UN General Assembly?

August 21 - 27, 2015 WEEKLY PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY www.georgiatoday.ge Price: GEL 2.50 Georgia Today 20 p. ISSUE No.780 Who will Represent the Georgian IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE State at the 70thSession of the Major Potential in BUSINESS HEADLINES Georgia-China UN General Assembly? Free Trade, Study Finds With it’s relationship with Europe firmly established, the Georgia Stepping country’s political and business Forward in the World leaders are now turning their attention toward China, says a of Business P.11 recent study by the Tbilisi- based consultancy Policy and Management Consulting Group (PMCG). P.4 Italian Missionary’s C17th Pen-and-Ink Democracy or petty squabbling? Georgia Today discusses Sketches Now in just how much damage the leadership's inability to speak Tbilisi with one voice is doing to Georgia's performance on the Visit the unique never before international stage. published collection of 17th P.2 century pen-and-ink sketches created by Italian missionary Salome Teramo Christopher de Castelli during his travels Samadashvili: Pro- around Georgia. P.15 Russian Victory in 2016 Elections Would 1878 of Chateau End Georgian Mukhrani is More Statehood than a Georgia Today met with the former Restaurant... Head of Georgia’s Mission to the Wine, high society and history. EU to hear her view on Russian Rest-orator gives you a taste of interests and the future of Georgia. P.6 the best this summer. P.15 FLIGHT SCHEDULE P.4 2 AUGUST 21 - 27 POLITICS Who will Represent the Georgian State at the 70thSession of the UN General Assembly? By Nino Japarashvili “Mr. President, Mr. Secretary Gen- eral, Fellow Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen. It is a great honor for me to represent my country here at the United Nations,” began Irakli Garibashvili, Georgia’s Prime Minister during his speech at the UN General Assembly last year. The address followed several months of intense confrontation between the President and the Prime Minister of Georgia; both Giorgi Margvelashvili and Irakli Garibashvili insisted that the con- stitution grants him, and not the other, the right to represent the country at international summits. In July 2014, the PM’s office announced that Garibashvili would attend the annual UN General Debate in Sep- tember and would also take part in num- ber of events which were organized on the sideline of the UN General Assem- Giorgi Margvelashvili Irakli Garibashvili bly. Margvelashvili announced that his visit also pay a visit to New York in the same sonally engaged in last year’s mistake up delivering the speech in New York. On the same day President’s office to the United States was deliberately period, as he has been invited by the are unacceptable.” The power struggle between the announced that Margvelashvili had ac- disrupted by the PM and his office, it Latvian President to attend the discus- At the press conference which the President and the Prime Minister of cepted an invitation from Ban Ki-Moon, was obvious that eventually Garibashvili sion “Future of Europe: Empowering the President’s administration held on Georgia has not been limited to the rep- the UN Secretary-General, who had in- would lead the Georgian delegation and Role of Women.” Wednesday, August 19, Pkhaladze fur- resentation at UN annual sessions. Simi- vited the President, together with other address the UN Summit. Maia Panjikidze, the former Foreign ther explained: “Since the President lar disputes occurred when it came to world leaders, to the UN headquarters Georgia’s representation in this Minister of Georgia, currently one of the will be in the US when the UN Gen- signing the Association Agreement with for the Climate Summit on September year’s UN annual session, one of the leaders of the Free Democrats Party, eral Debates take place, it would be the European Union. 23, which was to be held on the eve of most representative and high-level in- now says: good if he was given an opportunity As President Margvelashvili drifts opening of the UN General Debate. ternational events of 2015, is still con- “We had a very bad practice of pub- to address the UN General Assembly.” away from the Georgian Dream, the cur- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs troversial between the two respective lic discussions about who would go to According to Margvelashvili’s Advi- rent ruling party led by Prime Minister (MFA), led by then-Foreign Minister camps. Giorgi Margvelashvili, Head of the United Nations. I had hoped we sor, “Georgia’s President is the high- Garibashvili, most likely, the confron- Maia Panjikidze, tried to encourage the State, or Prime Minister, Head of the would learn something from last year’s est political figure, directly elected by tation between the two will continue President to revise his decision and not Government – this remains an issue of experience... I cannot imagine the PM the Georgian people; therefore, it is over the coming months. One could to participate in the UN Climate Sum- political speculation again as the date to be the head of a delegation and the important for the country to maximally claim this constant competition contrib- mit as PM Garibashvili, who was ex- approaches. President to be a member of the same use his authority in the international utes to democratic developments in the pected to address the UN General As- The PM’s office has already pub- delegation or vice versa. I don’t think arena.” country; but, what is more obvious, it sembly, would also be attending the lished Garibashvili’s schedule for 15 this has ever happened in the history of Davit Kereselidze, Spokesman of the seriously impedes Georgia’s perfor- same event. The Ministry claimed that September, in which he clearly plans to the UN.” Foreign Ministry, said any decision mance on the international stage, as the it would be inappropriate and “embar- lead the delegation to the UN. He is also In response to the former Foreign made at the highest level will be fulfilled dispute between the two leaders nega- rassing” for the country to send “two expected to deliver a speech on behalf Minister, the President’s Advisor for by the MFA. However, it seems likely it tively reflects on the ability of the coun- leaders” to the same event in New York. of the Georgian state. However, it ap- Foreign Affairs Tengiz Pkhaladze said: will again be Irakli Garibashvili, Bidzina try to speak with one voice in its for- As before the event President pears that President Margvelashvili will “remarks from a person who was per- Ivanishvili’s trusted man, who will end eign relations. New Bloodshed in Ukraine Rattles Shaky Ceasefire Ukrainian government reports say that Russian-backed separatists fired upon civilians with howitzers. By Joseph Larsen ment signed between the Ukrainian gov- Lysenko made clear that Sartana is a ernment and Russian-backed separatists “civilian town” with no military instal- Last weekend saw eastern Ukraine resulted in large amounts of tanks, anti- lations. descend back into shocking violence. aircraft guns and other heavy equipment Separatist leader Alexander Zakhar- During 24 hours of fighting that began being moved back from the frontlines, chenko, prime minister of the pro-Krem- on Sunday and lasted into Monday a but it hasn’t stopped the guns from fir- lin Donetsk People’s Republic, said that total of ten people we killed, the highest ing. Bodies continue to pile up, and the government forces fired first and single-day death toll in more than a Ukrainian government claims that sepa- claimed that Kiev is preparing a renewed month. Separatists fired upon Sartana – ratists have violated the ceasefire no less offensive to retake separatist-controlled a suburb of the government-held port than 140 times during the past six territory. Russian foreign minister Sergei city of Mariupol – with howitzers, kill- months. Lavrov echoed that claim, saying that ing two soldiers and two cilivilians and The death toll adds to the more than “we are worried by the developments in wounding seven others, according to 6,800 people killed by fighting in recent days, which strongly recall prepa- government reports. Ukrainian army Ukraine since April 2014. The flare-up ration for more military actions.” forces for their part shelled the rebel- has fueled concerns that the shaky Feb- German foreign minister Frank- controlled cities of Horlivka and ruary ceasefire could collapse altogether. Walter Steinmeier expressed concern but Donetsk. The pro-separatist Donetsk Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy took pains to use language inoffensive News Agency reported that six people Lysenko interpreted the attack as part of to the Kremlin, commenting in an inter- were killed by government forces. what could be a broad separatist push view with Bild am Sonntag that “if both HAVE YOUR HAIR CUT AT OUR SALON The violence represents one of the toward Mariupol, commenting that parties do not adhere to the peace pro- AND GET HAIR DIAGNOSTIC AS A GIFT! largest violations of a ceasefire reached “what has happened in Sartana is a chal- cess, the military situation could esca- earlier this year. The February agree- lenge to our forces.” In addition, late again at any time.” 4 AUGUST 21 - 27 POLITICS Further Reshuffle Expected in GD Cabinet with laws, should have the experience choice. It can be assumed that confron- cial information, Tsouloukiani’s state and, no matter whose team he/she is tation for the parliament party lists will body is waiting for notification about the in, should be able to work in the par- become more open as time goes on. Ukrainian state structure granting liament. Usupashvili is telling me that The opinion that Prime Minister Saakashvili citizenship of Ukraine while there are not three people in our team Garibashvili is starting to restore his po- Georgia’s Ministry of Justice could ap- who are helping him.

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