Coe Know-How on Child (& Early) Marriages: Education, Education
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Issue no: 943 • MAY 5 - 8, 2017 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... Russia & Turkey: Removing Trade Barriers in Exchange for Tourist Safety NEWS PAGE 2 Left to the Bear? Georgia in the World of a Le Pen Victory POLITICS PAGE 4 FOCUS ON TBILISI KINDERGARTENS TBC BANK to Receive Growing the new generation- a look at $100 million Credit Line from the recent reforms PAGE 8&9 EBRD & EU BUSINESS PAGE 5 CoE Know-How on Child (& Early) Marriages: Education, Education, Education! Head of Tbilisi Kindergarten INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE Management Agency on hen foreign media publishes Kindergarten Reforms something about Georgia, it’s either about the political SOCIETY PAGE 8 situation – good forbid Geor- gia swaying from the pre- Lost Wcarious path of Europeanization! - or, if we’re lucky, about how great a tourist destination our Legends country is. Social aspects of life rarely, if ever, get covered, so when the Washington Post pub- CULTURE PAGE 11 lished a sizable photo reportage about child brides (and early marriages in general), many an eyebrow was raised. Especially when, con- trary to what one might have expected, it wasn’t just the Muslim ethnic minorities that were girl’s parents and even kidnapping by a suitor,” under “special circumstances” with the consent mentioned. Teenage girls from Imereti and Adjara the article reads. Among the other reasons it of parents and a court. Additionally, it has signed in Western Georgia were presented as just as doesn’t mention is the actual willingness of some and is to ratify the Istanbul Convention, a mas- likely to create families at the tender ages of 16-18 couples to create a family and society’s encour- sive document penned by the Council of Europe as their Muslim counterparts in Gardabani or aging attitude towards it, or how early marriages that aims at preventing and combating violence Lagodekhi. are given another layer of legitimacy by the against women and domestic violence. It was “The United Nations Population Fund has esti- Church, with ordained priests in Georgia bless- these issues that Panorama TV Show and GEOR- mated that at least 17 percent of girls [in Georgia] ing such marriages on daily basis. GIA TODAY discussed with Ms. Bridget get married before the age of 18. There are many So, what’s the country to do? Georgia has com- O’Loughlin, head of the Violence against Women reasons that these marriages still take place, plied with European standards and recently Division at the Council of Europe. including long-standing tradition, the will of the voided a legal norm that allowed such marriages Continued on page 6 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS MAY 5 - 8, 2017 2300 People Lose Jobs Following Ministry Reorganization in total 137 employees were dismissed after IP reorganization. The NGO says that there were several Partnership Fund to shortcomings during the reorganization process, though some positive trends were also noted. Expand Lopota Complex Head of the GYLA, Ana Natsvlishvili, stated that the government has yet to discuss the results of the reorganization assisting in the part considered neces- in parliamentary sessions. She also BY THEA MORRISON sary for development,” the PM said after believes that the government should the signing ceremony. deliver a report on the process to Parlia- JSC Partnership Fund (PF) is a state- ment. he Partnership Fund of owned investment fund established in “In most cases, the dismissal of the Georgia is to invest 2011. public servants was not grounded and $4,500.000 in order to The fund is assigned Fitch rating "BB", the ministries and self-governing towns expand the hotel complex which is equal to the sovereign ceiling had different approaches to the reduc- at Lopota Lake, Kakheti of Georgia. PF was created on the basis tion of budgetary funds and reorganiza- Tregion. of consolidating ownership of the larg- tion,” Natsvlishvili claimed. The Partnership Fund and LLC Lopota est Georgian state-owned enterprises The GYLA also says that civil servants The opposition parties also believe BY THEA MORRISON Investment signed the relevant agree- operating in transportation, energy and were dismissed from only fi ve ministries. that the government should submit ment on Wednesday. infrastructure sectors. The numbers of dismissed people from a report to Parliament. The expansion of the existing hotel at The main objective of the Partnership the state agencies is as follows: “They have to deliver a report to the Lopota Lake envisages the creation of an Fund is to promote investment in Geor- total of 2300 civil servants Ministry of Defense - 2250 people MPs according to the Constitution. The additional 85 hotel rooms, an administra- gia by providing co-fi nancing in projects have been fi red from Geor- Ministry of Internally Displaced Per- fact that this has not happened yet means tive building, a 300-seat conference hall, at their initial stage of development. gian Ministries following sons and Refugees – 20 people that informal governing has been estab- chateau, restaurant, cafe-bar, fi tness club, Head of Partnership Fund, Davit Saga- the reorganization process Infrastructure Ministry – 17 people lished,” member of the United National and closed and outdoor swimming pools. nelidze, said the Lopota project was of initiated by the Prime Min- Ministry of Culture - 11 people Movement, Nika Rurua, said. The signing ceremony was attended utmost importance. Aister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, on Ministry of Foreign Affairs – 2 people. Another opposition party, Movement by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi “We are very proud to participate in a December 9, 2016, which envisaged The total compensation paid to the for Freedom-European Georgia, believes Kvirikashvili. The PM walked through project which serves the development reduction of expenses by 10 percent and dismissed employees amounted to that the optimization process was not the territory and expressed hope that of Lopota Lake,” he said. optimization in the ministries. 5,322.300 GEL. transparent. following the enlargement, the place The Partnership Fund has already The numbers were released by non- However, this is not the full picture of “People who had no patrons were fi red would attract even more tourists and established a joint venture with Lopota governmental organization Georgian dismissed staff members, as a number from the ministries,” Irma Nadirashvili visitors. Investment LLC, named Lopota LLC. Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), of ministries refused to send informa- from European Georgia stressed. "Soon, we will have a completely new, Construction works will be carried out which presented the results of their sur- tion about the reorganization to the Prime Minister Kvirikashvili says the much bigger and more sophisticated by CIC, while the construction will be vey based on the information of 12 min- GYLA. Government of Georgia carried out opti- tourist destination – Lopota. It is an supervised by Colliers. istries. The GYLA added that fi ve self-govern- mization only when and where it was investment by the State and I expect it Several dozen people are to be employed The survey shows that as a result of ing cities, Kutaisi, Batumi, Zugdidi, Ozur- necessary. He does not agree with the to be a very successful project. The during construction works and the open- the reorganization process, the total geti and Poti, reduced budget expendi- assessments of the GYLA. development of this complex is the merit ing of the hotel is scheduled for the end amount of budgetary expenditure tures by 3,630.000 GEL. The fi nancing “What I can say is that I think this is a of a private business, with the State of 2018. decreased by GEL 55,344.000. of IPs was reduced by 1,220.000 GEL and biased assessment," Kvirikashvili said. Russia & Turkey: Removing Trade Barriers in Exchange for Tourist Safety on the import of tomatoes. “The trade Turkish resorts. He cited data according BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE barrier will be removed after Russian to which in the May holidays a third of producers pay off all investments,” Russians holidaying abroad were choos- Putin promised. ing Turkey. ussian President Vladimir He stressed that it was possible to stop “The special services of Russia are Putin announced that he the fall of mutual trade, which, he said, ready to provide all assistance to their and his Turkish counter- had shown a slight increase in turnover Turkish colleagues in these matters,” part Recep Tayyip (3%) in early 2017. Putin said. “However, Russia will not Erdogan, during the nego- Another important topic, according yet remove restrictions on visa-free Rtiations in Sochi, agreed to remove all to the president, was the issue of ensur- travel for the Turks, in connection with trade restrictions except for the ban ing the safety of domestic tourists at the growing terrorist threat”. GEORGIA TODAY MAY 5 - 8, 2017 NEWS 3 Ambassadorial Forum Concludes American Days in Georgia Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. The open- increased security cooperation, we must BY MAKA LOMADZE ing ceremony was attended by former create closer economic ties between US Ambassadors to Georgia, Richard our two countries." Kvirikashvili then Miles, Kenneth Yalowitz, William Court- thanked the US Ambassadors to Geor- n April 22-29, the Ameri- ney, members of the Georgian govern- gia who had worked in Georgia at dif- can Days were held in ment and parliament, representatives ferent times over the past 25 years, for Georgia. The rich program of international organizations, and the their immense contribution to stronger of events that took place US Embassy staff. Georgia-US relations. in the capital, as well as President Margvelashvili pointed to “It is a pleasure and an honor to be Oin the towns of Kutaisi, Batumi, Telavi the fact that Georgians and Americans here today.