Choosing NATO Over MAP
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facebook.com/ georgiatoday wwwww.w.ggeorgiatodayeorgiatoday.ge Issue no:no: 817817 • FEBRUARY 12 - 15, 2016 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 Choosing In this week’s issue... Dispute over Maestro TV NATO over Compared to Rustavi 2 Case NEWS PAGE 2 MAP ICC Investigation of 2008 War a Matter of Speculation? POLITICS PAGE 4 PM: Government Will Ensure FOCUS Transparent ON FOREIGN ADVICE and Free Appathurai: Georgia needs to focus on NATO rather than MAP Elections PAGE 4 POLITICS PAGE 5 New Offer from Dirsi: Government Finances Drug for Crazy, but True… BUSINESS PAGE 7 Breast Cancer Treatment Dem Bones: Ogden on the BY EKA KARSAULIDZE Health Service Davit Sergeenko, Minister of Health, Labor and Social SOCIETY PAGE 9 Affairs of Georgia bilisi City Hall, together with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs of Georgia, is to support the Italian and treatment of patients with early stage breast cancer. The cost of the joint Georgian Tprogram is 10 million Lari and includes providing patients with the expensive drug Herceptin. Friendship, Retold According to the initiative, people who suffer from HER2-positive breast cancer (I-III stages) in the Language will receive fi nancial assistance to buy the spe- cialist drug. The fi nancing conditions will differ of Music between Tbilisi citizens and those from the CULTURE PAGE 11 regions. Continued on page 10 Lucky 13. Where are You Going this Valentine’s Weekend? CULTURE PAGE 12 Resounding Win over Germany Brings Birthday Cheer to Georgian Coach Haig SPORTS PAGE 15 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS FEBRUARY 12 - 15, 2016 Dispute over Maestro TV Annual Forum Compared to Rustavi 2 Case Emphasizes Women’s Role in Georgia told reporters that she wants to believe full potential for the betterment of social, BY TAMAR SVANIDZE that Levan and Gia Gachechiladze are economic and political life is an essential victims in the situation. Asatiani said part of the new global Sustainable Devel- [their] main task is fi nding fi nancing to opment Goals through 2030. While help Gachechiladze purchase a control bilisi’s third annual Forum Georgia has made signifi cant progress package of the company shares. of Women Councilors in establishing important gender equal- Some media experts and civil society began on Tuesday to discuss ity laws and policies, a lot remains to be institutions assessed the situation as parliamentary quotas, done to translate that into real change. critical and a continuation of the battle strengthening the role of Women still only make up around 12 per launched against Rustavi 2, the country’s Twomen in local government, developing cent of the representatives in Tbilisi’s leading TV station, which shook the pre-school education and the participa- city assembly and the national parlia- entire political landscape of Georgia tion of citizens in local self-governance. ment. This denies local communities during the last quarter of 2015. The gov- Delegates at the forum are to discuss and the country a tremendous amount Baia Gadabadze, the acting Director of Maestro TV ernment was also accused in that case various topics with local government of wisdom, skill and experience. Today of attempting to utilize the media for and civil organization representatives. we are discussing practical ways to turn election purposes. Senior Director of the National Demo- this around as so many other countries The situation escalated when Gache- On Wednesday, the National Agency cratic Institute in Georgia, Laura Thorn- have,” Sharp said. BY ZVIAD ADZINBAIA chiladze was reported to have met with of Public Registry suspended the process ton, emphasized in her opening remarks Meryl Frank, the former mayor of High- PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili concerning the of registering Levan Gachechiladze as that women have to become a driving land Park, New Jersey and former ambas- issue. The PM was accused of interfer- the Maestro TV Director. The Agency force of change at the local level. sador to the United Nations Commission arly February, Maestro TV ing in media issues, and was urged to said the discussion was suspended on “This year the ‘Win with Women’ con- on the Status of Women, Georgia’s Dep- shareholder Gia Gache chi- distance himself from the process. PM the basis of Baia Gadabadze’s complaint ference focuses on the important role uty Minister of Regional Development ladze (55%) named his brother Kvirikashvili, however, said it was just and request that the Agency not imple- women play in local governance, both and Infrastructure Eka Sepiashvili, Geor- Levan Gachechiladze as the an informal meeting between the two, ment any changes connected to the as citizens and as leaders. Local govern- gian parliamentarian and member of the TV Company Director, replac- who are close friends. Maestro Director. ment is the fi rst point of contact for Gender Equality Council Guguli Magradze Eing the acting head of company, Baia The Prime Minister’s press-service On the same day, Maka Asatiani told citizens with their elected offi cials and and Eva Smedberg – counsellor at the Gadabadze. later released a statement saying that reporters that the Public Registry is fair in many ways deals with issues most Swedish Embassy in Tbilisi are also in Gachechiladze declared that Maestro’s developments around the TV Company and belongs to the entire Maestro team. important to people’s daily lives. Glob- attendance. rating has plummeted and a new man- only represent a controversy between “We must aim to continue our work ally, the more women there are in these The conference was organized by the agement is needed to improve the situ- its owners. “It is categorically unaccep- peacefully and let the processes develop offi ces, the better they respond to peo- National Democratic Institute, Munici- ation. He stated his goal is aimed at table for the government or any political in legal frames,” Asatiani stated. ple’s needs,” Thornton said. pal Service Providers Association and preventing the TV Company’s bank- forces to interfere in the process,” it said. The decision on suspension will last Shombi Sharp, Deputy Resident Rep- the United Nations Development Pro- ruptcy. The TV company employees said all 30 days, after which the Public Registry resentative of the United Nations Devel- gramme in cooperation with the Gov- On the opposite side, Gadabadze projects remain on-going at Maestro TV should be provided with the court’s fi nal opment Programme in Georgia, stressed ernment of Sweden, the Swiss Coopera- claimed that Gachechiladze is supported and all staff is continuing to work at the decision on satisfying the complaint and the importance of bringing more women tion Offi ce for the South Caucasus and by other forces who want the TV com- channel which is now a subject of judi- only after that will a decision over the into politics – both locally and on the Austrian Development Cooperation and pany to be utilized for the purposes of cial dispute. ban of registration requested by national level. the UN Joint Programme for Gender the upcoming parliamentary elections. Maestro’s co-owner, Maka Asatiani, Gadabadze be possible. “Empowering women to realize their Equality in Georgia. GEORGIA TODAY FEBRUARY 12 - 15, 2016 NEWS 3 US Department of State Blog: Helping Georgia Care for Wounded Warriors Pope Francis May Visit Georgia stopovers in two former Soviet republics BY TAMAR SVANIDZE in the Caucasus, Georgia and Azerbai- jan,” Vatican Insider continued. In April 2015, Georgian President Giorgi s part of his world visits, Margvelashvili visited the Vatican and Pope Francis may visit met with Pope Francis. They discussed Georgia for the fi rst time the role of Georgia as an ancient Chris- this autumn. tian state in the modern world and talked Rome-based newspaper over what had been achieved by Georgia AVatican Insider has reported on the regarding their relations with the EU. Pope’s intention to visit the South Cau- The President handed His Holiness a casus in September this year. According copy of the bas-relief of the Cross Ascen- to the Vatican Insider website, a visit to sion of Mtskheta Jvari Monastery and in Georgia could also be on the cards if the return Pope Francis gifted the President ern Asia, has stepped up to support global from battle. Through U.S. Security assis- BY TAMAR SVANIDZE trip goes ahead. The date initially con- with the St Martin Medal, noting that it security. tance programs, we are working with sidered for the visit was June but it was is a symbolic gift to give to the President, In his article, Silva highlighted that Georgia to strengthen their military pushed back until the end of summer as a solicitous defender of his people. Georgia is the second largest contribu- medical facilities into institutions able due to the pan-Orthodox Synod. Pope Francis visited Africa and the n article about Georgian tor in Afghanistan, behind the United to adequately treat and care for their “It would have meant the Pope going United States of America in 2015, and soldiers has been published States, having deployed over 12,000 sol- wounded military personnel,” Silva to Georgia, an Orthodox country, while his next, the 12th, papal visit outside on the offi cial blog of the diers since 2010, fi rst as part of the Inter- wrote. the local Church’s Patriarch was at the Rome is to be Mexico in February. Mex- US Department of State. national Security Assistance Force and Since 1998, Georgia has received a total Synod assembly in Crete,” the website ico is the second most populous Catho- The author, Rennie Silva, currently as part of the Resolute Support of USD 220 million in Foreign Military commented. lic country in the world after Brazil, Awho is a security assistance program Mission.