Issue no: 1302
• JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021 • PUBLISHED WEEKLY
PRICE: GEL 2.50
In this week’s issue... COVID Update: Delta Cases Up, Vaccines On Their Way NEWS PAGE 2
Handling the Occupation – a New Framework POLITICS PAGE 4
Biden’s Realism, and High Hopes in Georgia and Ukraine POLITICS PAGE 5
Presidents of Ukraine and Georgia Meet in Kyiv to Affirm Strong Relations
FOCUS
ON PASHINYAN'S WIN We analyze the political choice of the Armenian people.
PAGE 6
MEP Marina Kaljurand on Why Georgia’s EU 2024 Bid is Unrealistic INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE FOR GISP
T
wo weeks ago, at an Euractiv conference, Estonian MEP and former FM Marina Kaljurand divulged some open secrets – namely, that Georgia’s EU 2024 bid is unrealistic. She also underlined the need to curtail Georgian ambitions and prevent false expectations when it comes to EU membership for the near future. Needless to say, her remarks sparked quite a debate back here in Tbilisi. In an exclusive interview with the Georgian Institute for Security Policy, she elaborated at length on her stance, why it might be a bitter but necessary pill to swallow, and what Georgia needs to go from stage “unrealistic” to “achievable”. “As an individual, I’m a very strong supporter of the open doors policy,” she says. “I come from Estonia. We were lucky to decide our future, to be able to become members of the EU. I give absolute full support to all the Georgian aspirations, for its right to choose which organizations it wants to belong to, to have the right to apply. But then there is another perspective for me, which is not dictated by emotions and goodwill. In the European Parliament, and in the EU, I can see the present reality: that EU is not ready for enlargement among the Eastern Partnership countries. Continued on page 4 MEP Marina Kaljurand
POLITICS PAGE 6
terabank Receives Long-Term Funding from the FMO BUSINESS PAGE 7
UNEP, CENN Continue to Support Development & Implementation of Vehicle Emission Standards in Georgia SOCIETY PAGE 9
BI Auction Celebrates 5th Year Anniversary with Auction Event on June 8 CULTURE PAGE 11 CULTURE PAGE 11 Prepared for Georgia Today Business by
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2
NEWS
GEORGIA TODAY
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
COVID Update: Delta Cases Up, Vaccines On Their Way Adjara region with 48 cases. Georgia’s total case tally reached 361,484, among which 347,653 people recovered and 5228 died. Currently, there are 8577 active cases of infection in the country.
BY ANA DUMBADZE
T
he epidemiological situation in Georgia remains stable but still concerning. Health officials call on the population to remain cautious, maintain social distance, and take care of each other’s health. “Georgia detected 20 cases of the Indian variant of the coronavirus as of June 21, increasing its growth rate by up to 15%,” said National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Chair Amiran Gamkrelidze. He called for more caution so as not to have a repeat of last year’s mistake of thinking the pandemic was over. “The current epidemiological situation in the country is stable but noteworthy,” he concluded. Against the background of relatively stable numbers of newly detected cases, the death toll is high compared to previous periods.
THE RESTRICTIONS Considering that no significant increase in new COVID cases was detected recently, the government decided to lift remaining restrictions and announced several important decisions on Tuesday, causing great satisfaction among society: • The restriction on movement at night (the curfew) will be abolished across the country from July 1; however, even after the abolition of the curfew, restaurants and other entertainment venues will be allowed to open only until midnight; • From June 22, wearing face masks in open spaces will not be mandatory. However, it will still be mandatory on public transport, at bus stops and in all indoor spaces; • One million doses of vaccine will be delivered to Georgia in two weeks Sin-
THE WORLD
opharm, Sinovac, Pfizer and AstraZeneca are being discussed.
THE VACCINE As of Thursday, 245,380 people in Georgia had received a coronavirus vaccine. Concern and dissatisfaction was seen among the public this week when hundreds of citizens who were to get the second dose of AstraZeneca in the coming days received an SMS saying their bookings had been canceled due to delays in delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Amiran Gamkrelidze explained that the delay was caused by the COVAX platform through which the vaccine was purchased. “Unfortunately, there was a serious delay in the delivery, which is related to many factors, which I will not go into
now, but the fact is that this delivery failed and we now have a shortage of about 4-5000 AstraZeneca vaccines. “All citizens who had planned to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca will be given the opportunity to be vaccinated in the near future, for which an additional announcement will be made,” he said.
THE STATISTICS Georgia reported 260 coronavirus cases, 834 recoveries, and 15 deaths on Monday, as a result of 11,059 tests conducted. Capital Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 166 Covid-19 cases, followed by the Adjara region with 18 cases and the Imereti region with 17 cases. Georgia reported 914 coronavirus cases, 635 recoveries, and 24 deaths on Tuesday, with 27,956 tests conducted. Tbilisi
recorded the highest number of 524 Covid-19 cases, followed by the Imereti region with 87 cases, and the Kakheti region with 64 cases. The country recorded 773 coronavirus cases, 575 recoveries and 12 deaths on Wednesday, with 37 923 tests conducted. Tbilisi reported 469 new cases, followed by the Imereti region with 69 cases and the Kakheti region with 59 cases. Test-positivity rates are as follows: 2.15%, while it was 2.43% in the past 14 days. On Thursday, Georgia reported 656 coronavirus cases, 861 recoveries, and 17 deaths, the official figures show. 30,469 tests were conducted in the prior 24 hours throughout the country. Tbilisi recorded the highest number of 368 new cases in the last 24 hours, followed by the Imereti region with 55 cases and the
Globally, up to 2.5 million new cases of COVID-19 were detected last week, which is 6% less compared to the previous week, the World Health Organization weekly report shows. Coronavirus has claimed the lives of up to 64,000 people in the past seven days, which is 12% less than the week prior. In addition, the WHO’s weekly report states that the new variants of coronavirus continue to spread around the world. The "Alpha" variant, which was first identified in the United Kingdom and is therefore also referred to as the "British variant", has been identified in 170 countries and territories around the world, while "Gamma," or “the Brazilian variant,” in 71 countries. The "Delta" strain, which was first identified in India last October, also known as the "Indian variant, " has already been recorded in 85 countries around the world. WHO said the highest number of new cases of infection, 505,344 cases, were reported in Brazil, which is 11% more than in the previous week. It is followed by India with 441,976 cases, which is 30% less than in the previous week, Colombia in third place with 193,907 new cases, where the infection rate has increased by 10% compared to the previous week, while Argentina comes fourth with 149,673 new cases, and Russia fifth with 108,139 new cases. It should be noted that in Russia, the number of infected people last week increased by 31% compared to the previous week.
IPSOS Poll: 32% of Respondents PM: Those Fined for Breaking Covid Support GD, 23% UNM, 8% Gakharia’s Party Regulations to be Exempt from Paying BY ANA DUMBADZE
M
tavari TV published the results of the IPSOS survey. When asked “which party would you vote for if local elections were held tomorrow?”, based on the IPSOS survey, 32% of respondents answered that they would vote for the Ruling Party Georgian Dream, 23% for the United National Movement, and 8% for Giorgi
Nominee PM Garibashvili Presents Renewed Composition of Gov’t
BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE
T
oday, June 24, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, announced that those fined for breaking Covid regulations are to be exempt from paying the fine. “With my initiative, two bills have already been submitted to the parliament, according to which more than 245,000 of our fellow citizens and 344 legal entities will be exempted from the
administrative fines. “We are talking about the unpaid fines of about 76 million GEL imposed for violating the rules of isolation, quarantine, and wearing a face mask during the pandemic. “During the pandemic, many of our citizens and businesses were affected and these fines are an additional burden for them. Of course, it is necessary to follow the regulations when managing the virus, but it is important to alleviate the economic situation of our citizens, and this is the reason for this initiative,” said the Prime Minister.
Image: IPSOS
Gakharia’s party For Georgia. The figures for other parties are as follows: ‘Girchi – More Freedom’ – 5% ‘European Georgia’ – 3% ‘Labor Party’ – 3% ‘Alliance of Patriots’ – 3% ‘Lelo for Georgia’ – 2% ‘Strategy Builder’ – 2 ‘Citizens’ – 2% ‘United Georgia – Democratic Movement’ – 1% ‘Droa’ – 1% ‘Girchi’ – 1% ‘Unity, Essence, Hope – Nation’ – 1%
Other – 2% 11% Refused to answer. The survey was conducted by the organization IPSOS at the request of Mtavari TV channel from June 7 to 17. A total of 1000 respondents were interviewed. The margin of error is +/- 3%. Ipsos, one of the largest market research companies in the world, is headquartered in Paris, France and was founded in 1975 by Didier Truchot. They have offices in 88 countries with over 16,000 employees and are publicly traded.
IWG plc, Level 4, 2 Leonidze str. Tbilisi, Georgia | +995 32 290 039
4
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
Handling the Occupation – a New Framework OP-ED BY GIORGI ARZIANI
P
rotracted occupation of Georgian territories has caused a sort of depression, which manifests itself in a peculiar intellectual paralysis: many do not see any possibility to turn things around and find refuge in abstract thinking about a better future. A vivid example of such inability to deliver a rational response to the occupation of Georgian lands and a split in our societies is the benevolent dream that someday borders will no longer exist, conflicts will fade away, and freedom of movement will come without any legal friction. In fact, this narrative is as impractical as it is risky; it is infused with laziness of imagination, and only reinforces the defeatist attitude towards the injustices and hardships brought to our communities by an unauthorized foreign military presence. The inability to see an opportunity for Georgia to revive territorial integrity is framed by the subjective feeling that time brings only negative changes and the younger generation turn numb to the problem. However, contrary to such interpretations, time only further reveals the disturbance of Russia’s imperial policies, while younger generations are coming into power and rejecting the impotence of those who came before them. In fact, the grievance against occupation and lost communities is undergoing a revival, suffice it to recall the growing number of fiction, art, news media outlets that attract
active public engagement even in such an extremely saturated media environment, or the growing number of articles produced in academia and by think tank influencers. The absolute majority of this output is created by younger generations. More than that, many young Georgians collaborate in rapidly growing grassroots communities in an effort to pave a way out of the bad equilibrium brought by Russian occupation. Instead of futile daydreaming, they employ methods of scientific anticipation and strategic thinking about alternative future scenarios. One such idea, created by yours truly, is a comprehensive analytical cube that systematizes the issues of de-occupation and reintegration of Georgia under one framework. It schematically unites five properties and characteristics (dimensions) of any activity that can be executed. It systematizes the answers to the following questions: who, government or civil society, should be responsible for activities aiming at de-occupation and reintegration of Georgia; at what level, international or domestic, should these activities be executed; how these activities should address the gap between the internationally acclaimed legal norms and the conflicting perceptions of historical fairness; should these activities be centrally organized or decentralized; and, an insight borrowed from the financial markets regulatory approaches, what regulatory models should be used: a rules-based or goals-based approach. The choice of a specific regulatory model influences the incentives and allocation of risk, and has important
implications for the coordination of actions between numerous governmental and non-governmental actors. The distinction of the models is that a rulesbased approach is rather prescriptive and provides the actor with exact guidelines for the actions, while a goals-based approach is more flexible, as it focuses rather on the outcome, while leaving broader discretion with regards to the means of the actor. The scheme is illustrated by several examples that aim to make it easily understandable. The idea behind this analytical cube is to formalize our thinking about the most pressing problem of Georgia and assist with the intuitive visualization. What differentiates these new grassroot communities from previous generations is that they reject the so-called ‘new reality,’ and their work is empowered by one insight: the chance for the de-occupation of Georgia will inevitably come, however, one should be ready to take the chance. The future does not simply happen: it is created; allies will help, but there is work that should be done by us, and, to my joy, I see that a new generation is coming into power, a generation that has a vision, has power and has will.
MEP Marina Kaljurand on Why Georgia’s EU 2024 Bid is Unrealistic Continued from page 1 There are many reasons for that. One is that some member states, mainly Western European member states, think that the enlargement of 2004 was too much for the EU, that we had not yet been able to absorb that enlargement when another happened with the joining of Romania and Bulgaria. I think to some extent, there is also some fatigue with the Eastern Partnership, because what I hear here in Brussels is how come we have assisted for so many years since 91, almost for 30 years, and the countries are still in the process of reforming or democratic reforms? How come the Baltics did it in 10 years and these guys can’t do it in 30 years? These are the emotions are in Brussels. This is the reality. And in this reality, I think it’s important to be frank and open. I am saying that there is a very slim chance that Georgia will get accepted in three years, and I think the Georgian people deserve to hear it openly, because the EU is not exactly renowned for clear answers; it’s sometimes difficult to understand what the EU bureaucracy means. In Estonia’s case, we were assisted by Fins and Swedes, who were telling us what the EU means when it says something. Now Georgia is being assisted by the Baltic countries, Poland and so on. The EU is not ready to repeat the European perspective for Eastern Partnership countries, something that was so clear six years ago. “Enlargement is a hugely complex political decision that needs consensus. And I do not see that consensus in the EU. And that’s why I think Georgian people deserve to know the feelings in Brussels today. And as I said, though, my personal views are completely different.
THE IMPRESSION IS THAT THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP IS SLIDING DOWN THE EU
AGENDA – WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS HAPPENED? There are also questions like why are we dealing with Eastern Partnership today, when we have much more important questions for Europe, from migration, terrorism, climate, digital challenged, not to mention the pandemic? Somehow, I think there is not much knowledge about the region in the EU. There are 705 members of parliament, and I think that if I stopped any one in the corridor and asked what the capital of Georgia was, not many would be able to answer. And not many would be able to say, for example, which are the Eastern Partnership countries, or which are the countries of the South Caucasus. Unfortunately, that’s reality. I see that I, as the chair, and a former foreign minister, and as a friend of Georgia and Eastern Partnership countries, it is my duty to bring it to the agenda. And I’d like to assure you that it will be on the agenda in the EU, no question about that. The EU will continue its policy of non recognition of occupation of Georgia’s territories, but I’d like to be realistic about expectations. And I always advise Georgian politicians to manage the expectations of the people, not to push them too hard. If you remember the visa freedom for Georgia, you were ready much before your counterpart Ukraine, but, for political reasons, we all had to wait for Ukraine to catch up, and then you got your visa freedom. That’s the reality. You were ready. You did not get it, because there was no political consensus. And the same goes with memberships and all other political questions. We in the Baltic countries are friends. We know Georgia. My advice is to talk more to those countries who are skeptical. Introduce your country, the policies of your country, your aspirations; raise awareness. When we were acceding to the EU and NATO, nobody wanted us
there. Nobody. We wanted to join the club. And we had to do much more than let’s say Finland to join. Before joining, when we were asked to do three things, we did five; when we were asked to do it by Monday, we did by the Friday before. We were making all these reforms, not only for the sake of the EU, but for the sake of our own people, hoping that maybe one day there would be a window of opportunity. And we were lucky, we got our window. The window for the Georgian people will come at some point. I don’t know when, but it will come. And that means that Georgia has to continue with the reforms, not for the EU, but for its own people, and wait for the right political momentum once it comes. It should be 1000% ready to take advantage of that.
REFORMS ARE ALL GREAT TO HAVE, BUT THERE ARE ALSO EXTERNAL FACTORS AT PLAY. CHIEF AMONG THOSE IS THE “KREMLIN FACTOR.” HOW MUCH OF A ROLE DO YOU THINK IT PLAYS IN EU DECISIONMAKING WHEN IT COMES TO GEORGIA AND UKRAINE? It plays a role, but I would say less so than five years ago. Relations between the EU and Russia are at the moment at their the worst since the end of the Cold War. But they are very frank and open. I think that the visit of President Borrell to Moscow, and the humiliating press conference after the visit made it very clear that we cannot be partners with Russia. When Lavrov was humiliating the EU’s values, principles, cooperation, it was to some extent eye-opening. It doesn’t mean that the EU is not going to have relations with Russia, we will and we will continue cooperating in fields we find mutually acceptable, but I think that today, Russia’s influence on decision making in the EU is smaller. Of course, you shouldn’t forget it took
us a couple of months to introduce sanctions against Lukashenko just because one or two countries stopped it. And we see the same when we discuss our foreign policy towards Russia. There are one or two countries who always reject the common position, and who want to have closer ties with Russia and so on. Despite that, I think that Russia has less influence on the EU today. Besides our different political views, we’ve been able to introduce sanctions against Russia from 2014. And we’re still keeping them, seven years on. And it’s a big thing. Yes, I agree that sanctions should be better targeted, and they should be better targeted to those whom Putin is protecting, the circle around him, people who are supporting his regime, people who are working for his regime. It’s difficult, but I think the targeted sanctions against specific economic sectors are right. And targeted sanctions against specific personalities are also right, even if we do not get a result quickly.
YOU MENTIONED THE NEED TO RAISE AWARENESS OF GEORGIA IN THE WEST, TO TALK MORE WITH THE SKEPTICAL COUNTRIES, TO CONVINCE THEM TO SEE OUR PERSPECTIVE. WHAT VENUES AND CHANNELS DO YOU THINK ARE AVAILABLE THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN EXPLORED ENOUGH? Well, I think Georgia is doing it pretty well. At least, I’ve never seen lobbies of any other country visiting Brussels as often as Georgians do. What I would suggest to charm the skeptics is to introduce Georgian culture. Coming from a small country myself, Estonia, I know it isn’t easy to represent a small country. I always had to start with what Estonia is, where Estonia is. So I know how difficult it is. But it’s doable.
WHAT WAS YOUR SELLING
PITCH FOR ESTONIA? It depended on the audience. For me, one of the pieces was always Skype. Because Skype was invented by Estonia. So yes, we might be on the periphery of Europe, but we put the Skype sign there. You have to say something that creates interest, that they can relate to, and then you can go into the details. But you have to be prepared, as it depends who the audience is. In talking to Spanish or French diplomats or MPs, for example, wine would be a relatable topic. When I organized the Arvo Pard concert in Washington, DC, I would argue that Mr Pard won more hearts for Estonia in 15 minutes than diplomacy did in 10 years. So you have to be smart. Georgia is a small nation like we are, so it has to find its own pearls. Who is your Bono? You need to find one and use it as a calling card.
IN MAY, THERE WAS THE TRILATERAL SIGNING BY UKRAINE, MOLDOVA, AND GEORGIA ON CREATING THE TRIO GROUP, WHICH WILL BE TASKED WITH PROMOTING THE THREE COUNTRIES IN THE EU AND THE NATO. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE? I think it’s a very good idea. And it’s not only to promote the three countries, but also to encourage and promote better cooperation among the three. It’s what Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, did. We’re always competing with each other but it’s a friendly competition. We are much stronger as a region, as a united force. So, I’m a strong supporter of regional cooperation. The three coming three together makes a stronger voice than one country. And that’s also my advice to Georgia. It’s a good thing to do, to cooperate in all the fields where it finds it useful to work together to advance common European aspirations.
POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
5
Biden’s Realism, and High Hopes in Georgia and Ukraine
President Biden and NATO Sec-Gen Stoltenberg. The dominant perception is that Georgia is gradually being pushed out of grand strategic developments in Eastern Europe. Image source: Jam News
ANALYSIS BY EMIL AVDALIANI
U
S president Joe Biden’s policy towards Eastern Europe is gradually shaping up. First, Biden aims to restore the US credibility in the region shattered during Trump’s presidency. Doing so will be an arduous task requiring consistency not only through public
statements, but also concrete political, economic and military actions. The recently held summit of the Bucharest Nine, a group of countries on the eastern edge of NATO, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia, joined by the president himself, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, indicated that the Eastern European NATO states would receive far greater attention from Washington. But there are, however, uncertainties regarding Georgia and Ukraine and their
bids to join NATO and the EU. Biden is a realist. He understands that a radical increase in military support for Georgia and Ukraine would upend the regional balance of power and invite countermeasures from Russia. The timing for this is especially unfavorable, as America cannot afford to spend too much time and resources on the European front in light of growing geopolitical and geo-economic challenges posed by China in the Indo-Pacific region. And this is where political consistency of small but
harmonious support for Eastern European states matter. Biden is well familiar with the troubles of Poland, Ukraine and Georgia. Support for the eastern flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is not only about defending the pure democratic and liberal ideals of those fledgling democracies, but more so about the geopolitics of Europe and the Eurasian continent as a whole. Further east, in Georgia, the situation is gloomier. The dominant perception is that the country is gradually being pushed out of grand strategic developments in Eastern Europe. The territorial problems Georgia has due to the Russian military presence in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region (the latter also known as South Ossetia) will remain a major obstacle for the country’s NATO membership. Moreover, Russian military moves in the South Caucasus, particularly in the wake of the Second Karabakh War, could serve as a major disincentive for the US and NATO overall to make a major expansion step in the region. Biden will be more straightforward in his vision of future bilateral ties with Russia, and his administration will certainly be more principled towards Moscow. It is also clear that Biden is unlikely to seek further complications with Russia. The latter’s military presence in Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions will often be invoked and criticized by the US official, but it is highly unlikely that Washington is ready to push for Georgia’s NATO membership. The Biden-Putin summit in Geneva signaled the US’ unwillingness to complicate ties with Russia amid the grand strategic shift in the US attention from the Middle East and parts of Europe to the Indo-Pacific region. As is the case with the Eastern Europe flank, this does not mean that the US foreswears its
attention or obligations toward the region. But it does, however, indicate that Washington will be increasingly occupied with other problems, and raising tensions with Moscow over Ukraine and Georgia’s NATO membership might not be the foreign policy line to pursue at this time. This also does not mean that bargaining over the fate of Georgia will be taking place. The issue of NATO membership will just be put on hold, again. But under Biden, the search for models for Georgia’s alliance membership will be proposed. The non-inclusion of Georgia’s troubled territories under NATO defense obligations, thereby extending the collective defense article solely over those territories under Tbilisi’s control, could be one of propositions. Enhanced NATO-Georgia partnership involving more regular military training, transfer of military technologies, etc. could be suggested. Under Biden, Georgia will continue to as a crucial partner in the region allowing America to influence the corridor leading to the Caspian Sea, and allowing Washington to penetrate deep into the middle of Eurasia. But when analyzing the American perception of the Ukraine and Georgia dilemma, one should understand that in the coming intensification of rivalry with the Chinese, Washington would need a Russia which is more amenable. An amenable Russia means the latter seeing benefits in cooperating with America. This could take various shapes, but one of them would most likely be bringing down tensions along Russia’s southern and western borders by postponing the expansion of NATO. *Emil Avdaliani is a professor at European University and the Director of Middle East Studies at Georgian think-tank, Geocase.
The Need to Invest in the “Gray Zone” BY MICHAEL GODWIN
A
growing topic entering defense and military circles is a new concept on modern warfare, much of the doctrine surrounding which is still being formed. While technically not a total militarization and engagement in hot conflict, it is becoming a far more palatable form of statecraft, particularly by larger nations. This new sphere of global security strategy is being labeled curiously as “Grey Zone Conflict”, or simply GZC. Since the end of the Second World War, the earth has been free of major-power wars. This length of global peace is something virtually never seen in history, despite several “smaller” conflicts since then. With the exception of these smaller operations in Africa, the Middle East, and the South Pacific, the concept of Total War has all but fallen from the picture. Taking its place has become a range of small conflicts, counterterrorism operations, and peacekeeping missions, all of which fall within the scope of GZC. GZC has nestled itself between the previous binary view of war and peace with the advancement of globalization and rapid development of technology. While the definition is still fluid, GZC take their position in the center, encompassing a wide range of violent and nonviolent forms of conflict. They use military and non-military actors, and can even include private sector actors such as private security companies and defense technology firms. However, due to the nature of GZC, the use of military forces is highly restrictive.
As seen with the American and other coalition forces in Iraq, soldiers saw their typical role being shifted. From individual soldiers to the leaders on the ground, they were forced to move from being a warfighter to policing with a focus on humanitarian aid, connection with key community leaders, and training local military and police units. Compounded by the use of information operations and private military contractors, Iraq became an example of the more kinetic form of GZC. Russian activities in Georgia and Ukraine are another example of both high and low tempo GZC. On one end, the aftermath of the invasion of the Donbas region is an example of the high tempo of GZC. Almost every day there are small raids, employment of snipers, and artillery duels, but not to a level of war. Reports come out periodically about Ukrianian service members being killed in action. Russian continual occupation of Georgian territory is a much more low tempo part of GZC by comparison. Russia maintains a continual military presence masked as “peacekeeping,” information operations aimed at converting the populace, and the occasional raid into Tbilisi controlled territory. While not as volatile as Donbas, it still remains on the GZC spectrum of operations. Entering into the realm of GZC does not inherently mean the entity is operating with nefarious means or intentions. It is a healthy alternative to open war indeed, but can also open the way for further de-escalation and future peace. This is ultimately up to the powers at hand, and these are usually large entities such as the United States, Russia, NATO, and China. However, it’s not uncommon for smaller players to get involved. For
a smaller nation to engage in GZC, such as Georgia, it gains the ability to further mask their activity in the shadow of those larger entities. For Georgia to enter this field, it is first important to develop their GZC force components. Through internal training, new departments and units being raised, and partnering with the large friendly entities already engaged, Georgia can become an effective force in the new way of conducting asymmetric conflict operations. However, this means changing the fundamental way that conflict is viewed, how the elements involved are deployed, and how the politicians at home manage public expectations. This last part is interesting, as much of the general population is stuck with a Cold War view of warfare: a massive number of infantry, armor, and artillery clashing in open warfare to some climactic end and a clear victor being declared ceremoniously. For better or worse, this is simply not a reality anymore. The fundamental change to GZC should be also shared and portrayed with the public, and expectations managed. The foundation to Georgia’s effectiveness in this is inter-agency communication and operability. While the Ministry of Defense (MoD) will play a part in GZC, they will not be the tip of the spear. Further, they must understand that it is imperative, as other organizations such as the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), and potentially private security companies and defense consultancy firms will be leading GZC operations. However, this is not to say that the MoD will be uninvolved. While special intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets will be key to success, so will the Army’s special operations
Photo by Saba Shavgulidze/Imgur
forces (SOF). Even select parts of the conventional army will be called upon to fulfill roles they didn’t previously have. SOF and their assistant forces will focus on training and supporting their partner forces in the GZC operations. Not dissimilar to what Georgian and their American SOF partners did in Afghanistan, training and ultimately fighting with the Afghan SOF. The American Army has gone so far as to introduce an entirely new unit, unique in its role. The Security Force Assistance Brigade, or SFAB, was built to be a component of the GZC. They work with, train, advise, and eventually fight alongside foreign forces, usually in small conflicts and other sectors of GZC. Georgia, while they may not have the financial and personnel luxuries of the United States DoD, could benefit from implementing similar training to a sector of its light infantry or other reasonably capable and applicable military units. This training would be designed around increasing both independence and interoperability with other Georgian and for-
eign forces. Language skills, cultural training, and purpose-built close relationships with foreign assets, even South Ossetian and Abkhazian forces sympathetic to Tbilisi would reap dividends for Georgia’s GZC campaign. Ultimately, this tactic can start to eat away at the glue Russia has placed over those regions and pull the proverbial wool away from the eyes of the populace to see that they are being used and abused by the Kremlin. GZC is a sector of pseudo-warfare that is here to stay. With large powers such as NATO, the United States, the United Kingdom, and more becoming heavily invested, it is regional powers like Georgia that need to become a part of the composite GZC force. The key is combining both private and public ISR assets and Georgia’s SOF and capable units, and tie it together with the political commitment of Tbilisi to GZC’s modus operandi. This cocktail of interagency excellence puts Georgia back in control of not just the eastern Black Sea, the South Caucasus, but also the future of its national defense and international security and military image.
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POLITICS
GEORGIA TODAY
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
Presidents of Ukraine and Georgia Meet in Kyiv to Affirm Strong Relations
BY TEAM GT
O
n June 23, the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili visited Ukraine, where she met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and held a press conference
with him. "I have always been protective of our relations and today am more so. On April 23, 2020, I expressed my concern about the issues occurring in our relations," Zurabishvili noted. "In my parliamentary speech on April 9, 2021, I stated that I did not want to end April 9, which is the day of strengthening our independence, by not mentioning the struggle of our
Ukrainian friends and expressing our solidarity. I consider it a sign of solidarity today to return the Ambassador to Kyiv immediately.' This was followed by a formal restoration of our relations, after which there were several bilateral visits by the Prime Minister and Foreign Ministers, and today our official meeting here. "I am very grateful for this and I believe that the presidents of both countries should take care of our relations. "Our relationship is returning to its own norm, which is based on two main principles: a centuries-old friendship between peoples, and constant, unwavering support for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty." The Georgian President noted that Georgia and Ukraine are united not only by their centuries-old friendship, but also by common goals. "We both seek the de-occupation of our countries and territories, a way to the European Union and NATO, and an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. De-occupation is a pain, concern, and challenge for our countries. Georgia's challenge is de-occupation and the formation of a new strategy in this regard, de-borderization, protection of human rights. I cannot but mention the conclusion of the Strasbourg Court in this regard, which is a great
victory for Georgia and the restoration of relations with the citizens living in the occupied territories," Zurabishvili said. The President noted that after the pandemic, everyone should understand that there is no other way but stabilization, de-escalation, and dialogue. In turn, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky noted he believes the political dialogue between Kyiv and Tbilisi is gaining new momentum. "This first official visit is very important for strengthening the strategic partnership between our countries. Political dialogue between Kyiv and Tbilisi is gaining new momentum. Our joint task is to fill the format of strategic partnership between Ukraine and Georgia with real content, based on mutual support for specific projects and a high level of trust between us. "Ukraine and Georgia share common
goals for full membership in the European Union and NATO. I should also note the similarity of our position on the further development of the Eastern Partnership. One of the important tasks for Ukraine and our partners is to strengthen security cooperation in the Black Sea region. The Black Sea should be a safe area for free trade and navigation. We seek to strengthen the relationship between the fleets of our partner states in the Black Sea. We are actively working with Georgia and other neighbors to implement this initiative, and I hope we will see progress soon," Zelensky said. " Our relationship is returning to normal,” Zurabishvili added. “And this is based on two principles: the centuriesold friendship between peoples, and constant and unwavering support for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty."
"Steel Revolution" - a Blessing or a Curse for Pashinyan? OP-ED BY DAVID BRAGVADZE, GEORGIAN INSTITUTE FOR SECURITY POLICY
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arly parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of Armenia on June 20. Due to a number of factors, we have to consider this to be one of the most important events in the recent history of the country. The June 20 parliamentary elections were the first since the Second Karabakh War, which Armenia promptly lost, and which led to the, status quo that has been in its favor for decades, change in favor of bitter rivals Azerbaijan. This also was the first parliamentary elections since 2018, since their muchlauded Velvet Revolution. Consequently, June 20 was another chance for Armenia to hold consecutive free and competitive elections. This election was also marked by the participation of all the leaders of the independent Armenian state: former presidents Levon Ter-Petrosyan, Robert Kocharian, and Serzh Sargsyan, and incumbent Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The elections were especially dramatic given the fact that it was difficult to predict its outcome in advance, as no force was guaranteed victory. The snap elections on June 20 seemed inevitable as the only event to likely defuse the political crisis that the country found itself in as a result of the Second Karabakh War. A large part of the Armenian population perceived the Russian-brokered agreement as shameful capitulation, which put the country’s very existence on the brink. Many suggested that Pashinyan's government would not be able to overcome the post-war crisis, and that the government, which had come to power through a peaceful revolution, would be overthrown by a violent revolution on emotional grounds. This assumption was based on the events on the streets of Yerevan, as well as the tension between the military and political leadership, which eventually ended with the PM dismissing Chief of General Staff Onik Gasparyan. The election was difficult for both the incumbent Armenian government and its opposition. The main problem of the government, obviously, was the conse-
quences of the second war in Karabakh. For Armenian society, defeat in the war remains a festering wound to this day, and it is unlikely that its outcome will be forgotten in the near future. During the election campaign, the opposition mainly appealed on this issue. However, in addition to Karabakh, the issue of further Armenia-Azerbaijan relations became an additional headache for Pashinyan. After the victory in the war, Baku's rhetoric towards Armenia and against Pashinyan personally became even harsher and more radical, laced with taunts and ridicule. Added to this was the protracted problem of the release of prisoners and the difficulties that arose directly on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. In May of this year, it was reported that 250 Azerbaijani soldiers had crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and penetrated into the territory of the Republic of Armenia at a depth of 3.5 kilometers. Their goal was to capture Lake Sev (almost 80% of which belongs to Armenia and 20% to Azerbaijan) almost completely. The situation became so tense that the Armenian authorities called on the Kremlin to start consultations with Azerbaijan in the format of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In the already difficult situation, creating additional problems for the Pashinyan government after the war and in the pre-election period, it was suspected that Azerbaijan's actions were prearranged with Moscow and aimed at weakening the positions of the incumbent government as much as possible. The issues felt by the current Armenian government were not only limited to the lost war with Azerbaijan and the subsequent difficulties. The revolutionary government had failed to justify the trust of the population in many matters. Among them, anti-corruption reforms could not be implemented at a sufficiently rapid pace, nor could an effective judicial reform, and all of this was compounded by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was particularly severely felt in Armenia. The Russian factor was also a significant challenge for Pashinyan. Although he tried to distance himself from the Kremlin without deteriorating relations, by the end of 2020, he had got into a situation in which Armenia had become even more dependent on Russia. In addition, as mentioned above, Russia con-
tinued to create difficulties for it with the help of Azerbaijan even after the war. Despite the challenges the current government was facing, the opposition wing found itself in no less of a turmoil. First of all, it had precious little to offer the population other than a vendetta against the scapegoat PM. The chances of Levon Ter-Petrosyan (Party of the Armenian National Congress), one of the three former presidents of the country, were slim from the very beginning, as he was left behind by political processes. At the same time, both Sargsyan and Kocharyan embodied the old, corrupt regime. A criminal case was also launched against the latter on this charge. Another force that hoped to cross the threshold was Gagik Tsarukyan's "Prosperous Armenia." The only rallying point for the opposition was the defeat of Armenia in the Second Karabakh War, although no-one has yet offered a concrete vision of how the status quo could be changed. Thus, the opposition’s chances rested on the hope that they could “stoke the fire” so that "angry people" would not allow a force defeated in the war to remain in power. The opposition issue was the high degree of polarization, infighting and fragmentation. They failed to create a united front against Pashinyan, largely due to the political pasts of the opposition leaders. Simply put, they hate each other far more than they all hate Pashinyan. In the current reality, the people of Armenia were faced with a seemingly
simple, but still incredibly tough choice: to choose a leader who had become the epitome of a corrupt past, or to choose the present in the form of Nikol Pashinyan, who was defeated in the war. Public opinion polls showed that only Kocharyan's alliance could really mount any resistance. In seven public opinion polls conducted between March and June 2021, Pashinyan's "civil contract" had the highest rate in March, at 31%, while Kocharyan's result was only 6%. In the following period, these numbers got closer, and according to the results of the last poll conducted in June, it was 28.7 - 25.2 in favor of Kocharyan. According to Armenian election legislation, a party must cross the 5% threshold and the bloc a 7% threshold to enter parliament. A "solid majority" is required to form a government, 54% of the seats. This is the number of seats that must be won by the winning party or the postelection coalition. Under the same legislation, a third-place force must be represented in parliament, regardless of whether it has crossed the threshold imposed. In case the winning party does not have mandates to form the government and a governmental coalition cannot be formed, a second round is appointed, in which the two parties with the best results participate. Despite numerous difficulties, Nicol Pashinyan was able to win the June 20 elections. He received exactly the number of votes needed to form a government: 54%. The second-placed Kocharyan bloc won 21% of the vote. Although he could not cross the 7% threshold set
for him, Serzh Sargsyan's alliance will also be represented in the National Assembly by 6 deputies. Although Robert Kocharian is distrustful of the election results, it is hard to imagine that this will create a severe political crisis, as neither the international community nor the citizens of Armenia have a problem with the legitimacy of the elections. It can be said that there was a general national consensus on these elections from the very beginning that the winning political force would have a strong legitimacy. Pashinyan dubbed the election victory a "steel revolution" and vowed to establish the rule of law. The main challenge for his government in the coming years will be to fight corruption, establish the rule of law and tackle economic problems. In a short time, despite the defeat in the war and other acute problems, he has gained the trust of the Armenian voters for a second time, therefore the expectations and demands towards him will be no less high than after the 2018 elections. Despite the victory, Pashinyan will not be able to relax. He received 16% and 16 seats less on June 20 than in 2018. His main opponent in parliament will be a 20% pro-Russian political force instead of eight, whose leader has extensive experience in politics and power. According to Armenian analysts, this factor is to become the main lever of pressure on the Kremlin as well. Winning the election is both a blessing and a curse for Pashinyan. He was able to survive as a political leader and ruler, although he will have to run the country in the most difficult conditions, which includes the consequences of the Second Karabakh war, as well as the complicated legacy left before the Velvet Revolution, which he has not been able to overcome. It is also noteworthy that 70% of the citizens who voted for Pashinyan in the 2018 elections voted in favor of his ideas, the revolution, and now a solid 54% voted for the lack of a better choice. On the one hand, this points to the high and growing political culture of the citizens of Armenia, because they did not make a choice in favor of the past against such a difficult emotional background. On the other hand, the biggest challenge for Pashinyan is that these citizens will have a strong reaction to each of his new mistakes, and the achievements may be met with less enthusiasm.
BUSINESS
GEORGIA TODAY JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
7
terabank Receives Long-Term Funding from the FMO
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he Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) has provided $20 million in long-term financing to terabank. The bank received a portion in the amount of EUR 8,500,000 and a portion of GEL 34,000,000 in bonds. The attracted funds will be spent mainly on the promotion and development of small and medium-sized businesses, one of the strategic segments of terabank. 15% of the money will be spent on supporting young entrepreneurs. "We are pleased that our successful cooperation with the Netherlands Development Finance Company continues. This resource is of great importance for the expansion of terabank's lending
activities and is one of its most successful areas, the promotion and development of small and medium-sized businesses,” says Sopho Jugheli, Chief Financial Officer of terabank. The long-term relationship between terabank and the FMO was established in 2017. It is important that it continues to invest in Georgia, support local financial institutions and develop the country's capital markets. The FMO was established in 1970 as a public-private partnership. It invests capital in private companies and financial institutions in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. The investments are aimed at promoting sustainable economic, ecological and social development.
10 Citizens of Georgia to Return Home after Seasonal Worker Program Failure
The workers claim to have been underpaid and overworked, and plan to start legal processes to sue for damages. Image source: Georgian Agriculture Ministry
BY TEAM GT
T
en citizens of Georgia who participated in the seasonal employment program in Germany have returned to Georgia. One of them, Jaba Chachanidze, told reporters that after his previous employer had violated the terms of the program, he and his co-workers were transferred to a new employer. However, they were given further reduced salaries and found themselves again in inappropriate conditions. Chachanidze says the new employer paid them just 2.50 Euros for one box of strawberries and they often had to work overtime without a break. The returning Georgians plan to start a legal dispute against the Georgian Employment Agency to demand compensation for their losses. Chachanidze claimed that the Georgian Embassy in Germany was not interested in the fate of the Georgian citizens working there under the mutual scheme. "This employment program is a lie, everything
is built on farce, absolutely all the expenses were covered by us. I borrowed 800 Euros to go to Germany and now another 300 Euros to return home. Now I have only 5 GEL in my pocket. It’s unbearable for me. But I'd rather come back to Georgia than stay and be their slave. We will definitely demand compensation for the damage,” Chachanidze said. At the end of May, the Georgian Trade Union Confederation published a statement, reporting that the 24 citizens who left Georgia for Germany for seasonal work were in “difficult working conditions.” The GTUC noted in the statement that the employed citizens were not receiving the promised remuneration, with their given salary being 3 Euros instead of the promised 9 Euros per hour. They claimed the unbearable living conditions in which the Georgian citizens were expected to live were even more alarming. “The union requests the German Ambassador look into the issue, and the Minister of Labor and Health of Georgia Ekaterine Tikradze take an immediate interest in the situation of the Georgian
citizens because the Employment Promotion Agency of the Ministry of Labor was the organizer of their trip to Germany,’ the GTUC wrote. The State Employment Promotion Agency responded to the GTUC statement, noting that they share the concern expressed by one of the groups that traveled to the Federal Republic of Germany within the framework of the Georgian Labor Force Employment Agreement. The agency stated that separate issues should be resolved with the German side. “We confirm that there was dissatisfaction on the part of the representatives of one group due to the violation of the conditions offered by the employer in the job description. Regarding this, the first contact with the German side was made by the State Employment Promotion Agency upon receiving the information. “Specific measures have been taken to improve the conditions of this particular group, which is the result of the active work of the Georgian side. “Most importantly, based on the agreement between Germany and Georgia and the terms of the job offer, the employer agreed to pay the correct, agreed-upon hourly wages to employees from Georgia. If the given conditions are not met, the Georgian side demands the redistribution of members of this particular group to
other employers,” the statement reads. The German Ambassador to Georgia, Hubert Knirsch, also responded to the statement issued by the Georgian Trade Union Confederation, assuring them that all conditions stipulated in the agreement had been met. “After the spread of information by the Georgian media, referring to a group employed for seasonal work on a strawberry farm, I talked to the German authorities about this issue. In accordance with the rules, the agencies have ensured that all the conditions stipulated in the contract are now being met, including the provision of suitable housing. In Germany, a minimum wage of 9.5 Euros is guaranteed. “Problems can occur everywhere. The main thing is to solve them quickly. It is good that information about this case was spread in the media. I hope that the successful implementation of the program will be covered with the same attention,” said the German Ambassador. At the beginning of April, it was announced that 5000 citizens of Georgia would be able to be legally employed in seasonal work in Germany’s Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture from May. The decision was made due to the high interest of Georgian citizens. By April 2, more than 97 thousand Georgians had expressed their desire to work in Germany.
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BUSINESS
GEORGIA TODAY
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
At Business and Technology University, Biotechnology Week Held with Participation of Science Developer Carl Zeiss AG
TRANSLATED BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE
B
iotechnology Week is over at the Business and Technology University. The event, which started on June 16, ended successfully, As the organizers noted, it exceeded all expectations in terms of interest and reports from the attending public, the diversity, and the dynamism of the masterclasses. The week was organized by the Business and Technology University (BTU) in partnership with the Caucasus Representation of CARL ZEISS AG, a company which has existed since 1846 as a manufacturer of innovative technologies in the fields of medicine, biotechnology, and astrology. ZEISS's name is associated with many innovative achievements, among them, the highest quality optics (ZEISS), used in microscopy, and the most complex medical, scientific and astrological instruments. Carl Zeiss himself participated in the flight of the first ship to the moon and invented the planetarium. The CARL ZEISS Company also operates a fund whose main mission is the development of science, and for
this, almost 40% of the company's revenue is transferred to the fund, which is used to fund scientific research. The target groups of the week were pupils, entrants, students, researchers, and startups working in the biotechnological field or wishing to get involved. The workshops, masterclasses, and lectures held for them were prepared by leading Georgian scientists working in the field, their reports richly saturated with visual-practical spectacles and examples. Among speaker scientists and specialists in the field was Head of CARL ZEISS Foundation Caucasus Office, Nino Lomuashvili with a public lecture entitled ‘CARL ZEISS - Leader of Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology;’ Specialist in cell/tissue biology, recognized expert in 3D / 4D digital imaging technologies of modern microscopy and bio-structures Pavle Chelidze, with master classes ‘Digital optics: From space to individual molecules’ and ‘Intellectual Images: Life Imprinted in Space and Time;’ and neurobiologist, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of Ilia State University, Head of the Laboratory of Brain Ultrastructure and Nanoarchitectonics Ivane Beritashvili Center for Experimental Biomedicine, Mzia Zhvania, with the topics ‘Fundamentals of
Nanotechnology’ and ‘Nanotechnology in Biology and Medicine.’ Biotechnology Week was held in Georgia for the first time. As Nino Enukidze, Rector of the Business and Technology University notes, the most important thing in this process is that Georgian scientists with many years of experience in cooperating with the world's leading research institutes were presented in front of people interested in this field. “Biotechnology is a particularly interesting field for the Business and Technology University, as it is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the innovative ecosystem globally, with growing funding, venture capital, and employment,” Enukidze noted. “Ultimately, we imagine it will move globally into the top three industries that will grow rapidly and become one of the largest employers. “Against the background of the pandemic, everyone saw the importance of biotechnology once again. There are approximately 10,000 diseases in the world and only 500 of them are managed and cured with the involvement of medication. The rest is still unexplored. Diseases are one of the very small areas covered by biotechnology. Today, this field covers the field of agriculture, agriculture, pharmacology, bio-mega data
processing using artificial intelligence, nano technologies, synthetic biology, which is considered to be the field of the future, etc. In short, this field is endless and since the technological component has entered biology very actively, this has also attracted the attention of BTU.” As she notes, this is the second event held in a physical environment since the start of the pandemic. Of course, in full compliance with the regulations. “To be honest, we are very careful, a second event for BTU in two years is a very unusual situation because we often hold 4-5 events a day. Despite the fact that there is a pandemic, a lot of people attended the week and we are very happy about it,” the rector added. While speaking to us, she also highlighted that the interest of young people in the field of biotechnology and BTU itself is growing, and it has improved its record in terms of registration for the Unified National Examinations, as there are many more applicants registered for each program than in previous years. Dr. Lili Nadaraia, a specialist in nanotechnology, nanomaterials, and electron microscopy, was one of the speakers. She spoke about the importance of microscopy in microbiology ‘Electron microscopy and the microworld around us,’ - was the title of the report she read, giving examples of what familiar objects look like when magnified tens or hundreds of thousands of times. “My report was intended for students,” Nadaraia said. “I tried to enhance their interest, tried to show them how inter-
esting and varied the world is what we cannot see with our eyes. The importance of this event to increase interest in the field and inspire a new contingent working here is enormous. It is a very important field and should be further developed in Georgia. The pandemic has made it even more important to show that we have more work to do because there are still many things we do not know and need to study.” In addition to students and students interested in the topic, the week was also attended by representatives of startups working in the field of biotechnology. One of them is Temo Rukhaia, co-founder and director of the company BioCure, which is engaged in cleaning oil pollution using biotechnologies. He attended the week for several reasons, and says his expectations were absolutely fulfilled. “For a small, developing country like Georgia, it is necessary for all representatives of the field to get to know each other,” Rukhaia noted. “Here, we met each other, shared experiences, and exchanged views. Also, of course, we passed on to young people the experience we have in terms of technology and business. The lectures and master classes were informative. For startups, all of this is likely to help, as it is the primary source of information, already experience-based, and will give them a quick start. They will no longer have to search when they have already seen and heard it all, and met people who will share their experiences. I am ready to do this again any time.”
Entering a New Era of Civil Service: Georgian Civil Servants Discuss Digital Solutions in Governance and Service Delivery
A
s Georgian civil servants celebrated UN Public Service Day, defining the ‘new normal’ was at the center of a lively debate. The ‘Digital and Remote Governance – Modern Challenges’ online conference drew over 300 national and local civil servants to discuss new trends in governance, service delivery and management. The conference also explored the innovative digital solutions that are available to civil servants and citizens alike. Discussions touched upon a range of issues related to digital governance and remote work, including digital leadership and management tools, data protection, effective use of artificial intelligence, electronic mentoring and coaching sys-
tems and work-life balance solutions. “Georgia’s civil service swiftly and efficiently adapted to pandemic reali-
ties,” said Civil Service Bureau Head Catherine Kardava. “In less than a year and a half, we shifted to an electronic
operation and introduced new digital systems for training, human resource management and reporting.” “The pandemic accelerated digital transformation across the public sector and created new opportunities for serving citizens faster and more effectively,” said Acting Head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Anna Chernyshova. “But this rapid process has also raised data security issues and deepened gaps related to unequal access to electronic resources. As Georgia emerges from the crisis, UNDP is assisting civil servants to address these challenges and meet increasing public demand.” Speakers included representatives from the Government Administration, the
Digital Governance Agency, a consulting company ‘Reforms Lab’, the Good Governance Initiative of the United States Agency for International Development, other international agencies and several academic institutions. The conference also featured two invited international speakers, Ayazhan Mukanova, Director of International Cooperation Department at the Zerde National ICT Holding (Kazakhstan), and Nick Thijs, Senior Policy Advisor at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/SIGMA initiative (France). Georgia’s Civil Service Bureau organized the event with assistance from UNDP and the Government of Sweden under their broader support for democratic reforms in Georgia.
SOCIETY
GEORGIA TODAY JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
9
UNEP, CENN Continue to Support Development & Implementation of Vehicle Emission Standards in Georgia
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ransport remains the main contributor to air pollution in Georgia: 71% of NOx and 40% of volatile organic compounds come from this sector. This is caused by the fact that the car fleet is old and poorly maintained, with more than 45.5% of vehicles being 20 years or older. Furthermore, against the background of an increasing number of imported vehicles every year, alarmingly, no emission standards have been introduced so far for imported cars. As a result, introducing vehicle emission standards for imported vehicles in compliance with EU requirements has become a priority for the government. The above poses serious risks to the environment, air quality and human health, and requires a timely and effective solution, with each citizen’s health put in danger by breathing such polluted air. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) continues to assist Georgia in developing and implementing car emission standards equivalent to those in force in Europe. This initiative has been implemented by CENN in Georgia since 2019, aiming to help improve air quality and mitigate the effects of climate change by switching to low-emission vehicles in Georgia. In May 2020, UNEP, together with its partner organization CENN, officially launched Phase II of its “Sustainable Low Emissions Transport” project in Georgia. The project aims to provide
technical support to analyze current and proposed vehicle standards, envisaging the introduction of low-emission transport policies and standards in Georgia, within the framework of which a cost-effectiveness study was prepared on the possible economic impact of imposing restrictions on the import of vehicles in Georgia on the basis of relevant EU standards. For example: Euro 4, Euro 5 and so on, which also means setting an age limit above which car imports into the country are prohibited. The EU Regulatory Commission is already working on the Euro 7 standard, while there is no Euro standard in Georgia today. An increase in export of used cars from developed countries and a resulting increase in the import of used cars in developing countries can be logically expected in the absence of restrictions. Recycling used cars is expensive for a state, against the background of strict environmental regulations, therefore export remains the most effective solution for developed countries today. “In most cases, used and old cars are imported into Georgia,” said Ana Inasaridze, CENN Project Manager. “We would like to see an increase in the quality of those imported cars in terms of low emissions, which is directly linked to clean air and improving air quality. There is currently no regulation on importing cars in accordance with the EU standards in Georgia, such as Euro 4, Euro 5, or Euro 6, meaning one can import a car of any age into the country.
Our goal is to restrict and monitor the import in accordance with European emission standards, vehicle emission standards for exhaust emissions of new vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states, and accordingly, to impose certain restrictions on the age and emission of vehicles. “For this, we’ve prepared a cost-effectiveness analysis on possible economic results of imposing the possible restrictions. The study was conducted in collaboration with the project's leading partners, including the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture of Georgia, involving both international and local experts. The study presented several scenarios of how much the inflow of old cars will decrease, and consequently the limit of emissions depending on what age restriction is imposed. Emphasis was mainly made on Euro 5 standards, considering the economic possibilities of the country. The study shows how much the import of used cars will decrease in Georgia, and its impacts on fighting air pollution. Relevant costs and expenses were also calculated,” she said. “Notably, significant progress has been made in renewing public transport. Upgrading the bus fleet and developing the road infrastructure so that public transport becomes a priority is a step forward by the government, which includes bus lanes and pedestrian crossings. However, through the new road infrastructure e.g. in the Vake district, we have seen even more clearly that
The EU Regulatory Commission is already working on the Euro 7 standard, while there is no Euro standard in Georgia today - Ann Inasaridze, CENN the number of private vehicles is very high and without the imposition of certain restrictions, the development of public transport alone will not be enough in the long run,” Inasaridze notes. “In the case of Vake, the problem was solved on the main road, but traffic is still high on secondary roads due to the
high number of private cars. Giving superiority to pedestrians and public transport was a good step, but decreasing the number of vehicles is necessary to solve the problem. The issue is quite complex itself and need a complex approach. For instance, using public transport must become more comfortable for citizens, as it is in Europe, otherwise, they will not chose public transport over their private cars. Ultimately, more work and a complex approach is needed, with the involvement of relevant agencies and experts.” Davit Meskhishvili, Transport Expert, spoke to us about the problems and age of the vehicle fleet and what measures should be taken to improve the situation. “Georgia’s vehicle fleet is very old, and up to 90% of cars are 10 years old or older. When we speak about environmental safety and our desire to make the ecosystem healthier, we shoud address the problem of renewing the car fleet,” Meskhishvili says. “Many countries did this by introducing relevant state programs. When we work on statistics and check numbers, it’s visible that the number of electric cars in Georgia is very low. For instance, based on 2020 data, only 2000 electric cars are registered in Georgia out of one million four hundred thousand vehicles in total, which means that despite certain good reforms, the measures taken in previous years are not enough. More radical changes are necessary. The number of electric cars must be increased. The current customs sys-
tem in Georgia facilitates the import of old cars, which is cheaper than importing new ones. This issue was highlighted numerous times by experts such as myself. “Another important issue is whether ecological classes of transport (Euro 4, Euro 5, Euro 6) is determined in the country. We don’t have such standard in Georgia. The standard is mainly based on the amount of harmful substances in the exhaust. “The higher the Euro standard is, the lower the harmful substances in the exhaust. This standard does not apply in Georgia, which is why vehicles harmful for human health or technically faulty are imported into the country. Relevant restrictions must be imposed. We have some regulations on fuel quality, but not on transport. “The technical inspection reform, which is also very important, was launched in Georgia in accordance with the EU Directive, which is to be welcomed. In the Association Agreement, we have an obligation to improve the air quality. The reform started in 2018, and its proper implementation should also be among the solutions aiming to increase road and ecological safety,” he says. “We see the problems: introduction of the Euro Directive has been delayed,
and stands at just 20% implementation. So if we want to progress in this direction, more work is necessary. “Technically faulty transport pollutes the air by 71%. That’s why the tech inspection reform improvement is essential. Based on statistics, in 2019, applications for tech inspections amounted to only 50%, while in 2020 – only 25%. There is an irreversible regression, so we suggest that law enforcement needs to be improved and legislative novelties need to be addressed, which will contribute to the renewal of car fleet,” Meskhishvili concluded.
10
SOCIETY
GEORGIA TODAY
JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
The Machine Machines BLOG BY TONY HANMER
W
riting this in a less painful moment, bracketed by the harrowing throb of perhaps an impacted wisdom tooth. I’m in Tbilisi, which for Georgia is the place to be to have such things dealt with, and tomorrow it comes out. It has become time for me to restart making good cheese in Svaneti. On my last visit to Canada, nearly two years ago now, I found a fully illustrated guide to home-making gourmet cheeses for $3 secondhand. Now, despite an absence of our own cows (we’ll enlist the neighbors for the milk of theirs), I once again find myself longing for the cheese of my childhood and youth, rather expensive here as they’re all imported. I still have my original 20 cm diameter cylindrical mold, and the cheesecloth and beeswax. But I never got around to making a good cheese press, an essential part of the process. I designed one and then found in the blessedly rich YouTube archives that my version was basically the main, common logical solution to the problem of allowing the weight to move only up and down: vertically constraining it. Now, here in the capital, I’ve visited the Eliava bazaar near Tsereteili Metro, home of all things mechanical, to stock up on exotic parts. I wanted the whole press to be unable to rust: part plastic (the upper and lower boards) and part stainless steel (the rods which bolt to the lower board and, fixed
there, allow the upper board to move only as required). I needed thicker plastic than the kitchen cutting boards one can buy in a home supply shop. Also, the rods must have a thread cut into only one end, to take the bolts and washers, and otherwise be smooth: so, no easy use of ubiquitous all-threaded bolts! Following the instructions of an American friend who’s lived here nearly as long as I have and makes a lot of things by hand, I wandered through Eliava until I found this special place. Here, in one shop, I found all the parts I’ve described above, along with much more. Stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum, tin, parts in many shapes and sizes. Sheet plastic from about 1mm to 2 cm thick, as well as solid cylinders as long as you need them. He makes bespoke furniture as well, advertising his work with photos on the walls. Nothing cheap, but when you’re the only, or the best, you won’t be cheap. I spent about 240 GEL for my pieces, including cutting the boards (160 GEL to buy, the biggest part) and the rods and their threads. I did buy a bit bigger than I’ll need, but the excess can always be cut off, whereas if something were too small you could never properly add anything. It was most satisfying to see these decades-old, CCCP (USSR)-stamped machines which can be used to cut, drill, saw, trim, lathe any shape you want: machines which make parts for other machines. As long as I knew exactly what I wanted, and could describe it properly, and had the time (about an hour) and the money, all doors were open. Need a custom roof-rack for your vehicle? Metal grills for windows, filigreed as fancy as
Kakha Kaladze: We Aim to Make Infrastructure Projects Adapted for People with Disabilities BY KETEVAN SKHIRTLADZE
T
bilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze presented a report on the projects implemented in the field of health and social policy in Tbilisi to the public in 2018-2021. The mayor noted that social policy is one of the important directions because the state cannot be considered a state if it does not take care of the health of its citizens. “Citizens should be able to freely use specific streets, move and use transport.
Source of photo: Tbilisi City Hall
Work in this direction will continue in the coming years to make our city inclusive and adaptable for everyone,” Kaladze said. At the presentation, the Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi Ilia Eloshvili, spoke about programs to support children with disabilities. “In this regard, the assistance program for people with disabilities under the age of 18 with 800 GEL is important. It is received by more than 100 people. As well as a children and adolescent resort services program. I have personally seen how happy these children are before leaving,” Ilia Eloshvili said.
you can dream up? A shish kabob grillbox (which I also use for smoking food)? These are the 3 most popular choices. Mine is a little different, but no one even asked me what the parts were for. It’s a 100% male world, and no-one uses any ear protection, although they will wear safety eye-goggles and gloves. So I’m afraid the constant high-level noise will rob them all of their hearing, as it did my father in his engineering work. But I have given up trying to persuade a single man to simply put on ear-covers, including my best friends here and in Svaneti. It’s just not cool, or something. No-one follows my example, but it can’t be helped. I’ll take the boards to my friend’s to have the holes drilled and polish the surfaces nice and smooth. Then, back home in the mountains, I’ll really be ready to make my own cheese, once I sort out stable temperature and humidity conditions (using an old air conditioner and humidifier). Just for my wife, me, and the guest house, and an occasional gift to any neighbor who won’t turn up their nose at the unfamiliar flavor. Not a commercial production, but that’s fine. As the Russians say, and the Americans too, you gotta live! 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
Ubiquitous Feminism
The enticing supermodels, with cute faces, eye-catching bodies and learned manners, count no longer: the business wants them out. Image source: usatoday
OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE
I
n the still patriarchal world, modern feminism, being as perseverant as it seems to be, is persistently making its way into every walk of life. This piece is not meant to define feminism as a good or not movement, as striving to establish personal, social, political and economic gender equality is not my job to do! I only wonder how vigorously it operates to solidify the female place in our lives, or to strengthen the female word in the formation of opinions around the globe in general. I could not believe my eyes when I read into a recent series of articles about the famous Victoria Secret’s decision to rebrand the company for ‘female empowerment’. Frankly, looking at the feminine part of Georgia’s population, I get the impression our culture needs male empowerment more than female. I apologize for my slightly facetious evaluation of men, favoring our mothers, wives, sisters and daughters, who are playing an increasingly growing part in the country’s economic progress and in shaping the nation’s future. Speaking about economy, the entire world is suffering, including the garment giant VS, which, like others, is doing its possible best to survive. How interesting that a feminist evaluation of the current
business situation is playing out like a serious helper! The decision triggered some tongue-in-cheek comments about this peculiar way of promoting the feminist cause. It also created curiosity as to whether this unexpected step could save the failing business or not. In an aggressive attempt to drastically transform the marketing style, the company fired its old bunch of world-renowned angels to welcome a totally different group of female celebrities to promote the brand, among them famous soccer stars, skiers, technology investors and actresses. All of them are well-known and well-to-do public figures who would hardly ever think of participating in lingerie modeling auditioning sessions. In a word, the technique of choosing a model has been totally reversed, with the firm itself looking for them, and asking them to come and help create an absolutely revamped female image to promote the renovated practice of using a female body for fashion industry purposes. I cannot recollect among the fashion world any such operational ventures: daring, up-to-the-minute and groundbreaking. The enticing supermodels, with cute faces, eye-catching bodies and learned manners, count no longer: the business wants them out, making way to welcome the already established positive images, publicly recognized brilliance and previously deserved fame of the accomplished women. Something
is changing in the fashion approach, and the change is very attractive. Whether it works or not, the attempt is doubtlessly challenging and might make an example for others to follow. On top of all those risky undertakings, the company also made a statement about the refreshed board of directors, with six ladies out of seven members. I would not be surprised if someday the directors too find themselves on the podium. Why not? 21-st century fashion manners are going to be unrecognizably differing from what we have already seen in this popular industry. Listen to what the firm’s chief executive Martin Waters said in his recent statement: “This is an exciting time for all of us at Victoria’s Secret. The progress we have made over the last year underscores our commitment to driving profitable growth, creating new opportunities for our talented associates and evolving our brand and product to reflect the diverse experiences, passions and perspectives of our customers.” I could not have missed the opportunity to use the VS example for its sense of progress, which defeats any accidental failure and drawback caused by wars, earthquakes or pandemics. There might be other examples out there like this one, but VS came handy at the moment. I don’t care whether it serves feminism or any other political movement. It just serves all of us to eschew failure.
CULTURE
GEORGIA TODAY JUNE 25 - JULY 1, 2021
11
BI Auction Celebrates 5th Year Anniversary with Auction Event on June 8
BI Auction co-founders Ika Bokuchava and Bengü Akçardak Küçük
BY TEAM GT
O
ver a five-year period, BI Auction has introduced to the GT readership some 35 Georgian Artists in our joint ‘Meet the Artists’
interviews. To celebrate BI Auction’s 5th anniversary, a special auction event was held. Organized at the Sevsamora Marani Wine Museum in Saguramo, it presented 50 paintings from 31 artists, of which 13 were young artists who had participated in the BI Auction Competition ‘for Young Artists.’ Almost all the young artists’ paintings were sold, and, in total, 60% of artworks have already reached their new homes. Established in 2016, BI Auction aims
to promote Georgian art and artists and enlarge the market. In its five years, BI Auction ‘for ART’ organized 10 Auctions and presented more than 550 paintings from 140 Georgian artists. In every auction, the collection is selected from among thousands of paintings created by both well-known legendary artists of Georgia and from promising young artists. BI Auction co-founder Bengü Akçardak Küçük noted that the hardest thing was not being able to unite due to the pandemic. “We miss being together, we miss that live auction excitement. But still we feel the honor of celebrating our 5th year with our 10th auction,” she said. “Our journey to 'add value to art and life' began with our first auction five years ago. As the first art auction company to be established in Georgia, we have kept our vision of breaking new ground and contributing to the rise of interest in and value of Georgian art and artists. “After five years, I can say that, yes, we did our best for art and artists, for art enthusiasts and for all dynamics of the art market. I am thankful first to my
partner, then to our families, and of course to all our highly esteemed clients and all artists we worked with. “Five years ago, it was a good initiative to start, but now we feel not only strong but also more responsible towards all dynamics of the art market, to create a qualitative connection between past, present and future through art.” “Five years is more than enough to realize how appropriate our decision was in starting this business,” said cofounder Ika Bokuchava. “The establishment of the culture of classic auction of artists in Georgia was timely and really necessary. “After years of experience, BI auction has already taken its place on the local market and gathered a strong audience of Georgian and foreign collectors. “We are especially proud of the works we have collected from Georgian classical art, and of what we presented to the audience during these years," she noted. "I’m extremely excited by the fact that BI Auction plays an important role in representing the paintings of many contemporary as well as young artists, in so doing, assisting them to increase their popularity and achievements.”
‘Georgian Voices’ Soloist Zurab Bakuradze Dies in Road Collapse in Racha BY ANA DUMBADZE
Z
ura Bakuradze, one of the members of the ensemble ‘Georgian Voices,’ has died in a tragic accident in Racha. Reportedly, a road collapsed in the village of Shkmeri, and the singer, who was walking, fell into a ravine. His
body was recovered by the rescue service. Singing group Georgian voices was established in 1986 and has since toured the world. They sing pre-Christian ritualistic songs, old round dance songs, medieval Christian hymns, work songs, lofty drinking songs, amazing polyphony characteristic of Guria, and a number of songs by the Georgian composers of the 19th and the 20th centuries.
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