Issue no: 963 • JULY 14 - 17, 2017 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... World Cultural Monument Heritage Status Returned to Gelati Monastery NEWS PAGE 2 Georgian Foreign Minister Holds Meetings in Moldova FOCUS POLITICS PAGE 4 ON PREVENTING A Decade of Success: EU Bank Marks 10 Years in Georgia VIOLENCE with New Loans Religious organizations unite to prevent early marriages, FGM and BUSINESS PAGE 8 domestic violence PAGE 12 Source: UNICEF Georgia’s European Way - Ensuring Regional Stability Conference Opens in Batumi BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI France Celebrates Bastille Day – Eternal Values of Liberty, he 14th annual international confer- ence Georgia’s European Way - Equality & Fraternity Ensuring Regional Stability started in Batumi on Thursday. SOCIETY PAGE 12 The two-day conference will focus Ton European security, economic and geopoliti- Giorgi Mikadze Becomes cal issues, new forms of cooperation between the EU and its associated partner countries, and Associate Professor of Berklee the role of Georgia in the process of regional stability. College of Music EU energy security, diversifi cation of the energy markets and the process of energy market lib- CULTURE PAGE 15 eralization are said to be among the themes of vili, addressed the conference with speeches. vertible for the Georgian people,” Prime Minis- particular focus at the conference this year as “The crawling occupation continues to bring ter Giorgi Kvirikashvili said, as he noted the Georgian government representatives and high- tension to the region. Georgia addresses this importance of European and Euro-Atlantic inte- ranking delegates from Europe gather in the problem with the highest responsibility and gration as one of the driving forces for the devel- Adjara capital. patience. Our attitude towards this historical opment of the country. Three fi nancial agreements will be signed dur- injustice which takes place just several kilom- Maroš Šefcovic, Vice President, European ing the conference in Batumi: EUR 250 mln eters from here, refl ected in the occupation of Commission for Energy Union, noted that the fi nancing from the European Investment Bank Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, is an attitude European Union is the number one trade part- (EIB) within the Georgia’s Transport Commu- built on European standards and European val- ner and investor in Georgia, where, as he stated, nication Project [see page 6]; allocation of an ues,” President Margvelashvili stated as he the European Union supports all the progressive additional EUR 3.5 mln fi nancing for the Vardnili addressed the audience at the conference. “The reforms that make Georgia a leader in the East- and Enguri HPP rehabilitation; and funds provi- process of integration of Georgia in the Euro- ern Partnership program. Sevcovic emphasized sion for 10 electro and 20 diesel buses to Batumi. pean process is stable and sustainable...” he the importance of the association agreement President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili, noted. signing, as he talked about strengthening of the and Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikash- “European integration is inevitable and incon- economic and political relations with the EU. GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS JULY 14 - 17, 2017 Chateau Mukhrani World Cultural Monument Reserve Royale Heritage Status Returned Awarded to Gelati Monastery Plantinum BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI he decision to return the 12th Century Gelati Mon- at astery back to the world’s heritage list with independ- ent status was taken at TUNESCO World Heritage meeting in Krakow, Poland on Monday. Decanter Following the information announced by the Ministry of Culture and Monu- ment Protection of Georgia, they in cooperation with the International Coun- cil on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES the World Heritage Center, together with international experts, prepared the nec- essary documentation. As the Ministry hateau Mukhrani Reserve of Culture of Georgia states, the conser- Royale (Saperavi 2012) vation and rehabilitation process carried received an unprec- out at the Gelati Monastery complex edented award; the fully complies with World Heritage Con- fi rst to be presented vention principles. Gelati Monastery. Source: UNESCO website Cto a Georgian wine: the Platinum Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathedral With the decision made at the World Georgia, stated that Bagrati will have a Medal Best in Category, Best were fi rst put on the World Cultural Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, chance to also be returned to the list in Georgian Red. Heritage list in 1994. In 2010, due to the Gelati Monastery is now back on the a different nomination, as together with The award was received at the reconstructions of Bagrati Cathedral, World Heritage list, following the plac- experts from UNESCO and with the help Decanter World Wine Awards both Gelati Monastery and Bagrati Cathe- ing of the ancient town of Mtskheta of German and Polish partners, work to which is known as the most infl u- dral were listed as endangered world (Georgia’s ancient capital) on the same nominate the Kutaisi historical landscape- ential and prestigious international cultural heritage monuments. Bagrati list last year, both now removed from historical zone is underway, with the aim wine competition in the world. Cathedral and Gelati Monastery previ- the list of World Heritage in Danger. that Bagrati Cathedral can be once more From more than 17,000 wines from ously shared one nomination in the Mikhail Giorgadze, the Minister of preserved and represented in the context around the globe which applied, UNESCO list. Culture and Monument Protection of of World Cultural Heritage Monument. Chateau Mukhrani Reserve Roy- ale received the highest award available in the competition. According to the rules, the Plati- Eloshvili New Energy Minister, Janelidze Vice-Premier num Medal is awarded to Gold Medal winning wines which are BY THEA MORRISON later re-tasted in specifi c catego- ries. Prior to 2017, no Georgian wine had received a Gold Medal at the Decanter Awards. eputy Energy Minister, There is a long list of interna- Ilia Eloshvili, has been tional wine competitions world- installed as the new wide, of which the following three Energy Minister, Prime British competitions are of highest Minister of Georgia, infl uence: International Wine Chal- DGiorgi Kvirikashvili announced at a lenge (IWC), International Wine governmental meeting on Wednesday. & Spirits Competition (IWSC) and The PM stated Eloshvili “would be a the Decanter World Wine Awards good minister,” as, since 2012, he has (DWWA). been in the post of Deputy Energy Min- Chateau Mukhrani applied to ister and is very experienced in the fi eld. Decanter with six wines and all “I am sure he will be successful in the received awards: important role he has now. He is expe- Royale Reserve (Red) 2012 - Plat- rienced in both private and public sec- Georgia’s Foreign Minister, Mikheil Kvirikashvili added that foreign rela- inum Medal Best in Category, Best tors as well as in international programs,” Janelidze, would become the second tions are among Georgia’s top priorities. Georgian Red, Reserve Royale the PM added. Vice-Premier. The posts of Energy Minister and (White) 2013 – Silver, Collection Furthermore, in September-November The PM noted that Janelidze has con- Vice-Premier became vacant when Secrete (White) 2014 – Bronze, 2016, Eloshvili also served as Energy tributed greatly to the successful imple- Kakha Kaladze, Energy Minister and Saperavi 2013 – Bronze, Rkatsiteli Minister, when the post was vacant mentation of Georgia’s visa-liberaliza- second Vice-Premier, quit his posts in Superior 2013- Bronze and Collec- before the newly elected Parliament tion process and his appointment as order to participate in the Tbilisi May- tion Secrete (Red) 2014: Com- approved the Cabinet. Deputy Prime Minister would be prof- oral elections as the candidate of the mended. Kvirikashvili also announced that itable for the country. ruling Georgian Dream party. GEORGIA TODAY JULY 14 - 17, 2017 NEWS 3 Recent Developments in Occupied Tskhinvali Passenger Flows Up in Discussed at IPRM Meeting in Ergneti Georgian Airports with Tbilisi International having so far BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI served 1.287,228 passengers, showing a BY THEA MORRISON 44.11 percent increase compared to 2016. Kutaisi International Airport had a 93 ccording to the six-month percent increase in passenger fl ow, and epresentatives of Georgia, statistics of 2017, the num- Batumi Airport served 133,418 passengers de facto South Ossetia (Tskh- ber of passengers passing in six months, 43.95 percent higher com- invali), the European Union through Georgian airports pared to the previous year. Monitoring Mission in Geor- has increased by 48.61 per- Mestia Airport has served 3240 pas- gia (EUMM) and the OSCE Acent, while the number of air transported sengers in six months, 1746 passengers Rdiscussed around 10 acute issues, includ- goods is up by 40.07 percent according more than last year. Ambrolauri Airport, ing the borderization process, on Geor- to the data of the Civil Aviation Agency. which welcomed passengers for the fi rst gian territories at the 79th meeting under 1,609.183 passengers were transported time in 2017 has so far served 457 pas- the Incident Prevention and Response by regular and charter fl ights in Geor- sengers. Mechanism (IPRM) held in Ergneti, de gian airports for the fi rst six month period There were 8768 passenger and goods facto South Ossetia, on July 11. of 2017, which is 48.61 percent higher transportation fl ights operated in Geor- The EUMM reports that Ambassador with 526,355 passengers, up on last year gian airports from January to June 2017, Kestutis Jankauskas, Head of the EUMM when it stood at 1082828 passengers. (7016 regular and 1,752 charter fl ights), in Georgia, and Ambassador Guenther Georgian territory in Bershueti village As for Bershueti village, the locals should The increase in passenger fl ow is said which is 39% higher compared to the Baechler, Special Representative of the last week, which left local farmers with- have thought in advance not to plant to be clear in all the airports in Georgia, same period of 2016.