Diplomat October 2022

EU AMBASSADOR: SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP

EUROPEAN POLITICAL COMMUNITY –REJECTED BY FRANCE, INITIATED BY FRANCE

SUPPORT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IS CRUCIAL IN ASSISTING THE COUNTRY TO STRENGTHEN ITS DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE

APARTMENTS OF THE FUTURE –SEA’S ENERGY EFFICIENT CONSTRUCTION ENHANCED BY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

ISRAELI HOUSE HELD A PRESENTATION OF THE “BIBLICAL ROUTE” IN GEORGIA AS PART OF EUROPEAN DAYS OF JEWISH CULTURE

IRINA GACHECHILADZE DISCUSSES HER INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING THE ARTS

INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL ODESA –THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LITERATURE

eorgia and the European Union achieved important milestone in June, 2022, as 27 EU leaders decid ed to recognize Georgia’s ‘European Perspective’. The European Council expressed readiness to grant the status of candidate country to Georgia once the priorities specified in the European Commission’s opinion on Georgia’s

პრიორიტეტები საქართველოს წევრობის განაცხადთან დაკავშირე ბით. თუმცა, ეს გადაწყვეტილება საქართველოში დიდად არ აღინიშნა, რადგან მოლოდინი უპირობო კანდიდატის სტატუსი იყო, ისევე რო გორც ეს მოხდა უკრაინისა და მოლდოვის შემთხვევაში. ჩვენ ვესაუბრეთ პაველ ჰერჩინსკის, ევროკავშირის ახალ ელჩს საქართველოში, რათა გაგვერკვია, შეძლებს თუ არა საქართველო ამ პრიორიტეტების შესრულებას

membership application have been met. However, this decision was not much celebrated in Georgia as candidate status was expected unconditionally, similarly to Ukraine and Moldova.

We talked to Pawel Herczynski, the new EU Ambassador to Georgia, to find out whether Georgia will be able to address those priorities by the end of the year, and what his expectations are in this regard.

Based on the given political situation, how likely is it that Georgia meets the 12 priorities and how will the progress be evaluated?

The European Council, which consists of 27 EU leaders - presidents and prime ministers - decided collectively in June to grant Georgia the European perspective. In my opinion, this is a truly historic moment; so, any questions about Georgia’s eligibility to become a member of the EU, all doubts have been cleared up. It is now up to the Georgian side to prove that they are ready to embark on this journey, and the next step is to implement these priorities.

I think, and this is what I’m saying based on my 4 weeks in Georgia and the many conversations I have had both with the government and opposition representatives, that Georgia is very well placed to deliver, however, this will require all stake holders to work together toward achieving this objective. As

for the large part of the population that Georgia did not receive candidate status together with Ukraine and Moldova. How do you assess this decision by the EU and how well communicated this decision was to the population which is anyway heartbro ken after not having received MAP from NATO and for getting additional recommendations for the EU candidate status.

As you mentioned the 2008 war, I would like to emphasize that the EU is fully supporting the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Georgia. We stand by Georgia not only with words, but also with our actions. As we celebrate the 14th anniversary of the establishment of the EU monitoring mission, we are here today with our monitors to ensure that Georgia and the breakaway regions remain stable and gradually normalized. We are also the co-chairs of Geneva international discussions and at some point in the future we hope to see tangible results of our support of Georgia.

It has been a historic moment to receive the European perspective; this gives Georgia a unique chance to acceler ate on its way toward the European Union; 12 priorities have been offerred and I hope that the work will be completed and Georgia will be granted the candidate country status. There is no time like now, as I do not know for how long this window will be open, therefore, I was saying to both, the government and

ჩვენ ღია ვართ თქვენთვის, მაგრამ გელოდებით, რომ შეასრულებთ 12 რეკომენდაციას. ეს თქვენზეა დამოკიდებული, ეს თქვენი ქვეყანაა და გულწრფელად ვიმედოვნებ, რომ ეს მიიღწევა. და ბოლოს, თქვენ გაეცანით მთავრობის გეგმას 12 პრიორი ტეტის შესასრულებლად, შეხვდით ოპოზიციას თუ სამოქალაქო

opposition, throughout all my meetings: seize this chance, it is a historic moment for your country. We are open to you, but we are waiting for you to follow through on the 12 priorities. This is up to you, it is your country, and I sincerely hope it can be done.

Finally, you get acquainted with the government’s plan to fulfill the 12 priorities , you met with the opposition and the civil society. How realistic do you think at this stage that Georgia receives the EU candidate status?

As I have been here for four weeks, it has been busy for me. I’ve met many interlocutors, both government officials and opposition representatives, but this is still an ongoing process. I also hope that it’s not about passing the laws but also about implementing those laws in practice. My message to opposi tion - stay in Parliament, engage constructively, provide ideas. Hopefully this will all result in progress of implementation of 12 priorities. The process within the Georgian parliament is still underway. I am still reaching out, trying to meet, listening, and learning from what I have experienced so far. I hope that the government will make the process inclusive, open, transpar ent, that international standard setters such as ODIHR, Venice Commission will be involved, consulted, and their suggestions will be taken into account.

his year Bulgaria is celebrating 15 years of EU mem bership, Vesselin Valkanov, the newly appointed Am bassador of Bulgaria to Georgia is taking the opportu nity to look back on the path of Bulgaria’s accession and the benefits from its EU membership.

In spite of Bulgaria’s problems with the judiciary, corruption, and organized crime, why do you think the Europe an Union opened its doors to Bulgaria during that period?

I would like to start by pointing out that the problems you have listed are not particular to Bulgaria only. There have been enough instances in other countries, Member States of the EU

with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Republic of Azerbaijan and Georgia Kairat Osmonaliev

თუმცა, აღინიშნება ორმხრივი სავაჭრო-ეკონომიკური თანამშრომლობის

ხასიათიც.

during the 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO. Last year, Georgia co-sponsored the resolution of the Kyrgyz Republic in the framework of the UN General Assembly, in par ticular “On declaring 2022 the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development”.

How economic cooperation is going?

Georgia continues to be an economic partner of Kyrgyzstan, which is due to the preservation of traditional ties. However, the restrained nature of the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation is noted. On March 14-15, 2016, the 1st meeting of the Intergovernmental Kyrgyz-Georgian Commis sion on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held in Tbilisi. However, the work of the Intergovernmental Commission has not received further intensification, we plan to give impetus to this mechanism, of course, with the corresponding interest of the Georgian side. I would like to note that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan (CCI), together with the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in 2018 created a database of enterprises in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia with complete information and a list of products. This initiative is called “Find a partner abroad”, with the main goal of finding reliable suppliers of products and raw materials. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan constantly sends up dated information to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Georgia.

Trade turnover for 2021 amounted to USD 26.3 million

ბული პოტენციალი სავაჭრო-ეკონომიკურ სფეროში და ვიმედოვნებ, რომ ერთობლივი ძალისხმევით, ორმხრივად მომგებიანი პირობე ბით შევძლებთ სავაჭრო ბრუნვის მოცულობის გაზრდას. შესაძლოა თბილისში ან საქართველოს სხვა ქალაქში გავხსნათ

(an increase of 93.6% compared to the same period in 2020): exports – USD 7.0 million (an increase of 48.3% compared to with the same period in 2020); import – USD 19.3 million (an increase of 2.1 times compared to the same period in 2020). I think that there is a large unrealized potential between our coun tries in the trade and economic sphere, and we will increase the volume of trade turnover on mutually beneficial terms through joint efforts. Perhaps we will open a Trade House of Kyrgyzstan in Tbilisi or another city in Georgia, where it will be possible to get acquainted with the export products of Kyrgyzstan and conclude relevant agreements.

What can be said about the cultural and humanitarian aspect of cooperation?

Following the results of the 1st meeting of the IGC Kyrgyz stan-Georgia on trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation on March 15, 2016, the parties agreed to organize and hold Days of Culture in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia, to promote the expansion of ties between creative teams and perform ers, creative unions, as well as the participation of Kyrgyz and Georgian cultural and art workers in international festivals and competitions held on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

ლის, ჩინგიზ აიტმატოვის 95 წლის იუბილესთან დაკავშირებით, რომ ლის შემოქმედებას, როგორც ვიცი, საქართველოში პატივს სცემენ, იგეგმება მისი ხსოვნისადმი პატივის მიგება საქართველოს ქალაქებში ქუჩის დარქმევითა და სკვერის

We plan to implement these agreements.

Currently, the issue of establishing sister city relations be tween the cities of Bishkek and Tbilisi, Cholpon-Ata and Batumi is being worked out. On the eve of the 95th anniversary of our outstanding countryman, world-famous writer Chyngyz Aitma tov, whose work, as far as I know, is revered in Georgia, it is planned to perpetuate his memory with a street, a park square in the cities of Georgia. Preliminary talks on this issue have already been held.

We are greatly assisted in this direction by our two honor ary consuls – Mr. Archil Maziashvili in Tbilisi and Mr. Georgy Kalandadze in Batumi.

„Doing Business-2020“-ის

თქვენი ქვეყანა 190-დან მე შვიდე ადგილზეა, „Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Index2021“-ში იგი 178 ქვეყნიდან მეთორმეტე ადგილზეა, ეკონომიკური თავისუფლების ინდექსი-2020-ით ფრეიზერის

საერთაშორისო გამჭვირვალობის კორუფციის აღქმის ინდექსით 2020 წელს (45-ე 180-დან) და გლობალური ინოვაციების ინდექსში 2019 წელს (63-ე 131-დან). რეფორმების დანერგვა-განხორციელების შედეგით, 2021 წელს საქართველომ ორნიშნა ეკონომიკურ ზრდას, 10,7%-ს მიაღწია. ჩვენ გვაინტერესებს საქართველოს გამოცდილება ციფრულ სფეროში სახელმწიფო ორგანოებს შორის თანამშრომლობის და მყარების საკითხში; საინვესტიციო პროექტების განვითარებისათვის საექსპერტო/საკონსულტაციო დახმარების მოზიდვა; სახელმწიფო ვალის რესტრუქტურიზაცია; ინვესტიციების მოზიდვა; კორუფციასთან ბრძოლა; სახელმწიფო ორგანოებში კადრების გადამზადება; სატ რანსპორტო ლოჯისტიკის ინდუსტრიაში სურსათის უსაფრთხოების უზრუნველყოფა. აღსანიშნავია „ელექტრონული მოქალაქეობის

What are the plans to strengthen bilateral cooperation?

Georgia has achieved impressive results in the course of reforms. According to last year’s data, in the World Bank’s Doing Business-2020 ranking, your country is in 7th place out of 190, in the Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Index-2021 it ranks 12th out of 178 countries, in the Economic Freedom Index-2020 Fraser Institute ranks 8th out of 165 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2020 (45th out of 180) and Global Innovation Index 2019 (63rd out of 131). As a synergistic result of the reforms, in 2021 Georgia achieved double-digit economic growth of 10.7%.

We are interested in the experience of Georgia in establish ing cooperation between state bodies in the field of digitalization; attracting expert / advisory assistance for the development of investment projects; restructuring of public debt; attraction of investments; combating corruption; training of personnel in state bodies; ensuring food security; in the transport logistics industry.

Noteworthy is the “E-Residency Concept”, which allows citizens of 34 countries to register their companies electronically and open bank accounts in Georgia without being physically present in the country.

Georgia is also gaining recognition as a regional transport hub. Georgia’s free trade regimes provide investors with easy access to export goods produced in Georgia to foreign markets.

We can continue to enumerate the positive aspects of the past and ongoing reforms, in the process of intensifying bilateral cooperation, we will focus on them.

What would you wish the Georgian people?

Once again, I would like to congratulate the fraternal peo ple of Georgia on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the interstate Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, I wish peace, stability, well-being and prosperity to the fraternal people of Georgia!

uring its eight years in the Georgian real estate mar ket, Gumbati Holding has successfully completed 4 projects and has 3 projects under construction, one of which will be completed at the end of the year.

Construction of Vake Residence, one of the major projects in Vake located at Kipshidze St. #1 is in progress; Gumbati Holding is taking on a particularly high responsibility to com plete this project, which had been suspended in 2008 by one of the companies. As a result, the 200 affected tenants will receive the same premises for free that they had been waiting for many years.

We spoke to Soso Machaidze and Nato Bochorishvili the directors of Gumbati Holding about the project’s investment volume and how it differs from other constructions in the area.

Please tell us about the history of Gumbati Holding, about its values, and what sets it apart.

Soso Machaidze: Gumbati Holding was established in 2014 and has already implemented and completed four projects, one of which is Vake Residence, which is an important project for us. As well, we have an ongoing project in Bakuriani.

We place a great deal of value on quality and comfort for all of our residents; It is interesting that most of the people buying our different projects are the same people, since they

ასევე, ბაკურიანშიც გვაქვს მიმდინარე პროექტი. მთავარი ღირებულება ჩვენთვის არის ხარისხი და კომფორტი, რომელსაც ვარგებთ ყველა იმ ადამიანზე, რომლებიც ჩვენი მობი ნადრეები ხდებიან. საინტერესოა, რომ ჩვენი სხვადასხვა პროექტის მყიდველთა უმრავლესობა ერთი და იგივე ადამიანები არიან, რადგან ნახეს ხარისხი და კვლავ უნდათ იყვნენ ჩვენთან ერთად, გახდნენ ჩვენი მობინადრეები. ვთვლით, რომ

recognized the quality and want to remain with us. When we receive trust from people, we also have more responsibilities, and with these responsibilities we strive to follow through on what we have promised.

We would like to learn more about the diverse range of experience Gumbati Holding has gained and the projects completed or in progress.

Soso Machaidze: Our company has built multi-functional complexes. We are currently preparing to launch the Ipodromi Residence, which is strategically located in an excellent loca tion. We have also built Vere Business Center, which is a stable tenant area; many international companies are interested in renting our offices there.

Among our most remarkable projects in Batumi is Boule vard Gate, which is distinguished by its quality, location, and visual aspect.

Due to its location, our project Villa Kokhta Mitarbi in Bakuriani is also attractive both as a living space and for an investment, and is therefore suitable for both Georgian and international investors. In addition to hotel-style apartments, the complex has recreational space and is easily adaptable to vacationers’ needs.

In recent months, the company has been particularly active, why is this so?

Nato Bochorishvili: The reason we have been active in the last few months is that we have started a major project in Vake, the Vake Residence, which is being developed on a plot of

2000-იან წლებში დაწყებული მშენებლობა, რომელშიც უკვე 200-მდე მობინადრე უნდა ყოფილიყო, რომლებმაც ამ პროექტში ფართი შეიძინეს. სამწუხა

როდ, 2008 წლის მოვლენებიდან გამომდინარე, მშენებლობა ვერ განხორციელდა. რაც ყველაზე მთავარია, მთლიანად დავშალეთ ყველა ის კონსტრუქცია, რაც არსებობდა, 20 000 კვადრატამდე იყო

land that exceeds one hectare. In total, 100,000 square meters will be constructed, so it will be a multi-functional complex with commercial spaces, office spaces, and residential apartments.

Soso Machaidze: Vake Residence is a very large-scale project not only because of its location, but because it’s an ongoing development that began in the 2000s, in which about 200 residents have already bought space, but the 2008 events prevented the construction from happening. It is worth to note that we completely demolished all existing structures, which already covered up to 20,000 square meters. Because our main requirement is quality, our team made a decision to completely clean the area since it had not been built to our standards, so we started everything from scratch. This project is not only important to us, but also to the 200 people who have been waiting for so long for this building to be constructed.

The hotel Intourist Kazbegi is located at an altitude of 5046 meters in the Kazbegi mountains. The hotel features 43 rooms in total, two bars, a restaurant, a terrace, and a library. Guests are ensured with free wireless access to the Internet, which helps them to work and solve their business matters remotely.

uropean leaders gathered in Prague on October 6 to launch a new association that would also include countries bordering the European Union. In addition to the EU and EEA (the European Economic Area), the Association also includes Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Israel and the Western Balkans and Caucasus countries.

The idea came from French President Emmanuel Macron, who shortly after his re-election called for a more rapid method of integration in a speech to the European Parliament on 9th of May. According to him, while the association wouldn’t be a replacement for the formal EU accession process, it would

გამოწვევებზე, რომელთა წინაშეც დგას წევრი ქვეყნები. გარდა იმისა, რომ კონტინენტს მისცემს პლატფორმას საერთო ინტერესების განსახორციელებლად, ახალი ასოციაციის შექმნამ ასევე შეიძლება საფუძველი დაუდოს თანამშრომლობის გრძელვადიან

შექმნა მაშინ, როცა უკვე არსებობს ევროკავშირი? მსგავსი კითხვა შესაძლოა და სმულიყო 1952 წელსაც, როდესაც ევროპის ქვანახშირისა და ფოლა დის გაერთიანების ექვსი წვერი ქვეყანა ცდილობდა ახალი ასოციაციის შექმნას, მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ უკვე არსებოდა ევროპის საბჭო. ამის მიზეზი შესაძლოა ყოფილიყო ის, რომ აღნიშნული ქვეყნების ლი დერებს არ ჰქონდათ იმედი, რომ ევროპის საბჭო ოდესმე გახდებოდა

set up concrete and quick responses to the challenges facing acceding nations.

As well as giving the continent a platform to pursue shared interests, the creation of a new association could also highlight long-term opportunities for collaboration, strengthen Europe’s

ნამდვილი ევროპული პოლიტიკური ავტორიტეტის მქონე ორგანიზა ცია. შეიძლება დღესაც იგივე მიზეზი იყოს, მხოლოდ იმ განსხვავებით, რომ ახლა ევროსაბჭოს გარდა არსებობს ევროკავშირიც, რომელიც რეგიონში შექმნილი პოლიტიკური ვითარებიდან გამომდინარე ვეღარ პასუხობს ევროპის ინტერესებსა და გამოწვევებს. სანამ ნაადრევია ამ კითხვებზე პასუხის გაცემა, ისევე როგორც ასოციაციის წარმატების პროგნოზირება და ექნება თუ არა მას ხელ შესახები შედეგები, იქამდე თვალი გადავავლოთ ევროპული პოლი ტიკური თანამეგობრობის პირველი შეხვედრის მთავარ გზავნილებს: „იმ დროს, როდესაც ევროპის სტაბილურობასა და უსაფრ თხოებას საფრთხე ემუქრება, ჩვენ გვჭირდება მეტი დიალოგი, მეტი მოსმენა, მეტი ურთიერთგაგება და არა ნაკლები. ეს არის ის, რასაც ჩვენ მივაღწიეთ პირველ ევროპულ

position in the global arena while preserving its diversity.

The name of the association, however, raises questions, since in 1952, creating the European Political Community was proposed as a combination of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and the European Defence Community (EDC). Two years later, the French National Assembly refused to approve the Treaty setting up the EDC, leading to the disso lution of the intended European Political Community.

Ironically, the association with the same name was pro posed by France 70 years later to foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest and to im prove European security, stability, and prosperity.

Yet why was it necessary to form another association while

შარლ მიშელი და საფრანგეთის რესპუბლიკის პრეზიდენტი ემანუელ მა კრონი შეხვდნენ აზერბაიჯანის პრეზიდენტს ილჰამ ალიევს და სო მხეთის პრემიერ-მინისტრს ნიკოლ ფაშინიანს. სომხეთმა და აზერბაიჯანმა დაადასტურეს თავიანთი ერთგულება გაერთიანებული ერების ორგანიზაციის ქარტიისა და ალმა ატას 1991 წლის დეკლარაციის მიმართ, რომლის მეშვეობითაც ორივე აღიარებს ერთმანეთის ტერიტორიულ მთლიანობას და სუვერენიტეტს. მათ დაადასტურეს, რომ ეს იქნება საფუძველი საზღვრის დელიმიტაციის კომისიების მუშაობისთვის და რომ სასაზღვრო კომისიების შემდეგი შეხვედრა ოქტომბრის

there is already a European Union? A similar question could have been raised in 1952, when those six countries tried to form a new association despite already having the Council of Europe; could this be because these six leaders abandoned all hope that the Council of Europe would ever become a real European political authority? Could this be the case also today with only difference that now there is the European Union?

Although it is too early to answer these questions and pre dict the success of the association and whether it will produce tangible results, it is worthwhile to reflect on the first meeting:

“At a time when Europe’s stability and security is being threatened, we need more dialogue, more listening, more mutual understanding, not less. And that’s what we achieved at the first European Political Community,” stated European Council President Charles Michel.

Two issues dominated the leaders’ discussions, peace and security, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine and the energy crisis.

In the margins of the meeting, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron met with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan.

Armenia and Azerbaïdjan confirmed their commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and the Alma Ata 1991 Dec laration through which both recognize each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. They confirmed it would be a basis for the work of the border delimitation commissions and that the next meeting of the border commissions would take place in Brussels by the end of October.

There was an agreement by Armenia to facilitate a civilian EU mission alongside the border with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan agreed to cooperate with this mission as far as it is concerned. The mission will start in October for a maximum of two months. The aim of this mission is to build confidence and, through its reports, to contribute to the border commissions.

The next European Political Community meetings will take place in Moldova, Spain and the United Kingdom.

MCG is playing an important role in assisting the Gov ernment of Georgia in the process of EU integration, namely by providing support in introducing required le gal and institutional reforms, contributing to enhanced coordination, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting mechanisms for the Government of Georgia, institutional development and capacity building of state institutions and private sector and raising public awareness about EU-Georgia cooperation. Since 2015, the company is successfully implementing num ber of important EU Technical Assistance projects to facilitate the implementation of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement (AA) and its integral Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area

he draft law amending Georgia’s procedure for the use of covert investigative measures was adopted in a hasty procedure and requires both impact assess ment and more detailed justification, according to an urgent opinion from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission of legal and constitutional experts.

The opinion, published on August 26, concludes that the overall oversight mechanism of secret surveillance measures in Georgia seems to be inadequate and there is a need for a comprehensive revision of existing covert surveillance systems.

The draft law on the Amendments to the Criminal Proce dure Code was adopted by the Parliament of Georgia on 7

გახანგრძლივებისადაგამოყენებულიფარულიღონისძიებებით დაინტერესებულპირთაშეტყობინებისშემსუბუქებისწესებთანდა

June 2022. The amendments were subsequently vetoed by the President of Georgia, whose administration requested an urgent opinion from the Venice Commission on 1 July.

Today’s opinion stresses that freedom of communications and privacy are fundamental values in any liberal society. Covert surveillance measures should therefore be cautiously worded and narrowly interpreted by state agencies and the courts.

However, in this case, the opinion identifies shortcomings concerning the quality of the law-making process, the proposed list of crimes eligible for covert investigation, the duration of co vert investigation measures, notifications about such measures and the systems of judicial control and institutional oversight.

In conclusion, the opinion recommends that:

•forthesakeofamoretransparent,rationalandinclusive legislativeprocess,itwouldbeessentialtohaveformalconsul tations with the relevant stakeholders and civil society before decidingonanydraftbillinfurtherlegislativeprocedure;

•thedraftlawrequiresaconvincingjustificationforextend ing the list of crimes eligible for investigation by covert mea sures,prolongingtheoveralldurationofcovertmeasuresand relaxingrulesregardingthenotificationofpersonsconcerned bytheused covert measures;

სამართლებრივრეჟიმებზედაყრდნობით,რადგანისქმნისფარული ღონისძიებებისბოროტადგამოყენებისრისკსძალიანსენსიტიურ

• the draft law shows the need for a comprehensive revi sionofthecovertsurveillancesystemsbasedondifferentlegal regimeswhich,however,overlaponthetechnicallevel–such overlaps create a risk of abuse in the highly sensitive area of covert measures.

The opinion therefore recommends revising the overall legal framework for oversight of covert surveillance before embarking on discussions about the specific proposals contained in the draft law.

The opinion will be submitted to the full Venice Commis sion for endorsement at its next plenary session, from 21 to 22 October 2022.

n just a few months, Solar Energy Apartments (SEA), a construction company that focuses on sustainability and innovation, will complete the first energy-efficient building project using solar energy and artificial in telligence.

Our interview with Levan Okropiridze, head of the SEA project, led us to learn more about the benefits of eco-flats and the innovative elements introduced to this project.

20 წლის შემდეგ, საქართველოში ყველა სამშენებლო კომპანია მზის ენერგიაზე იქნება გადასული. ჩვენი უპი რატესობა კი ის იქნება, რომ მაგ დროისთვის ყველაზე დიდი გამოც დილება გვექნება

It took us several years to come up with this concept. Prior to now we had been building standard type buildings, but we were also looking for something more innovative. We wanted to offer a very high quality product that also had something more important behind it. Among our primary goals was to make this project energy-efficient, sustainable, and innovative, something that had never been done in Georgia before.

To answer your question, this is a BREEAM certificate, the

A main message of yours is ‘Demand construction with European certification’, what is behind this message?

მნიშვნელოვანი ნაწილია. კიდევ ბევრი სხვა დეტალია გათვალისწინებული, მაგა ლითისთვის მეზობელი ბინიდან ხმის გამოდინება. ჩვენ ვიყენებთ ხმის საიზოლაციო ბლოკს, რომელსაც აქვს ერთი მეტრი აგურის კედლის თბოიზოლაცია, ანუ მეზობელ ბინასთან გვაქვს ერთი მეტრის აგურის კედლის ეფექტი. აღსანიშნავია ხელოვნური ინტელექტის როლიც, მაგალითად, როდესაც მაცხოვრებელი უახალოვდება სადარბაზოს კარს, თვალის გუგაზე ფიქსაციით, კართან შეხების გარეშე აღებს პროგრამა სა დარბაზოს კარს, იძახებს ლიფტს, სახლში გათბობა-კონდიცირების

highest European Union building standard certificate, which has never been awarded to another Georgian company. Fur thermore, it was a great experience to get to the “Green Entre preneurs Expo” of the European Union last year. We are also members of the UN Global Compact in Georgia, and 2 months ago, the Swedish Embassy officially presented us with a UN certification in the direction of green economy.

For a giant company, changing suddenly to a new system is not easy; it takes years for you to psychologically and re sourcefully adjust. But, we realize that this is the direction of the future, after 20 years, all construction companies will switch to solar energy in Georgia and our advantage will be that we will have the most experience in this area at that time.

How do you stand out from others? What do you offer that others don’t?

Preparatory work only took two years, because we started focusing on energy efficiency from the very beginning; naturally, we considered the movement of the sun, since it is an essential part of our project. There are many other details considered, for example, sound leakage from the neighboring apartment; we use a sound insulation block that includes a one meter brick wall thermal insulation, meaning we have the effect of a one meter brick wall.

In addition, artificial intelligence also plays a role, a resident can open the entrance door without even touching it, just by the fixation of his eye pupil, the program takes control of the entry door, calls the elevator, turns on the heating and air conditioning systems in the house, so everything is provided by the software.

The building has its weather station, hence, if a resident goes outside without an umbrella, the program will tell him: “Take an umbrella because it’s raining outside.” The program recog nizes weather conditions and informs the resident accordingly.

A key’s element is interesting as well, because carrying too many keys can be a problem for residents. As part of our project, a key is not necessary because identification is based on the pupil of the eye and the face; if the face changes for any objective reasons, the entry is done via a phone instead. In case a resident doesn’t have a phone, it is also possible to call the security police. In this case, three parties are involved: the security police, the local representative (receptionist) and the resident, who write down the reasons about why and how the door was opened; overall, the residence is 100% secure.

A lot of details are incorporated in this project, making it a much more interesting concept. Nowadays, the youth is es pecially dependent on gadgets, causing them to spend hours locked inside, therefore, we offer our customers different condi tions and are trying to be special in this regard; our oval garden space will have nice solar panel seating and people with laptops or other equipment can come out and work in the open space.

In a developing country, creating and implementing a

ფორმის, კონცეფციის კორ პუსები. წელიწად-ნახევარი დავხარჯეთ მხოლოდ იმაზე, რომ გან სხვავებული დიზაინი შეგვექმნა. ჩვენს ერთ კორპუსში სამი დიზაინია წარმოდგენილი, მაშინ როცა სტანდარტული მშენებლობა მუდმივად ერთ ხაზს მისდევს. ძალიან საინტერესო პროექტი ყოველთვის იზიდავს ადამიანებს, განსაკუთრებით ვინც მიდრეკილია ბოლო თაობის ტექნოლოგიების კენ, რაც ასოცირდება სიახლესთან, მომავალთან. ჩვენი მომხმარე ბელთა დიდი ნაწილი სწორედ ის ადამიანები არიან, ვინც ახლოსაა ამ ტექნოლოგიურ სივრცესთან. პროექტის წარმატებისთვის

sustainable, environmentally friendly project is not easy. What factors contributed to your success?

A project’s success is best measured in numbers, and ours is already successful since most of the apartments have already been sold, only a few remain.

There are a lot of people who are tired of buildings that look the same, that are the same color, and that have the same con cept. Our buildings show three different designs, while standard construction always follows one pattern. We spent a year and a half in creating these.

People are always drawn to a great project, especially those who are interested in new technologies that are associated with novelty and the future that is why we have a large per centage of customers who are interested in the technological advancements.

This building’s location is also important for its success, as it is situated in Old Tbilisi, a very busy tourist area, and this type of construction is more acceptable here because there are many foreigners and for those who are coming from Europe, it is important that the product meets the European requirements.

A crucial role played by human resources in the construction process is also to be noted, those responsible for this project are professionals who take their work seriously and compre hend the importance of their work. It is also common for us to bring engineers from different countries to the project to share their experiences and knowledge with the local staff, which

აღსანიშნავია, უშუალოდ მშენებლობის პროცესში ადამიანთა ჩართულობის როლიც. ისინი არიან პროფესიონალი ადამიანები, პასუხისმგებლობით ეკიდებიან საქმეს და იაზრებენ საკუთარი შრომის მნიშვნელობას პროექტის წარმატების კუთხით. ხშირად ჩამოგვყავს ინჟინრები სხვადასხვა ქვეყნიდან, რომლებიც უზიარებენ ადგილობ რივებს საკუთარ გამოცდილებასა და ცოდნას. ეს ბუნებრივია ზრდის პროექტის ხარისხს. რა ეტაპზეა პროექტი და როდის იგეგმება მისი დასრულება? ყველა ძირითადი სამუშაო დასრულდება დეკემბერში, ჩვენ ვი ტოვებთ 2-3 თვეს, რომ ხელოვნური ინტელექტის კუთხით თუ სხვა ელემენტების კუთხით, მოხდეს მათი დატესტვა- მოსინჯვა. შესაბამი სად, დიდი დრო აღარ დარჩა პროექტის დასრულებამდე და საბოლოო სახით წარდგენამდე. როგორ ხედავთ თქვენი კომპანიის განვითარებას მომდევნო

increases its quality.

When is the project scheduled to be completed? At what stage is it now?

After the main work is completed in December, we reserve 2-3 months to test and try them out in terms of artificial intelli gence and other elements; thus, there is not much time left to complete the project and present it at the end.

Over the next ten years, how do you envision your company developing?

There is a strong desire within us to develop more projects based on this concept, we are confident that this concept will cross borders and be replicated in several countries, that is why we are interested in being involved in the UN Global Compact and in the EU projects.

Our goal is to export our project to their member countries as a Georgian product with its own logotype, history, and values. Although the Georgian construction company was operating outside the borders previously, there was no unified concept and established direction regarding expansion.

You cannot surprise a developed country with standard construction; on the other hand, if you enter with an initiative that already has the backing of the European Union, the United Nations, interest will naturally rise.

In addition to energy-efficient apartments or artificial in telligence, we’re talking about high-quality service delivery as well; for instance, many apartment complexes do not offer a personal security service that we do, even large construction companies lack this direction.

Overall, we don’t call our project “high class” as this word has devalued to the point that people sometimes refer to ev erything by it; so we are trying to prove the quality of our work in actions, rather than in words.

ბილისში, 25 სექტემბერს, „ისრაელის სახლის“ ორგა ნიზებით ებრაული კულტურის ევროპული დღეებისადმი მიძღვნილი ღონისძიება გაიმართა. ღონისძიების მიზანი I თ

ებრაული ახალი წლის აღნიშვნა და „ბიბლიური მარშრუ ტის“ წარდგენა იყო. აღნიშნული მარშრუტი შეთანხმებულია ევრო საბჭოს ეგიდით მოქმედი ებრაული კულტურისა და მემკვიდრეობის PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

კავკასიის

(AEPJ), მარშ

sraeli House organized an event dedicated to the Eu ropean Days of Jewish Culture on September 25th in Tbilisi, with the purpose of celebrating the Jewish New Year and presenting the Biblical Route. The major sec tion of the route including Caucasus is part of the EU program, backed by The European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ), an organi zation operating under the auspices of the European Council.

As a member organization of AEPJ, Israeli House oversees the European route of Jewish cultural heritage certified by the Council of Europe in Georgia on the recommendation of the Ministry of Culture of Georgia. This new route aims to make the Jewish heritage route more attractive to the world and to be presented at world tourism exhibitions on behalf of AEPJ.

Guides will be trained to inform visitors about the arrival, re settlement, migration, stay, and return of the Jews to their home land in Georgia and Azerbaijan since the time of the First and Second Temples. The route will begin in Jerusalem, followed by Mtskheta, continued to Azerbaijan (Baku, Guba), then back to Georgia - Oni, Lailashi, Tbilisi, and will end in Jerusalem. The historical excursion covers a period of almost three thousand years, from the reign of the biblical King David to the period of forced exile from the Jewish homeland and Aliyah; this is why the new route developed by the Israeli House is tentatively titled “from Jerusalem to Jerusalem”.

There is no doubt that the European route of Jewish cultural heritage, certified by the European Council, has already become an integral part of tourism. Israeli House and its partner organi zation, Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business, have been working to attract tourists from Israel and world Jewry to Georgia since the 1990s. Accordingly, it was for this reason that the head of the Chamber of Business, Itsik Moshe, in partnership with the Department of Tourism of Georgia and the Ministry of Tourism of Israel, established a representative office for Georgian tourism in Israel in 1999, which contributed greatly to the development of tourism in Georgia.

აღნიშნა მან. მიქანაძემ მიმართვის ისაუბრა „ისრაელის სახლის“ როლზე ისრაელ-საქართველოს ურთიერთობების განმტკიცების კუთხით და მადლობა გადაუხადა ორგანიზატორებს ებრაული კულტურისა და მე მკვიდრეობის აღსანიშნავი ღონისძიების ჩატარებისთვის: „ბიბლიური ტურის ამოქმედება სამომავლოდ ხალხთაშორისი ურთიერთობების განმტკიცებას შეუწყობს ხელს“, - განაცხადა მიქანაძემ. ღონისძიებას ონლაინ ფორმატში დაესწრო ისრაელის სახელ მწიფოს პარლამენტის საქართველოს პარლამენტთან მეგობრობის ჯგუფის ხელმძღვანელი, დავით ბიტანი. მან მადლობა გადაუხადა გივი მიქანაძეს და ტურიზმის დეპარტამენტს „ბიბლიური მარშრუტის“

those special relationships. The seeds sown today will bear fruit in future generations, so each of our efforts in this important mission is crucial.”

During his address, Mikanadze discussed the role that Is raeli House plays in strengthening Israel-Georgia relations and thanked the organizers for holding the celebration of Jewish culture and heritage: “The launch of the Bible Route will con tribute to the strengthening of people-to-people relations in the future,” Mikanadze said.

David Bitan, head of the friendship group of the Israeli Par liament and the Georgian Parliament, attended the event online; he expressed his thanks to Givi Mikanadze and the Georgian Department of Tourism for supporting the Biblical Route.

Davit Chikvaidze, former mayor of Oni, also spoke. The former mayor emphasized the long-term relations between Israel and Georgia as well as Sergi Metreveli’s heroic act of bringing two Jews to Racha by foot in 1942 and saving them from death. Righteous Sergi Metreveli was awarded the honorary title of Righteous by the Jerusalem Holocaust Center.

As part of the initiative to create a monument to Metreveli, Chikvaidze said, “I may not stand out for my great work, but if I were to choose the most important activity in my work, I would name the day when Itsik and I decided to make a monument to Sergi Metreveli.”

There will be a presentation of the Biblical Route in Je rusalem on November 7, and the first participants will pass this route on December 18, as part of Hanukkah, Israel Week. The Biblical Route is scheduled to be presented in European countries by 2023.

rina, you are representing the field of culture, to whom diplomacy is not a stranger either, due to the fact that you come from a family of diplomats. What is the role of culture in diplomacy?

- It happened so that diplomacy and international projects turned out to be a source of creative interest for me. Art be longs to everyone and should not be confined within specific geographical boundaries. It is necessary to share it, to hold international collaborations, and, what is most important for me, art should be relevant today.

I believe that if you use art correctly, it has the power to bring changes. This change may not be rapid but sometimes drop by drop some works of art can influence the hearts, minds, and thoughts of people.

As an example, when certain TV series from a particular country enter another country, the population of the latter watch es, enjoys, and is engaged in the emotional state of the heroes of these TV series, and experiences a kind of sympathy towards

(CREDIT: Khatuna Khutsishvili)

ბაში, ერთგვარი სიმპათიით იმსჭვალება მათ მიმართ. ამას ჰქვია კულტურული ექსპანსია, როდესაც რომელიმე კონკრეტული ქვეყნიდან ხდება სხვა ქვეყნის კულტურულ ბაზარზე გაბატონება. ხალხი უკვე განწყობილია ამ კონკრეტული ქვეყნის მიმართ. მითუმეტეს, თუ ეს სერიალები ისტორიულია, სადაც მაყურებელს უკვე ცრუ პატრიოტიზ მის გრძნობები უჩნდება. „ცრუ“, რადგან ეს მისი ქვეყანა არაა, არამედ სერიალით თავს მოხვეული სხვა ქვეყნის ისტორიაა. ასეთივე ძალა აქვს ლიტერატურას. პოპკულტურაზეც იგივეს ვიტყვი, მის გავლენაზე ახალგაზრდებზე. მოკლედ, მიმაჩნია, რომ ხელოვნება შეიძლება იყო პოლიტიკის იარაღი. - დავიწყოთ ბავშვობიდან, რას ნიშნავს იყო დიპლომატის შვილი, როგორ

these heroes. This is a sort of cultural expansion when a partic ular country dominates the cultural market of another country. People get disposed toward this particular country. Especially if these serials are historical when the audience develops feelings of false patriotism. “False”, because this is not their country, but the history of another country that made them obsessed with via the TV series. Literature has the same power. I will say the same about pop culture, and its influence on young people. In short, I believe that art can be a tool of politics.

- Let’s start with childhood, what does it mean to be the daughter of a diplomat, how do you remember the period when you had to live in different countries?

Perhaps I should start with the fact that I was the first in my family to become interested in diplomacy when I enrolled in international relations. I was going to be a diplomat. At that time, my father was lecturing at the university and writing books. When I graduated from International Relations, my father was appointed as an Ambassador of Georgia for the first time, and I went abroad as an ambassador’s daughter. The first country was Israel. Then I entered the Moscow Academy of Performing Arts for a MA in opera and drama theater directing. My father served as ambassador in four different countries for about 20 years and I often visited my parents. Therefore, the life of a diplomat became part of my natural being.

- Why did you choose the field of art, when you could have followed the path of diplomacy?

- I consider myself an independent diplomat. I like it that

(CREDIT: Jeremy Daniel)

ხელოვნება მშვიდობის მოტანასაც შეძლებს! მეორე პროექტად დავასახელებდი ქართული დრამატურგიის ფე სტივალს, რომელიც 2017 წელს ჩავატარე ნიუ იორკში. ინგლისურად ნათარგმნი 11 ქართული პიესა დავადგმევინე 11 ამერიკელ რეჟისორს. დავპატიჟე ნიუ იორკის, და არა მხოლოდ ნიუ იორკის თეატრები, რომ ისინი დაინტერესებულიყვნენ ქართული დრამატურგიით და შემდგომ დაედგათ თავიანთ

way, I don’t depend on anyone and I have my own international projects. In addition to my projects, each of my plays staged abroad is a kind of diplomacy, because culturally I represent Georgia, and those I work with get to know Georgia as well.

- Your name is associated with many successful projects, what are the three projects you are most proud of?

- I love all my projects, but since we are talking about cul tural diplomacy and I have three of them to choose from, then I should name Mozart’s opera “Don Giovanni”, which I staged in 2009 at the Spendiarian Opera and Ballet Theater in Yerevan, Armenia. My goal was to bring this production to Georgia with Armenian singers, to include Georgian and Azerbaijani singers as well, and to unite the peoples of the Caucasus under the wing of the opera. This ambitious and utopian plan could not be implemented. I wish to believe that the time will come when art can bring peace!

As a second project, I would name the Festival of Georgian Playwrights, which I held in New York City in 2017. We had 11 Georgian plays translated into English and staged by 11 Amer ican directors. I invited the theaters of New York and beyond New York, to make them interested in Georgian plays and to make them stage them on their premises. This festival had a result: the following year one of the New York-based theaters was interested in staging a Georgian play and Dato Turashvili’s play, which, by the way, was about the emigration of our first government from Georgia in 1921, had been staged. In addi tion, my festival included two Georgian concerts. There were copies of samples of Georgian writing displayed in the lobby of

(CREDIT: Jeremy Daniel)

კომპოზიტორის, ჯან კარლო მენოტის ოპერა „ტელეფონი“, რომელიც დავდგი ქართველ მუსიკოსებთან ერთად ავსტრიაში, ვენის „ფოლკს თეატრში“ (Volkstheater) და შემდეგ საქართველოს რეგიონებში ჩამოვიტანე. გარდა იმისა, რომ პროექტი ემსახურებოდა ოპერის პოპულარიზაციას, ამავე დროს ეს იყო დასავლური, კერძოდ ამე რიკული კულტურის ნიმუში. როგორც ზემოთ ვთქვი, კულტურული ექსპანსიის მე ძალიან მჯერა. ვფიქრობ რეგიონებში ის არაჩვეუ ლებრივი ხალხი, ვინც დაესწრო ამ სპექტაკლს და ისიამოვნა, მათ მეხსიერებაში პოზიტიურ მოგონებად დარჩება ამერიკული ოპერით ჩვენი მათთან სტუმრობა. მომავლისთვის მაქვს კიდევ არაერთი საერთაშორისო პროექტის გეგმა, მათ შორის საქართველოში ამერიკული დრამატურგიის ფე სტივალი, რომელზეც უკვე მეორე წელია ვმუშაობ და იმედია მალე ამ პროექტსაც განვახორციელებ. - ამ ეტაპზე

the theater. Georgian cuisine and Georgian wine tasting were included in our program as well.

I would name the third project “Opera in the Regions”, which I implemented in Georgia in 2019. It was the American composer Gian Carlo Menotti’s opera “The Telephone”, which I staged together with Georgian musicians in Vienna’s “Volkstheater” and then I brought it to the regions of Georgia. In addition to the fact that the project served to popularize opera, at the same time it was a Western art piece, namely American culture. And, as I said above, I’m a big believer in cultural expansion. I think that the wonderful people in the regions who attended this perfor mance and enjoyed it will have a positive memory of our visit with the American opera production.

For the future, I have plans for a number of other interna tional projects, including the Festival of American Playwrights in Georgia, which I have been working on for two years already, and I hope to implement this project soon.

- At this stage, you are working on a play by Boris Akunin “Hamlet. A Version”, which you have already staged in New York. How is this “Hamlet” different and at what stage is the implementation of the project in Georgia?

- Boris Akunin’s play “Hamlet. A Version” is a highly original reworking of Shakespeare’s classic. I staged the world premiere of this play in New York City and it was a great success with the audiences and the press as well. 12 positive reviews were written in the media, including positive coverage by The New York Times. At this point, I am staging it in Georgian with the participation of Georgian actors. The premiere will be held this year, on November 25. I believe there will be the same interest in this production in Georgia as it was in New York. The general sponsor of the project is Tbilisi City Hall, but we still have small financial problems and I am trying to attract additional sponsors. The reality is that artists also have to think about finances.

In conclusion, I can say that any work of art that goes on the international stage, whether it is a theatrical tour of a play, taking a movie to a film festival, or translating and publishing a book, all this is cultural diplomacy, and we artists do not even realize how much responsibility we have when sometimes we unwittingly become diplomats of our country.

(CREDIT: Jeremy Daniel)

s a result of the ongoing Ukrainian war, this year’s International Literature Festival Odesa will be held in Batumi instead of Odesa. The festival was established in 2015 in Odesa, and its main goal is to promote dialogue, literature, and peace in society. Despite the current state of affairs in Ukraine, the festival continues to exist, and the country is still fighting for peace following the footsteps of literature.

This year the festival focuses on the Russian-Ukrainian war as its theme.

“Ukraine has captured the world’s attention, and this is also reflected in the literature, so we have the opportunity to present it alive and exchange emotions. It is important to find out where Ukrainian literature is headed and listen to its beat, and writers from all over the world should express a little solidarity with the Ukrainian people through their creativity,” said poet Henry Dolidze, one of the participants of the festival.

Furthermore, he spoke about the longstanding cultural re

მასობრივი საშუალება“. ამრიგად, საქართველო 5-8 ოქტომბერს მასპინძლობს ერთ-ერთ განსაკუთრებულ საერთაშორისო

ფესტივალს, რაც კიდევ უფრო შეუწყობს ხელს

ლიტერატურის გზით. ცნობილ უკრაინელ პოეტს, იური ანდრუხოვიჩს თუ დავესესხებით, „სროლა ოდესმე წყდება, კულტურა კი მუდამ არ სებობს“. ამგვარი ლიტერატურული ფესტივალები ნამდვილად არის კიდევ ერთი დასტური იმისა, რომ მიუხედავად ომის სიმძიმისა, ის ადრე თუ გვიან ყოველთვის სრულდება, ლიტერატურა კი არსებობას განაგრძობს.

As Dolidze pointed out, understanding literature is a valu able tool for understanding others’ tragedies as well as shar ing pain and sympathy. “Reading Anne Frank’s diaries, people cannot help but sympathize with the Jewish nation, or victims of Bucha and Mariupol tragedies from Ukraine,” Dolidze said and referred to the literature as “mass medium of peace pro paganda”.

Thus, Georgia is hosting one of the special international literature festivals on October 5-8, and this will further promote a rapprochement between the nations through literature. As the famous Ukrainian poet Yuri Andrukhovych once said, “When the shooting stops, culture remains.” Such literary festivals are a testament to the fact that despite the severity of war, it ends eventually, and literature always lives on.