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Issue no: 933 • MARCH 31 - APRIL 3, 2017 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... FOCUS ON BREAKS & TIES As Britain backs out, Georgia works on deepening relations with its EU counterparts PAGE 4-6 Georgian, Latvian Presidents Mull Deeper Ties NEWS PAGE 2 What Brexit Means for the EU, Russia, and Georgia POLITICS PAGE 4 FM Janelidze: Georgia is an Important Global Coalition Partner POLITICS PAGE 5 Microsoft Georgia Presents Cloud Technology Strategy Source: coffi nmew.co.uk BUSINESS PAGE 10 New Season of Tbilisi Fashion UN Security Council Discusses Developments Week Kicks off in April SOCIETY PAGE 16 in Georgia’s Occupied Territories 78-Year-Old Classic Writer Guram Dochanashvili BY THEA MORRISON Summons Us to Love the Earth he Security Council of the United & Mankind Nations (UN) discussed the recent CULTURE PAGE 17 developments in Georgia’s breaka- way regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia at a closed meeting on St David’s TMarch 28. The issue was raised by the Ukrainian Delega- College tion and, as the Ukrainian Ambassador Volody- myr Yelchenko said, the issue will not be sup- Rugby Tour pressed "as long as Ukraine is a member of the Security Council and even after that”. to Georgia The top issues discussed at the meeting were: SPORTS PAGE 19 Reduction of crossing-points connecting break- away Abkhazia with the rest of Georgia, illegal parliamentary elections in Abkhazia, unifi cation of armies under the Russian Armed Forces, as well as the upcoming referendum on changing the name of occupied South Ossetia. While delivering his speech, Yelchenko stated Abkhazia; closing down of crossing-points; the All the delegations of the UN Security Council the situation is deteriorating in the breakaway ethnic situation in the fi eld of human rights; all, were in favor of Georgia’s sovereignty and ter- regions. in our opinion, deserve the attention of the ritorial integrity except the Russian Federation. “Some people think that this is a frozen or Security Council,” he said. Russia’s acting Permanent Representative to sleeping confl ict but the situation reminds us United Kingdom’s Ambassador and Permanent the United Nations, Pyotr Ilyichev, said "the very well of our own painful experience in Representative to the UN, Matthew Rycroft, also situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is not Crimea. The action by the Russian Federation, made a comment, saying the so-called elections a confl ict, so the Security Council should not which aims at the factual unifi cation of the armed in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region are a “farce”, distract its attention to it." forces of the Russian Federation and Ossetia and and the UK does not recognize them. Continued on page 3 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS MARCH 31 - APRIL 3, 2017 Developments in Georgia’s Breakaway Regions Discussed at 39th Round of Geneva Int’l Talks BY THEA MORRISON eorgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) reports that the 39th round of the Inter- national Talks of Geneva, established following the GAugust War between Georgia and Rus- sia in 2008, was held on March 28-29, at Georgian, Latvian which the Georgian side condemned Russia’s actions in Georgia’s occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali). The talks were co-chaired by repre- Presidents Mull sentatives from the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and the Organization for Security and Co- of North Ossetia-Alania, which is a fed- Line (ABL) of Abkhazia were also con- Operation in Europe (OSCE), as well eral subject of Russia. demned by Georgian representatives. Deeper Ties as delegates from Georgia, Russia and Moreover, Georgian representatives The co-chairs raised the Khurcha inci- the United States (US), and authorities condemned the so-called military deal dent, where an unarmed 31-year-old with this occasion. Latvia has greatly con- from de facto Abkhazia and Tskhinvali over the unifi cation of South Ossetian citizen of Georgia, Giga Otkhozoria, was BY THEA MORRISON tributed to this process. Our countries are regions. and Russian armies under the Russian gunned down by Russian border guards strategic partners and at every step we The MFA reports that the talks were Armed Forces which was assessed as on Georgian-controlled territory in the feel your fi rm support of our sovereignty held within a two meeting-group format. another illegal move towards annexation village of Khurcha, close to the Nabakevi he prospects of further and territorial integrity, European and At one meeting, the sides discussed of the region. Crossing Point at the ABL on May 19, strengthening relations Euro-Atlantic integration, Georgian state, security and stability issues in Georgia’s The transportation of missile complexes 2016. They said the murderer, who is an between Georgia and Latvia and its further reinforcement," Margve- breakaway Abkhazia and Tskhinvali to Abkhazia by Russia, intensive milita- Abkhazian citizen and who is wanted by in various fi elds were dis- lashvili told Vejonis at the meeting. regions, while the second meeting con- rization and military drills in both break- Interpol, should be detained as soon as cussed at the meeting of The parties also discussed the upcom- cerned the safe return of Internally Dis- away regions were also assessed as vio- possible. TGeorgian President Giorgi Margvelash- ing NATO Summit in Brussels and pro- placed Persons (IDPs) and refugees to lations of the August 2008 ceasefi re Furthermore, the Georgian Delegation vili and his Latvian counterpart Raimonds motion of Georgia’s interests at the Sum- their homes. agreement. raised the issue of IDPs and their safe Vejonis in Tbilisi on Tuesday. mit, highlighting the necessity of The Georgian delegation reviewed the The installation of barbed wire fences return to their homes in the occupied The Georgian President highlighted strengthening business relations and the security situation in the occupied regions and new border signs, the kidnapping regions of Georgia. During the discus- the special importance of this visit, as it volume of bilateral trade in order to make of Georgia and condemned the upcom- of Georgian citizens, depriving local sions, the representatives of the Russian coincided with the launch of the visa- full use of the economic potential of ing referendum on changing Tskhinvali’s youth of an education in their mother Federation left the discussions in protest. free regime with the European Union. Georgia and Latvia. name to "the Republic of South Ossetia tongue, and the reduction of "check- The next round of Geneva Talks has "It is symbolic that your visit coincides Continued on page 4 – the State of Alania” similar to the name points" at the Administrative Boundary been scheduled for June 20-21, 2017. GEORGIA TODAY MARCH 31 - APRIL 3, 2017 NEWS 3 Gov’t Plans to Reduce Number of Self-Governing Cities such cities did not bring the positive and governors. They say the majority BY THEA MORRISON results expected. wants to centralize power. “The administrative expenses were Opposition party Alliance of Patriots doubled, also the effectiveness of gov- of Georgia (APG) believes that the deci- he government of Georgia ernance decreased,” Deputy Minister of sion should be made after active consul- is planning to reduce the Regional Development and Infrastruc- tations with the people. number of self-governing ture, Kakha Guledani, stated. “The population should have the right cities from twelve to fi ve. However, the ministry stressed that to decide whether they support these This means that during the the planned amendments do not refer changes or not,” APG member Irma Tlocal elections, Mayors will only be to the direct election rule of mayors and Inashvili said. elected in Tbilisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Kutaisi governors. Irakli Abesadze, member of the parlia- and Poti. The other cities will be left 120 public, media and non-governmen- mentary minority Movement for Free- without such opportunity. tal organizations addressed the Speaker dom-European Georgia believes that The information was confi rmed by the of Georgian Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze these amendments will weaken local ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party which and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili governing, while the United National believes that the Local Self-Government with the request not to abolish the self- Movement (UNM) says the direct elec- Code, which was activated in 2014 and governing status of seven cities: Zugdidi, tions of the mayors and governors are which increased the number of self- Ozurgeti, Gori, Telavi, Akhaltsikhe, vital. governing cities from fi ve to twelve, Mtskheta and Ambrolauri. The Chairman of Parliament says that needs to be revised. The organizations believe that this entities formed after 2014. hamper the process of development. detailed discussions are necessary over The Ministry of Regional Development action will be a step backwards for the The authors of the document urge the The opposition believes that the inten- the issue. “When it comes to self-gov- and Infrastructure is working on the country. According to them, it is unac- government to formulate a clear posi- tion of the majority is targeted at abol- ernance, it is very important to take a issue, which says that the increase of ceptable to abolish the self-governing tion and not make a decision that could ishing the direct elections of the mayors cautious approach," Kobakhidze said. UN Security Council Discusses Developments in Georgia’s Occupied Territories Continued from page 1 sion," he stressed. coming elections and referendum at the the end of the Geneva Discussions," Ily- Georgians in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali He reminded those present that a spe- Security Council "will only add to the ichev stated. regions, as well as for work to be carried Russian news agency Tass reports that cial format has been set up to settle prob- obvious harm done to the Geneva Dis- The Geneva International Talks were out on an ultimate peaceful resolution Ilyichev called on other delegations to lems between Georgia on the one hand cussions" by the annual consideration established following the Russia-Georgia of both confl icts.

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