Interview with the chairman of the Adjarian government

Tornike Rijvadze has occupied the position of Chairman of the Government of Adjara for more than 2 months now. Despite the fact that within this period, he has held many important activities, he managed to attract public attention at the closing ceremony of the World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, when he delivered the Georgian map to the Russian delegation. Rijvadze's action was prompted by an incident on October 3, when Russian representatives distributed maps during the Olympics. On the map, Georgia was represented without the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region. According to the head of the Adjara Autonomous Republic, it could be a mistake or a calculated intention but he is not willing to put the country’s unity under question. This is why he decided to hand over the map of Georgia to avoid such inconveniences in the future.

"We prepared for this chess Olympiad over many months. Too many work was done in this direction. I would like to say that the organizing committee worked very well and we had an effective opening. It can be described as unprecedented. The Chess games were held in a normal situation, but this time it was a very sad fact. Representatives of the delegation of one of Russia's county distributed gift handbags to other delegations, which contained maps of Georgia that were presented without Samachablo and Abkhazia.

This was communicated to me from various sources, including the press. It was particularly hard to see this distorted map during the 10th anniversary of the August tragic events, when Russia carried out military aggression and still does not fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire agreement – constantly violating universally recognized norms of international law. Although we are a very hospitable country, I thought it was so unacceptable and it was necessary to react. Therefore, it was spontaneous for us to present a gift that underlines the territorial integrity of our country and of course our spirit. We noted that we would not tolerate such declaration of our territorial boundaries and will always use all platforms to protect our country's sovereignty. So it was a natural reaction that every citizen of our country should have."

How did Russian delegates react after your speech?

The distortion of the map was connected to the designers error, though this is not a valid argument for me and of course our gift was very unexpected for them so they felt very bad. In all circumstances we have to cement our position towards occupation. I would like to emphasize that this action is not just my civil position, it is the attitude of the government towards occupation. We understand how important it is that the right of people living on the occupied territory be protected. As a result of Russian aggression, our citizens' right to their homes have been significantly damaged and a large part of them have become refugees. We face severe humanitarian challenges as a result of this occupation. Therefore we will use all the necessary mechanisms to present these problems to the international community. This is especially important for us to present this in the capacity of the United Nations and our strategic partners' support.

You mentioned the international community so I’m wondering how you answer your opponents who often ask questions about your team's foreign course?

One thing I would like to say is that Georgia’s European choice is not an exclusive decision made by a narrow group or by any party. This is a historic choice of the country and of course this historic choice is actively pursued by a trusted and elected government. Our consistent policies, peace initiatives and support of international partners, and most importantly, each patriot's participation is a necessary prerequisite for achieving victory. This fight will continue until the final victory!

You are the youngest to ever occupy the position of Chairman of the Government of Adjara. Do you find age-related difficulties and focus on your age by colleagues and opponents as a problem?

Of course, initially there were skepticisms, especially from the people who are in opposition. I believe that youthfulness and patriotism are the basis for a state and pragmatic decision in Adjara, which will be tailored to the needs of the region and in full compliance with the central government's leadership, under the Prime Minister's leadership. However, I am very accustomed to taking responsibility. I was youngest when I was the deputy minister of energy in the central government. Decisions taken together with my team in Adjara will be first of all adapted to the development of the region and of course each of them will be for the progress of the state and would be as pragmatic as possible.

As regards the needs of the Region, can you specify the main challenges in Adjara?

Although Adjara is one of the most advanced regions with economic development and dynamics, there are still many economic and social issues. The economic policy of the region will be in the direction of having an inclusive economy, and tourism will also be a strategic direction.

At the same time, it is important to introduce innovative approaches as well as high-tech to improve qualitative indicators. All this should give us justice, which means equal conditions for our citizens. It is very important for progress to be felt in every village and not only in administrative centers. Infrastructural directions are planned for large scale and sustainable projects, in this respect, it is important to strengthen the role of public and private co-operation. Also, the role of international and donor organizations is important for the Sustainable Development Goals of the region. We want to have a very flexible, small and efficient government to take effective steps in this direction.

You have not been in this position for up to three months. What was the first of activity you pursued?

The first was the concept of a small government. In order to promote investments, we made a decision. Business promotion is an integral part of our governmental vision. At the same time, fair balance is important. In order to facilitate business, we opened the first regional representation of Georgia in Adjara and this will significantly facilitate entrepreneurs and private sectors to do business within our region. We also introduced a business ombudsman, which will be an important institution for the protection of business interests within the regional and central context. Our policy and the steps that we have pursued are due to the state interests. Principle and justice are our main objectives to ensure that nobody benefits from their position, with the law remaining Supreme.

The issues related to construction are currently very relevant. Protests were also held in Batumi. What’s your view about this?

People have the right to express themselves through protest in any form as long as it is within the ambits provided by law, but I would like to say that yesterday I had a meeting with the organizers of the rally. Unfortunately, they did not agree with this meeting. I would like to note that effective steps have been taken and will be taken as regards city development regulation. Against the backdrop of the protection of the city's interests, it is important to have dynamics in the economy. At the same time, we can not break the economy.

You have noted that tourism will be your strategic direction, what are you planning to do in this regard?

The events, chess Olympiad, and some high-level conferences, are all intended to promote tourism. During winter, the winter resort "Goderdzi" will be actively represented. What we have identified as important is branding, i.e. Adjara and Batumi should be better positioned on international markets, and our government is very active in this direction. It is important that Adjara be a tourist destination for four seasons and everyone involved in it, should all get their benefits. We plan to conduct international research in spatial planning and everything will be close to the expectation of international visitors.

I would like to point out that Batumi is a European City of Sport for 2019, which will significantly improve sports tourism and we are preparing for it. The football field, which will be completed in 2020 will play a very important role in the sport and culture of the region. The stadium is designed according to UEFA IV categories requirements and is designed for 20,000 spectators.

It is especially important to implement effective education reform in the region. Youth involvement in economic processes are pivotal, because an educated youth is the prerequisite for economic development of any country. In addition to our great desire to attract foreign higher education institutions and access to international education, we should not always look beyond Georgia but also in Adjara.