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Georgia's PM to Speak at the Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai

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Georgia's PM to Speak at the Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai facebook.com/ georgiatoday www.georgiatoday.ge Issue no: 833 • APRIL 8 - 11, 2016 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Government Launches $13 Million Check-in-Georgia Promotional Project NEWS PAGE 2 2016 Parliamentary Elections – The Great Political Shootout for Power FOCUS ON BORDERS An in-depth look at the latest outbreak POLITICS PAGE 4 of war in Nagorno-Karabakh PAGE 3 Cooperation between Georgian and Chinese Museums Georgia’s PM to Speak at the Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai NEWS PAGE 2 SOCIETY PAGE 16 Irakli Jgenti: Neither talent Nor Higher Powers Decide My Success CULTURE PAGE 23 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS APRIL 8 - 11, 2016 Government Launches $13 Million Georgia’s President Sets Check-in-Georgia Promotional Project Parliamentary Elections for October 8 billionaire oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili - swept to BY TAMAR SVANIDZE power following a major prison scandal in 2012. Comprised of six independent parties, it won the parliamentary elections four years ago and unseated eorgian President Giorgi Margvelas- pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili’s United vili announced Tuesday at a special National Movement (UNM) in the process. briefi ng that parliamentary elections Saakashvili and the UNM had dominated Geor- will be held on October 8. gian politics since the 2003 Rose Revolution ousted “I want to inform the public that the long-time former President Eduard Shevardnadze’s Gdate of the parliamentary elections is set for Octo- corrupt administration from power. ber 8. The prime minister will receive the docu- In recent weeks, however, the Georgian Dream mentation to be signed into law by no later than appears to be unraveling as a number of its coali- tomorrow,” Margvelashvili said. tion members have withdrawn from the party. Georgia’s constitution calls for parliamentary The Republicans, a key faction in the ruling coa- election to be held in October, with the country’s lition, announced on March 31 that it plans to offi - president setting the exact date no later than two cially withdraw from the embattled Georgian Dream months before voters go to the polls. and run on its own ticket in October. calendar,” Culture and Monument Protection Min- Under the constitution, the Georgian Parliament’s The departure of the coalition’s second largest BY TAMAR SVANIDZE ister Mikheil Giorgadze said. 150 members serve four-year terms, with 77 seats faction could complicate the ruling party’s chances Giorgadze also said that the project plans to cre- set by proportional representation and 73 in single- at re-election in the upcoming election. ate modern open-air concert venues on Georgia’s seat constituencies. Recent polls have shown widespread discontent eorgia has launched its 29 million Black Sea coast. The ruling Georgian Dream coalition dominates with the Georgian Dream due to their poor han- GEL (USD 13 million) Check -in “This will be unique chance for local producers the current parliament with 85 seats. dling of the country’s faltering economy and a lack -Georgia project aimed at promoting and artists to use this facilities for free during the The coalition - founded by Georgia’s eccentric of policy cohesion amongst its disparate members. the country’s tourism potential. summer season,” Giorgadze said. The project will include a series of The project will also include the promotion of Ghigh profi le events beginning in April and continu- Georgia’s locally produced food products. ing until the end of the year. Well known local and “We are going to arrange wine, cheese, and other international artists – including Italian pop singer festivals to promote Georgian agro-products. We Georgia’s PM to Speak Eros Ramazzotti and Britain’s Robbie Williams, as also want to promote eco-tourism in the country, well as world renowned Spanish opera tenor Jose because of its potential to develop,” said Giorgadze. Carreras and US pop rock band Maroon 5 - will hold According to the latest statistics released by the live concerts in cities across the country. Ministry of Internal Affairs, tourism is on the rise at the Annual Investment “Check in Georgia promotes Georgia’s popular- in Georgia. ity abroad and will make it an attractive destination More than 1 million foreign nationals have been for tourists…this will also enhance our image on registered as having entered into Georgia since Meeting in Dubai the international market. Georgia should occupy January, a 14.7 per cent increase compared to the its deserved place on the international cultural same period last year. BY TAMAR SVANIDZE op investors, experts and practition- ers from around the world will gather in Dubai, one of the most populous cities in the United Arab Emirates, to attend a Global Forum for Investment Tand Strategic Networking on April 11-13. During the three-day Annual Investment Meet- ing (AIM) at the Dubai World Trade Center, the world’s leading academics and experts will show- case upgrading information strategies and knowl- edge on attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) alongside a sharing of their vision about innovative activity for growth and development of the econ- omy. Participants will discuss and share views on effec- AIM is the region’s fi rst Emerging Markets FDI- tive policies to attract investment, particularly new focused event to offer cross-industry project devel- forms of FDI from emerging sources in growing opers a safe platform to present their projects and markets. schedule tête a tête meetings with institutional, The Georgian Prime Minister plans to highlight corporate and private investors seeking lucrative Georgia’s positive investment climate, healthy and reliable projects for their capital. The event environment for business, and the trade and eco- will also seek to identify legislation that will help nomic potential of the country. He also will empha- stimulate the local economy through new invest- size Georgia’s role within the New Silk Road pro- ment opportunities. ject and will speak about the reforms the Georgian On Monday, Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi government is carrying out within the four point Kvirikashvili will stand beside the world’s business plans of economy. leaders, senior public offi cials and heads of inter- national institutions to take part in a Global Lead- The event is organized Under the Patronage of Sheikh ers Plenary Session. Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, The debate will focus on the New World of FDI, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Georgia Today is the the theme of the 2016 Annual Investment Meeting. key media partner of AIM 2016. GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 8 - 11, 2016 NEWS 3 Armenian, Azeri Forces Cling to Tenuous Nagorno- Karabakh Ceasefi re After Days of Heavy Fighting civilian deaths continue to circulate, BY NICHOLAS WALLER though no independent verification regarding non-combatant casualties has been made available. fter four days of intense Armenia’s ambassador to the US, Grigor fi ghting that left up to 70 Hovhannissyan, stated in an interview people dead, a tenuous with the Associated Press that Azerbai- ceasefire appears to be jan had launched a major offensive in holding between Armenian Karabakh as part of an effort to divert Aand Azeri forces in the disputed South domestic attention away from “growing Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh. social unrest and discontent throughout Both sides were quick to accuse each the country.” other of violating the truce, though most The authorities in Azerbaijan have of the fi ghting along the internationally steadfastly refuted the claim, saying an imposed contact line separating the two unprovoked attack by Armenian forces armies has stopped since a Russian-led required a response. delegation brokered a ceasefi re that Elin Suleymanov, an Azeri offi cial, brought an abrupt end to the hostilities accused Armenia of launching combat early Wednesday. operations to divert attention from a The fi ghting has deeply shaken the visit by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham international community who fear that Aliyev to Washington, which has been largely recaptured most of the areas that in the Soviet Union’s titular republics, The incident caused mass civil unrest an escalation could turn into a full-scale described by independent sources as were fi rst overrun by Azerbaijan’s forces Nagorn0-Karabakh became a fl ashpoint in the city and later forced Gorbachev war between the two long-time enemies, having been highly successful. in the early hours of the confl ict. for ethnic violence in the fi nal years of to send units of the army as well as Soviet with Turkey and strategic partner Israel Both the Armenian and Azeri defense Azeri offi cials have angrily stated that the Soviet Union. MVD interior ministry troops into the strongly backing Azerbaijan and Russia ministries state that their armies have they will refuse to cede control of terri- Armenians, who made up 80 per cent city to quell the violence. coming to the aid of close ally Armenia infl icted heavy losses - numbering in the tory captured in the fi ghting and that of the population at the time, attempted As the Soviet Union imploded, open and its proxies in Nogorno-Karabakh as hundreds - on their enemy, though the any such demand would be a “major to wrestle the region back from Azer- warfare broke out between the two com- part of their mutual security pact. rival claims appear unlikely and have non-starter” for upcoming peace nego- baijan in the late 1980s during Soviet munities in late 1992. not been independently confi rmed. tiations. President Mikhail Gorbachev’s liberal- Allied
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