Issue no: 1063 • JULY 6 - 9, 2018 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Armenian Prosecutors to Question Ex-President & Arrest Ex-Minister of Defense NEWS PAGE 2 Delays at the Georgia-Russia Border Due to Issues with FOCUS Customs POLITICS PAGE 4 ON THE RIGHT Russia & the US Try to MESSAGES Revive Relations MEPS visit Georgia to gauge POLITICS PAGE 7 religion's role in EU integration PAGE 6 Why Did Georgia’s Adjara Gov't Chair Resign? BY THEA MORRISON Tensions Rising in & around Iran he Chairman of Georgia's Autono- POLITICS PAGE 8 mous Republic of Adjara, Zurab Pataridze, who had held the post Georgian Agency of Protected since July 2016, announced his res- ignation on July 4, meaning that the Areas Joins Europarc Twhole cabinet also had to step down. As Pataridze stated, he and his team made the SOCIETY PAGE 10 decision together after “some consultations,” however, no other reasons were named by the Kids to Get Caught Reading in ex-offi cial. In addition, the former Adjara Government Georgia this Summer Chair underlined that he will remain in the rul- ing Georgian Dream (GD) to “serve his country, SOCIETY PAGE 13 as before.” Opposition parties claim Pataridze’s resignation Katamadze was demanded by the “informal” ruler of the country, GD founder, its Chair and the former & Insight to Prime Minister, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. On June 13, the former Prime Minister of Geor- Open Art Gene gia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, resigned due to a dif- ference of opinion with Ivanishvili. Festival 2018 Photo Zurab Pataradze with the new PM, Mamuka Bakhtadze, in Batumi. June 26. Continued on page 2 Source: adjara.gov.ge CULTURE PAGE 15 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS JULY 6 - 9, 2018 Armenian Prosecutors to Question Ex- President & Arrest Ex-Minister of Defense tions of Armenia according to which and wounding a hundred demonstrators. BY KAREN TOVMASYAN Serzh Sargsyan was announced the win- After the crackdown on the demonstra- IN YEREVAN ning candidate. tion, Pashinyan had to spent almost 1.4 The protests against the offi cial results years in the underground, and then will- of the presidential elections were led by ingly went to the General Prosecuter's he Special Investigative the main opposition candidate, Arme- Offi ce in July 2009, where he was arrested Service (SIS) of Republic nia's First President, Levon Ter-Petrosyan and sentenced to seven years inprison- of Armenia has reopened (1991-1998) who raised a huge popular ment in 2010. the investigation of the movement in support of his nomination Pashinyan spent just 1.5 years in prison March 1st events of 2008 in 2008 and demanded the annulment and was released in an act of amnesty, Twhen the government opened fi re against of the election results by the Constitu- which was announced as a result of peaceful demonstrators who were chal- tional Court. The increasing pressure another popular movement raised by lenging the offi cial results of the presi- by Ter-Petrosyan and 10-day non-stop Ter-Petrosyan in 2011, which pressed the dential elections. demonstations in Yerevan, which put government to release the dozens of The SIS has decided to question the the government under risk of collapse, pollitical prisoners imprisoned during former President of Armenia, Robert "forced" Kocharyan's regime to use bru- the 2008 presidential elections. Kocharyan (1998-2008), for his connec- tal actions against the opposition to During the 10 years of the presidency tion with the deadly crackdown on the maintain his power. of Sargsyan, no serious steps were made peaceful demonstration, which Arme- After the crackdown of the protest early to investigate the killings of the peaceful nians often call “The March 1st Slaugh- in the morning followed the arrests of demonstrators, with the opposition par- ter”. most opposition leaders as well as the ties and human rights defenders marked On July 4, the Press-Secretary of decided to arrest Kocharyan’s Minister from using the Army in internal political house arrest of Ter-Petrosyan. Current all the actions made by Sargsyan's gov- Kocharyan, Victor Soghomonyan, speak- of Defense, Mikael Harutyunyan, who developments, while Harutyunyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashin- ernment in this direction as "imitation ing about the recent developments and played a key role in the event. according to a secret order released on yan, was one of the few opposition lead- and show." the decision to question his boss for the According to the SIS press-release, February 23, 2008, formed special regi- ers who escaped arrest, to lead the main The Armenian National Congress party shooting, stated that Kocharyan is out Harutyunyan illegally used, together ments in Yerevan, giving them combat demonstration later that day. lead by Ter-Petrosyan and other parties of the country at present. According to with “other individuals,” the armed forces weapons and arsenal to depress the The negotiations between Ter-Pet- opposing the former government lead the Azatutuyun radio station (Radio Free against peaceful protesters in what peaceful demonstrations. rosyan and the authorities received no by Sargsyan, have already expressed their Europe/ Radio Liberty) Kocharyan stands amounted to an “overthrow of constitu- The protests in Armenia started on 20 results and later the same day the gov- satisfaction with the recent move of the ready to testify for his actions before tional order.” February 2008 and lasted 10 days. The ernment announeced a state of emer- Special Investigative Service of Armenia and during the March 1st events. According to the Armenian Constitu- demonstrators were protesting the most gency and opened fi re against Ter-Pet- and have announced their willingness Meanwhile, the law-enforcement agency tion, the Army commandership is banned criticized and disputed presidential elec- rosyan's supporters, killing at least 10 to support the investigation. Specialists: Transport Exhaust & Constructions Pollute Air in Tbilisi “Yellow buses, minibuses and their BY THEA MORRISON exhaust fumes cause serious problems for the environment. We need to tighten regulations in order to reduce car and pecialists of the Environmen- bus emissions in the capital,” he said. tal Pollution Monitoring The Mayor added that along with Department of the NEA public transport, old cars also pose a (National Environmental threat to the ecology, adding their import Agency of Georgia) have must be banned. Sstarted to examine the air quality in The World Health Organization (WHO) various locations throughout Tbilisi with says polluted air also increases cases of the help of mobile stations. premature deaths. According to the They have already checked some of WHO 2016 survey, the countries ranked the busiest streets, and claim that by deaths per 100,000 people attributed Tsereteli Avenue in the Didube district to air pollution are led by Georgia, fol- is the most polluted place so far regard- lowed by Bosnia and Herzegovina, North ing air pollution. Korea, and Bulgaria, though countries The specialists added that the Queen like China and India have more total Tamar Avenue monitor showed that the deaths from air pollution since they amount of nitrogen dioxide exceeds the much more population. norm by 1.3 times, which is dangerous Environmentalists say that Tbilisi to health. desperately needs green zones and that Meanwhile, the cleanest air so far more recreational areas should be set observed was in the Vashlijvari settle- up throughout the city. ment. Experts state that the quality of fuel The Head of the Environmental Pol- consumed in Georgia determines how lution Monitoring Department of the severe and damaging the emissions are, NEA, Marina Arabidze, says the moni- Photo source: skyscrapercity.com claiming the fuel used by city-dwellers toring will cover suburbs and other in the capital is not regularly checked. streets too, adding that air quality will the places where traffi c is the busiest luted air affects water and food quality of their private cars, of which there are As Numbeo, one of the world's largest be constantly controlled in the capital. are the most polluted in terms of nitro- in Georgia, adding this increases the too many in the capital,” she noted. databases of user contributed data about She stated that the main reason for gen dioxide. cases of cancer and deaths. Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze stated cities and countries worldwide states, the air pollution in Tbilisi are car exhaust Doctors say that polluted air increases Disease Control Center Department at a City Hall sitting that old yellow as of June 2018, the air pollution index fumes and the ongoing constructions the risk of cardiovascular diseases such Head Lela Sturua says the situation is buses are the main source of the air in Georgia amounts to 79.22, while the in Tbilisi, with construction companies as strokes and ischaemic heart diseases, “alarming” but can be solved by con- pollution in the capital. pollution index itself is 77.52, which is not following the standards to avoid in addition to its role in the develop- trolling fuel quality, banning old cars Kaladze claimed that in the coming a high indicator. polluting the air. ment of respiratory diseases, including and renewing public transport in the days, the Mayor’s Offi ce will present a The NEA of Georgia says that the Noe Megrelishvili from the NEA says acute respiratory infections and chronic capital. new Transport Policy, which will be country is taking steps to provide bet- they have measured air quality at 25 obstructive pulmonary diseases. “Public transport must be developed aimed at solving the mentioned prob- ter systems of measuring air quality and locations periodically and revealed that Oncologist Giorgi Dzagnidze says pol- so that the population reduces the use lem along with a number of other issues.