Issue no: 1228/219 • FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50

In this week’s issue...

Weekly Entrepreneurial News @entrepreneur.ge NEWS PAGE 2 Real Estate Market Oct-Dec 2019 Market Highlights ISET PAGE 4 Re|Bank – New Retail Banking Service in Georgia aimed at Maximum Customer Comfort BUSINESS PAGE 5 FOCUS CENN Launches Green ON EURONEWS GEORGIA Scholarship for Young Check out our exclusive Climate Activists interview with Euronews BUSINESS PAGE 9 CEO, Michael Peters PAGE 13 Registered Crime up 9.8% in Georgia Georgia Ranks 18th among Best BUSINESS PAGE 11 Georgian PM Summarizes European Countries for Business 2020 Munich Security Conference POLITICS PAGE 14 BY TEA MARIAMIDZE Premiere of Gaetano eorgia has taken 18th place in the list of the best European Donizetti’s L'Elisir d'Amore Countries for Doing Business in 2020, the latest report of the European Chamber (EuCham) reads. – a Co-production of 3 The annual report includes 46 countries and is based on the average of two indicators: the Ease of Doing Business European Theaters G(EoDB) score of the World Bank (WB) and the Corruption Perception Index score of Transparency International (TI). CULTURE PAGE 15

Prepared for Georgia Today Business by Markets Asof14ͲFebͲ2020 Image source: expat.com STOCKS Price w/w m/m BONDS Price w/w m/m Despite the position in the Top 20 countries with the best business BankofGeorgia(BGEOLN) GBP17.93 +11,5% +10,0% GEOROG04/21 104.85(YTM2.57%) +0,3% +0,4% GeorgiaCapital(CGEOLN) GBP8.16 +5,7% Ͳ8,2% GEORG04/21 105.47(YTM2.02%) Ͳ0,1% Ͳ0,0% opportunities, Georgia’s score this year, 70, is a worsened indicator com- GHG(GHGLN) GBP1.28 +4,1% +2,8% GRAIL07/22 110.11(YTM3.32%) +0,1% +0,0% pared to the 2019 ranking, where Georgia had 71 points and was in 16th TBCBankGroup(TBCGLN) GBP13.32 +6,6% +5,7% GEBGG07/23 106.55(YTM3.94%) +0,3% +0,5% place. COMMODITIES Price w/w m/m CURRENCIES Price w/w m/m CrudeOil,Brent(US$/bbl) 57,32 +5,2% Ͳ11,1% GEL/USD 2,8645 +0,2% Ͳ0,3% However, Georgia has kept its position as leader in the region with its GoldSpot(US$/OZ) 1584,06 +0,9% +2,4% GEL/EUR 3,1031 Ͳ0,8% Ͳ3,1% economic environment. According to the report, Armenia takes 33rd GEL/GBP 3,7371 +1,5% Ͳ0,1% INDICES Price w/w m/m GEL/CHF 2,9175 Ͳ0,1% Ͳ1,9% place with 58 points, followed by Turkey in 35rd place and 58 points. FTSE100 7409,13 Ͳ0,8% Ͳ2,8% GEL/RUB 0,0449 +0,2% Ͳ4,1% Azerbaijan is ranked 41st with 53 points, and Russia showed the lowest FTSE250 21790,08 +1,4% +0,2% GEL/TRY 0,4730 Ͳ0,4% Ͳ3,2% DAX 13744,21 +1,7% +2,1% GEL/AZN 1,6894 +0,3% Ͳ0,1% rank in the region at 43rd with 53 points in total. DOWJONES 29398,08 +1,0% +1,6% GEL/AMD 0,0060 ͲͲ NASDAQ 9731,18 +2,2% +5,2% GEL/UAH 0,1171 +0,6% Ͳ3,4% Georgia left behind such countries as Portugal (19th place), Latvia (21st), MSCIEMEE 186,25 +0,6% Ͳ6,1% EUR/USD 0,9233 +1,1% +2,7% Poland (67th), Italy (63rd), Belarus (29th), Hungary (31st), Greece (34th), MSCIEM 1106,30 +1,3% Ͳ3,3% GBP/USD 0,7665 Ͳ1,2% Ͳ0,2% SP500 3380,16 +1,6% +3,0% CHF/USD 0,9823 +0,5% +1,5% Kazakhstan (39th) and Ukraine (50th). MSCIFM 2663,13 Ͳ1,2% Ͳ3,7% RUB/USD 63,5540 Ͳ0,9% +3,4% GTIndex(GEL) 1582,68 ͲͲTRY/USD 6,0587 +0,7% +3,0% Continued on page 5 GTIndex(USD) 1208,13 ͲͲAZN/USD 1,6980 ͲͲ GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 Acclaimed Filmmaker Giorgi Shengelaia @entrepreneur.ge Gamarjoba! I’m the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgian edition of Entrepreneur magazine and I’m here to share the top weekly Dies Aged 82 Entrepreneurial news with you: Cinematography Institute. From 1962 he Young Composer’ took part in the 36th BY ELENE DZEBISASHVILI worked at the Georgian Film Studio. Berlin International Film Festival, win- Emocia is a brand that offers beautiful Shengelaia comes from a family of fi lm- ning the Silver Bear for Best Director. accessories made from natural stone, wood makers. His older brother Eldar Shenge- Shengelaia has left us with some very and leather for women, men and children. eorgia’s cherished film laia directed some of the best classics of distinctive works- His fi rst fi lm ‘Alaver- Founder Tamar Abuladze recalls that when director and Rustaveli Prize Georgian comedy; their father, Nikoloz doba’ (1963) is an art drama that takes as she decided to start up her own business, Laureate Giorgi Shengelaia Shengelaia, was the father of Georgian its subject matter the novel of the same she spent nights making accessories. Emocia has been online for fi ve months has passed away at the age silent fi lm; their mother, Nato Vachnadze, name by Guram Rcheulishvili; Shenge- now, but because of the increasing demand of 82. performed leading roles in many of laia’s ‘Pirosmani’ (1969) is a biographical and Tamar’s wish to develop her business, GBorn on May 11, 1937, Shengelaia gradu- Nikoloz’s fi lms. art-drama fi lm about cherished Georgian the team behind Emocia is planning to go ated from the Directing Faculty of the Union Shengelaia’s fi lm ‘The Journey of A primitivist painter Niko Pirosmani. beyond the online platform.

HOUSER is a legal expertise center offering consulting services to those looking to become property owners. The founder of the company is Tazo Chakhunashvili. Clients tell the company’s Former Georgian President qualifi ed personnel which property they are interested in and an active investigation is begun into the background of the building, its safety architecturally and its legal status. Alerting clients to any risks, and giving out Returns to Active Politics recommendations and advice, is what HOUSER The former president explained that candidate in May 2013 and he won the is there for. BY ANA DUMBADZE "Georgia is currently under threat of October 2013 presidential election with Women in Wine Expo losing the support of Western partners 62% of votes. (WIWE) works to unite and being governed by Russian author- With Margvelashvili's election, a new winemaking women ormer Georgian President ities." constitution came into effect, signifi cantly worldwide, aiming to Giorgi Margvelashvili has Margvelashvili, who became President curtailing the president's powers in favor break through the gender decided to return to active of Georgia with the support of GD, also of the Prime Minister and the Parliament. stereotypes in the industry. politics. added that he is not interested in the Shortly thereafter, Margvelashvili's rela- Women from different "By choosing authoritarian- reactions of his former team members tions with Ivanishvili and the ruling continents will meet at ism,F Georgian Dream crossed red lines. regarding his return to active politics, Georgian Dream party leadership sig- Lopota Lake in May to No democracy, no national unity, no as "it does not matter what moves they nifi cantly spoiled. help create a future in which gender difference western path,” he wrote on Twitter, add- make, they can't stop me." During his tenure, Margvelashvili was won’t play a role in the ing that he “will serve the mission of Georgian academic and politician Giorgi critical of the Georgian Dream's con- winemaking industry. Many more will join via the web. In Georgia, the biggest Georgia’s western choice with his friends Margvelashvili was the fourth President solidation of power. He was the fi rst speaker will be Karen MacNeil, author of the book “The Wine Bible.” WIWE is and the Georgian people.” of Georgia, in offi ce from 17 November president in Georgia's history not to seek the fi rst initiative of its kind in Europe, with participants from the USA, Canada, As he has claimed recently, he "had no 2013 to 16 December 2018. reelection for a second term. the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Lebanon, South moral right to watch the recent develop- In October 2012, he became a member As Bidzina Ivanishvili claimed, the Africa, Nigeria, and Georgia. ments remotely anymore, as his former of the newly formed cabinet of Bidzina former president "showed different char- Follow the Entrepreneur Georgia Instagram page to get the latest updates from team members, the ruling party Georgian Ivanishvili, the leader of the Georgian acteristics and attitudes," which alleg- Georgian Entrepreneurs. For doing business with Georgian Entrepreneurs, write us on Dream representatives, created an Dream party. Margvelashvili was named edly laid the foundation for the confron- [email protected] unprecedented danger for the country." by the GD coalition as its presidential tation and disagreement between them. GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 NEWS 3 Mike Pompeo: Russia Has Seized Crimea, Parts of Eastern Ukraine, Georgia

BY ANA DUMBADZE

uring his speech at the Munich Security Confer- ence, US Secretary of State Economy Minister on Georgia Mike Pompeo spotlighted the Russian occupation of Being ITB Berlin Host Country DGeorgia along with other important issues. and at the same time very old-fashioned BY ANA DUMBADZE "More than 30 years since the fall of tourist markets, where we have reached the wall, countries that don’t respect and exceeded 9,300,000 visitors in last sovereignty still threaten us. Some nations few years, which is three times more still desire empire. Let’s talk about ter- eorgia has been named the than the population of the country. ritorial integrity, or rather, those nations host country of the ITB "Of course, it is also a recognition of that have contempt for it. Russia has Berlin exhibition-fair 2022, your efforts, as our tourism industry and seized Crimea and parts of Eastern which is a great event for private companies meet the highest Ukraine and Georgia," he stated. both our tourism industry international standards and most impor- Georgian Foreign Minister David Zal- Gand for the entire country, - said Natia tantly, you are a great patriot of the kaliani, who participated in the Confer- Turnava, Minister of Economy and Sus- country and open to all new ideas,” Tur- ence along with Prime Minister Giorgi its allies like Georgia. Grateful for hav- Minister Giorgi Gakharia, held high-level tainable Development, at a presentation nava told attendees at the event. Gakharia, Vice Prime Minister Tea Tsu- ing Mike Pompeo standing by Georgia meetings within the framework of the held by the National Tourism Adminis- Georgia has received an offi cial con- lukiani and Defense Minister Irakli to stop Russia’s occupation and disin- Munich Security Conference 2020, which tration. fi rmation from the ITB Berlin, according Garibashvili, thanked Pompeo for his formation campaign aimed at undermin- was held on February 14-16. "Obtaining the status of a host of ITB to which in 2022, the country will be support on Twitter. ing Georgia's pro-Western integration Berlin is fi rst and foremost a recognition presented in Germany as the host of the "I value the US contribution to security processes," Zalkaliani tweeted. More on the Munich Security Conference on that Georgia is one of the safest, fastest- largest exhibition-fair in the tourism in the region and to strong relations with The Georgian delegation, led by Prime page 14 growing, exciting, attractive, modern industry. Verbal Confrontation in Georgian Parliament

between protesters and police at the BY ANA DUMBADZE entrance to the Parliament building. Tensions rose at the rally organized by the 'Lelo for Georgia' political union and pposition lawmakers Elene civil activists after the protesters tried Khoshtaria and Tina to hang trainers on the iron fences. Bokuchava arrived at the They explained that it was a form of session of the Legal Affairs protest against the fact that former Pros- Committee in Georgian ecutor General Shotadze was again ParliamentO with the masks of ruling party nominated for the post by the Prosecu- Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivan- torial Council. ishvili on their faces while the candidate Ex-Prosecutor General, lawyer Irakli for the position of Prosecutor General, Shotadze, resigned on May 31, 2018, amid Irakli Shotadze, was delivering a speech. protests over the high-profi le “Khorava Opposition members called Shotadze Street” murder case involving teenagers. “Ivanishvili’s slave.” Recently, he was again nominated for They claimed that members of the the vacant position of Prosecutor Gen- Georgian Dream are Bidzina Ivanish- eral of Georgia by the LEPL Georgian vili's slaves and that is why they wore Technical University. masks with his face printed on it. The Prosecutorial Council selected his In addition, opposition representatives candidacy for the position of the Pros- handed over posters of former Minister ecutor General with 11 out of a total 12 of Defense Irakli Okruashvili and leader votes and submitted the candidate to the of European Georgia party Gigi Ugulava Parliament for approval. to majority lawmakers to express their In order to be elected as a Prosecutor opinion that they are both political pris- General, 76 MPs of a total of 150 should oners of the current regime. vote for him. Parliament elects Prosecu- Earlier in the morning, clashes occurred tor Generals for a six-year term. GEORGIA TODAY 4 BUSINESS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020

n comparison to Q3 2019, the Georgian real property market expanded by 4.7% in Q4 2019 Real Estate Market Oct-Dec (from 33,051 units sold in Q3 to 34,602 in Q4) while the annual increaseI was observed at 3.0% (YoY) compared to Q4 2018. Tbilisi dominated the real property 2019 Market Highlights market with a 40.7% share in total sales in Q4 2019. The Tbilisi market was followed by Adjara and Kakheti, with a respective 12.4% and 12.2% of GEO sales.

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY PRICES In Q4 2019, the Sale Price Index (SPI) for residential properties experienced a decrease of 4.4% (QoQ), while the Rent Price Index (RPI) increased by 1.2% (QoQ). During this quarter, the Average Sale Price (ASP) varied between 861 USD and 989 USD per m2 (monthly aver- age), and the Average Rent Price (ARP) was between 7.2 USD and 7.5 USD per m2 (monthly average). The quarterly average is 934 USD for ASP and 7.3 USD for ARP. Graph #1. Quarterly Dynamic of Average Sale and Rent Prices for Residential Property in GEL and USD For Q4 2019, the ASP in USD increased (YoY) in all districts of Tbilisi, exclud- ing Isani (-0.9%). The greatest increases are observable in Nadzaladevi (+26.7%), followed by Samgori (+12.2%), and Krtsanisi (+11.4%). The ARP in USD decreased (YoY) in Vake (-5.1%), Mtatsminda (-3.2%), and Saburtalo (-2.6%), and increased in the remaining districts, with the highest increase found in Nadzaladevi (16.7%). In Q4 2019, comparatively the most and least expensive districts by ASP were: Mtatsminda (1,170 USD) and Gldani (579 USD); and by ARP: Mtats- minda (8.4 USD) and Gldani (4.5 USD).

For Q4 2019, the TOP 3 regions by unit sales were:

Tbilisi (14,084 units, 40.7%) Graph #2. Average Sale and Rent Prices by District in USD Adjara (4,288 units, 12.4%) Kakheti (4,238 units, 12.2%)

For Q4 2019, the TOP 3 Tbilisi districts by unit sales were:

Saburtalo (3,591 units, 25.5%) Vake (2,375 units, 16.9%) Gldani (1,609 units, 11.4%)

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY PRICES The SPI for commercial properties increased by 12.8% (QoQ) in Q4 2019, reaching 0.95 index points (index equals 1 in base period, Q3 2015). The RPI increased by 12.6% (QoQ) and settled at 1.04 index points. Throughout Q4 2019, the ASP varied between 1,135 and 1,437 USD per m2, Graph #3. Quarterly Dynamic of Average Sale and Rent Prices for Commercial Property in GEL and USD and the ARP between 8.66 and 9.96 USD per m2. In Q4, the ASP for commercial prop- erties increased by 16.0% (YoY) and reached 1,248 USD per m2. While the ARP decreased by 6.1% (YoY), and reached 9.14 USD per m2.

BATUMI & KUTAISI RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY In Batumi, the SPI for residential prop- erty in Q4 2019 decreased by 4.5% (QoQ), dropping to 1.12 index points. Whereas, the SPI for residential prop- erty in Kutaisi grew signifi cantly, by 29.6% (QoQ), and reached its highest in three years at 1.39 index points. The ASP of residential property in Batumi decreased by 1.8%, although it increased in Kutaisi by 7.7% (QoQ), and amounted to 768 and 509 USD per Graph #4. Quarterly Dynamic of Average Sales Price for Residential Property in Batumi and Kutaisi, GEL and USD m2, respectively. GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 BUSINESS 5 Re|Bank – New Retail Banking Service in Georgia aimed at Maximum Customer Comfort he Re|Bank, an innovative service deposit is 10 units of the selected deposit currency. aimed at simplifying banking services Accumulative Maxi|Deposit: Accumulative Depos- in the retail sector, was introduced in its are the best way for you to collect money for Georgia in 2019. Since then, it has sig- any purpose. You can open an accumulative deposit nifi cantly contributed to increasing for a certain term and are free to add funds to it at Tcustomer satisfaction in terms of using banking any time. Opening an accumulative deposit is free. services throughout the country. You will accrue interest on your deposit whether Re|Bank represents a sub-brand of PASHA Bank, or not you periodically add funds. a Baku-based fi nancial institution operating in The minimum amount needed to open an accu- Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, providing corpo- mulative deposit is 10 units in the selected deposit rate and investment banking services to large, currency. medium and small enterprises, aimed at gifting users totally new and convenient retail banking BLITZ|LOANS experience. Blitz|Loan is yet another fast and comfortable ser- The main idea of launching the Re|Bank service vice of Re|Bank. in Georgia was to provide maximum comfort and By taking out a Blitz|Loan, you can fulfi l any desire fast service to customers, and it is working well. easily and quickly. It is even possible order a loan The main benefi t users get from it is that Re|Bank directly through the Re|Bank website, without vis- gives them the chance to save time and energy, iting a branch, with 0% distribution fee. The pro- which is especially important given the fast pace cedure is quite simple: you can ask the loan by of our lives nowadays. entering a phone number, or pushing the “get loan” The representatives of Re|Bank note that through button on the website. In addition, you can apply this service, they strive to offer people mutually for a Blitz|Loan by calling the contact center. benefi cial fi nancial solutions without any hidden The credit limit is min. 250 GEL and max. 50,000 charges, improving their banking habits and mak- items or services purchased though installments. desired account type and start saving money for a GEL. Interest Rate - from 6% - effective from 16%. ing their everyday lives easier. In the case of shopping within partner companies better future. By using this service, you get unlim- The loan period is 3-48 months. Currently, Re|Bank offers three main products: of Re|Bank, the commission fee will be covered by ited access to funds according to your needs. The Refi nancing Loan offered by Re|Bank gives Top|Card, Maxi|Deposit and Blitz|Loan. the respective partner. its customers an opportunity to unite loans. The Your Top|Card will have a pre-approved install- MAXI|DEPOSITS credit limit is min. 2,000 GEL and max. 50,000 GEL. TOP|CARD ment limit for an amount of 250 – 5000 GEL, which Term Maxi|Deposit: Term deposits have the high- Interest rate - effective from 16%. The loan period Top|Card is a 0% installment card (effective rate you can utilize multiple times while paying at your est interest rates, as the initial deposit funds are is 3-48 months. The procedures for applying for from 0%). desired companies. locked for a fi xed period. You can receive the inter- the Refi nancing Loan are the same as when taking With Top|Card, shopping fun is guaranteed! It Top|Card users are allowed to add their own funds est rates on opening day, every month, or at the a Blitz|Loan. helps customers reduce and manage their monthly and, while shopping at non-partner companies, end of the term. Re|Bank, with the aim to provide more custom- expenses in a better way: by using 0% installment they can choose to pay from their own funds or Opening a term deposit is free. The deposit amount ers with innovative, fast and comfortable service, payments for everyday purchases, they will have pay from an installment limit. and term must be defi ned in advance and are not is expanding its network. money let for other needs. Those interested can order a card online at rebank. eligible to be changed. The fi rst branch of the Bank opened its doors to Top|Card gives users an opportunity to enjoy ge, can call the contact center: (+995 32) 222 25 25 The minimum amount needed to open a term customers in Tbilisi in 2019. shopping for the up to 12 month installment period | * 2525, or can head to any Re|Bank branch or pop deposit is 100 units in the selected deposit currency. Currently, it is represented in Georgia with three at partner companies and pay only the price of the up desk in shopping malls. Demand Maxi|Deposit: Demand deposits allow branches in Tbilisi: at 15 Omar Khizanishvili St., 75 purchased item. Additional information about Top|Card partner you unlimited access to your funds according to Javakheti St., and 19 Pekini Ave.; in Batumi, at 53 In addition, new owners of the card can benefi t organizations and hot offers is also available on the your needs. Amounts can be deposited, withdrawn, Ilia Chavchavadze St.; in Kutaisi at 5 Akaki Tsereteli from a welcome bonus: six months’ interest-free website rebank.ge. or transferred between your accounts any time you St.; in Gori at 3 Stalin Avenue; and in Zugdidi, at 54 fi rst installment at any of Re|Bank merchants. The Other products offered by Re|Bank: Maxi|Deposit like. Merab Kostava Street. In addition, a new branch above applies to the partner merchants where and Blitz|Loan, also boast competitive rates and Opening a demand deposit is free. You can open will soon open in Telavi. installment duration is up to six months. simple application procedures. a demand deposit in GEL, USD, or EUR. You can also fi nd desks at almost all big shopping Top|Card users don’t pay any additional cost for Maxi|Deposit is a rare opportunity to select your The minimum amount needed to open a demand centers in Tbilisi: East Point, Tbilisi Mall, Galleria. Georgia Ranks 18th among Best European Countries for Business 2020 Continued from page 1 Nordic countries are still dominant at the top of the Best European Countries for Business 2020. An economy’s score in the report is refl ected on It noted that this year Armenia stands out with a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest its whopping 6 positions up, and with Spain, Mon- performance and 100 represents the best. tenegro, and Azerbaijan, it moved the most, while The EuCham score also measures the overall North Macedonia slipped down the most, by 5 business context constituted by corporate environ- positions. ment, legislation, government policies, social cli- “Regarding the score, the highest level of improve- mate, and conditions which enable or prevent ment is shown by Armenia and Kazakhstan. France, private sector activities from starting, operating North Macedonia, and Albania have the most sig- and expanding, both in the short and long term. nifi cant negative variation,” the report reads. The score used for the ranking is the average of The European Chamber is an independent, non- the EoDB and the CPI scores (50% weight each). governmental, privately-organized institution rep- A high score indicates the country is favorable to resenting the interests of national and international do business in, while low scores refer to the least companies doing business in Europe, improving favorable countries for business. the business environment they are active in. Located in one of the oldest and most picturesque districts of The EoDB score by the World Bank measures the To note, the Corruption Perception Index score Tbilisi, Mtatsminda and distinguished for its fairytale architecture, gap between the country’s own economic policies of Transparency International 2019 reads that Geor- and regulations, and the best practice on each indi- gia received a score of 56 and shares 44th place restaurant Funicular opened its doors to guests for the first time cator across all economies. The difference is shown with Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, and Latvia. eight decades ago in 1938 and since then has hosted several on a scale from 0, representing the lowest possible Last year, Georgia had two points more in the rat- honorable guests, from Margaret Thatcher to Indira Gandhi and performance, to 100, the highest currently attain- ing, where 100 points indicate the lowest level of Fidel Castro. able result according to the standards set out in perceived corruption while 0 – its highest level. the 2015 edition of the Doing Business report. The index states that a two-point change is con- The CPI from Transparency International is used sidered statistically insignifi cant and that Georgia If you are looking for authentic experience of Tbilisi, served with to determine how corrupt each country’s public still ranks top in the Eastern Europe and Central mouth-watering gourmet food and a memorable evening in an sector is perceived to be, on a scale from 0 (highly Asia region. atmosphere that lets you travel back in time and experience corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A low score can be an As for the WB rating, in the Doing Business (DB) best of what the city could offer, then Restaurant Funicular is a indication of widespread bribery, lack of punish- 2020 report, Georgia took 7th place out of 190 ment for corruption, or a government not respond- countries, raking among the world’s top countries. definite must visit place during your visit to Georgia. ing to social needs. Although, compared to the same report of last year, Denmark tops the 2020 ranking with a score of its score has worsened by one position, the overall 86, followed by Sweden, Norway, Finland, and score has improved. +995 032 2 98 00 00 Switzerland, while Moldova, Russia, Albania, Bos- In the WB report, Georgia has 83.7 points while +995 577 74 44 00 nia and Herzegovina and Ukraine showed the worst in the 2019 report it had 83.28. In the ranking, Geor- [email protected] results. gia is ahead of such countries as Great Britain, EuCham says that, like in previous years, the Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Lithuania. GEORGIA TODAY 6 BUSINESS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 Ambiente 2020: Bringing the Consumer Goods Industry to a New Level

fair, we can clearly give it 10 out of 10,” said Mayda Pérez, Executive Vice Pres- ident of ‘Front of the House’. “We’re a new exhibitor, a US company founded in 2002 with a clear focus on HoReCa channels of distribution, and we produce and design all our products ourselves. Ambiente’s clear focus on front-of-house business has greatly helped us to have a successful trade fair, so that we can grow both smartly and sustainably. Our expectations of the new HoReCa hall were more than exceeded. It really was a magnifi cent show for us”. The Ambiente team always takes really good and creative care of the companies celebrating their anniversaries at the fair, and this year was no exception, making a surprise visit at their stands and hand- ing them a special anniversary cake with Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera their company theme. Eight exhibitors Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera hotel, restaurant and catering industry. celebrated their corporate anniversaries into coffee bars, barber shops, nail studios says the managing partner of Gone BY SOPHO BOCHOIDZE The 2020 HORECA hall 6.0 was a unique with the Ambiente team this year, includ- and other places that sell what you sim- Rural, Swaziland, member of WFTO. place for national and international ing Royal Crown Derby - 270 years, Spode ply cannot buy online. Another topic During the panel on sustainability with decision-makers in the hospitality indus- Portmeirion - 250 years, and others. introduced by the guide was a combina- MADE51/UNHCR, Kara Hook from he world’s largest consumer try. Exhibitors presented their latest col- “Sometimes it’s good to take time and tion of truly new and a true tradition, for social enterprise “women craft” goods trade fair took place lections and innovative services. Also, look back in pride at the things you’ve example, Melitta, a brand making coffee answered the question ‘Why do they from 7 to 11 February 2020 top international speakers delivered achieved. So we’re very pleased that fi lters and machines; Bornn enamelware do it?’ with the woman refugee’s face in Frankfurt. Ambiente, a speeches and shared their experience in several of our exhibitors with anniver- from Turkey; Heim&Sohne spoons of all on the presentation monitor holding place where the future the industry at the Horeca Academy, saries are celebrating at Ambiente this shapes and color made of acrylics, for her work in her hands and smiling – Tbecomes the present, with a focus on where attendees had the opportunity to year. It’s an opportunity for us to say products that you cannot touch with “Look at that lady’s face, that’s why!” international business and trends, cov- listen to product presentations, interact, thank you,” says Nicolette Naumann, metal, such as caviar. she said. ered 310,240 sq.m. and has grown to 4,635 and learn more about the future oppor- Vice President of Ambiente. exhibitors from 93 countries. Buyers tunities and trends in the hospitality Ambiente also provided a new special from approximately 160 countries, in segment. The top speakers at the Horeca presentation Focus on Design Brazil. A total 108,000 visitors, most of whom Academy included a mix of celebrities, panel discussion with Mark Kwami was came from countries outside Germany, from hospitality designers to chefs and very interesting in terms of Brazil’s new had plenty of things to see, people to restaurateurs, among whom Jozef trends, and experiences were shared by meet and inspiration to get. The excep- Youssef’s masterclass about multisen- the young designers. During the panel tionally ordered environment conditioned sory gastronomy was one of the most they spoke about the latest tendencies mutually benefi cial deals. impressive and informative. Youssef is and the challenges in the modern world. Despite the huge challenges that Ambi- a top chef and TED Talks speaker, who Brazilian furniture designer Rodrigo ente faced this year due to Storm Ciara founded “Kitchen Theory” in 2010, a Almeida spoke about the trendy func- tional objects they design, which need to have something to communicate. “When you design on paper, it gives the object a soul; when you do a design on computer, yes it is beautiful, amazing but still it misses something,” Kwami said. Speakers also spoke about the chal- lenges they face related to the growth of online market. “People don’t want to go out anymore and prefer to buy eve- rything online, so we need to be adapted to the digital world”. The positive side of the fi eld in Brazil, according to the designers, is that manufacturers are no longer scared of designers and they have Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin started understanding that the partner- During the fair, one of the most inter- The next Ambiente will take place from 19 ship is very important between them, esting events and presentations was to 23 February 2021. Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera otherwise there will be no innovation. held by the Ambiente’s long-standing in the region and the fear of travelling design studio and multi-award-winning They also mentioned that design educa- co-operative ventures with the World because of the coronavirus, in all, a large “Chef’s Table” in London. He uses his tion is becoming more and more popu- Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and number of orders were placed and even fi ndings, about how people’s fi ve senses lar among the new generation. MADE51, a project of the UN Refugee the visitor number growth was evident change their feedback with dishes, how Ambiente invites journalists and blog- Agency (UNHCR). This development from such countries as Japan, Estonia, their senses detect light, color, scents gers from around the world annually was also refl ected in the Ethical Style Turkey, Romania, Jordan and Colombia. and a wide variety of consistencies, for and the dedicated tours make for a great Guide, a curated directory that lists For further information please contact: The top ten visiting nations were Ger- his scientifi c research. experience for both parties – journalists environmentally and socially respon- Zaira Soloeva, Senior Project Manager, Offi - many, Italy, France, the Netherlands, More than 400 companies presented and exhibitors and so are worth men- sible manufacturers exhibiting at Ambi- cial Representative of Messe Frankfurt Exhibi- Spain, UK, Turkey, US, Russia, Japan and their products and services in Horeca tioning separately. Prof. Mark Braun’s ente. WFTO and MADE51 are the major tion GmbH in Georgia and Armenia, China. Hall and each of them were talking how design tour was focused on the topic organizations working on social mis- Deutsche Wirtschaftsvereinigung (DWV). Ambiente traditionally covers three the fair exceeded their expectations. “what’s behind the curtain when relevance sion, establishing women’s role and [email protected] areas: Dining, Living and Giving. From They were all happy with the quality of meets beauty”. During the guided tour, engaging refugees in a working process this year onwards, the dining area has visitors and a large number of relevant journalists had the chance to meet Ger- and active life. “All the products that Or visit the following website: been expanded to include its HORECA customers from around the globe. man young entrepreneurs, graduates, women design have personal stories,” www.dwv.ge hall, adding a separate platform for the “Measuring the success of this trade who are very much supported by the Messe. Sophie Stanitzek was one of them, who created a new biodegradable mate- rial that gives nutrition to the earth. Jonna Breitenhuber’s major topic in her work is reducing plastic and she presented packaging that can be used as soap after use as a container. Anna Badur, a gradute from Berlin working with ceramics, is driven by natural movement. The orna- ments on her works are not specially painted but are colored during the pro- cess, therefore the resulting patterns are fully open to interpretation. Be they like the sea, wind or mountains. Another guided designers’ tour by Ineke Hans into the dining area included sev- eral topics, such as: “Bigger brands and the new highstreet”. Streetfood and eat- ing on the move was not so much of an issue 20 years ago. Cities change, shops are found online and physical shops turn Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Pietro Sutera Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Jean-Luc Valentin GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 BUSINESS 7 The Wedding Stars Awards- The Most Professional Wedding Award Ceremony

Arina Krasnikova; Best Wedding Video Biltmore Tbilisi’, Resort Hotel ‘Kvareli ners and sponsors: General Sponsor: to Gio Jobava ("Wedding Guy"); the Best Eden’, Alexandra Belaya and Sergo Safa- Wedding Agency ‘Ori Wedding’, Offi cial Videographer to Alexey Chizhkov; and rian. Sponsor: Wedding Portal ‘Wedder.ge’, the Best Wedding project to the project It is important that the nominees sup- Technical Sponsor: ‘Geo Voice’, Sponsor: by ‘Mandarini Wedding.’ port the award initiative in Georgia, get- ‘Mandarini Wedding’. Awards were likewise granted to the ting the country ready for market devel- Media partners were OK! Georgia, following contestants: Restaurant ‘Funic- opment and healthy competition in the Georgia Today and Radio NRJ’; non- ular’, ‘Chateau Mukhrani’, Salon of Wed- industry. media partners were ‘The Biltmore Tbi- ding Dresses ‘Marigold’, Hotel ‘The The event was supported by loyal part- lisi Hotel’ and ‘Badagoni Company.’

fessionals working in the fi eld of wedding BY ELENE DZEBISASHVILI services throughout Georgia. The goal of the organizers is to create new qual- ity standards on the local wedding mar- n February 6, Tbilisi’s Hotel ket, to showcase the best achievements Biltmore hosted the Wed- of the wedding industry and to create a ding Stars Awards cere- professional wedding community. mony designed for reward- The jury team was composed of spe- ing professionals for their cialists in different fi elds, including Natela outstandingO contributions to the wedding Potskhveria, Irma Sharikadze, Natalie industry. A diverse community of pro- Barnabishvili, Enzo Neri, and others. fessionals came together under one roof Six contestants won the competition. and awards were granted in 17 nomina- ‘Rosenbloom Tbilisi’ was awarded the tions. title Best Wedding Florist; Best Wedding Wedding Stars Awards is the fi rst pro- Report Photographer went to Achi Kor- fessional award for companies and pro- galidze; Best Wedding Photographer to Certain Signifi cant Imperatives white elephants. including joint ones with our partner examples of this is grafting in the Geor- it is also time for us to enrich ourselves, OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE As a matter of fact, progress might be nations. There are many entrepreneurs gian megapolis the purely American and the world too, with our own new impossible without an undelayed revi- in Georgia who have adopted the west- sales culture of big malls, with their huge economic ideas, which is impossible talizing and energizing of our economy ern ways of doing business and intro- multifunctional premises, garages, eat- without the relevant education and expe- ow that we know the dif- with refreshing new ideas, pregnant with duced their experience into our local eries, staff-training style, and routine rience thereof. ference between eco- novel projects and innovative ventures, business processes. One of the best trade operations. This is all perfect, but The business process is a complicated, nomic growth and sensitive and live course of commercial degrowth, bestowing action and it cannot thrive based only indisputable preference on borrowed ideas and practices. New Nto growth as such in Georgia, we should ideas usually beget new products and never forget that growth depends on the new products are the movers of various economic forces, especially the economy. This said, the promoters of population, capital and ideas; all those Georgia’s economic progress should variables working in concert to promote always keep in mind that we have to put general productivity: growth of popula- into internal and international markets tion supplies the economy with a work- some new products, the more the better, force, ideas unite labor with capital to if we want to make a difference, and do create new products, and capital invest- this to our greatest benefi t. ment raises productivity, giving impetus There is one more thing that is crucial to further economic accomplishments. to productivity: human capital in the The world knows a new powerful class form of education and training. We can of investors and pace-setting modern- bring in the most modern hi-tech equip- izers to invigorate our economy, certainly ment, let’s say on borrowed money, but at some risk, with their fi nancial and even the state-of-the-art tools are of no intellectual resources, if we need and use if the valuable gear fi nds itself in the want to receive this kind of help. There hands of workers, engineers and tech- is readiness in the world to move around nologists who don’t understand the new and introduce those resources wherever equipment. Here, the only solution is to there is demand for them. The only thing enhance old skills and acquire new ones we need to do is to look around with via teaching and guidance, based on a wide-open eyes and search for capital new instructive endeavor called lifelong and knowhow assistance. learning. Next is rule of law. No investor The governments that operate with will lift a fi nger if there is no guarantee integrity, wisdom and responsibility, and that the money spent today will yield the reliable laws that function effectively bigger capital tomorrow, guaranteed only in the country, will encourage the suc- if the country entertains unbiased and cessful implementation of this interna- independent courts, a law system that tional human potential to the benefi t of is crystal-clear, and of course the right their citizenry. The most valuable invest- and protection to private property. ment of capital in Georgia might very And democracy? Yes, democracy might well be investment in education, which help but it is not the only thing we need makes it possible to fi rst produce new to operate with to achieve economic ideas and then employ them in our slowly progress. Democracy, plus umpteen but still developing economy, thus cre- various other ingredients! We have to ating an opportunity for the birth of not let the market work in a free and logical only new products but whole new indus- fashion, and the market will productively tries, attracting both money and labor work in Georgia only if all the above- force, and gradually refusing to maintain mentioned imperatives are observed and the ones that have turned into no-win faithfully maintained. GEORGIA TODAY 8 BUSINESS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 Fourth NEW YORKER Store Opens in Tbilisi

ple of any age and taste. Suerocked the audience with energetic morning, which means that there is a The fact that there is a high level of music. high demand for our products and we interest and demand for the brand’s During the event, GT also spoke to are very pleased to see it. I would like products was confi rmed by the number some of the NEW YORKER employees. to thank our visitors for being with us of customers who gathered in front of “NEW YORKER has been operating today. The surprises they received dur- the Saburtalo City Mall early morning in the Georgian market for eight years. ing the opening ceremony was just the before the opening, all impatiently wait- During this time, the German brand with beginning. We promised them many ing for the doors to open, especially so distinguished quality became quite offers and sales in the future. At NEW as the brand had announced surprises popular among Georgian customers,” YORKER, high quality service, a wide and gifts for its fi rst customers. And said Diana Sukiasova, Manager at East range of clothes and accessories and a they did get a truly wonderful presents! Point. “The concept of the new store we friendly atmosphere always awaits them. After the ribbon cutting, the customers opened today is innovative. It offers a Our staff is always ready to meet them entered the new store and started shop- distinctive and modern design and afford- with smiling faces and warm hearts. Of wide popular brand is represented in ping, the fi rst 150 customers got special able high quality products, all in one course, a friendly and warm attitude BY ANA DUMBADZE Georgia with fi ve stores: four in Tbilisi gifts, 50 NEW YORKER gift cards and space. All details here are arranged to towards customers is especially impor- and one in the seaside city of Batumi. 100 NEW YORKER bags (1st customer provide maximum comfort for custom- tant. We look forward to welcoming After the grand opening party on Sat- – Gift Card of 250 GEL, 2nd customer ers. People of any taste, from the age of them to our new store.” n February 15, 2020, the urday, the new NEW YORKER will offer – Gift Card of 200 GEL, 3rd customer 12, can fi nd clothes and accessories tai- Since 2012, the German brand NEW international young fash- its customers exclusive quality and – Gift Card of 150GEL, the next 20 cus- lored to their needs here. Today, we YORKER, with stores operating in 40 ion company NEW YOR- affordable clothes and accessories spread tomers– Gift Cards of 50 GEL, the next gifted our fi rst visitors memorable pre- countries worldwide, has been repre- KER celebrated a grand over 950 m² of sales space.The new store 30 customers– Gift Cards of 30 GEL and sents. We are going to continue this trend sented in Georgia by the Company opening party in the SC differs from other branches in that its the next 100 customers– a NEW YOR- in the future and make them happy with ISOLA-G. SaburtaloO City Mall at 1 Kavtaradze Street. interior is arranged in a loft style. KER bag). The fi rst visitors to the new various offers. The demand for NEW "Currently, NEW YORKER’s stores The new store in Saburtalo District NEW YORKER offers a wide range of branch were very pleased with their YORKER products is high and they were operate in Tbilisi Mall, Galleria Tbilisi, will operate every day, from Monday the latest trends and fashion highlights special presents, and all claimed unani- waiting for this opening in Tbilisi impa- East Point, and in Metro Mall in Batumi. through Sunday, from 10:00 to 22:00. for women, men and teenagers. The mously, they will be back tothe store in tiently. We will do our best to fully meet I would like to thank the loyal custom- It’s the fourth NEW YORKER store in products showcased in the store can Saburtalo City Mall to buymoreexclusive their expectations.” ers for their choice and trust. We con- Georgia’s capital. Currently, the world- freely meet and satisfy the needs of peo- quality and trendy clothes and acces- “We had a great start today, our cus- stantly strive to offer them a wide selec- sories. tomers were very satisfi ed,” said Mariam tion of clothes and accessories and a GEORGIA TODAYsingled out some of Tsiklauri, consultant at NEW YORKER. high standard of European service,"David those happy customers, standing with “We saw a huge number of people wait- Mchedlidze, CEO of ISOLA-G, told gifts and purchases in hand and smiles ing for the opening ceremony from GEORGIA TODAY. on their faces, to fi nd out their impres- sions of the opening event. “I came here quite early this morning, as I wanted to be the fi rst customer into the new branch of NEW YORKER. It was not possible due to number of peo- ple gathered here, however, I still got a Gift Card of 50 GEL, which was quite exciting for me. I am very glad and thank- ful and, of course, I will visit this store often in the future, as the clothes and accessories here totally suit my taste,” said one. “It was a fun and exciting day. I came here with my family early morning and we received wonderful gifts from NEW YORKER- I got a 30 GEL Gift Card and a NEW YORKER Bag. We used to visit their store in Tbilisi City Mall, which is far from where we live. We’re glad that a new store has opened in Saburtalo, which is a more convenient location, and we will be regular visitors in the future. Everything is very affordable here, which is very important for cus- tomers like me. And the quality is excel- lent,” said another happy customer. The latest collection of clothes by NEW YORKER was also showcased at the store's opening ceremony. Models pre- sented the latest trends offered by the brand directly in the store, while DJ Anna GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 BUSINESS 9 CENN Launches Green Scholarship for Young Climate Activists

n Georgia, CENN, a non-govern- In order to receive the CENN green mental organization working to scholarship, a candidate must nominate protect the environment, has been himself / herself through an application implementing various activities form, in which they must describe their to motivate and inspire society, contribution to protecting the environ- Iespecially youth, to think and do more ment, implemented activities in this to maintain natural resources and pro- regard and explain how the award will mote sustainable development. Most help them in achieving future plans. importantly, the organization rightfully The age of the participants is limited appreciates the contribution of those to 10-26. Their activities in terms of envi- who care about nature. ronment protection should have been In this regard, from 2020, CENN will implemented during 2017-2019. be awarding young climate activists with 2019 was an important year, with more green scholarships, which will further young people thinking about the impor- encourage them to continue to advocate tance of the environment around the more actively in their communities and world. For years, CENN has been one of change the environment for the better. the leading organizations in terms of The future leaders in terms of environ- youth environmental engagement. For ment protection will be awarded with more than 10 years, its Green Camps have scholarships in four categories, with one enabled more than 1,500 young people winner in each nomination. across Georgia to learn more about envi- The green scholarship for 2020 will be ronmental and sustainable development, awarded in the following nominations: meet interesting people and return to 1) CENN Green Scholarship for Con- their communities with innovative ideas. tribution to Sustainable Waste Manage- Since 2015, CENN has run nominations ment, Circular Economics, and Consumer for the Niko Ketskhoveli Prize for School Behavior Change; Environmental Competition, which has 2) CENN Green Scholarship for Con- united 350 eco-clubs across Georgia tribution to Sustainable Forest Manage- around sustainable development goals. ment, Promoting Ecotourism and Bio- “Starting from 2020, CENN is pleased diversity Protection; to launch a green scholarship for young 3) CENN Green Scholarship for Con- climate activists that will motivate future The application deadline is March 1, allows young activists to implement their scholarships will become a tradition tribution to Climate Change Awareness leaders to continue to fi ght for environ- 2020. After revealing the fi nalists in each projects and ideas, but also encourages which will contribute to increasing the and Reducing Environmental Impact at ment protection more actively and to nomination, in March 2020, the winners them to continue their activities in the involvement of Georgian youth in the the Local Level; change the current conditions for the will be announced at the CENN Green fi eld of environment protection. global fi ght against environmental issues. 4) CENN Green Scholarship for Con- better,” noted CENN representatives. Scholarship Award Ceremony. CENN continues to create new pos- CENN is open to partnership with tribution to High Social Responsibility The total amount of a scholarship per The award itself will have a positive sibilities for future leaders and, at the interested NGOs, businesses and devel- in Green Entrepreneurship and / or nomination is GEL 1,000, which will be impact on their motivation in general. same time, expressing gratitude for their opment donors, within the Green Schol- Business. distributed over 5 months. Winning a green scholarship not only work - it is quite likely that the green arship program. GEORGIA TODAY 10 BUSINESS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 With USAID Support, Georgian Agriculture is Going Nuts

ment bodies to effectively combat the -- to become fi nancially independent brown marmorated stink bug, a pest that and effectively serve the needs of their has caused approximately $200 million members; catalyze investments in hazel- in damage to the hazelnut sector since nut processing infrastructure and related 2015. technical expertise; establish a hazelnut This assistance has helped the Govern- traceability system; and pilot a warehouse ment of Georgia and local farmers to receipts system that will expand small- mitigate the damage posed by pests in holders’ access to fi nance. the future, putting the hazelnut sector With this support, Georgia’s hazelnut on stronger footing. sector will deliver high-quality products Over the next fi ve years, USAID will to the world market, generate higher support the hazelnut sector to become incomes for Georgia’s smallholders and self-sustaining, and no longer require microenterprises, drive economic growth foreign assistance. To reach this goal, and rural development, and serve as a USAID will: assist the two hazelnut model for other high-potential agricul- industry associations -- GHGA and HEPA tural sectors in Georgia.

Supporting local farmers to protect their crops from pests hen USAID first by the time the nuts reached processors, ment of Georgia to build long-term started supporting they had already been damaged and lost capacity. hazelnut production a lot of their value. USAID support has led to larger, higher- in Georgia in 2011, the Despite these problems, USAID rec- quality harvests, a modern network of sector was known for ognized a sector with untapped potential: processing facilities, and a grading sys- Wdisorganization and ineffi ciency. Despite with greater effi ciency and higher-qual- tem that ensures that hazelnut prices Georgia being the world’s sixth-largest ity yields, hazelnuts could drive economic refl ect their quality. USAID has also producer of in-shell hazelnuts, its farm- growth and generate exports. Given that helped build the capacity of the Georgian ers and processors lacked commercial hazelnut production sustains more than Hazelnut Growers Association (GHGA) viability. Most production came from 50,000 smallholders and microenter- and the Hazelnut Exporters and Proces- small-scale farmers producing less than prises, most of whom are located near sors Association (HEPA), two industry one ton of hazelnuts annually. Demand the Administrative Boundary Line with associations which play critical roles was unstable, with most of the product Abkhazia, developing the sector could supporting the sector’s commercial sus- being sold to market speculators at low also help build resilience in vulnerable tainability. prices. Quality varied tremendously and communities. USAID support has also helped farm- uncertainty was the norm. As one farmer Since 2011, USAID has partnered with ers build resilience against pests. Over put it, “the only thing you can trust is AgriGeorgia/Ferrero and the Govern- the past three years, USAID has part- the price.” Inadequate transportation ment of Georgia to leverage more than nered with the Ministry of Environmen- and storage were signifi cant barriers to $5 million in investment from the private tal Protection and Agriculture, the A USAID-supported hazelnut processing facility near the the sector’s development. In many cases, sector and $2 million from the Govern- National Food Agency, and local govern- Administrative Boundary Line with Abkhazia Georgian Cuisine Masterclass Held in Tallinn, Estonia the typical cuisine of fi ve different regions tial of Georgia. More particularly, the tic region, organized by the Estonian of Georgia: Adjara, Racha, Guria, Same- participants had the opportunity to learn Travel & Tourism Association. Up to grelo and Kakheti. What made the mas- about the tourism potential of Adjara, as 500 companies from 32 countries par- terclass even more interesting to the well as receive the information about the ticipated in the fair this year. Estonian journalists was that they could seasonal charter fl ights planned between The Ambassador of Georgia to Estonia participate in the process of making the Tallinn and Batumi in summer 2020. attended the opening of the event, and Georgian dishes, and, of course, as the The Georgian delegation was also pre- the Department of Tourism and Resorts event wrapped up, they all got to taste sented at the annual 29th international of the Georgian region of Adjara actively what they had cooked. travel trade fair “TOUREST 2020” which participated in the fair. Restaurant Funic- Ambassador of Georgia to Estonia, Archil took place in Tallinn from February 2 to ular’s Chef Borashvili was also invited Karaulashvili, welcomed the guests, 9. TOUREST is the oldest and largest to TOUREST 2020, a few days later fol- informing them about the tourism poten- international travel trade fair in the Bal- lowing up with the masterclass.

The masterclass was organized with BY NINI DAKHUNDARIDZE the support of the Department of Tour- ism and Resorts of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, as well as the leg- n event titled ‘Georgian endary ‘Funicular’ restaurant in Tbilisi. Cuisine: Tradition and The “masters” for the event were Innovation,’ was held in Nikoloz Borashvili, professional Chef at Tallinn on February 11, and, Restaurant Funicular, and Mamukel on the initiative of the Gorelashvili, the Georgian Chef from AEmbassy of Georgia to Estonia, a mas- ‘Georgian Tavern Tbilisi’ in Tallinn. It terclass in Georgian cuisine was organ- was Chef Borashvili who demonstrated ized for journalists working in the fi eld how to prepare traditional Georgian of cuisine and tourism. The two main dishes, adding interesting modern twists aims of the event were delivered suc- to his recipes. Meanwhile, Chef Gore- cessfully: the Georgian cuisine master- lashvili taught the participants techniques class promoted the country’s cuisine as of preparation of traditional Khachapuri much as it raised awareness of Georgia’s from the Adjara region. Since the cuisine gastronomic potential. of Georgia is diverse, the event featured Image source: The Embassy of Georgia to the Republic of Estonia, Facebook GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 BUSINESS 11 Registered Crime up 9.8% in Georgia

BY TEA MARIAMIDZE

ffi cial statistics of the Min- istry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia read that last year crime went up by 9.8%, however, the number ofO opened cases also increased compared to 2018. Non-governmental organization Insti- tute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) released a report on crime statistics, saying that, according to statistics published on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2019, 64,123 crimes were registered, which is about 10% more than in 2018. “The number of crimes registered in 2019 is almost twice as high as in 2017, and the number of open cases is about 20% lower,” the NGO said. IDFI says that since 2018, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has been proactively publishing crime statistics every month. Also, since 2018, the Min- istry has clarifi ed that the crime report- ing system has improved signifi cantly, which is one of the main reasons for the sharp increase in the number of regis- tered crimes. The MIA statistics read that during 2019, compared to the previous year, traffi c crimes decreased by 6.09% and crimes related to state offi cials by 1.55%, while crimes against health and public morality went down by 15.14%. ted against life declined by 9.19% com- restraining orders were issued to protect In general, the largest share of registered Other crimes that saw an increase in The number of drug offenses increased pared to the previous year. The number victims of domestic violence, which is crime comes to theft. Consequently, this 2019 were rape (+24%, +23 cases), car- by about 51% compared to the previous of premeditated murders decreased by 34% more than in 2018. The ministry type of crime has the biggest impact on rying a cold weapon (+31.5% +119 cases), year, largely due to 1056 cases of repeated 49% (37 cases less), but at the same time says the order was violated by 376 indi- the overall rate. According to statistics threatening (+23.12%, +413 cases) crimes drug use. In addition, the number of the number of premeditated murders in viduals, which is a decrease compared for 2019, the rate of monthly theft regis- against the enforcement of judicial acts cases of drug plant cultivation increased aggregated circumstances increased by to the previous year. Also, the number tered in January-July increased from 14% (+55.39%, +534 cases), production of by 108% compared to the previous year, 56% (14 cases more). Also, the rate of of people convicted for driving a family to 35% compared to the same month of false documents (+25.2%, +449 cases), and by 24% in drug purchase, storage or attempted murder increased by 31.7%. member to suicide has increased. the previous year. In August, it decreased and computer crime (+42.43%, +538 sale. Moreover, in 2019, seven women died The number of crimes against property slightly (-4.22%), and the trend of theft cases). “The increase in the category of drug as a result of domestic violence and 4564 increased by 2% (516 cases) in 2019, registered after September changed However, compared to 2018, last year offenses to some extent can be linked to persons were charged with domestic largely due to 358 cases of theft. How- radically and decreased from 20% to the number of opened cases increased a tightening of drug policy,” IDFI said. violence and domestic crimes. ever, there is a signifi cant decrease, 19.8% 30% compared to the same month of the by 1%, which is a positive trend, accord- In 2019, the number of crimes commit- The MIA statistics read that 10,266 (53 cases), in the number of burglaries. previous year. ing to IDFI. GEORGIA TODAY 12 BUSINESS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 GNTA Head: Tourism Revenues up by 20% in January 2020 successfully,” she elaborated. BY ANA DUMBADZE A record number of 633,201 interna- tional travelers visited Georgia in Janu- ary 2020. The increase is +19.8% com- his year, we have a good pared to the same period last year. tendency in the tourism Most international visits came from industry, said Mariam Azerbaijan (+34.9%), Armenia (+17.5%), Kvrivishvili, Head of the Russia (+1.1%) and Turkey (+16.6%). Georgian National Tourism Georgia’s tourism sector saw a sig- TAdministration, when commenting on nifi cant visitor boost from the following the tourist fl ows entering Georgia in the countries: Israel +57.3%, Saudi Arabia wake of the worldwide spread of a new +49.8%, Kazakhstan +44.8%, Kuwait coronavirus. +44.6%. Visits also increased from EU “At this stage, we have a good tendency countries,among them Italy +133.1%, in the tourism industry. January 2020 Poland +82.9%, France +46.8%, and Lietua began with impressive growth rates, +43.7%. equal to 19-20%. In addition, tourism The information was provided by the revenue has increased by 20%. We have Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia nothing alarming at this stage, on the to the National Tourism Administration contrary, as the numbers show, our coun- of the Ministry of Economy and Sustain- try has already started this year very able Development. Meet the Man behind the Tserti Store our years working in agriculture, guaran- INTERVIEW BY NINI HOW DO YOUR PRODUCTS teed the stability of our production, as well DAKHUNDARIDZE DIFFER FROM OTHERS ON THE MARKET? as that it would be among the best. Our production differs from others because The risks now are mostly connected we ourselves are farmers and are actively to external factors, like milk falsifi cation, serti is a store of fresh agri- involved in the process of growing many which causes prices to plummet, and so culture products and meat, of the products that we offer. This gives on. recently opened in Tbilisi. us an additional opportunity to further GEORGIA TODAY sat adapt to the demands of the market, and TSERTI IS MORE THAN JUST A down with the one of the deliver the highest quality. We believe STORE FOR DAIRY AND MEAT Ttwo founding brothers, Bidzina Gonash- we can live up to the expectations of our PRODUCTS. WHAT OTHER vili, who talked to us about the company, consumers, who now, in the 21st century, PRODUCTION DO YOU OFFER? its future plans, the problems in the are looking for healthy, high-quality prod- Tserti, as I mentioned earlier, is a mod- industry, and much more. ucts. The concept of Tserti is that when ernized version of the traditional agri- you enter our store, you will see what we culture store. In Tserti, up to 30 semi- TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST are all about: everything is transparent processed goods are made on the spot, STEPS IN THIS INDUSTRY. and clients can see each step of the pro- including khinkali, pelmeni, etc. What’s This is my fi rst experience of retailing. cess of Tseri production. more we offer tasty bread, also baked Because our family produces a lot of on the spot, which adds to our advantage agriculture products, I decided to unite WHERE IS YOUR FARM on the market. The full variety of our them in one place, called Tserti. Why LOCATED? IS IT EQUIPPED WITH products and their quality has over 500 Tserti? Tserti is a history which needs MODERN TECHNOLOGIES? people walking into our store every day, to be carried on. In old Georgian lan- Our farm is in Kiziki, Dedoplistkaro. I and this is just the beginning. guage, this word meant a specifi c place would say the model of our farm is a where consumers could buy agriculture new statement in Georgian agriculture ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT products. All we did was modernize this and it perfectly repeats the standards DIVERSIFYING YOUR GOODS concept. and approaches that are popular and FURTHER AND MAYBE OPENING approved in Europe and America. OTHER STORES IN TBILISI HOW DID YOU GET THE AND/OR THE REGIONS? FINANCES TO START THE DAIRY AND MEAT MARKET We are planning on widening our output, UP THE BUSINESS? IS ESPECIALLY COMPETITIVE IN in size and variety. Basically, the every- To start the business, we took out a bank GEORGIA. WHAT CHALLENGES day task of our management is to improve loan. My brother and I have a business HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED? quality and implement novelties. About which also directly connects to agricul- Although we realized the competitiveness opening other stores, fi rst, we believe, ture, and the Bank of Georgia, which has of the market, I’ll honestly say that we we need to pass the full business cycle, been our partner for many years, fi nanced were not afraid one bit. Because our expe- and above all, educate and improve the our project. rience, which we have gained throughout members of our staff, so that every future Tserti is even more adapted to the directions for our business. Other than demands of our clients. our high-quality production, we offer them documents detailing the full background YOU HAVE A LOT OF of our products, proving their healthiness, EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD. which makes their business easier. DO YOU SEE ANY FLAWS IN PRODUCT QUALITY TSERTI’S PRODUCTION CONTROL ON THE MARKET? INCLUDES VEGAN GOODS, I believe the National Food Agency is TOO. DO YOU PLAN ON one of the most important state agencies DIVERSIFYING THIS SEGMENT? in the country. I also believe that the Although the size and variety of our pro- health of our country’s goods is quite duced vegan goods is quite limited right well-protected at this point. Honestly, now, because of the demand, I do not rule business operators in Europe have lower out offering more diverse vegan goods. demands than [there are] in Georgia, and we can only praise that fact. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO ENTREPRENEURS TELL US ABOUT YOUR JUST STARTING OUT? PARTNERS, THE ONES I would advise them to be different and WHO SUPPLY YOU AND try to compete only in quality and ser- THE ONES YOU SUPPLY. vice improvement and not falsifi cation The starting idea of Tserti was to con- of products. This way, they will, for sure, nect producers with consumers. We have get their deserved place on the market. a few farms which supply us with dairy We started with a unique concept from goods, and they make outstanding prod- the start, even though it seemed like the ucts from high-quality milk, like Matsoni, industry we stepped into was fully sup- that will truly take you back in time with plied if not oversupplied. We try every its traditional taste. We always have our day to be the leaders in the fi eld by partner farmers’ backs, and are always implementing novelties, improving our ready to help improve their production. services, and I think that with our great On our end, we supply about 12 restau- team, we do a pretty good job, and we rants, including the HoReCa segment, will continue to become even better, and daily. This is one of the most important for this, I’d like to thank them very much. GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 BUSINESS 13 Looking forward to the Challenge: We Interview the CEO of Euronews to the market. The good thing is that it’s not the Euronews HQ in Lyon that will decide to produce the content: it’s the local news here that will have total free- dom to take whatever they want. It will be for the people here, with their Geor- gian perspective, to ‘echo’ the news from Europe to Georgia and vice-versa. The local content that we produce will be produced from an international perspec- tive: we are not here to make purely national news. The local content we will tackle will always be factual and adhere to the editorial values of our network. Of course, when there is a big issue in Georgia, we will speak about it, if it’s purely national. Although we will watch how this will have an impact on sur- rounding countries. Thus, we will bring Europe to Georgia as well as take Geor- gia to Europe . Something that is very interesting for you, and in the interests of your country thoroughly, is that this system will prag- matically work the other way. When something very important happens here, we will unquestionably use it for Euronews World. Euronews World will be in a much better position to cover events happening in Georgia, because we will already have a base here. Espe- cially for the upcoming elections, the workings will become practical, as Geor- gian journalists will be covering the events, reporters from Germany, France received hundreds of applications for a HAVE A EURONEWS OFFICE. our brand to a local partner, who will and other EU countries will cover it in EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW number of positions. In this country, it’s WHAT MADE GEORGIA then use it in a good or a bad way. So, different languages, engaging the Euro- BY BEKA ALEXISHVILI true that TV media are very positioned. SO APPEALING FOR THE it’s important to fi nd the right partner, pean audience in the internal political When I fi rst came, I told my peers that EURONEWS HEADS? in which you have trust, and which shares or cultural affairs of Georgia. this was not our point. I respect every To make it clear, there are other Euronews the values you have. This is what hap- uronews is opening its third TV and Media, but I want Euronews to ‘nationals’ as you mentioned, in these pened: we found the right country and THE ARRIVAL OF EUROENEWS franchise here in Georgia, be unbiased, and we had to fi nd a person countries. We have Euronews Turkish, the right partner Silknet, thus we are IN GEORGIA IS EXPECTED which will be launched in the who shared this value 100 percent, which but we don’t have Euronews Turkey. We happy. TO HAVE A VERY POSITIVE summer of 2020. Before Geor- is Vaisilis Bitsis. He has operated and could have had Euronews Georgian, EFFECT ON THE MEDIA SYSTEM gia, Euronews opened fran- set up Euronews in Greece, so he is very which would just be transcription of EURONEWS GEORGIA WILL HERE. EURONEWS WILL OFFER chisesE in Serbia and Albania. skilled and knows Euronews by heart. Euronews in Georgian. So indeed, to HAVE A HYBRID STRUCTURE AN OBJECTIVE OVERVIEW GEORGIA TODAY sat down with We are also counting on Georgia. One return to your point, Georgia is the fi rst COMBINING LOCAL AND OF INTERNAL POLITICS AND Michael Peters, the CEO of Euronews , of Vasilis’ missions is to identify, recruit in the region to have franchise – Euronews GLOBAL STORIES AND WILL OBJECTIVELY COVER who is from Lyon, France. Last year, in and train someone who will become, in Georgia. NEWS. HOW WILL THE NEWS INTERPARTY RELATIONS. September he and Giorgi Ramishvili, the 6, 9 or 12 months, our new Editor in There are two criteria we always keep AGENCY BE ABLE TO MERGE It’s good that you say this endeavor will Chairman of Silknet’s Supervisory Board Chief, who will unquestionably be Geor- in mind. The fi rst is the interest of the “GLOCAL” NEWS INTO be positive. But you will see it’s much , signed a partnership agreement between gian. This shows that we will never move country itself. You know better than me, ONE? AND WHAT LESSONS more challenging than you think. As I Euronews and Silknet to offi cially launch away from what we say, we will never the geopolitical situation in your coun- CAN THIS INTERNATIONAL said before, this approach is more of an the European mammoth organization compromise on these kinds of things. try makes your nation extremely inter- FRANCHISE GIVE TO LOCAL intellectual approach, and less of a ‘show here in Tbilisi – Euronews Georgia. esting and sensitive for us, and further- GEORGIAN NEWS STATIONS? off’. To make things quiet, although as GEORGIA BEING A FIRMLY more, challenging. That’s why we are It’s what we are doing already in all our humans we like ‘spicy’ things, our main WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF PRO-EUROPEAN COUNTRY, happy to be here and to tackle these different editions. For example, that’s mission is to get viewers open-minded YOUR VISIT TO GEORGIA? WHAT CONTRIBUTION issues. The second criteria is that once what we are doing in Albania. Euronews and to try give both sides of the story. To meet up with my partners here in WILL EURONEWS MAKE you choose a country, you have to fi nd Albania was launched a few weeks ago. Many people are stuck in a bubble of Silknet, and to sum up the status about IN SOLIDIFYING THE the right partner. What we do here is First of all, there will be a lot of content opinion, and to get them out of this biased where we are standing at the moment. POLITICAL VECTOR OF quite risky, because we give, in a sense, made by Euronews that will be adapted living is not easy and is quite a challenge. We met with the local media, to explain EUROPEAN INTEGRATION? to everyone at what stage we are and I think in this case, I answer with a lot where is the process of recruitment and humility, because it’s hard for me to con- how we are with technology, methods, sider myself as a fl agship for the EU and additionally to explain when we will cause. I strongly believe that the role of launch. The idea is to launch before the the media is not to be the fl agship of any end of July, and the idea is to be ready cause; the role of the media is to empower before the elections in October. people, to help them to make their own opinion, and to give them all news, all YOU APPOINTED A HEAD OF views (the slogan of Euronews). There NEWS DURING YOUR VISIT. TELL is no precise mission of Euronews more US ABOUT HIM. AND WHAT than this. We don’t come here to teach ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS people about Europe, but as it is in our FOR EURONEWS GEORGIA? DNA, when we are here, Euronews Geor- Everything is going well, our partners gia will use a lot of material coming from are working very well, particularly Silknet. Europe. Our agency will take the Euro- The place is chosen already where the pean content and adapt it to the Georgian headquarters will be located, close to audience. We will not only take content Republic. and translate into Georgian; we will give The process is underway and soon Georgia a much better fl avor of what Euronews will be on air. The objective Europe and European culture are. When is to launch before the end of July. The we treat the news from the country, or biggest step for us was the recruitment from the region, we will treat in a more of the Chief of News. European way. We will make it more We announced the Head of News, balanced and quieter. Vasilis Bitsis, a Greek journalist and the director of Euronews Greek Service. GEORGIA WILL BE THE ONLY When we launched the project, we COUNTRY IN THE REGION TO GEORGIA TODAY 14 POLITICS FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020

Georgian PM Summarizes Munich Security Conference

BY ANA DUMBADZE

he 2020 Munich Security Conference. The Georgian delegation led by Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Georgia's growing consisting of Vice PM Tea Tsulukiani, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani and role in the context of TDefense Minister Irakli Garibashvili, held high-level meetings within the framework of the Munich Black Sea security and Security Conference (MSC) 2020, which was held on February 14-16. cybersecurity is The Georgian PM summarized their participation in the MSC with journalists, highlighting that Geor- already evident gia's growing role in the European security archi- tecture and Black Sea security context was well demonstrated at the event. coming years in terms of security and defense,” “We all had our timetables and each of these three the PM noted. days was used very actively by each member of Gakharia added that other important bilateral the government,” Gakharia said. “In his opening meetings were also held within the MSC, which remarks, Wolfgang Ischinger, the Chairman of the mainly focused on Georgia's role in European secu- Munich Security Conference, emphasized Georgia’s rity architecture. important role and said that the European security “Georgia's growing role in the context of Black architecture is unimaginable without the security Sea security and cybersecurity is already evident. of Georgia and Ukraine. This is important narra- These are areas where our responsibility is grow- tive and is a topic that we also brought up on the ing and Georgia must be a reliable and stable part- sidelines of the conference". ner,” he stressed. The head of the government noted that the most The Prime Minister also spoke about his meeting important meeting was held with US Secretary of with ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda which is held Defense Mark Esper, seeing a detailed discussion annually at the Munich Security Conference. of the bilateral cooperation in the fi eld of security He said he reiterated at the meeting that it was and joint projects in the fi eld of defense. of utmost importance for the Georgian side to “In November 2019, the programs we are imple- investigate the facts of ethnic cleansing of Geor- menting in cooperation with the US were upgraded. gians during the 2008 war and catastrophic human- We also discussed Georgia's contribution to Afghan- itarian violations against civilians as quickly as istan and international security. It was a key meet- possible. ing in order to discuss cooperation plans in the "We noted at the meeting that it is of the utmost importance for us to investigate these catastrophic violations as quickly as possible, confi rmed by the Hague Court, and said that Georgia will spare no effort to be a responsible partner in this regard," the Prime Minister said. "We were honored to participate in the Munich Security Conference, the world’s leading forum for Ischinger said the international security, to strengthen our direct communications with our partners and discuss the European security security challenges of the 21st century," he con- cluded. architecture is In his separate meetings with his counterparts from Poland, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Spain, Czech unimaginable without Republic and Croatia, FM Zalkaliani spoke of deep- ening bilateral ties. the security of Georgia On his part, Defense Minister Garibashvili met with his US, Canadian, Montenegrin, Latvian, Swiss and Ukraine and Greek counterparts. GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 18 - 20, 2020 CULTURE 15 GPLG Opens Small Libraries in Akhalkalaki Schools

of a myriad of reforms directed at the library’s BY ELENE DZEBISASHVILI sustainment and advancement. Georgian librar- ies have been opened in Istanbul, Kiev, and Vienna. He has created a library based on e-learning, he novel educational mission initi- uniting several regional libraries. As a result of ated by the National Library of Geor- Kekelidze’s activities in 2012, the National Library gia (GPLG) to set up small libraries was awarded with the name of Tolerance of the in the schools of relatively deprived Year. Georgian towns and villages contin- In 2017, on Kekelidze's initiative, the biggest Book uesT its mission in Akhalkalaki. Museum in Georgia was founded, aimed at pro- "The great educational movement continues - in viding space for various educational meetings and Akhalkalaki, which has invited us to true Javakheti seminars. weather - minus 20 degrees, clouded by snow and In 2020, some of the most vital advancements wind. We visited 12 villages, and this time we set pioneered by Kekelidze include the opening of a up small libraries in three schools in Burnasheti Georgian Library within the University of Qatar; and Baraleti (Georgian and Armenian)”, reads the the opening of The Folklore Hall in Building 2 of Facebook post by the General Director of the the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, as National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, Giorgi part of a joint mission to support and promote Kekelidze. the Georgian chant tradition and other forms of Following his appointment as Director in 2012, Georgian folklore; collaboration with the France’s Kekelidze has gained due respect as the initiator Bibiliotèque Mazarine, to name just a few.

Premiere of Gaetano Donizetti’s L'Elisir d'Amore – a Co-production of 3 European Theaters

intendant, Teatro Comunale di Bologna. During the two-month residency in Tenerife, the 10selected singers received intensive masterclasses from top-level international opera professionals to improve their artistic quality, covering voice tech- niques, repertoire, dramatic interpretation, diction, performance practice and study of specifi c roles, as well as specifi c career-building workshops and tools to learn how to manage their professional career and image on social networks. Project activities also included small-format recit- als offered at local universities, as young audience development is also an essential priority of the project. On February 18, a commented recital will be held at the Shota Rustaveli Theater and Film Georgia State University. n February 26, 27, 29 and March 1, On February 26, 27, 29 and March 1, L'Elisir d'Amore the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State will be performed at the Tbilisi Opera House, after Theatre presents a premiere of which the production will depart for Bologna. Gaetano Donizetti’s L'Elisir d'Amore, Badri Maisuradze, Artistic Director of the Tbilisi a co-production of the Tbilisi Opera Opera and Ballet State Theater, says that Pablo andO Ballet State Theater, Auditorio de Tenerife and Maritano, Stage Director, was inspired by the golden Teatro Comunale di Bologna. The production is age of cinema; a fantasy world that has been cre- realized within the project Opera(e)Studio,co- ated through different Hollywood fi lm sets of that funded by the Creative Europe Program of the era European Union. The project is supported by the Giulio Zappa, Director of the Opera (e) Studio- Creative Georgia and Embassy of Italy to Georgia. Academy, says “The desire was actually to build a Opera(e) Studio is a formative project aimed at project which allowed young singers coming, for young emerging opera singers under the age of 32, instance, from academies or from conservatoires, selected from international auditions held in 4 to face the professional world. Another aim was to European cities. Through auditions held in Bolo- bring different nationalities to the opera; different gna, Tbilisi, Madrid and Tenerife in February 2019, schools, different ideas.” 10 young singers from 7 countries have been selected Rusudan Matsaberidze, Project Manager in Geor- for participation in the project. A total of 181 sing- gia, underlines the importance of this joint project ers from 33 countries took part in the auditions. as it “involves close collaboration and cultural The auditions were conducted by the Artistic exchange between three theatres aiming at the Board of the project: Giulio Zappa, Director of the professional development of young singers and at Opera(e)Studio Academy; José Luis Rivero, Artis- the same time attracting a young audience”. tic Director, Auditorio de Tenerife; Alejandro Conductors - Kakhi Solomnishvili and Levan Jag- Abrante, Opera Intendant, Opera de Tenerife; Badri aev; Scenographer - Serena Rocco; Costume Designer Maisuradze, Artistic Director, Tbilisi Opera and - Lorena Marin; Lighting Designer - Virginio Lev- Ballet State Theater and Fulvio Macciardi, Super- rio.

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