July 3 - 9, 2015 WEEKLY PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY www.georgiatoday.ge Price: GEL 2.50 Georgia Today 24 p. ISSUE No.773 GrGreekeek DeDebtbt Crisis:Crisis: Why it Matters for Georgia IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE Why Armenia Is Not (Yet) Ukraine P.4 BUSINESS HEADLINES Georgia’s Aversi Georgia Shifts to Now Selling Riga Virus Cancer Digital Broadcasting P.11 Treatment The Partnership Fund It comes with a hefty price Photo: AP tag, but the worth of the new Opens Panex Plant P.11 As Eurozone finance ministers reject the Greek government’s easy-to-use cancer killer is request for a bailout extension, remittances to Georgia are Minsk: A Platform for being proven throughout the expected to be reduced by up to 5 million euros per month. world. P.17 Dialogue between the P.6 EU and EEU P.12 New EU Program for Culture and Creativity The Launched for Eastern Partnership Region Transcaucasian Turkey and Russia Bridging the gap: Trail – Two Discuss Gas British Council and EU Americans, One Discount P.13 launch a program to Vision show Georgia how a FLIGHT SCHEDULE “We have a vision to walk good cultural industry and map the Transcaucasian can be created and Trail, to write a guide book sustained through and bring this scenic trek international dialogue P.4 through a variety of cultures and capacity building. P.23 P.17 to the world’s attention.” 2 JULY 3 - 9 NEWS IN BRIEF USS Laboon Missile Destroyer Visits Georgia ISISISIS DecDeclarlareses CaliphaCaliphatete inin thethe CaucasusCaucasus By Zviad Adzinbaia “The two countries have decided to deepen cooperation in all areas includ- On June 27-29, the USS Laboon ing the military field. Today’s event is (DDG-58), an Arleigh Burke-class very significant. The world community guided-missile destroyer from the United is ready to provide peace and stability in States’ Navy 6th Fleet, made a port visit the world including our region,” the to Batumi, Georgia, to reaffirm the United chairman maintained. States’ commitment to strengthening ties U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland with NATO allies and partners like Geor- underlined that the visit of this ship once gia, while working toward mutual goals again represents American commitment By Zviad Adzinbaia is the same throughout the world - to in Chechnya. Our law enforcement fully of promoting security and stability in the to working together with Georgia, to en- fight, arrest and judge them. If it is im- controls the situation and 99.9% of our Black Sea region. hance Georgia’s deterrent capabilities, its The so-called Islamic State terrorist possible, then they should be defeated population wants to live in peace,” While in Georgia, the Laboon con- professionalism and the capability of its group, or ISIS, recently announced a at the battleground, like we are trying in Kadyrov maintained. ducted routine combined training with the armed forces. new Caliphate, outlining its goal to take Syria and Iraq,” he assessed. Georgian Defense Minister Tina Georgian Coastguard and provided ship “This is a sign that the United States over several regions of Russia’s North Analyst for Eurasian affairs Paul Khidasheli believes terrorism has no and press tours. According to the US and Georgia, NATO and Georgia will Caucasus. Goble commented: “the Georgian gov- future in the 21st century saying: “the Embassy in Tbilisi, the Laboon’s port continue to cooperate to increase secu- According to the report of the Insti- ernment needs to be very attentive in coalition combating terrorism with con- visit will further build upon previous U.S. rity in the region,” noted Norland. tute for the Study of War (Washington order to reveal those having ties with solidated forces will maintain interna- Navy visits to Georgia that enhance the Usupashvili thanked the U.S. Ambas- D.C.), Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, a terrorist groups and yet should not be tional stability and finally beat terror- professional partnerships and personal sador, the ship captain and the crew mem- spokesman for the fundamentalist radical towards the innocent Muslim ism.” relationships between the United States bers for visiting Georgia as well as the group, named Abu Mohammad al- population.” “I believe terrorism will have no fu- and its allied and partner nations. Adjarian government for hosting the Qadari the leader of the newly created “Most significantly, Georgia needs to ture. I believe the coalition will manage “The making of a port visit by a US guests. entity and congratulated “the soldiers of show that it is tolerant towards all reli- to beat the greatest sickness of the man- ship in Batumi puts an emphasis on the The Laboon, home-ported in Norfolk, the Islamic State” in the Caucasus. gions and must not allow the Islamic kind. These terrible facts confirm sig- two countries’ friendship,” Davit Virginia, is deployed in a multi-mission According to the Deputy U.S. Sec- State to say that orthodox Tbilisi attacks nificance of the operations Georgia par- Usupashvili, Georgia’s Parliamentary role to contribute to regional maritime retary for Democracy and Human Rights Muslims. Georgia should improve its in- ticipates in together with NATO-mem- Chairman told reporters. security, conduct bilateral and multilat- Issues, Tom Malinowski, governments telligence mechanisms in order to reveal ber or partner countries. An emphasis Usupashvili says the United States and eral training missions, and to support and citizens should fundamentally un- those close to terrorist groups. There- was put on these issues at the defense Georgia plan to tackle threats together NATO operations and deployments derstand the possible threats. fore, the government needs to be very ministerial from where I have just re- and this is confirmed by their joint ac- throughout the Black Sea region. “We would like to emphasize that careful,” he said. turned,” Khidasheli underlined. tivities in Afghanistan among other ar- The U.S. Navy routinely operates governments should not tarnish human Ramzan Kadyrov, leader of Che- The self-proclaimed Islamic State eas of unrest, adding “today’s event rep- ships in the Black Sea consistent with the rights when combating terrorist groups. chnya stated the Chechen population (ISIS) has launched active military cam- resents a message that Georgia is not Montreux Convention and International This is a bad policy of counter-terror- wants to live peacefully. “The statement paigns in Syria and Iraq, and has claimed alone.” Law. ism,” Malinowski has told Voice of made on behalf of North Caucasian responsibility for several deadly terror- America adding “Georgia’s strategy fighters, in which they expressed their ist attacks across Europe, the Middle needs to be the same as in the rest of loyalty to the Islamic State is false. I East and North Africa. Its membership the world, aimed at defeating terror- don’t think the bandits hiding in forests comprises several different nationalities ism.” can provide radicals with any serious including some Georgians from the “From my point of view, the formula support. These bastards have no chance Pankisi Gorge area. Defense Ministry Explain Decision not to Deploy Helicopters in Tbilisi Flooding By Zviad Adzinbaia The Georgian Ministry of Defense has released a statement concerning its decision not to use the “Super Puma” French helicopters for rescue purposes on the night of the Tbilisi flooding. The statement was made in response to pu- bic speculation that not enough had been done to save lives. “The Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces acted with one single purpose on the night of 13 June – to pre- vent further casualties and ensure suc- cessful rescue operations,” the statement says. The statement also claimed that Tbilisi has a complex urban structure and lacks the appropriate warning sys- tems that would ensure safe movement for helicopters, adding: “the buildings, were not deployed. tained, adding “this is why what hap- electricity lines and tall trees in the di- “The two newest “Pumas” - that the pened, happened.” saster zones (Svanidze Street, the zoo Interior Minister said were to be kept However, different online sources itself and Mziuri Park areas) make the inactive for two entire years, were un- claim that these types of helicopters are operation of helicopters impossible.” able to operate on the night of the trag- specially created to efficiently maneu- “Utilizing helicopters in the men- edy. The third helicopter, the so-called ver in disaster areas. tioned conditions could have resulted in “Squirrel”, which is the smallest one, According to the last official report further loss of lives. Therefore, we prop- seen in the airport last year, would be by the Georgian Defense Ministry, the erly assessed the risks and dangers. He- the most flexible of the aircraft in the “Super Puma” French helicopters have licopters and unmanned aircraft started period of the flood considering its size been conveyed to the Ministry of Inter- monitoring efforts in the disaster-af- and weight,” argues Kudava. nal Affairs. “As far as I have been in- fected areas the next day,” the statement “The “Squirrel” has night vision, res- formed, the “Super Puma” helicopters emphasizes. cuing equipment, rope, basket and other were transferred to the Interior Ministry. Mamuka Kudava, former Ambassa- relevant, needed tools. Under normal Therefore, it is up to the Ministry to de- HAVE YOUR HAIR CUT AT OUR SALON dor to France, who was directly involved conditions, if trained pilots had been cide how and when to make use of them,” AND GET HAIR DIAGNOSTIC AS A GIFT! in purchasing the helicopters for Geor- available, the helicopters would have Vakhtang Kapanadze, the Chief of Gen- gia also outlined why the helicopters been able to be utilized,” Kudava main- eral Staff stated at the press conference. 4 JULY 3 - 9 ECONOMY The ISET Policy Institute (ISET-PI, www.iset-pi.ge) is an independent think-tank associated with the International School of Economics at TSU (ISET).