponding month made a significant negative contribution to the growth forecast.
REAL EFFECTIVE EXCHANGE RATE. In May, the Georgian Lari real exchange rate sharply depreciated in both monthly and yearly terms against all main trading currencies. The most significant real depreciation was observed with respect to the Russian Ruble (3.8% monthly). The Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) depreciated by 1.1% relative to the previous months and by 6.2% relative to the same month of the previous year (this pattern was also seen in the Nominal Effective Exchange Rate). Notably, in May, the NBG sold 40 million USD foreign currency reserves (from March 13 to July 2, in aggregate, NGB sold 229.650 million USD foreign currency reserves on the NBG's Foreign Exchange Auctions). Overall, REER-related variables
had only a small negative contribution to the real GDP growth projections.
INFLATION. According to our model, another negative contributor to growth was the increased consumer price level, compared to the same month of the previous year. In May, annual inflation of consumer prices amounted to 6.5%, which is notably higher than the targeted 3%. About 4.5 percentage points of CPI inflation were due to higher food prices (which increased by 15.1% y-o-y), while tobacco prices contributed 0.4 percentage points with 13.6% annual growth. However, decreased oil prices (by 7.1% y-o-y) had a slight negative contribution (by 0.2 ppts) to the annual inflation measure. The later trend is mostly a reflection of the notably declined oil prices in the global market (the Europe Brent Spot Price [COP] decreased by 58.8% yearly ). The measure of core inflation amounted to 5.4%, which is the highest value since February 2016.
WORLD PRICES. The other variables to have a negative contribution on the growth figure are the Metals Price Index (PMETA), and the Agricultural Raw Materials Index
All monetary aggregates, including the largest, Broad Money (M3), and the smallest, Narrow Money (M0), experienced significant yearly growth: 17.1% and 21.4%, respectively. Moreover, currency in circulation increased by 19.8% y-o-y. The Monetary Policy Committee of the NBG met in June and decided to reduce the monetary policy rate by 0.25 percentage points to 8.25% (the reduction of the monetary policy rate was not that significant due to relatively high but stable inflation rates), which is expected to further increase the money supply in the future. Rapid expansion of monetary aggregates has positively contributed to the growth forecast. Our forecasting model is based on the Leading Economic Indicator (LEI) methodology developed by the New Economic School, Moscow, Russia. We have constructed a dynamic model of the Georgian economy, which assumes that all economic variables, including GDP itself, are driven by a small number of factors that can be extracted from the data well before the GDP growth estimates are published. For each quarter, ISET-PI produces five consecutive monthly forecasts (or “vintages”), which increase in precision as time goes on. Our first forecast (the 1st vintage) is available about five months before the end of the quarter in question. The last forecast (the 5th vintage) is published in the first month of the next quarter.
EU-funded Regional Development Program Awards First Grants BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE
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nder the Pilot Integrated Regional Development Program, the Government of Georgia, with the support of the European Union, has awarded the first 11 municipalities with grants amounting to GEL 5 million, which will be spent on local infrastructure and business development. These grants are part of the Government’s GEL 220 million Pilot Integrated Regional Development Grant Program, of which GEL 186 million will come from EU funding. The grant program focuses on the municipalities of four focal regions in Georgia: Kakheti, Imereti, Guria and Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti. The program kicked off in June 2020 with the announcement of a grant competition. The winners were announced on July 8 through the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia (MRDI), in the framework of the
Government Commission for Regional Development (GCRD). The municipalities of Vani, Sachkhere, Tkibuli, Samtredia, Baghdati, Tsageri, Sagarejo, Telavi, Akhmeta, Ozurgeti and Chokhatauri received funding. Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Maya Tskitishvili, talked about the importance of the newly-
established program in the relationship between Georgian and the EU. “The implementation of such programs is crucially important today. The assistance to be provided by the EU over the next three years is in line with the European standards for regional policy planning and implementation. With this program, our cooperation with the EU is moving to a qualitatively new and
important stage, which, I think, also implies the further enhancement and strengthening of the degree of credibility of the EU towards Georgia. The program also introduces the principles of establishing competitive relations between municipalities, which is very important in the process of decentralization and in the emergence and strengthening of new skills at the municipal level,” Tskitishvili said. Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to Georgia, Vincent Rey, also commented on the program, highlighting what the EU aims for with its implementation. “The development of the Georgian regions is a priority for the EU, and with this program, it hopes to ensure that this development is balanced and not just focussed on the main cities of Tbilisi and Batumi. We have worked hard with the government to put the proper structures in place, and are happy to see them in action. We look forward to providing over GEL 186 million through our EU4ITD program to make this initiative a success,” Rey noted.
The appraisal and selection for funding of the municipal projects was carried out by the Regional Consultative Councils (RCC) which comprise municipal mayors and heads of councils, as well as CSOs and business community members as observers. The development of regional policy in Georgia is an important area of the EUGeorgia cooperation under the Association Agreement. The program follows the European model of regional development and is implemented for the first time among the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries in Georgia. Approved by the Georgian Government back in 2019, the Pilot Integrated Regional Development Programme will be implemented between 2020 and 2022, and is co-financed through the budget support scheme of the EU.
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SOCIETY
GEORGIA TODAY
JULY 24 - 30, 2020
UNFPA Georgia Office & Avon Cosmetics Precious Plastic Georgia Georgia Collaboration Kicks Off Founder on Tbilisi Sea Cleaning Day & Future Plans Continued from page 1 Attendees were given some nice surprises from the organizers, got to meet many like-minded people, and spent a memorable time in beautiful nature in parallel with environment-friendly activities. GEORGIA TODAY spoke to one of the organizers of the event, Yuliya Kuzina, founder of Precious Plastic Georgia, who elaborated on the results and importance of the event, and the company’s future plans in this direction. “The event was the initiative of our non-commercial voluntary group, Precious Plastic Georgia,” Kuzina tells us. “We collected and sorted over 50 bags of trash today. Recyclable items (glass, plastic bottles and aluminum) went into recycling bins around Tbilisi, and nonrecyclable rubbish was picked up by the city's cleaning service. The participants did a great job helping to set up the event, clean and sort, and we all enjoyed ourselves in the clean area afterwards. “The importance of such activities is pretty obvious. Our planet is experiencing such catastrophic trends as climate change, plastic pollution, and modern slavery. We want to make our contribution to tackling the plastic problem. We collected 3kg of plastic caps (label 2 HDPE) and sorted them separately, so we can recycle them ourselves into beautiful street furniture.”
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS INITIATIVE? ARE YOU PLANNING TO ORGANIZE SIMILAR EVENTS IN THE FUTURE? We are very worried about the level of pollution in Georgia overall, and Tbilisi Sea in particular. Rubbish dumping is happening on a regular basis, so it is no longer pleasant to be around the Sea.
We’re going to keep cleaning it and making an impact for as long as we can, and as long as we have the right support. We are planning to do a full weekend clean up event in the Sea area in September.
TELL US ABOUT PRECIOUS PLASTIC. We are a group of specialists in the areas of engineering, architecture, and sustainable development, amongst others. We collect plastic labels 2, 4 and 5, and we recycle it ourselves. We started this project just six months ago, so we’re still exploring possibilities to contribute. We started installing collection bins in businesses (cafes, restaurants, offices) and promoting our initiative among locals. With this project we aim to minimize the amount of plastic that has the potential to be recycled sitting in landfills for the next few hundred years. Instead, we want that precious plastic to have a second life as street furniture. We would be happy to connect with any business or individuals and help them to be a little more sustainable.
Photo by Gela Bedianashvili/UNFPA Georgia
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n July 22, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Office and Avon Cosmetics Georgia concluded a Cooperation Agreement. The Agreement was signed by Lela Bakradze, UNFPA Georgia Country Office Head and Ana Tskhadadze, Director of Avon Cosmetics Georgia. The purpose of cooperation is to eradicate the harmful practice of early/ child marriages through the empowerment of adolescent girls and young women, which is one of the main strategies for state building based on equality and democratic values, and one of the key priorities of the UNFPA Georgia Office. ‘Avon’ as an international brand that globally supports the protection of women’s rights, the fight against violence and the eradication of malicious practices. In Georgia, in partnership with the UNFPA, it will finance an awareness-
raising campaign on gender equality focusing on the empowerment of adolescent girls and young women. The purpose of the joint campaign is to: - Support gender equality and women’s rights; - Eradicate harmful practices and gender based violence; - Support sexual and reproductive health, and reproductive rights; - Inform adolescent girls and young women about their rights established by Georgian law and international agreements; - Inform adolescent girls and young women about their opportunities; and motivate them to become active in defending their rights; “Cooperation with the private sector and the involvement of businesses with a high sence of social responsibility in the process of advocacy for women’s rights is very important for the UNFPA,” said Bakradze. “We believe that conclusion of the Coopeation Agreement with
Avon Cosmetics Georgia will open prospects for a very fruitful cooperation contributing to the empowerment of women and girls. It has to be highlighted that it is the first time the UNFPA Georgia has received a direct fiancial contribution from the private sector.” According to Ana Tskhadze, Director of Avon Cosmetics Georgia, “Avon is not only a company of the beauty industry but is a company that makes women’s lives better, offers them a better future and works in the beauty industry to achieve it. The ‘True Power of Beauty’ is the value that describes the mission of the company best. A better future for women means that Avon is vocalizing the problem of gender unequality and violence globally, and I am indeed pleased that today we are establishing a longterm cooperation in Georgia as well.” Initially, the Agreement is concluded for a two-year period. The partners will start implementation of the relevant activities from September 2020.
SOCIETY
GEORGIA TODAY JULY 24 - 30, 2020
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Walking in Circles: Days 6-8 BLOG BY TONY HANMER
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e were certainly learni n g f l ex i b i l i ty ’s importance on our long Svaneti-encircling walk. But we knew that this was how it must be. A long-term friend joined us by motorbike from Tbilisi between Ipari and Ushguli, camping for the night on the bank of the white-noisy Enguri river, which did nothing to keep me awake. Then, after campfire coffee and cereal for breakfast, we set off again. The backpack was becoming less noticeable, for which I was most glad! Here came the first reason to shorten our road time between night stays: spending more time with our friend who had come all this way to catch up with us. It became an easy decision to catch offered rides for about half of the 20 or so km to Ushguli in order to accomplish this. Both trips were with the same person, from one of the villages not on our route, Adishi. This much less visited village near Ipari was slowly getting more attention, especially with people who (unlike us) were doing most of their walking on trails instead of roads. The Virus has put paid to that for now, but I hope that things will rebound. I, for one, have never been to Adishi, and must change this. So we reached Ushguli in time for lunch instead of only for supper, gladly seeing
the ongoing road works to widen and eventually cement the way there. What has been done in the last few years from Mestia to within 14 km of the village has much sped up travel and smoothed out thousands of potholes, for which all are grateful. My former hosts in Ushguli and friends since the early 2000s, the Ratianis, greeted us with the usual delight, undistracted by any other tourists. Dato and Nanuli have their first grandchild, son of their son, who is now serving in government in Mestia; and two of their three girls were also at home, along with Dato’s mother and his sister, who is still director of the first school in Georgia where I taught English. But the lack of tourism is really hurting the magnificent Villa Lileo, along with all the other great variety of hospitality facilities in Ushguli. Having taken out loans to build or rebuild, everyone is now hoping that visitors will return soon, but safely. There must be a balance here. Two nights there were another good break. I led Josh up the steep but forestshaded path to Queen Tamar’s Summer Fortress, so named because it’s much harder to reach in winter. It’s high above Ushguli and offers views of the entire village, with Shkhara, Georgia’s highest mountain, presiding over it all. This is the source of the Enguri, its glaciers’ meltwater running down all the way to the Black Sea, aided by hundreds of tributaries en-route. Then time to press
on, crossing the pass between Upper and Lower Svaneti. We said fond goodbyes; our motorcyclist left towards Mestia, and we in the direction of Lentekhi, which I have never done on foot before. Soon, new views opened up to us as Ushguli disappeared from view: the whole other side of Svaneti, lower, much less festooned with towers and less tourist-trodden, but no less spectacular in mountain scenery for that. Here, too, we accepted a short ride standing up in the back of a friend’s little truck; he and his son were logging for the winter’s
vital firewood. Rain briefly interrupted and was gone. We reached the pass, 2800 m up. Here, we found several shepherd families from Gardabani, far at the other end of Georgia, looking after… 3000 sheep and 200 head of cattle! The grazing must be the best for them to make this arduous annual trip, staying in frameand-tarpaulin shelters with no electricity or cell phone service. But they do it. On and on, mostly downhill, seeing yet more road widening works being done. This side of Svaneti, too, will benefit greatly from safer, quicker travel on cemented roads, especially if they are
somehow able to be plowed all winter long. Time will tell; there is still at least another year of work before the whole stretch of some tens of km is completed. Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/ groups/SvanetiRenaissance/ He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
CULTURE
Festival Art Gene 2020 Tbilisi Tour to be Held on July 23-26
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n July 23, Georgia's leading annual festival of folk culture Art Gene will launch its Tbilisi tour. The festival will be held in rather a different format this year, following all types of regulations related to COVID-19, including two-meter distancing between attendees. A new concert space has been arranged
for the festival at the Tbilisi Ethnographic Museum, with a hay bale parterre and a new stage. The Art Gene Tbilisi tour will be launched on July 23 by the bands ‘REGGAEON’ and ‘Frani.’ The concert of ‘Sukhishvilebi’ will be held on July 24. On July 25, the festival will host a concert by Nino Katamadze, and on July 26, the Tbilisi tour will be closed with a
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concert by Niaz Diasamidze. For the first time in 17 years, an electronic music night concert, Art-gene After Party has been added to the festival this year. The new project will take place in the CUBE area of Turtle Lake. The festival Art Gene 2020 will end with a regional tour on Gomi Mountain, in Georgia’s western Guria region, on August 2. This is the first time in the existence of the festival that first the Tbilisi tour is held, and then the regional tour in a single region. The festival days of the Tbilisi tour have also been reduced, with only four concert days this year. The final part of the festival will traditionally host exhibitions of Georgian handicrafts and folk concerts from different regions. For 17 years, Art Gene Festival has contributed to the formation and development of a number of new ensembles, groups and musicians. Thanks to its promotion of live and original music, a number of talented musicians and bands have been introduced to a wider audience. It has even become a kind of springboard for many bands and singers. As always, the festival is set to offer interesting news and debutants to the audience this year. The festival was founded in 2004. During this time, it has discovered and
Journalists: Ana Dumbadze, Vazha Tavberidze, Nini Dakhundaridze, Tony Hanmer, Emil Avdaliani, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Beka Alexishvili, Elene Dzebizashvili Photographer: Aleksei Serov
archived unique ethnographic materials throughout Georgia, including many unique materials on the verge of loss. By presenting folklore and contemporary music in one space, and with different types of activities, Art Gene also contributes significantly to the promotion of folklore among young people and the development of folk ensembles in the
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regions. It was one of the first festivals to give regional ensembles the o p p o r t u n i ty to showcase their creativity across the country and create more motivation for development.
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