Issue #1336

Issue no: 1336

• FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY

PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

Zelensky to Russians: ‘What are You Fighting for and with Whom?’

NEWS PAGE 2

Matthew Bryza on Ukraine Reflecting the 2008 Georgia War POLITICS PAGE 4

China and NATO – Contours of Future Competition POLITICS PAGE 5

FOCUS

ON UKRAINE

Russia attacks Ukraine after declaring its two occupied regions as "independent states"

PAGE 2-6

POLITICS PAGE 6

Employment in the HoReCa Industry ISET PAGE 7

Image source: ETUC

The Russian “Special Military Operation” Kicks Off in Ukraine

BY TEAM GT

Carrefour's New Supermarket in Batumi 67th Branch of the French Brand in Georgia SOCIETY PAGE 10

On the Works of Marjory Wardrop. Part III

T

he sound of explosions was heard in many Ukrainian cities. We are declaring martial law throughout Ukraine, - said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the morning of Thursday February 24.

He then took to Twitter to spread the word further: “Talked to President Joe Biden, Olaf Scholz, the President of the European Council, Andrzej Duda, Boris Johnson. Urged them to stop Putin, the war against Ukraine & the world immediately! Building an anti-Putin coalition. Immediate sanctions, defense & financial support to Ukraine! Close the airspace! The world must force Russia into peace,” Zelensky tweeted.

Later in the day, he broke diplomatic ties with Russia and called on Ukraine’s citizens to join the fight and for Russians to protest their government’s moves. “We are already distributing weapons to protect our land. Anyone who has

Saakashvili Again on Hunger Strike “against the Regime”

CULTURE PAGE 11 CULTURE PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by

Markets As of 21ͲFebͲ2022

BONDS

Russian and Belarusian soldiers have been training together for weeks. Image source: EPA

not lost their conscience in Russia should come out and protest the war with Ukraine,” he said.

Troops and military vehicles entered Ukraine from the Belarusian border early that morning and began an attack world leaders decried as the start of a Russian invasion that could “cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government.”

In a statement, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that “five enemy aircraft and a helicopter were shot down,” Euronews reported Thursday morning. “The united forces are providing a strong opposition to the Russian Federation's airborne forces. The military units are at their positions. The enemy is suffering,” he added.

Continued on page 3

Price

w/w

m/m

STOCKS

Price

w/w

m/m

GRAIL 07/28

96.79 (YTM 4.59%)

Ͳ0,1%

Ͳ3,2%

Bank of Georgia (BGEO LN)

GBP 14.14

Ͳ9,8%

Ͳ3,9%

GEBGG 07/23

104.43 (YTM 2.81%)

Ͳ1,6%

Ͳ1,6%

Georgia Capital (CGEO LN)

GBP 6.35

Ͳ5,2%

Ͳ3,3%

GEOCAP 03/24

101.00 (YTM 5.60%)

+0,0%

+0,1%

TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN)

GBP 13.82

Ͳ11,7%

Ͳ7,0%

SILNET 01/27

101.85 (YTM 7.91%)

Ͳ0,2%

+0,6%

TBC 06/24

104.15 (YTM 3.86%)

+0,1%

Ͳ0,8%

GGU 07/25

105.83 (YTM 5.85%)

+0,0%

+0,1%

CURRENCIES

Price

w/w

m/m

GEL / USD

2,9900

Ͳ0,4%

Ͳ2,8%

GEL / EUR

3,3816

Ͳ0,4%

Ͳ3,1%

COMMODITIES

Price

w/w

m/m

GEL / GBP

4,0670

+0,1%

Ͳ2,5%

Crude Oil, Brent (US$/bbl)

95,39

Ͳ1,1%

+8,5%

GEL / CHF

3,2660

+0,5%

Ͳ3,2%

1 906,29

+1,9%

+3,9%

Price

w/w

m/m

Gold Spot (US$/OZ)

INDICES

GEL / RUB

0,0374

Ͳ4,6%

Ͳ5,6%

GEL / TRY

0,2184

Ͳ1,0%

Ͳ4,4%

GEL / AZN

1,7607

Ͳ0,5%

Ͳ2,9%

FTSE 100

7 484,33

Ͳ0,6%

Ͳ0,1%

GEL / AMD

0,0062

Ͳ0,5%

Ͳ2,4%

FTSE 250

21 097,19

Ͳ2,4%

Ͳ5,2%

GEL / UAH

0,1043

Ͳ1,0%

Ͳ4,2% +0,3%

DAX

14 731,12

Ͳ2,5%

Ͳ5,6%

EUR / USD

0,8842

Ͳ0,0%

DOW JONES

34 079,18

Ͳ1,4%

Ͳ0,5%

GBP / USD

0,7352

Ͳ0,5%

Ͳ0,4%

NASDAQ

13 548,07

Ͳ1,8%

Ͳ1,6%

CHF / USD

0,9159

Ͳ0,9%

+0,5%

149,17

Ͳ12,2%

Ͳ11,5%

RUB / USD

79,7535

+3,9%

+3,0%

13,6916

MSCI EM EE MSCI EM

1 219,46

Ͳ0,1%

Ͳ2,0%

TRY / USD

SP 500

4 348,87

Ͳ1,2%

Ͳ1,1%

AZN / USD

MSCI FM

2 698,80

+0,5%

+1,3%

AMD / USD

+0,7%

+1,8%

1,6971

Ͳ

+0,0%

479,5000

Ͳ0,0%

Ͳ0,5%

2

NEWS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

Zelensky to Russians: ‘What are You Fighting for and with Whom?’

U

Zelensky said Russians are being told that he is preparing an offensive to retake separatist territory in the Donbas region and “bomb it without question.” But, he asked, who he would be attacking?

“Luhansk? The house where my best friend’s mother lives? The place where the father of my best friend is buried?”

Zelensky said.

“This is our land. This is our history.

What are you fighting for and with whom?” he said. “Many of you have been to Ukraine.

Many of you have relatives in Ukraine.

Some have studied in Ukrainian universities. Some have made friends with Ukrainians. You know our character. You know our people. You know our principles.”

“The people of Ukraine want peace,” he said. “The government of Ukraine wants peace.”

He warned Russians that if their military invades Ukraine, his nation would defend itself.

“We know for sure we do not need a war, not a cold one, not a hot one, not a hybrid one,” he said. “But if these forces attack us, if you attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives, the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. Not attack: defend. And in attacking, you are going to see our faces.

Not our backs, our faces.”

krainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Russian people on Wednesday to stop their leadership from sending troops across the border and into his country, recording an emotional video appeal that underscored the close ties between the two nations.

Zelensky said Moscow had approved the movement of nearly 200,000 troops into Ukrainian territory, along with thousands of armored vehicles lined up at the border. He said an incursion risked becoming “the start of a big war on the European continent.”

“You are being told this is a plan to free the people of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

“But the Ukrainian people are free.”

“Ukraine on your news and Ukraine in real life are two completely different countries — and the main difference is that ours is real,” Zelensky said. “You are told that we are Nazis. How could a people that lost more than 8 million people in the fight against Nazism support Nazism?

“How could I be a Nazi?” Zelensky, who is Jewish, asked, noting that his grandfather spent the entire war as a Soviet soldier but died in an independent Ukraine.

Corona Updates: Georgia Eases Restrictions

BY ANA DUMBADZE

A

gainst the background of the stabilizing epidemiological situation in the country, the Interagency Coordination Council ruled to ease several Covid-related restrictions this week.

From March 1, most of the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic will be lifted.

A meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council led by Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, was held at the Government Administration. It was noted that the peak of the Omicron strain has passed, thus enabling the gradual easing of current restrictions.

The Council ruled: • To admit 50% of the full capacity of spectators to the Rugby Game scheduled between Georgia and Russia on

February 27; • Any citizen of a foreign country will be admitted through the air, land, and marine borders of Georgia from March 1, provided they are fully vaccinated or have negative PCR test results (valid for 72 hours) with no obligation to get re-tested on the third day if not vaccinated; • Citizens of Georgia can reenter the country (a) with a negative PCR test result with no obligation to get retested on the third day; (b) with an obligation to stay in self-isolation for 5 days instead of 8 if no PCR test is presented at the border; • 15 individuals will be allowed to sit around a single table outdoors at eateries, instead of 10; • 10 individuals will be allowed to sit around a single table indoors at eateries, instead of 6; • Restriction on the maximum number of visitors is deemed void; • Social gatherings (parties, weddings,

funerals) will be allowed with the 10 individuals around a table indoors and 15 outdoors; • Quarantine spaces, i.e. “Covid Hotels” – will be void from March 1. Admission of infected individuals to such places has already been stopped; • Obligation to run thermal screening and record-keeping has been stopped; • Obligation to have disinfection floor mats has been stopped; • Restriction on catering at canteens has been removed; • Operation of nightclubs is permitted from March 4, provided only 60% of the overall space is occupied by visitors; • Conferences, seminars and trainings will be permitted without restrictions from March 15; The Coordination Council will gather for regular meetings once a fortnight, instead of at weekly meetings.

The Council is also expected to discuss easing the obligation to wear a face mask outdoors.

THE STATISTICS Georgia reported 12,101 coronavirus cases, 14,764 recoveries, and 45 deaths on Tuesday. Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 5269 Covid-19 cases within the last 24 hours, followed by the Imereti region with 1935 cases, and the Shida Kartli region with 918 cases.

Georgia reported 10,230 new cases, 7223 recoveries, and 48 deaths on Wednesday. Tbilisi recorded 4305 cases, followed

by Imereti with 1662 cases, and Kakheti with 842 cases.

Georgia reported 8455 coronavirus cases, 18,206 recoveries, and 41 deaths on Thursday. Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 3548 Covid-19 cases within the previous 24 hours, followed by the Imereti region with 1438 cases, and the Kakheti region with 664 cases.

The daily test-positivity rate stands at 22.9%, down from 26.71% in the past 14 days.

Georgia’s total case tally reached 1,584,454, of whom 1447, 969 people recovered and 16,022 died.

As of 22nd February, 2,808,278 Georgian has received a Covid-19 vaccine, at around 3000 a day.

THE CASES WORLDWIDE The situation is also gradually stabilizing worldwide, with many countries lifting restrictions.

The number of new Covid-19 cases worldwide has dropped by 19% in the past week, while recorded deaths remain stable, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest report on the coronavirus pandemic notes.

The United Nations’ health agency said late on Tuesday that “just over 16 million new cases and just under 75,000 new deaths were reported” globally during

the week of February 7 to February 13.

The Western Pacific was the only region to report an increase in new weekly cases, a rise of about 19%. Southeast Asia recorded a drop of about 37%, the biggest decrease across the six WHO regions.

The biggest number of new Covid-19 cases was seen in Russia. Cases there and elsewhere in Eastern Europe doubled in recent weeks, driven by a surge of the hugely infectious Omicron variant.

Hong Kong invoked emergency powers so that doctors and nurses from mainland China can join its efforts to fight what it said was a “dire epidemic situation” as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus sweeps across the denselypopulated territory.

Authorities on Thursday morning reported 8674 new cases, nearly all of them locally acquired.

“Hong Kong is now facing a very dire epidemic situation, which continues to deteriorate rapidly,” the government said in explaining its need for the emergency powers.

“Hong Kong was a poster child of pandemic control success over the past two years. By the end of 2021, the city of 7.5 million had recorded only 12,650 cases and fewer than 220 deaths.

“But the city has been brought to its knees with the arrival of the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The number of reported cases has soared to more than 66,000 in just a couple of months,” reported the BBC. Hong Kong's medical system is on the brink of collapse, say experts. "Because of our success, paradoxically, people had been lulled into a sense of false security," said Gabriel Leung, HKU's dean of medicine.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

3

The Russian “Special Military Operation” Kicks Off in Ukraine Continued from page 1 The Russian side denied the losses.

Luhansk, Sumy and Chernihiv in the east of Ukraine all came under attack, while tanks battled on the outskirts of Kharkiv after paratroopers dropped in.

Blasts were also reported in the west, in Zhytomyr and Lviv, close to the border with Poland, the Daily Mail reported Thursday.

“Extraordinary video footage showed what appeared to be a Kalibur cruise missile slamming into Ivano-Frankivsk airport. An apartment block in Kharkiv was also struck, causing civilian casualties, among them a young boy.

“Meanwhile pro-Russian rebel forces pushed out from the occupied Donbas region, capturing two villages and claiming to have shot two Ukrainian jets out of the skies. The port cities of Mariupol and Odessa, where Ukraine's main naval bases are located, were also attacked.

Russian tankers appeared to have blockaded the Kerch Strait, leading from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, cutting off Mariupol,” Daily Mail reporters wrote.

As of 3pm Thursday, 40 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed because of the Russian aggression, Ukrainian news agency Unian reported.

On hearing of Thursday’s Russian moves directly from the Ukrainian President, US President Joe Biden publically condemned the attack.

“The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky contacted me…I condemn the unjustified attack by the Russian military,” Biden said.

“I have informed him of the steps we are taking for international condemnation, including at the UN Security Council. He asked me to call on world leaders to speak out clearly against President Putin's horrible aggression and to stand by the Ukrainian people. I will meet with the leaders of the G7, and the United States and our allies and partners will impose tough sanctions on Russia.

“We will continue to support and assist Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” Biden added.

European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Russia to immediately cease the hostilities, withdraw its military from Ukraine, and fully respect Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

Their joint statement says such use of force and coercion “has no place in the 21st century.”

“President Michel of the European Council urgently convened an extraordinary meeting of the European Council,” reads the statement. “The EU leaders will meet later today to discuss the crisis and further restrictive measures that will impose massive and severe consequences on Russia for its action, in close coordination with our transatlantic partners. President von der Leyen will outline a further sanctions package being finalized by the European Commission and which the Council will swiftly adopt.

“We deplore the loss of life and humanitarian suffering. The EU and its Member States are ready to urgently provide a humanitarian emergency response. We call on Russia and Russia-backed armed formations to respect international humanitarian law.

“The EU stands firmly by Ukraine and its people as they face this unparalleled crisis. The EU will provide further political, financial and humanitarian assistance.

“We are coordinating our response with our international partners, including NATO and G7, whose leaders will meet today.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “We are shocked by the horrible events happening in Ukraine. President Putin has chosen the path of bloodshed and

Pro-Ukrainian demonstrations outside the Russian embassy in London. Photo by Alberto Pezzali/picture alliance

destruction by attacking Ukraine.”

Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric released a statement saying she “strongly condemned the Russian military attack against Ukraine in flagrant violation of the Statute of Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights. This is a dark hour for Europe and everything it stands for.

“I call upon the authorities of Russia to immediately and unconditionally cease hostilities and return to diplomacy to restore peace and avoid further devastating consequences for the entire continent. Protecting civilian lives must remain a matter of priority. All my thoughts are with Ukraine, its people and its authorities,” she said.

“Together with the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, we will swiftly take necessary measures to respond to the current situation.”

The Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, responded to the events via Twitter and announced his support for Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine could not be avoided. We once again call on the international community to make effective and firm steps to stop Russia escalating into a full-scale conflict, and ensure the protection of international norms. We stand with Ukraine in these difficult times,” he tweeted.

THE BUILD-UP UKRAINIANS IN RUSSIA ADVISED TO LEAVE On Wednesday February 23, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on its people to refrain from traveling to Russia, and asked those Ukrainians who are already in Russia to immediately leave.

“Due to the intensification of Russian aggression against Ukraine, which may also lead to a substantial restriction on the possibility of providing consular assistance on Russian territory, the Foreign Ministry advises Ukrainian citizens to refrain from traveling to the Russian Federation for any purpose and, if there, to leave its territory immediately,” the statement read.

THE SANCTIONS The EU on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Russian Duma members, 27 individuals, and entities, following Russia’s recognition on Monday of the socalled “independence” of Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

As Reuters reported, “All members of Russia’s Duma, parliament’s lower house, will be hit with EU sanctions, which typically involve travel bans and asset freezes.

“This package of sanctions, which was approved in unanimity by the member states, will hurt Russia, and it will hurt a lot,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference alongside France’s foreign minister at a meeting in Paris.

US President Joe Biden imposed sanctions on Russian banks: The Russian State Development Corporation (VEB) and Russian Military Bank. Sanctions will also be imposed on the sovereign debt of Russia, meaning Moscow is prohibited to place state debt bonds in America and Europe.

Australia announced sanctions against Russia targeting energy, oil, gas, transport, telecommunications and mineral reserves, it’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

“The invasion of Ukraine has effectively already begun. Russia is at peak readiness to now complete a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that is likely to occur within the next 24 hours,” Morrison said on Wednesday.

The Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, stated that as Russia had “recognized the independence” of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, Germany was pulling the plug on Nord Stream 2.

“Today, I asked the economy ministry to withdraw the existing report on the analysis of supply security,” Scholz stated Tuesday.

He noted that now it is up to the international community to react to this onesided, incomprehensible, and unjustified action by the Russian president. “Send a clear signal to Moscow that such actions won’t remain without consequences,” he said. He highlighted that Germany’s reaction was the necessary administrative step so that no certification of the pipeline can now take place, adding that without this certification, Nord Stream 2 cannot go into operation.

Nord Stream 2 is the pipeline through which Russian natural gas is to flow to Europe. Construction of the pipeline project has been completed but still needs a German regulator certificate before commissioning, and this process has been suspended since last autumn.

The US opposed the construction of the pipeline as they believed the pipeline would increase Europe’s energy dependence on Russia.

UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTER ALEXEI REZNIKOV SPEAKS TO HIS ARMY “The Kremlin has taken another step towards the restoration of the Soviet Union. The only thing that separates it is Ukraine and the Ukrainian army,” said Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei

Image source: economist.com

Reznikov in an address to the military on Tuesday.

“Thanks to your courage, dedication and professionalism, the plans of the enemy have been thwarted, those who have been waging a worthless war all these years, hiding behind the backs of women and children, setting fire to schools and homes, kidnapping and torturing, lying and intimidating, robbing us or land. Yesterday, he revealed his real face, the face of a criminal who wants to leave the free world in captivity. He realizes his guilt and tries to unite all the groups around him with joint responsibility, because he is afraid. The crime committed will inevitably lead to punishment,” Reznikov said.

“Now we will see real friends next to us, who will be more and more numerous, not those ‘friends’ who have been calling on us to capitulate.

“There will be difficulties and losses, but it will inevitably lead to our victory because we are on our own land and the truth is on our side. The Ukrainian army is supported by our nation. The people’s faith is a sign that we are doing everything right. Our strength lies in unity, self-confidence, and a cold mind,” he concluded.

The same day, President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili spoke out against Russia’s Monday recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

“Georgia strongly condemns Russia’s ‘recognition’ of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which repeats the scenario that led to the occupation of 20% of the Georgian territory,” she tweeted.

“Georgia stands by you President Zelensky, and in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and peace,” she added.

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili also rebuked Russia’s move, saying it was another step towards violating the fundamental principles of international law.

“Russia’s recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk is another step against the fundamental principles of international law and, unfortunately, repeats the occupation of Georgian territories in 2008. We strongly support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Garibashvili wrote on Twitter.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili also noted that Russia was violating international law.

“In this situation, the strong position of the international community is crucial to prevent a war in Ukraine and to do everything possible to uphold the fundamental principles of international law.

It is important for the Western partners to take a firm stand to ensure two things: the prohibition of war and the enforcement of international law,” Papuashvili said.

He highlighted that, as part of the sanctions, the Georgian government is guided by the security interests of the country, the Georgian people, and Ukraine.

“If you look at Zelensky’s statement, his position is honorable when he maintains composure and firmness in this difficult situation, and when he reiterates that war must not be allowed and that every opportunity must be used to enforce the principles of international law through

other levers. Our government will act based on the same principles,” Papuashvili said.

“Georgia unequivocally supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. “We express hope that the international community will give its strict assessment and response to this further violation of the fundamental principles of international law, and to the absolutely unacceptable attempt to redraw forcefully the state borders in Eastern Europe.”

PUTIN RECOGNIZES SO-CALLED INDEPENDENCE OF OCCUPIED DONETSK AND LUHANSK On February 21, Russia recognized the so-called independence of occupied Donetsk and Luhansk.

“Given the current situation, I have decided to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk,” Russian President Putin announced. “I ask the Federation Council to ratify this decision immediately. After that, a decision on assistance to these republics will be prepared.

“All the consequences for development and bloodshed will be borne by the ruling government of Ukraine. I hope for the support of the Russian people in these decisions,” he added.

The announcement followed an extraordinary meeting of his security council broadcast on national television.

The Russian Duma had addressed Putin on February 15 demanding recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

Two days later, Putin released a video address, in which he said that he “sees how the international situation has become complicated,” and noted that “Russia is always ready for a direct dialogue,” but the interests and security of its citizens are “unconditional.”

“Our country is always open for direct and correct dialogue; to solving the most difficult problems diplomatically. I repeat that the interests and security of our citizens are unconditional for us. Therefore, we will continue to develop and improve the army and navy,” he said.

Also on Monday 21st, the Joint Operations Headquarters of Ukraine claimed Russia had opened fire 136 times in Donbas in the prior 24 hours, including 116 times with weapons banned by the Minsk Agreement.

Two servicemen were killed as a result, while four others were injured, the agency said. Reportedly, no civilians were hit.

This information was also confirmed by the Russian side, however, it claimed that those killed were members of a “sabotage group” and were planning a “terrorist attack.”

Western countries had been warning about the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine for several weeks, and on February 18, the US President said that Vladimir Putin had already decided to attack. Official Moscow denied this.

On February 18, it was announced that Russian-backed separatist leaders, led by the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, had begun evacuating part of the population.

On February 19, both separatist leaders declared full military readiness. They talked about “planned aggression” from Kyiv, which Ukraine denied.

At the same time, the Ukrainian military intelligence service said it had received information about the mining of infrastructure facilities in Donetsk.

The agency says this is part of the preparation for a so-called “fake attack,” the purpose of which is to blame the opponent for the attack and begin a war.

Keep up-to-date with this and other news at georgiatoday.ge

4

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

Matthew Bryza on Ukraine Reflecting the 2008 Georgia War INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE

D

ear #Georgia, Now is your chance to remind the world that #Putin just violated international law in #Ukraine just as he did by invading you and recognizing the independence of #SouthOssetia and #Abkhazia in 2008" – former US Diplomat and Atlantic Council senior fellow Matthew Bryza tweeted. Back in 2008, Bryza was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. In an interview with Radio Free Europe’s Georgian services, Bryza reminisced on the many similarities between the events forestalling the August War in 2008 and the current situation in Ukraine, just as the Russian President, after “counselling” the small clique he uses to run the country, decided to recognize Ukraine’s Donbas and Luhansk regions as independent states.

PUTIN RECOGNIZED DONBAS AND LUHANSK AS INDEPENDENT REPUBLICS. WHY, AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? Putin lost Ukraine as a friend and as an allied nation when he invaded in 2014.

So now he tried to bring all of Ukraine back. He thought he could intimidate Europe and the transatlantic community.

It didn’t work.

Biden’s done a great job in maintaining transatlantic solidarity, so they didn’t get frightened into just backing off and blaming the Ukrainians, just like the Europeans blamed Georgia. No, that didn’t work this time. So now Putin’s got to go for second best. His minimal goal is to make sure that Luhansk and Donbas will forever be a reason for the Germans and the French and Hungarians to say, “Ukraine’s too complicated. It’s got these disputed areas, it can’t become part of NATO.” And it also gives an excuse to move more Russian forces in and have a land-bridge, then down to Mariupol, and then to see what it can grab in the future.

WHAT SHOULD THE WEST’S RESPONSE BE? The West’s response right now must be firm, harsh and unified. Last night the Biden administration wasn’t quite clear on how tough it is going to be – its initial step was to announce a sanction that frankly struck me as ridiculous, which was to prohibit investments in Donbas and Luhansk. There is no serious investor who has serious plans to go into those areas anyway, so that was meaningless.

But after what Russia did overnight, I’ve seen a change of tone in the administration narrative, so what I think took place is the Biden administration wanting to coordinate things with its European allies before it issued harsh sanctions, and first and foremost, persuade Germany to suspend the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

It’s quite significant and credible that the German government has shown its willingness to endure pain – serious potential economic pain – by cutting off the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Biden and his administration have done a great job keeping the transatlantic family unified: it’s exactly what needs to happen now.

Sanctions should mean the end of Nord Stream 2; harsh sanctions on all the major Russian banks; Russian government officials and President Putin’s own assets should be exposed in banks outside of Russia and frozen. And Russia should be removed from the SWIFT system. This might cause some pains for SWIFT, but just like Germany, the rest of the civilized world should be ready to endure some hardship to deter Putin from murdering tens of thousands of Ukrainians. And this will probably result in thousands of deaths

on the Russian side as well. What Putin is doing is illegal, it’s immoral and dangerous, and it is better to fight Putin through very tough economic sanctions now than on the battlefield later.

YOU MENTIONED THAT GEORGIA GOT BLAMED

BY EUROPEANS IN 2008.

A LOT OF COMPARISONS ARE BEING MADE BETWEEN THE SITUATION NOW AND THE SITUATION BACK THEN

BY OPINION-MAKERS, DIPLOMATS AND THE LIKE. HOW MUCH DOES THE KREMLIN TEXTBOOK REPEAT ITSELF? Indeed, there are so many comparisons.

The first is how successfully the Russians have been able to convince those Europeans who don’t want to accept the inconvenient truth, which is that Russia is in breach of the Minsk Agreement.

Russia is the aggressor; Putin has completely fabricated this crisis. So many Europeans want to blame the Ukrainians for being out of compliance with the Minsk Agreement, just like they wanted to blame Saakashvili for somehow being impulsive or reckless, although that ignores the fact that a democratically elected leader of any country has a duty to either protect or restore his country’s territorial integrity and defend its citizens when they’re under attack.

The Europeans really want to blame the Ukrainians, they’re waiting for the Ukrainians to fire back. And the Russians know there’s only so long that President Zelensky can hold fire. This is exactly what happened in Georgia – Putin knows that at some point Ukrainians will have to fire back just like the Georgians did.

And then that will be the excuse for the invasion.

HOW LONG CAN KYIV HOLD FROM FIRING BACK? THEY DO HAVE THE QUESTIONABLE LUXURY OF KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO GEORGIA, BUT ARE WE EXPECTING UKRAINE TO SHOW ETERNAL PATIENCE? There’s no way to know when President Zelensky will feel that his duty as head of state, democratically elected, requires a return of fire. But you’re right, he has seen not just that the Georgian response provided a pretext for Russian invasion but that it also provided a pretext for the ridiculous, scandalous, untrue report by the European Union, which was an absolutely disgrace. The way that was written saying that Georgia shot first – Georgia did not shoot first: the South Ossetian separatists shot first with Russian artillery, and Georgia returned fire. Georgia did not start the war, Georgia retaliated, as is the duty of the democratically elected leader of any country at some threshold.

We can argue over whether or not that threshold was the right one that President Saakashvili chose. That’s a fair argument, and where that lies for Zelensky, I don’t know.

But he’s also seen a second example, when under Poroshenko, the Ukrainians couldn’t have been more docile. They couldn’t have been more restrained.

Everybody knew Russia had invaded Crimea and occupied it. Everybody knew the little green men had invaded Donbass, and Ukraine did nothing, no military response allowed it to be taken over by the Russians. So far, he’s been smart to my mind, and held off returning fire.

There are more similarities with Georgia: the full scale information warfare, the cyber attacks, so-called passportization, evacuation… And then the last one that I find really worrisome is the ease with which the French and German leaders are manipulated. They convince themselves that they’re pursuing peace.

And they’re simply being manipulated.

As as a Deputy Speaker of the Duma told me in 1996, when I was a young political officer in Moscow, “You Americans, you don’t understand politics. You want to be liked. That’s gives you no power. We Russians want to be feared. That gives us real power. And we know we can frighten the Europeans.” And that’s what Putin is trying to do here. And that’s what he did so well in the case of Georgia.

In my day, the Germans were the chair of the so called Secretary-General’s Group of Friends of Georgia, and it was the incumbent President Steinmeier who was then the foreign minister who took on the plan that we Americans had developed and got agreement from the Georgian side on two basic ways to de-escalate by getting more peacekeepers and military or police observers in Kodori Gorge in exchange for a Georgian pledge, no first use of force- a whole bunch of things, a balance. And Steinmeier watered it down and made it all essentially the Georgia would pledge not to use force first. And then Russia would make some pledge not to attack. It was vague, but the Germans got played, they got manipulated, and then the French got played worse, back at the negotiations on the ceasefire agreement. It was Bernard Kouchner. And then Alexander Stubb, then an OSCE chairman. They negotiated a fair, good ceasefire agreement.

And Sarkozy went to Moscow and reopened the negotiation and reopened the agreement and what came back was horrible. It was so bad, that when the French ambassador showed it to me in Tbilisi the next day, I said, “Eric, I have to leave now, because I’m so angry with what your president did here. He doesn’t even understand what he’s done, how he’s given Russia the right to keep its troops on Georgian territory, and forces the Georgians to withdraw their troops from their own territory that is now occupied territory. That’s, that’s so wrong.

It’s a violation of international law!” But even worse, and nobody knows much about this last point, I rarely talked about this, but it’s time. The draft agreement that Sarkozy accepted from Putin included Putin’s point that not only could the Russians occupy South Ossetia, up to the point where they did, which was within a couple of kilometers of Georgia’s East-West highway, but the French also agreed to the Russians having the right to have military patrols, either five or 10 kilometers beyond where they had halted their military operations. And anybody who knew the map knew that that gave them the right to have military patrols onto and cutting off the highway and the rail link. And so I mean, when I saw that, I went crazy. And I called the Secretary of State, and my boss, Dan Fried, and I said, “You cannot allow this to be in the agreement.” They were meeting with our French counterparts in Paris.

And they said, “Why?” I told them that if you look at the map, this is what happens. The French had just given the Russians, the Russian military, the right to block the main Georgian highway. “What’s that gonna do to Tbilisi? It’s gonna cut off everything, fuel, food, medicine, everything,” I said. So my senior colleagues went back and asked their French colleagues and the French government, why did you do this? And the French said, “Well, it seems reasonable. The Russians need a patrol to protect their forces because the Georgians might attack them.” And then, to my boss’s credit, they said, “Did you have a map with you when you agreed to this?” And the French said, “No, we didn’t look at a map. It just seemed reasonable.” So the French are getting played again, just like this.

DO YOU EXPECT THE SAME THING TO HAPPEN WITH MACRON? It is happening. Macron is not looking.

He’s not involved in the details. He wants

dialogue and both sides to de escalate, as if Ukraine has done anything here.

It’s innocently sitting there hoping to restore its territorial integrity, not threatening anybody militarily. Russia threatens illegally and immorally in violation of all of its commitments, threatens the use of massive force in defense of an abstract principle. Contrary to all of that, the French president is calling on both sides to de escalate and have dialoguethat is the European modus operandi: to forget about who’s right or wrong; forget about who’s violating international law, to just have dialogue. And yeah, little guys, because Russia is the big guy, you’re gonna have to de-escalate to so these are all very similar things to what happened in Georgia and to Georgia.

PRESIDENT BIDEN APPARENTLY ASKED THE FRENCH PRESIDENT TO FACILITATE HIS SUMMIT WITH PUTIN. AND THERE WAS AN INTERESTING QUOTE FROM AN UNNAMED FRENCH OFFICIAL: “WE ARE CREATING A DIPLOMATIC PERSPECTIVE THE KREMLIN CAN ACCEPT.” WHAT COULD THAT PERSPECTIVE BE? Wow. Well, first of all, that means you’ve given up on the negotiation before you even started negotiating, right? A diplomatic perspective? Putin is the one who’s been escalating and using force as a diplomatic tool. So maybe what the French diplomat meant was: “Yes, we were intimidated by Russia’s threat to use force, just like we were in the case of Georgia. And Russia now accepts the need to have a discussion, because we French have recognized the need for Ukraine and for all of NATO and the transatlantic community to take seriously Russia’s demands to rollback NATO to its pre-1997 borders.” And in fact, Macron has said as much, he said we have to, we have to take these Russian demands seriously.

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

5

You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Yours OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

S

ays Volodymyr Zelensky: ‘I am grateful to those countries that stand by Ukraine in word, declaration, and assistance, but I will refrain from mentioning them by name, so that other nations need not feel embarrassed.’ Should these words of the incumbent Ukrainian president, proclaimed with pained emotion and a tinge of generalized rebuke, be interpreted as aimed at instigating a certain sense of guilt in us Georgians, Ukraine’s strategic and trade partners, cooperating with each other for mutual benefit since the very first day of the soviet demise?

The most honest, straightforward and unequivocal answer to this awakening question is of course, no. And here goes the corroboration of the negation, with no pang of national conscience, surest proof of our evenhandedness, something which the fairest among the Georgian evaluators of the Georgian-Ukrainian love affair would throw in as an argument: genuine friends don’t usually befriend the enemies of their friends.

The story has it that a huge bunch of the Georgian civil servants from Saakashvili’s term in office, including the president himself, were indicted for criminal activity against the state, and sentenced accordingly, although not duly imprisoned as proven convicts because of their elusive absence in the country of their origin. Most of the mentioned bunch, notably, have since acquired Ukrainian citizenship and were happily employed in various segments of the Ukrainian

governmental service, assisting the young corrupt republic to become more democratic and better tailored to a European model of statehood, seemingly utilizing the expertise of reforms that took place in Georgia in its recent ‘glorious’ past.

Some of the vacancies filled by these ‘legendary’ young Georgian reformers in the Ukrainian system of management, mostly skillful PR experts (that being the forte of the erstwhile Georgian rulers), found themselves in key governmental positions with highly influential strings to pull and a lot of fringe benefits providing for their high-quality lifestyles.

These people were given responsible jobs by the Ukrainian high authorities with absolute awareness of what they were doing.

Just imagine, the cadres persecuted by the Georgian legal system now feel as snug as bugs in a rug in their newly proffered Ukrainian nursery, that country so warmly and honorably treating the former Georgian governmental personnel, despite their criminal status in the eyes of the Georgian legislation. Moreover, it is not just a makeshift measure to temporarily keep those Georgian men and women alive, but a very solid way of life and a chance for them to be employed forever in their new motherland.

What kind of friendship and strategic partnership is one that allows your opponent to act to your detriment? The social and political morality of such a relationship between the two countries can trigger a lot misgiving, and begets questions that are hardly answerable with clear conscience. The bottom-line of the entire chronicle is that Georgia and Ukraine cannot afford even a tinge of deteriorated

Image source: prismua.org

relations due merely to the latter’s having given shelter to those written-off Georgian politicians, even if they seem to be useful somehow, a fact which needs regular checking so as not to cause any inadvertent harm.

Georgia and Ukraine are two considerable states, fiercely struggling for a brighter future, and that struggle of ours is comparable in numerous respects.

How very, very true that I would never want to scratch your back unless you are prepared to scratch mine. A propos, Georgia has already come up with an extremely relevant-for-the-moment declaration on support to Ukraine at this hard time of its military conflict with Russia. Said declaration reflects every possible point that had to be put forward so that the wolf is full and the goat is

whole. And such a cautious attitude is the result of the state-like thinking of this Georgian administration, because we have our own national interests that need to be kept up and followed. For who will be the judges if Georgia bungles it up again? Who will help us if we commit a blunder for the umpteenth time in history on the rough and thorny international terrain?

China and NATO – Contours of Future Competition ANALYSIS BY EMIL AVDALIANI

C

hina is increasingly viewed

by NATO as a competitor, which represents a significant shift in the alliance’s vision. It fits the general narrative that NATO has recently been focused on Russia at a time when China was quietly increasing its cyber capabilities and military power around the world. This shift in priorities could propel NATO toward a more globalist vision that would draw it closer to the IndoPacific region.

NATO, arguably the most successful military alliance in history, is slowly but steadily edging toward casting China as an outright military competitor. Previously, the collective West avoided involving NATO in the context of the rising China, but NATO has been undergoing a profound evolution in which it is recalibrating its priorities, seeing us gradually moving toward a more global NATO with interests that spread beyond its classical zone (Europe) and into the Indo-Pacific region.

Many would argue that the foundation for a global NATO was established long ago. Indeed, for more than a decade, the alliance was operating in Afghanistan, where it led the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and NATO naval forces were among the first to fight off pirates via the OCEAN SHIELD operation along the east African coast in 2008.

Military training missions have been a common element of NATO involvement in the Middle East. The alliance also responds to terrorism, cyber-threats, and disinformation. Moreover, it enjoys

Image source: REUTERS | Hyungwon Kang

special partnerships (consultative in nature) with Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia.

However, China’s military and economic rise, ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and growing appetite in the Indian and Pacific oceans in the last decade have brought it into sharp opposition with the US. The US now sees NATO playing a bigger role in Eurasian affairs, which means taking a tougher stance toward Beijing through the development of a new vision for its outdated EuroAtlantic-centric model.

The reasons for this shift are fundamental in nature. It has been argued that China’s official $260 billion defense budget could mask far greater purchasing power, potentially reaching up to 70% of the US defense budget. China’s

military cooperation with Russia continues to grow and now covers Central Asia, the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf, and even the Baltic Sea. Moreover, Beijing’s expanding supply of nuclear weapons can now reach Europe, which, in NATO’s mind, requires a rethinking of its approach to the Asian giant.

It can be argued that it is China that came to NATO and not the other way around. China could, indeed, serve as a driver for cohesion within the alliance, which over the past few years has seen internal strife among its member states.

NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union on the European mainland, but it must now rise to the new “China reality.” It will have to change its geographical scope and methods of activities.

Though that shift in thinking is taking

place within NATO, the alliance remains attached to its vision and wishes to avoid casting China as an outright military enemy, leaving open the possibility for cooperation.

China does not pose a direct military threat now, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. But there is an inescapable geopolitical dimension in which China becomes more active in the Arctic, the African continent, and the IndoPacific region. In addition, Beijing is negotiating a mammoth trade and economic cooperation treaty with Tehran that will give China the ability to position itself in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, a major artery for its oil supplies. All of this will require greater coordination and cohesion within NATO. Critical changes to elements of NATO’s

vision could be forthcoming. As China’s power grows, there will be a greater need for the establishment of a NATO-China Council, similar to what the alliance has had with Russia since 1997.

Perhaps deeper engagement with its Pacific partners, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Mongolia, will become a necessity. Even a permanent military presence could be negotiated.

Some elements of this future strategy are already here. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg raised the need for the alliance to take on a greater political role in world affairs and even to help nations of the Indo-Pacific compete with China’s rise.

“As we look to 2030, we need to work even more closely with like-minded countries like Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and [South] Korea to defend the global rules and institutions that have kept us safe for decades, to set norms and standards in space and cyberspace, on new technologies and global arms control,” Stoltenberg said.

We are witnessing a trend toward a more global NATO in which the alliance’s security agenda is no longer Europe- and North America-centric. This will take at least a decade. A shift in NATO’s vision will also mean that Moscow and its activities in Eurasia will be deemed to be at a lower level of threat.

NATO will have to move eastward.

This does not necessarily mean stationing permanent military installations or personnel across Asia, but the alliance will have to pay more attention to Chinese activities. Doing so will draw it closer to Asia and the Indo-Pacific in particular.

Emil Avdaliani is a professor at European University and the Director of Middle East Studies at Georgian think-tank, Geocase.

6

POLITICS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

Matricide BLOG BY TONY HANMER

R

ight then, I’ll shelve the pretty pictures of deep winter here in Svaneti on which I was planning to wax lyrical, and instead, given the international situation, will wax more polemical.

Heartbreaking, shocking, to see what Russia is doing against another of its southwestern neighbors. As Georgian TV is reporting, we have the dates 08/08/08 (Georgia) and 22/2/22 (Ukraine) to muse over numerologically. Let Russia call this what it will (a military operation, but God forbid, never a war!). We will wring our hands, allow Russia’s permanent position on the UN Security Council to calmly produce vetoes of whatever statements or actions that body intends to make, apply sanctions furiously, and argue semantics.

When Russia declares that the right to existence of Ukraine as a country is questionable since the days of the formation of the USSR over a century ago, all bets are off. The early war is in words,

sowing confusion, talking past each other, escalating to hell. Once again, we have the recognition of two separatist regions of a country by another country, citizenship given en masse to the former’s people by the latter, an invasion to “protect” those regions. It would be yawningly repetitive if it wasn’t so terrifying.

The languages of these two countries are so close that, with my once-fluent Russian, I can understand most of what I hear or read in Ukrainian. Ethnically, too, they are very close; more on that when I wrap up.

Of course, since World War II and the development of nuclear weapons by a number of countries around the world, we cannot gird ourselves to respond to Russia, once (in the USSR) our ally against Nazi Germany, with force. Nukes, too, change everything. Without deploying them, the death toll could be horrific and stretch into unlimited time. With them, flash, bang, roar… we won’t go there, not sanely.

I lived in St Petersburg from 1992-1999, loved traveling all over the country by train, learned the language as well as I could. I was rather a Slavophile culturally, but never a naïve supporter of the

government. Now, having visited it last in 2006, my focus having shifted to the Caucasus, my eyes opening to what Russia is perpetrating here and elsewhere, I must close the doors against another visit, likely ever, by speaking out.

The comedian can’t weep in public. The former KGB chief can say whatever he wants, however. His warnings are stark.

When I lived in Austria in 1992, prior to moving to Russia, the humanitarian organization I was with took me on many fondly remembered road trips around Eastern Europe, including to Ukraine, so I do have some photos from that country with which to embellish this article. Just crawling out from Soviet membership, it was not yet on its feet, but I remember a land rich in black soil; a cornucopia of food production. It has since re-modernized itself as much as possible, although remaining the poorest country in Europe.

How far back into history should we go to examine the relationship between Russia and Ukraine? How about to the times more than 1000 years ago when there WAS no Russian state, only ‘Kievan Rus’?

In the 10th and 11th centuries, this was

the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Only from there did Russia emerge.

From this history, is it wrong to say that Russia is attacking its own mother, denying her reality or legal existence?

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

Saakashvili Again on Hunger Strike “against the Regime”

BY TEAM GT

O

n February 21, former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, declared a second, this time "indefinite," hunger

strike.

Saakashvili said at the "November 7 trial" underway at Tbilisi City Court that his hunger strike was "a reaction to the regime's treatment towards him."

"I declare an indefinite hunger strike from today, and this is a reaction to how the regime treats me and our people," he said.

The convicted ex-president was on hunger strike last autumn for 50 days as a form of protest due to his detention, which significantly damaged both his physical and psychological condition.

He underwent treatment at the Gori Military Hospital and was then again transferred back to prison.

Nika Melia, the Chairman of the United National Movement, says Saakashvili starting an indefinite hunger strike would be "dangerous for his life and health."

As Melia told reporters at the Tbilisi City Court, he hopes that a doctor will be allowed to visit Mikheil Saakashvili in prison.

"Again declaring this extreme form of protest after he went on a 50-day hunger

strike [last year] certainly poses a serious threat to his life. The request is very humane and fair: let in a qualified, professional medical service representative.

That's what society has been asking for for months. I want to hope that a doctor will be allowed in the facility, which is needed to ensure Misha's life and health," Melia said.

Three days prior, Saakashvili published an open letter on his Facebook page, addressing the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, and noting that “this is not a request for pardon.”

"I have nothing to apologize for because the law has not been violated and all the accusations and verdicts have been fabricated and are completely unfounded.

My innocence will sooner or later be established by the Strasbourg Human Rights Court. As a Frenchwoman, it is impossible not to know that the accusation against me is not acknowledged by any European country nor anyone in the civilized world," he wrote.

Saakashvili then appeals to Zurabishvili to release General Temur Janashia from prison.

"Remove classification marking on expenses incurred by the "Secret" Special State Protection Service for the Presidential Administration in 2013 and beyond. Janashia and I are charged not for purpose of costs, as they say on TV, but for the rendering. If you remove this classification marking, it will prove that

these procedures were not just a whim of Janashia, but a generally accepted continuous practice, which, most importantly, is completely within the law," Saakashvili noted.

In the letter, he asks the president where the guarantee is that tomorrow some unjust government will not accuse her of something.

"I saw on TV that you will treat guests

who come to the Presidential Administration to champagne. Where is the guarantee that you will not be judged after the expiration of your term, as Janashia and I are judged now?!" the letter reads.

Mikheil Saakashvili, a citizen of Ukraine, was arrested in October last year after returning to Georgia and was transferred to Rustavi Prison.

The ex-president went on a hunger strike for 50 days in protest, during which he was taken against his will from Rustavi Prison to the Gldani Prison Hospital.

The ex-president stopped his hunger strike after being taken to Gori hospital.

Currently, Saakashvili is back in Rustavi prison. The Office of the State Inspector of Georgia is investigating possible inhuman treatment against him.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

7

Employment in the HoReCa Industry

While discussing employment in the HoReCa industry, it is also worth analyzing the nominal monthly average remuneration of those employed in the accommodation and food sub-sectors.

The average monthly salary of employees in the HoReCa industry has been increasing steadily with slight fluctuations, mainly due to the seasonality of the industry. From 2016 to 2019, the nominal average monthly salary peaked

C

onsidering that the hospitality sector contributes significantly to the Georgian economy, it is pertinent to analyze the employment trends in the HoReCa industry. In particular, in this article, we will evaluate changes in the main indicators before and after the pandemic hit.

The number of employees in the HoReCa industry increased steadily from 2016 to 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 10.1%, with the average growth rate even higher in the accommodation sector (17.6%) but somewhat lower in the food sector (5.3%). There were also changes in the distribution of the employees in the HoReCa industry over the same period.

In particular, from 2016 to 2019, the share of employees in the accommodation sector increased by 7.6 percentage points, reaching 45.9% of total employees in the HoReCa industry.

The number of people employed in the HoReCa industry declined sharply

YoY growth rate), which can be explained by a combination of factors, such as the significant inflation rate, the partial alleviation of restrictions, and a relative increase in demand in the HoReCa industry.

HOTEL PRICE INDEX In January 2022, in Georgia the hotel price index decreased by 7.2% compared to December 2021. The 3-star,

in 2020, with a 33.2% YoY drop. In 2020, the drop in the number of employees was significantly higher in the accommodation sector (a 40.9% decrease), compared to the number employed in the food sector (26.7%), which can be explained by the food sector being less dependent on international visitors and being able to adjust to the pandemic-related regulations more swiftly (by providing delivery services).

In Q1 of 2021, the YoY decline in the number of employees in the HoReCa industry was even more notable, reaching 45.9% (a 56.2% drop for accommodation, and a 38.8% drop for the food sector). Since Q2 of 2021, the number of employees has risen in both subsectors compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, reaching YoY growth of 9.2% in Q3 of 2021, which could be explained by the low base and the partial alleviation of restrictions on the industry, albeit staying well below pre-pandemic levels (16.3% lower compared to Q3 2019).

in Q4 of 2019 for both sub-sectors, reaching 1321 GEL for accommodation and 821 GEL for the food sector, while the average monthly salary over the same period for the HoReCa industry as a whole amounted to 1019 GEL, with a YoY growth rate of 11.0%.

In Q2 of 2020, the average monthly salary showed a significant 10.9% YoY drop, with a higher decline in the accommodation sub-sector (20.1%) compared to the food sub-sector (2.8%).

The trend of annually declining salaries continued until Q1 of 2021. In Q2 of 2021, the average monthly salary demonstrated significant YoY growth of 14.3%. In Q3 of 2021, nominal salaries continued to grow, going beyond pre-pandemic (2019) levels for both sub-sectors, reaching 1358 GEL for accommodation and 873 GEL for food, while the average monthly salary for the HoReCa industry as a whole amounted to 1062 GEL (with a 6.5%

4-star and 5-star hotel price index decreased by 5.2%, while for guesthouses, the price index decreased by 9.6%.

In January 2022, compared to January 2021, hotel prices in Georgia increased by 5.3%. The prices of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels increased by 5.9% and the prices of guesthouses increased by 9.4%.

AVERAGE HOTEL PRICES In Georgia, the average cost of a room in a 3-star hotel was 132 GEL per night in January 2022, while the average cost of a room in a 4-star hotel in Georgia was 237 GEL per night and the average cost of a room in a guesthouse was 107 GEL per night.

The average cost of a room in a 5-star hotel in Georgia in January 2022 was 441 GEL per night. In Kakheti, the average price was 567 GEL, followed by Tbilisi - 524 GEL, Samtskhe-Javakheti – 487 GEL and Adjara - 362 GEL

8

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

Georgian PM Assesses Participation in Munich Security Conference as ‘Successful’

I

had a fruitful visit to Munich, to the 58th Security Conference, where I was personally invited by the Conference President, Wolfgang Ischinger, - Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated following his participation in the Munich Security Conference. “I held meetings with political leaders, as well as representatives of the business community and the leaders of the largest companies.

It was a priority for us to use the platform of the Munich Security Conference to reaffirm our European and EuroAtlantic aspirations. Against the backdrop of security challenges, we reaffirmed our strong support for our Ukrainian friends, as well as discussed ways to defuse the situation with our international partners. The economic meetings

held during the visit were very important, because the development of our country, increasing its attractiveness is one of the important levers to attract as much foreign direct investment as possible, strengthen the economy and become a regional hub.”

Munich hosted the 58th Security Conference through February 20. The conference, a leading forum for discussing international security policy, brought together more than 450 decision-makers, senior officials, and leaders to consider the most pressing international security policy issues.

The Head of the Georgian Government was personally invited by MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger to participate in the event.

On the margins of the conference, the

Prime Minister held high-level bilateral meetings both on a political level and with business community representatives and the executives of some of the largest companies, the government administration press service reported.

On February 18, the PM met with Jigsaw-Google CEO Jared Cohen.

The meeting focused mainly on the special importance of developing technologies as one of the best ways to combat disinformation and cyberthreats.

During the meeting, the PM emphasized Georgia’s beneficial business environment, some of the lowest tax rates, the country’s leading positions in the world’s reputable rankings, and the opportunities offered by Georgia to investors. He underlined the country’s potential for developing information and internet technologies, and Georgia’s advantageous location.

Garibashvili offered Jared Cohen to set up a regional hub in Georgia and invited Jigsaw-Google’s delegation to familiarize themselves with venues of cooperation on the ground.

As part of the Conference, the PM also held a meeting with Benny Gantz, Vice Prime Minister/Defense Minister of the State of Israel.

The meeting emphasized the dynamically developing partnership between the two countries.

The parties pointed out the year 2022 as special in that it marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Georgia and the State of Israel. According to the parties, the two countries enjoy strong, exemplary relations grounded in the shared values of democracy and human rights and setting the stage for furthering their partnership.

The conversation also underlined the close cooperation between the two countries’ defense, security, and law enforcement agencies.

The meeting also revolved around the situation in Georgia’s occupied territories and the region’s security environment. The Vice Prime Minister of the State of Israel reaffirmed Israel’s firm support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The meeting was attended by Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister/Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, and Head of the Government Administration Ilia Darchiashvili.

Garibashvili also met with Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The meeting focused on prospects of bolstering cooperation and partnership

across a variety of areas, including economy and tourism. The PM noted that the Georgian Government welcomes Saudi Arabian FDIs and is ready to continue supporting interested investors in implementing large investment projects in Georgia. The parties singled out Georgia’s stable and favorable business environment and opportunities offered by FTAs with a number of countries. The parties also shared their views on regional security.

Within the framework of the conference, the PM held meetings with Sam Bankman-Fried (aka SBF), Founder and CEO FTX Crypto Derivatives Exchange, Christian Bruch, President/CEO of Siemens Energy AG, Kiril Petkov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria, and Róbert Vass, Founder and President of GLOBSEC, to discuss development prospects of bilateral and multilateral relations.

Unemployment Rate Reaches 19% in David Songhulashvili: Reform of E-Commerce Georgia in 4th Quarter of 2021

BY ANA DUMBADZE

I

n the fourth quarter of 2021, the unemployment rate in Georgia decreased by 1.4 percentage points compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and equaled 19.0 %, shows the latest data prepared by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).

“In Q4 2021, the labor force constituted 51.2% of the working-age population (population aged 15 and older), which is 1.2 percentage points more than that was to the corresponding period of the previous year, while the employment rate increased by 1.7 percentage points and equaled to 41.5%. The labor force participation rate in urban settlements decreased by 0.3 percentage points, while in rural settlements increased by 3.1 per-

centage points. The employment rate increased in urban settlements by 0.9 percentage points and by 2.7 percentage points in rural settlements.

“In Q4 2021, the share of hired employees was 67.6 % among employed persons, increasing by 0.4 percentage points compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

“In Q4 2021, the unemployment rate in urban settlements decreased by 2.1 percentage points compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, while in rural settlements it decreased by 0.2 percentage points.

“Traditionally, the unemployment rate is higher for men than for women. In Q4 2021, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, this indicator decreased for women by 1.0 percentage points, while it decreased by 1.7 percentage points for men”, reads the press release of the National Statistics Office.

Sector will Help Strengthen Country’s Economy

D

avid Songhulashvili, Chairman of the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee, took part in a dialogue on public and private sectors by ReforMeter dedicated to e-commerce reform. As noted at the meeting, the e-commerce industry is fast becoming one of the most important tools in international trade.

During the pandemic, the share of e-commerce in total sales increased significantly.

However, this sector is fragmented in Georgia and is still in the early stages of development. The parties gathered at the meeting to discuss e-commerce reform.

“As a Committee, our primary purpose is to promote the country’s economic development,” David Songhulashvili

stated. “As a result, given the current pandemic condition in the country, the legislative priority should be to encourage post-crisis recovery and corporate development.

“The e-commerce reform will enable us to provide new economic development incentives, especially at a time when the e-commerce industry is rapidly integrating as one of the most important tools in international trade, and Georgia’s participation and strengthening in this process will be a necessity for significant changes in terms of economic development. This will help the country’s economy grow by facilitating the spread of foreign trade.

“The recovery of the post-pandemic economy is proceeding at a fairly rapid

pace and we had double-digit economic growth in the previous year. However, I would like to point out that the possibilities are much greater. Especially in this direction, we have the opportunity to increase trade much faster.

“The implementation of this reform unequivocally contributes to the introduction of the Western standard, which further increases consumer confidence, and trust in itself leads to the activation of the sector and the wider use of that space. It is important to discuss the issue in such a format.”

Songhulashvili also expressed the readiness of Parliament and in particular the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee to be actively involved in the reform process.

BUSINESS

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

9

A First for the Region: Kutaisi International University to Welcome 2 Cyclotron Machines for Research and Cancer Treatment a center in Turkey or in our closest neighbors Armenia or Azerbaijan. There is nothing like it in central Asia either.

So in this regard, the Kutaisi Hadron Therapy Center will fill a huge gap on the world map. This is crucial to attract international patients.

With all these elements, KIU will have a very interesting and attractive component, which will make it competitive and exceptional among the its rivals. Another unique feature is that our Hadron Center will have two cyclotrons. The majority of centers have only one, meaning medics and researchers have to share the same facilities. This is not comfortable because the different crews will always have some issues with each other. At the same time, it is difficult time-wise. In such a model, medics would be forced to use the machine only during the day, and the scientists at night. Such intensive use can damage the machine. On the other hand, there is a risk of under-calibrating something which can then harm the treatment process of medical patients.

So, after considering that, our donor Mr. Ivanishvili decided to double the expenditure and to purchase two machines. One will be used only for treatment and the second will be dedicated to scientific research. It is a unique combination, one which will attract international researchers to our center because so called "beam time" is in deficit worldwide.

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTED BENEFITS TO GEORGIA (AND GEORGIANS) FROM THIS PROJECT? I'm pretty sure there will be huge benefits for Georgian society in this project.

Our country will be a pioneer in this field in the region (Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia), upscaling our country and bringing it to a completely new level in terms of science and medicine.

There will be a real chance for citizens to get unique oncological treatment right here in their homeland. And, of course, it will attract international clients. Med-

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

P

roton therapy, also known as proton beam therapy, is a form of radiation treatment used to destroy tumor cells. Instead of using x-rays like regular radiation treatment, it uses protons to sends beams of high energy that can target tumors more precisely than X-ray radiation. When treating a patient, doctors and physicists work together to focus the proton beam on the exact size and shape of the tumor. The beam kills the tumor cells layer by layer, sparing surrounding healthy tissue.

Proton therapy is an outpatient procedure. Most patients are treated over a course of several sessions, and some treatments take longer than others. Currently, the proton beam is only available in a few specialized Hadron centers around the world. Soon, one of those centers will be based in Georgia’s Kutaisi International University, where one cyclotron machine will treat patients, and another will be at the disposal of national and international scientists for research purposes. The project was initiated and is being funded by Cartu Fund.

GEORGIA TODAY sat down with Cartu

Fund’s CEO, Nikoloz Chkhetiani, to discuss the exciting news.

“There are three main manufacturers of cyclotron machines in the world. IBA (Belgium), Toshiba (Japan) and Varian (USA). We compared them which each other. The most flexible and friendly feedback was received from IBA. At the same time, they are the biggest company in this field globally with a market share worldwide of more than 50%,” Chkhetiani tells us.

“Our relations with them started in early 2018, and by the end of the year, we had signed a contract for two machines and a maintenance package and training of the Georgian crew. We spent almost a year on negotiations because the topic was complex, but even so, IBA noted that we were the fastest decision-making counterpart among all their customers, whose initial negotiations average 3-4 years. Some of their clients (mainly governments) spend up to eight years just concluding the contract!

“In 2019, assembly started in Belgium.

It’s a very difficult manufacturing process as each cyclotron weighs more than 40 tons and is made up of thousands of parts. We visited Georgia’s first cyclotron at the end of last year. It’s ready and just has to be tested and calibrated by the

ical tourism has huge potential. With this project, Georgia has a chance to became attractive in different ways - not to be a destination only for wine-lovers.

I have nothing against wine and Georgian cuisine, but if we want to be a competitive country, we have to create something more than just gastronomic diversity.

WHO WILL WORK IN THE CENTER? We are now putting together a Georgian crew, those who will operate the cyclotron machines. There are some serious requirements for this, and we are looking for candidates among both physicists and medics. After that, they will have an opportunity to take special study courses organized by IBA. We are open to international specialists too. I'm sure the Kutaisi Hadron Center crew will end up a mix of Georgian and international medics and scientists.

TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW OF HOW THE CYCLOTRON WORKS TO TREAT CANCER AND WHY IT IS BETTER THAN CONVENTIONAL THERAPY. The main idea of Hadron therapy is that the proton beam hits only the tumor and does not harm the patient's surrounding healthy organs. It is particularly effective in treating children with brain and spinal cord tumors, who often suffer side effects from other cancer treatments. After being treated with the proton beam, most people can go home and carry on their regular activities.

WILL THIS THERAPY BE AFFORDABLE FOR THE AVERAGE GEORGIAN? I'm sure it will be affordable for Georgian citizens. We are cooperating very intensively with the government, and I'm sure that by the time the center is launched, there will be a dedicated governmental support program (insurance) for Georgian citizens to make use of.

manufacturer. The second machine will be ready by the end of May 2022.”

WHY WAS IT DECIDED TO HAVE A HADRON CENTER IN GEORGIA, AND WHY IN KIU? Kutaisi International University (KIU), is one of the country’s biggest projects, and we realized well that for it to be able to compete among thousands of other universities in the world, we would have to offer something special for the scientific community and for our students.

So we studied the subject in different ways and finally decided to create a Hadron Center on campus.

There are several benefits: 1) it is good for use in scientific research for physics (KIU is positioning itself as a STEMoriented university); 2) it is useful for cancer treatment, which means it would be beneficial not only for the narrow segment of the scientific community, but for Georgian society as a whole; 3) there is a huge lack of such centers in our region. The vast majority of them are concentrated in the USA, Europe, and the Far East (Japan and China). The nearest centers for Georgia are somewhere in Russia, and in Vienna, Austria. The Egyptian government is planning to create a center in Cairo, but our project is much more advanced. There isn't such

A cyclotron is a compact particle accelerator which produces radioactive isotopes that can be used for imaging procedures. Stable, non-radioactive isotopes are put into the cyclotron which accelerates charged particles (protons) to high energy in a magnetic field. When the stable isotopes react with the particle beam, a nuclear reaction occurs between the protons and the target atoms, creating radioactive isotopes for nuclear medicine and other purposes.

Cyclotrons can be used for animal and human health imaging and research and crop/plant imaging and research, including the development of new compounds, called radiopharmaceuticals, that can lead to improved detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as cancers, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis. By tagging specific biomolecules with radioisotopes, scientists can track the processes that can lead to diseases in specific organs, based on how the ‘tagged’ molecules are absorbed.

Other areas of research include physics related to the production of new radioisotopes using the cyclotron and the design of more sensitive radiation detectors.

Students, faculty and researchers from a wide array of disciplines and industry partners can use the cyclotron to research solutions to complex problems, and health professionals can be trained in the most advanced imaging and treatment protocols.

Source: fedorukcentre.ca

10

SOCIETY

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

Carrefour's New Supermarket in Batumi - 67th Branch of the French Brand in Georgia and organic products, baby care, personal care products, exclusive Carrefour branded products, and more. Carrefour maintains its leadership in terms of value, offering the best in range while maintaining competitive pricing.

10 YEARS IN GEORGIA

C

arrefour is actively expanding both physically and digitally across Georgia.

This time, Carrefour has launched the second biggest store and 5th branch in Batumi, in response to growing consumer demand.

Customers can can now browse and purchase groceries conveniently at the new supermarket at Alexander Pushkin St. #37, which boasts an impressive sales area of 1000sqm.

The new Carrefour supermarket offers

customers a wide variety of high quality food products and household goods.

These include fresh produce, healthy

Celebrating a decade of offering unparalleled shopping experiences to Georgians, Carrefour is celebrating by rewarding returning customers with special surprises, gifts and other fun activities each month throughout 2022. The new supermarket in Batumi is no exception and will be partaking in the anniversary celebrations.

Entering the Georgian market in 2012 was a strategic step for Carrefour. The company has seen strong development prospects in Georgia, and today Carrefour is represented in Georgia with 67 stores and employs up to 3,000 employees.

UPLIFTING GEORGIAN COMMUNITIES Carrefour’s expansion has helped to boost the local economy by creating more direct and indirect employment opportunities for Georgians across the country.

The growth of the brand, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, further

emphasizes its readiness to increase the availability of special, quality products for Georgian consumers, in a convenient and safe environment.

The opening of the new supermarket in Batumi highlights Carrefour’s position as a trusted community partner throughout Georgia, and represents the continuation of its active physical expansion across the country. In doing so, the brand introduces its elevated shopping experiences to residents across various regions of the country, allowing them to enjoy access to the highest quality products at affordable prices.

The new, fifth branch in Batumi, is located at Alexander Pushkin #37 Street and will serve customers daily, from 9 am to 10 pm.

CULTURE

“With Respect” - Baia Gallery Presents Merab Abramishvili among its Modern and Contemporary Art Collection

BY MARIAM MTIVLISHVILI

T

he past two years marked many changes in our lives and on the planet as a whole, among them the loss of some great artistic figures.

To recognize those lost artists, GEORGIA TODAY, in collaboration as BI Auction, is continuing its series of coverage of artists who have passed, ‘With Respect.’

Baia Gallery is an art gallery specializing in modern and contemporary art with two locations in Tbilisi. Since its foundation, the gallery has been at the forefront of the Georgian art marketplace with highly desirable works of leading artists, historical scholarship, and insightful market analysis.

Established in 1992 by Baia Tsikoridze, Baia Gallery was the first private structure operating in this field. The establishment of the gallery connects with events such as war and crisis. It is paradoxical because the gallery started working at a time and in conditions that were generally unsuitable for the existence and development of such an institution: in parallel with a civil war in Tbilisi and the war in Abkhazia raging.

“The war, fire, crisis, and an instinct for survival made for the setting up of the Orient Gallery (now Baia Gallery), when in an old part of Tbilisi, on the abandoned and empty Chardin Street, we found a small, two-story house and started to work under conditions unimaginable for a gallery as well as for any other institution,” Tsikoridze tells us.

“Under those circumstances, few factors made this possible, the first being the mutual desire of artists and the gallery to collaborate.”

Since the day of its foundation, the gallery has been working in two main directions: cultural heritage from private collections and contemporary art, thus operating in the primary and secondary spheres of the art market.

Cultural Heritage of Georgia from Private Collections is a project within the frames of which the gallery has been studying and popularizing pieces of art kept in private collections. These items are often rarities in an artistic, stylistic, or epochal sense: to extricate them from the hidden area of private collections, to study, exhibit and popularize them, is an obligatory condition for researching the culture. Contemporary art covers those artists acting in the two last decades of the 20th century and the present day.

From its inception, Baia Gallery has presented and prepared exhibitions of such exceptional Georgian artists as Merab Abramishvili and Irakli Parjiani.

“I discovered Merab Abramishvili’s many artworks at his retrospective exhi-

bition in 2016 at Moma Tbilisi organized

by Baia Gallery. It was both stunning and impressive- artworks and the excitement of crowds,” says Bengü Akçardak Küçük, BI Auction Co-Founder. “Although it is rare to find his artworks in museum collections, his artworks have been successfully presented at not only our BI Auction events, but also at Sotheby’s many times, with record prices.”

Tsikoridze, on behalf of Baia Gallery, tells us more.

“Merab Abramishvili has a distinctive painting style. His thorough knowledge of Georgian fresco and Persian miniature painting have come together in his exquisite oeuvre. The artist has developed a technique that employs the early Christian panel painting method. He handprepared his plaster grounds and painted with tempera: washing off and repainting the surfaces several times, the translucent color palette becoming his trademark. The final glaze of egg yolk gives a warmer tonality and smoothness to his panels. Abramishvili’s paintings speak of a meticulous artist of strict discipline: a perfectionist.

“He was exposed to Georgian frescos from a very early age and later would frequently accompany his art historian father on expeditions. Abramishvili, enchanted by medieval art, produced studies of frescos while on those trips.

He often described his oeuvre as an interpretation of icon painting. The noticeable two-dimensionality of his paintings is also inspired by Christian imagery.

“Abramishvili has recurring subject matters. He frequently works on the theme of Paradise and scenes from the life of Christ. His Paradise series is nostalgic for the absolute values that the artist’s surroundings were deprived of.

The art of Abramishvili is impregnated with the escapist sentiment. The intricate surfaces of mythological scenes, heavenly animals, and rocking maidens are opposed to the turbulent surroundings of Post-Soviet Georgia. Abramishvili’s canvases seem to offer an escape route to idealists, which developed into a trend for the artists of his generation.

Instead of focusing on the turmoil of reality, these painters were concerned with universal truths and, in Abramishvili’s case, on harmonious compositional aesthetics that evoke sensations of serenity, kindness, and steadiness.

“Merab Abramishvili is one of the contemporary Georgian artists whose works maintain a constant and growing price index at auctions. The international institutions have defined the formal and consistent process of the sales history

of his paintings; the demand for them has increased, and the artist’s works have acquired the status of a solid and reliable investment. It is not surprising that his painting, which is especially interesting as an example of the synthesis of EasternWestern culture, has justifiably gained international interest.

“Merab Abramishvili is represented in Georgia and abroad by Baia Gallery. Our gallery has organized more than ten exhibitions of his works, including a retrospective one in 2016 at the Tbilisi Museum of Contemporary Art (MOMA). We have presented the artist at the Sotheby's London selling exhibition ‘At the Crossroads: Contemporary Art from the Caucasus and Central Asia.’ We collaborate with the artist's Foundation ‘Bison,’ publish catalogs and participate in determining the originality of his works.

CULTURE

GEORGIA TODAY

FEBRUARY 25 - MARCH 3, 2022

11

On the Works of Marjory Wardrop. Part III

BY INNES MERABISHVILI

F

ollowing her departure from Georgia, Marjory plunged herself into the translation of Rustveli’s text, regularly consulting the leading experts on the topic, especially Prince Ilia Chavchavadze. Marjory was sure that her affection for Georgia was not an unrequited love and that Georgia truly embosomed her. She also well understood that the elevated welcome she had experienced in Georgia originated from the nature of the Georgian nation – artistic, generous, hospitable, inviting, and hence the abundance of exuberant metaphors and epithets or unusual similes, often skilfully presented in a hyperbolized way in Rustveli’s poem. Now, she well understood why from Tariel’s “eyes, as from a fountain, tears flowed fiercely forth; and thus there a flaming fire burned his heart” (849), or why Tinatin “condemned even the sun” (34) and when

Marjory never lost the emotive and expressive depth of Rustveli’s lines when conveying them in her native tongue

weeping, “she drooped her raven eyelashes (the tail feathers of the raven)” (46). Marjory never lost the emotive and expressive depth of Rustveli’s lines when conveying them in her native tongue.

Hence comes the freshness and uniqueness of her translated version. But hyperbolic are not only the poetic lines of the poem but the life episodes that constitute the plot. It seemed obvious for Marjory that such a visualization of the world, raised to the very summit of artistic and poetic reasoning, was justified by the poet’s decision to present the story in the form of a fairy-tale. In his comments, enclosed within the publication of the poem, King Vakhtang VI emphasises and explains the reason of choosing the form of a fairy-tale, noting that Rustveli intended to assure the reader the story was not based on any real phenomena, but was created only due to his fancy, though it is a well-known fact that the poet, following the request of Queen (the King) Tamar, devoted it to her.

Marjory accepted the fantastic realm offered by the poem, and enjoyed her constant being there. More than this, she invented a fairy-tale of her own when she said no to the existing way of life, full of prejudices and restrictions, especially when her parents did not approve of her interests towards the Georgian language and literature. She went against the stream to establish special values, and nurtured them all her life. Why did she need to invent a fairy-tale of her own life? Of course, she needed it to obtain wings to reach the highest peaks and fly high in the heavens. Her fairy-tale was full of strife, endeavours and struggles, but also great joy, and by all means mercy that poured on her like snow, as Rustveli would say.

The Epilogue of “The Man in the Panther’s Skin” opens with the lines:

PUBLISHER & GM

George Sharashidze COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT

Commercial Director: Iva Merabishvili Marketing Manager: Natalia Chikvaidze

GEORGIA TODAY

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT:

Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

გასრულდა მათი ამბავი ვითა სიზმარი ღამისა. გარდახდეს, გავლეს სოფელი, – ნახეთ სიმუხთლე ჟამისა!

Their tale is ended like a dream of the night.

They are passed away, gone beyond the world. (1572) Like all fairy-tales Marjory’s fantastic tale had to end, and it happened on 7th December, 1909, in Bucharest, where she was staying with her diplomat brother, as always following him on a mission.

Marjory died suddenly from a stroke at the age of 40. Her body was returned to England and she was buried in Sevenoaks, Kent. Her passing was mourned in Georgia as a national calamity.

It is obvious that from childhood, Marjory constantly had Georgia on her mind, and for a full eighteen years carried Rustveli’s poem within her soul and body.

It very much resembles bearing a child in one’s soul and body and nurturing it with love and anxiety. Marjory worked on Rustveli’s poem until the end of her life, telling Oliver she needed ten more years to make the due refinements.

Regretfully, her life ceased before she could see the accomplishment of the translated manuscript developed or published. The fragile maiden of the fairytale passed on when giving birth to her dear child, but it was a “child” well nursed and attended by her brother thereafter.

It was Oliver who immediately established the Marjory Wardrop Fund and collection at the Bodleian Library, the University of Oxford, and “The Man in the Panther’s Skin” in Marjory’s translated version was published in the Oriental Translation Fund, New Series, volume XXI, 1912, London. The poem was preceded by Oliver Wardrop’s capa-

Journalists: Ana Dumbadze, Vazha Tavberidze, Tony Hanmer, Emil Avdaliani, Nugzar B. Ruhadze, Michael Godwin, Ketevan Skhirtladze Photographer: Aleksei Serov

Marjory among her Georgian friends.

cious and very rich in content Preface and followed by Marjory’s Notes and Appendices.

Shortly before the publication of the poem, Oliver, while on board a British ship sailing for Africa, met Russian poet, Konstantin Balmont. Oliver introduced the poem to the Russian poet, who expressed his impression in the most moving way: “I touched a Georgian rose in the speciousness of the ocean dawns and sunsets... wild whirlwinds and fierce storms...” Thence stemmed the first full Russian translated version of Rustveli’s poem by Konstantin Balmont, published in Paris in 1933. It was Marjory who opened a new way to Rustveli’s fame which resulted in over 50 translated versions of the masterpiece in numerous languages.

The legacy of Marjory Wardrop is well taken care of and continues successful on. The British and Georgian governments agreed to announce the year 2019 as the Year of Marjory Wardrop so as to commemorate 150th Anniversary of her birth. Many important events took place in Georgia and Britain, among which a conference was held in December 2019 at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University which saw the launch of the Marjory Wardrop English-Georgian Dictionary, prepared by the Lexicographic Center of our Alma Mater.

Oliver’s ties with Georgia were especially strengthened in 1919, when Sir Winston Churchill proposed to him the post of the British Chief Commissioner

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

of Transcaucasia. Oliver was most delighted to accept the offer and held the post until the Bolshevik invasion of Georgia in February 1921.

The Georgian nation immortalized the Wardrops’ contribution, and in 2015, in Tbilisi, in a tiny, lovely park, erected a monument showing Marjory and Oliver strolling there side by side. The location of the monument is on the way to Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain) with its Pantheon of Georgian Writers and Public Figures.

Continued in next week’s GT and online on georgiatoday.ge *Innes Merabishvili is the Head of the Chair of Translatology with MA and PhD programmes at Tbilisi State University

She went against the stream to establish special values, and nurtured them all her life

ADDRESS

1 Melikishvili Str. Tbilisi, 0179, Georgia Tel.: +995 32 229 59 19 E: info@georgiatoday.ge F: GeorgiaToday ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION

+995 555 00 14 46 E-mail: marketing@georgiatoday.ge

Reproducing material, photos and advertisements without prior editorial permission is strictly forbidden.

The author is responsible for all material. Rights of authors are preserved. The newspaper is registered in Mtatsminda district court.

Reg. # 06/4-309

IWG plc, Level 4, 2 Leonidze str. Tbilisi, Georgia | +995 32 290 039