Issue no: 921 • FEBRUARY 17 - 20, 2017 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... American Hospital to Be Built in Tbilisi NEWS PAGE 2 Georgia Can’t Avoid Europe’s Turmoil POLITICS PAGE 4 FOCUS ON THE PATRIARCHATE Crushing Report: EU Plans PLOT Society is rocked by the allegations to Stop Aid for Ukraine both within and without... and the funding POLITICS PAGE 7 debate begins PAGE 2, 5, 15 Economic Freedom Index 2017: Georgia Ups Its Learn from Failure – The EU’s Quest for Position Media & Communications Competence SOCIETY PAGE 10 Giving Georgians the Chance INTERVIEW BY VAZHA TAVBERIDZE to Excel: Meet International Education Fair Organizers, ith PEOTUS running rampant on Twitter and the Kremlin UK Bridge using its honed skills at dis- information to sell their esca- SOCIETY PAGE 12 pades in Ukraine and Syria Was means to peace and security, the ineptitude of the European Union to string up a coherent, Dario Fo’s Best Known Political needs-based communication policy with its vul- nerable neighborhood becomes more and more Satire on Tumanishvili Stage alarming. On online and social media alike, the EU’s voice is muffl ed and all too convoluted to CULTURE PAGE 15 be relatable, let alone charismatic and inspira- tional. Courtesy of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s Excellency School, GEORGIA TODAY spoke with Lithuanian professor Nerijus Maliukevicius, who has been researching modern information warfare for some time now and authored several books on the subject. HOW DOES THE EUROPEAN UNION’S COMMUNICATION POLICY WORK AND IS IT EFFECTIVE WHEN CONFRONTING THE TIDE OF RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA? While the Western Europe was certainly caught off-guard, for Baltic States by no means was. Continued on page 7 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS FEBRUARY 17 - 20, 2017 Republican Party Demands Revision of Orthodox Church Funding BY THEA MORRISON he Republicans, a non- parliamentary opposition party, are calling on the Government of Georgia to American Hospital revise the funding of the TOrthodox Church. The Georgian Orthodox Church annu- ally receives 25 million GEL from the to Be Built in Tbilisi state budget. The initiative came after the recent Georgian citizens often travel abroad. church scandal, when clergyman Giorgi BY THEA MORRISON The highest American standards and Mamaladze was detained for allegedly technologies of Joint Commission Inter- planning to murder an un-named high- national (JCI) will be introduced in rank cleric. he David Tvildiani Medical Georgia’s American Hospital the like of According to an unoffi cial source, University, Conti Group, which has never been seen on the terri- Mamaladze, a deputy head of the Patri- and businessman Mamuka tory of Georgia. archate’s Property Management Agency, Khazaradze have agreed to JCI accreditation is considered the gold was actually detained because he had begin construction on standard in global health care. JCI consult- knowledge of a range of violations within TAmerican Hospital, a hospital in Georgia ants are the most skilled and experienced the Patriarchate. Patriarchate of Georgia. Source: timer.ge built to American standards. in the industry. It identifi es, measures, and Republicans, Khatuna Samnidze and The selection process for a hospital shares the best practices in quality and Tamar Kordzaia, at a press-conference businesses. necessary. The lack of transparency in operator has been completed, with an patient safety with the world, providing on Wednesday claimed that the consti- “The Church has already received more the current system created the problems agreement signed with Inova Healthcare leadership and innovative solutions to help tutional agreement based on which the than 200 million GEL, and the Patriar- we have today,” said Sergi Kapanadze, System on February 14 in Tbilisi. health care organizations across all set- Georgian Orthodox Church receives chate has received more than 1 million member of the Movement for Freedom- Inova is a global leader in personalized tings improve performance and outcomes. several million GEL annually, is being hectares of land. We, the Republicans, European Georgia. health, which leverages precision med- JCI has a number of guidelines concerning violated due to unnecessary expendi- believe that the funding policy should Another opposition party, United icine to predict, prevent, and treat dis- hardware, building materials, equipment, tures. be reviewed,” she said. National Movement (UNM), also believes eases, enabling individuals to live longer, personnel training quality, the scheme The Party members also claim that The ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), that the relationship between the church healthier lives. procedures, quality control, etc. property both in Tbilisi and the regions does not approve of the position of the and the state is “not healthy”. Inova serves more than two million In addition, Georgian doctors licensed is being handed over to the Church, Republicans. “The government interferes with the people each year throughout the Wash- in the United States will be invited to bypassing all procedures and without Vice-Speaker Gia Volsky says that the activities of the Church in various ways,” ington DC (US) metro area and beyond. work in the hospital, being given the any revision. Church plays an important role in the member of the UNM, Roman Gotsiridze, Inova's fi ve current hospitals include opportunity to continue their profes- “We believe that in this situation the development of society and it is not cor- said. more than 1,700 licensed beds and 16,000 sional activities in Georgia. Church and State should be distanced rect to link it with politics. The Non-Governmental Organization employees. Moreover, American Hospital is and the current fi nancing policy of the “We should disregard speculation that (NGO) Human Rights Education and The American Hospital project in intended to be a medical hub, where a Orthodox Church should be suspended,” the Church serves political forces. The Monitoring Center (EMC) believes that Georgia is worth $42 million. At the fi rst medical-training center will be devel- Samnidze said. Church serves the State,” he claimed. by granting real estate or a large number stage, the hospital will have around 100 oped which will contribute to the train- Kordzaia said that the current develop- Parliamentary opposition parties of funds to the Patriarchate, offi cials aim beds, and will primarily focus on medi- ing of professionals in the medical fi eld ments surrounding the church leave the believe that the fi nancial relationship to secure their loyalty and support. They cal services the level of development of and expand the network. impression that a number of clergyman between the Church and the State should add that currently the Patriarchate’s real which is low in Georgia, providing the The hospital will serve not only Geor- and governmental offi cials are involved have some frames. estate is 36 times greater than that of the high quality medical care for which gia but the whole Caucasus region. in cases of corruption and have joint “Transparency in this relationship is Vatican. WWelcomeelcome ttoo IIndianndian PPunjabiunjabi RestaurantRestaurant SSanjhaanjha CChulhahulha 1 Mobile +995 596 56 13 13 Phone +995-322-95-96-14 Skype: SANJHA CHULHA Facebook: sanjha chulha indian restaurant mail: [email protected] Website: Sanjhachulha.ge Agmashenebeli Avenue 130, Tbilisi 0112 Georgia Delivery service areare availableavailable GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 17 - 20, 2017 NEWS 3 Georgia Ranked 7th among Top 10 Safest Countries Numbeo is a collaborative online data- Last year Georgia was ranked in 6th BY THEA MORRISON base which enables users to share and position in terms of safety. compare information about the cities As for the neighboring countries of and countries around the world. The Georgia, in terms of safety, Ukraine umbeo, the world’s largest data provided by numbeo.com is based takes 85th position, Turkey-55, Russia-67, database of user-contrib- on the perceptions of visitors to the Azerbaijan-18 and Armenia 19th posi- uted data about cities and website in the past three years. tion. countries worldwide, Numbeo surveyed 125 countries world- The 2017 Crime Index Rate revealed Wizz Air to Launch reports that Georgia takes wide and its data reads that Georgia’s that the top 5 most dangerous countries N7th position on the list of Top 10 safest safety index is 79.17, while its crime index are: Venezuela, Papua New Guinea, Hon- countries worldwide. is 20.83. duras, South Africa and South Sudan. Numbeo provides current and timely Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, Austria, the The United States takes position 53, information on world living conditions, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong United Kingdom 70, Switzerland, 115 Kutaisi - London crime, safety, healthcare, pollution, traf- are ahead of Georgia in the list of top 10 while France is on the 67th place in terms fi c, quality of life and travel. safest countries. of crime. Flights from Summer United Airports Georgia says that all BY THEA MORRISON fl ights will be operated by 180-seat Air- bus A320 and 230-seat Airbus A321 air- crafts. izz Air is to launch a Wizz Air planes from Kutaisi will land direct flight from at London Luton Airport, which is located Kutaisi to London just 56km north-west of central London. Luton from June 18, Hungarian airline Wizz Air opened its 2017. fi rst Caucasian base in the main city of WThe information was released Wednes- western Georgia, Kutaisi, in September, day by United Airports Georgia, an LTD 2016. Since then, Wizz Air has transported under the Ministry of Economy and more than 168,000 passengers and cre- Sustainable Development of Georgia. ated 126 jobs. The fl ights will take place every Thurs- Wizz Air is a value-oriented airline that day and Sunday with prices starting from focuses on innovation along the way of just £34.99 (105.99 GEL).