POLITICS PAGE 6 What Next in Iran? POLITICS PAGE 7 Azerbaijan to Export Electricity to Bulgaria Via Turkey BUSINESS PAGE 8
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Issue no: 1047 • MAY 11 - 14, 2018 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... US Denounces Breakaway S.Ossetia's Closure of "Border" with Georgia NEWS PAGE 2 The Georgians in Afghanistan POLITICS PAGE 6 What Next in Iran? POLITICS PAGE 7 Azerbaijan to Export Electricity to Bulgaria via Turkey BUSINESS PAGE 8 Economy Minister of Israel Visiting Georgia to FOCUS ‘Strengthen ON ROMANIA Existing CineDoc's Guest Country this Economic year was Romania. We take a look at one of the fi lms it Bridges’ featured PAGE 10 SOCIETY PAGE 9 Tree Planting Counters Smoking Ban - 25 Fines Imposed in Landslides and Erosion in Kazbegi One Week SOCIETY PAGE 11 BY THEA MORRISON Sounds of Georgia Offers Mini-Concerts for Tourists welve individuals and 13 legal enti- in Tbilisi ties were fi ned in a week by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) CULTURE PAGE 12 for violation of the new tobacco regulations which entered into force Night Life in Tbilisi: City Hall’s Ton May 1. On May 5, two persons were arrested in a bar New Concept in Georgia’s western town of Kutaisi for refus- ing to obey the law. A total of 46 calls were made to the MIA regard- ing violations of the smoking ban from May 1 to where food products are not sold. A special Smoking in air, sea or land public transport also May 8. Up to 2000 police offi cers have been license is necessary to open such a bar. carries a penalty. The driver of the transport is assigned to monitor the execution of the law. In the fi rst instance of violation, institutions to be fi ned 500 GEL, and if repeated, this will be Smoking of tobacco, including electronic ciga- are being fi ned GEL 500. In case of repeated doubled. However, if an individual person smokes rettes and hookah, is prohibited in all enclosed violation, the fi ne goes up to GEL 1000. Indi- on land public transport, the violator is to be fi ned areas, with the exception of houses, psychiatric viduals who break the law can expect a GEL 50 100 GEL. For violation of rules in air or rail trans- clinics, penitentiary facilities and casinos. fi ne and, in case of repeated violation, the fi ne port, the violator is to be fi ned 50 GEL, which will Smoking of cigars is only allowed in cigar-bars, will be doubled. be doubled in case of repeat violation. CULTURE PAGE 15 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS MAY 11 - 14, 2018 US Denounces Breakaway S.Ossetia's Closure of "Border" with Georgia the administrative boundary line in the BY THEA MORRISON Russian-occupied territory of South Ossetia,” the statement reads. Georgian National Communications The US Department of State added eather Nauert, the Spokes- that these closures coincide with Geor- person of the US Depart- gia’s celebration of Victory Day and Commission Launches Media Literacy Project ment of State, has released restrict freedom of movement for resi- a statement denouncing dents living on both sides of the admin- helping people to develop critical think- 2. The development of media criticism BY THEA MORRISON the decision of de facto istrative boundary line. ing skills so that they can better analyze that will help journalists and producers Hauthorities of Georgia’s Russian-backed “In addition, the United States calls for information provided by the media. in their work and to function as a guide breakaway region of South Ossetia, an immediate halt to the ongoing illegal The commission plans to develop the for consumers to choose which media regarding the closure of the so called detentions of Georgian citizens by de he Georgian National Com- project in four directions: products to use. border with Georgia for four days. facto and Russian authorities along the munications Commission 1. A 3-6-month course for media man- 3. Raising awareness of consumers in “The United States is concerned by the administrative boundary lines with the (GNCC) has started imple- agers, producers and journalists. The order to help them distinguish real and decision of the de facto South Ossetian Russian-occupied territories of Abkha- mentation of a Media Lit- goal of the course is to assist media rep- fake news and good and poor quality authorities to temporarily close con- zia and South Ossetia,” the statement eracy Project which envis- resentatives to increase the knowledge products. trolled crossing points in Georgia along reads. Tages raising the quality of media and and qualifi cation of multimedia content. Continued on page 4 GEORGIA TODAY 4 NEWS MAY 11 - 14, 2018 The Banning of Soviet Symbols in Georgia (Nazi) regimes and their propaganda and for other BY THEA MORRISON purposes referred to in this Law,” says Article 7 of the Freedom Charter. “The factions represented in the Parliament of Georgia shall be granted the otalitarian communist and fascist right to propose one candidate to the Commission. symbols are banned at the legislative The composition of the Commission (except for level in Georgia. The Liberty Charter, members proposed by the factions represented in adopted in 2011, bans public display the Parliament of Georgia) and its Code of Conduct of Soviet and Nazi symbols, including shall be set out in regulations developed and Tstatues or photos of the former Soviet leader and approved by the head of the State Security Service native Georgian, Joseph Stalin. of Georgia.” The Charter, among other issues, also envisages In late 2013, the Charter was amended, according the creation of a state commission at the Interior to which if, after a warning from the state commis- Ministry in charge of gathering information about sion, this provision, banning the public display of the existence of symbols, monuments, statues, such symbols, is still violated, the action will carry inscriptions, and the names of streets or squares a fi nancial penalty of GEL 1000. that refl ect or contain “elements of communist or Despite offi cially banning totalitarian symbols, fascist ideology and propaganda.” the law is said not to be properly executed. For The law does not apply to private individuals, but example, the State Security Service (SSS) warned Photo: Socialist Georgia holding rally in Vake Park, May 9, 2018 it establishes that the use of Soviet totalitarian Socialist Georgia party representatives not to use Source: Netgazeti symbols cannot be used on state and local self- Soviet symbols while celebrating the Day of Vic- gia non-parliamentary opposition party, often should not eradicate them. government buildings, squares and streets. Also, tory over fascism on May 9, 2018. However, the affi liated with Russia, believes Soviet symbols “Half the world fought against the Nazis with the use of these symbols is prohibited at public party representatives arrived in central Tbilisi's should not be banned. Soviet symbols. Instead of banning them, the state gatherings and public places. Vake Park with Soviet fl ags, various symbols and According to her, in World War II, Georgian sol- should concentrate on today’s problems and stop Georgia was the fi rst post-Soviet country outside Stalin’s photos. diers fought with Soviet symbols and the state acting like fools,” Burjanadze stated. of the Baltics to ban former KGB operatives and “Communist and Socialist movements are not senior Communist Party offi cials from holding banned anywhere; no international law or tribunal public offi ce. They are also prohibited from serv- has prohibited Communist ideals and symbols. The ing as university deans or judges. Parliament of Georgia has no right to ban these “A Commission shall be established within the symbols,” Valery Kvaratskhelia, the party leader Poland Opens Case against State Security Service of Georgia for the purpose stated. of preventing the crimes referred to in Chapter Moreover, in Stalin’s hometown Gori, located in XXXVIII of the Criminal Code of Georgia and for central Georgia, locals brought Stalin’s bust into ensuring state security and the development of the central square, where a 9-meter statue of him Nord Stream 2 Funders democracy and for registering and accepting once stood, until 2010, when, on the government’s acknowledgements and providing a database of orders, the statue was dismantled in secret, late at According to UOKiK, despite this, the companies BY DIMITRI DOLABERIDZE former secret agents of the intelligence services of night, in order to avoid the protests. nevertheless continued to fi nance the construction the former USSR and other state offi cials referred Neither Socialist party nor the Gori locals were of Nord Stream 2, an act considered a violation of to in this Law, as well as for the purpose of prohib- fi ned by the SSS on May 9. anti-monopoly legislation. If this fact is confi rmed, iting totalitarian Communist and national socialist Nino Burjanadze, the leader of Democratic Geor- he Polish Offi ce for the Protection of the consortium faces a fi ne of up to 10 percent of Competition (UOKiK) has launched the annual turnover. an antitrust investigation against In addition, the anti-monopoly authority may Gazprom and fi ve companies that fund order the sale of part of the assets of the partner- Nord Stream 2. ship and dissolve it. T“Two years ago, the company that was supposed The second Nord Stream is to pass along the basin to construct the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline was of the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany. The fi rst not cleared for this transaction by UOKiK,” explains Nord Stream transports 55 billion cubic meters of Marek Niechciał, the President of UOKiK. “Unfor- gas per year on two strings; the second gas pipeline tunately, as the preliminary proceedings proved, is designed for the same capacity.