Issue no: 939 • APRIL 21 - 24, 2017 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... FOCUS Georgian-German Year: A Rich ON THE ROAD Program of Celebratory Events TO EUROPE NEWS PAGE 3 The French election, the Georgian France’s Policies toward the tobacco confl ict and a look at the Norway model. How can Georgia Eastern Partnership Countries in best go forward? PAGES 4,6,8 Context POLITICS PAGE 4 The Norway Model for GeorgiaGeorgia’s s EU Future? POLITICS PAGE 6 New Structure Planned for Produce in Georgia Agency BUSINESS PAGE 7 The Invisible Parents SOCIETY PAGE 12 TripAdvisor to Launch Marketing Contemporary Ballet: Why are Campaign about Georgia You Missing Out? BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI eorgia is to be promoted during a massive six month marketing cam- paign on TripAdvisor, one of the largest and most popular sites, George Chogovadze, Head of Geor- gianG National Tourism Administration (GNTA) CULTURE PAGE 15 and Chad Shiver, Marketing Manager for Des- tinations at TripAdvisor, announced this week. Cooperation between TripAdvisor and the GNTA is ongoing, with TripAdvisor promot- ing Georgia’s touristic destinations in ten countries: Germany, Poland, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Turkey. Having 390 million visitors a month with over 7 million hotels, restaurants, vacation rentals and booking possibilities listed on the site, TripAdvisor is considered one of the largest travel web portals. The GNTA plans to allocate $65,000 for the marketing campaign. GEORGIA TODAY 2 POLITICS APRIL 21 - 24, 2017 President Margvelashvili: We Should Listen to Public Defender’s Recommendations ical system will be more focused on by examining the premises of develop- human rights and freedoms," he added. ment of the international and regional The International Conference, held NHRI networks. on April 19, gathered ombudsmen of “During 20 years, the Offi ce of Pub- various countries, human rights defend- lic Defender has undergone serious ers, representatives of international evolution,” Nanuashvili said. “It has and civil societies, as well as repre- developed as an independent institu- sentatives of government. tion which has gained signifi cant inter- The participants discussed the cur- national recognition”. rent situation, challenges and He added that his offi ce does its best advancements relating to the multi- to cover all fi elds where human rights mandated human rights institutions, need to be protected. while representatives of foreign During the conference, special empha- human rights institutions shared the sis was placed on the role of NHRI experience and best practices of their networks in the promotion and protec- countries. tion of human rights. The event also provided a brief over- International perspectives were also view of the evolution of the Public provided on the challenges that mul- Defender’s Institution in Georgia dur- tiple mandated institutions are facing, ing the last 20 years and was followed together with the benefi ts. ical culture in Georgia. BY THEA MORRISON “The Public Defender has a diffi cult mission to detect the mistakes made by us in daily political life. Our reac- he President of Georgia, tion to it shows how we tolerate and Giorgi Margvelashvili, develop a European political life,” expressed his support of Margvelashvili said, going on to under- the Public Defender’s line that the main thing is not to turn institute by stating that a blind eye to the Public Defender’s Tthe Ombudsman’s recommendations recommendations. should be taken into account, in order “It is important that Parliament care- to make daily practice more civilized. fully listen to those remarks and rec- Margvelashvili made the statement ommendations cited by the Ombuds- while delivering a speech at the Evolu- man in his annual reports…Listening tion and Challenges of Multi-mandated to the Public Defender and having a National Human Rights Institutions dialogue with him is of utmost impor- (NHRIs) dedicated to the 20th anni- tance,” Margvelashvili said. versary of the Public Defender's Offi ce. The President expressed hope that The President welcomed the Geor- the intensive dialogue in the format gian Public Defender’s integration with offered by Ombudsman Ucha Nanu- European institutions and noted that ashvili, will also be further developed. this process will further develop polit- “I hope each year the Georgian polit- 14 Georgian Wine Companies Presented at Tokyo Exhibition according to the Georgian National “Large marketing campaigns are BY NINO GUGUNISHVILI Wine Agency had more than 75,000 being planned in Japan for the future,” guests this year, is considered one of says Irakli Cholobargia, Head of Mar- bilvino, Corporation Geor- the most important expos in Asian keting and PR Department at the gian Wine, Kakhuri, Wine- countries and is seen as yet another National Wine Agency. “Since 2015, man, Kakhetian Tradi- possibility to increase the popularity the Georgian Wine Agency has par- tional Winemaking, of Georgian wine. ticipated in two major exhibitions: Maranuli, Shilda, Giuaani, “The import of Georgian Wine FoodEX Japan and Wine and Gourmet TShumi, Dugladze Wines and Spirits, increases by 15-20% each year and at Japan, with seminars on Georgian Satsnakheli, Royal Khvanchkara, Imeri least three Georgian importer compa- wines and tastings organized. It’s an and Telavi Wine Cellar were among the nies join the Japanese market annually,” excellent opportunity to promote fourteen Georgian wine companies said Levan Tsintsadze, the Ambassador Georgian wine, develop on the Japa- presented at the international exhibi- of Georgia to Japan, adding that he nese market and fi nd potential dis- tion: Wine and Gourmet Japan 2017, in hopes that Georgian wine export to tributors”. Tokyo, with a special wine tasting event Japan will continue to grow. “The uniquness of Georgian wine and a seminar: ‘Georgia – 8,000 Vin- “Georgian wine, especially Qvevri and its diversity gives it a potential tages,’ attended by famous Japanese wine, suits the Japanese cuisine very to be well established on the Japa- sommeliers and wine professionals. well, which is a very important factor,” nese market,” Cholobargia con- Wine and Gourmet Japan 2017, which, the Ambassador noted. cluded. GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 21 - 24, 2017 NEWS 3 Georgia’s State Security Service Head PresentsPresents 2016 ReportRepo to Parliament funding, supporting or being a member of a terrorist group,” he said. Moreover, Gomelauri claimed the corrupted public servants are potential targets of criminal groups and foreign intelligence services. He said that the Anti-Corruption Agency launched investigations into 47 alleged cases of corruption from 1 January to 31 December 2016. H.E. Ambassador of Among the cases were: 22 cases of bribe-tak- Germany to Georgia, ing, 2 cases of offering a bribe, 8 cases of fraud, Mrs. Heike Peitsch. “ 5 cases of commercial bribery, 4 cases of abuse of authority, 2 cases of misappropriation or embezzlement, 2 cases of negligence, and more. Criminal charges were fi led against 59 people. “Corruption in public services results in the loss of trust of the citizens in the State, prevents democratic development of the State and the BY THEA MORRISON proper functioning of its institutions. At the Georgian-German Year: A Rich same time, corrupt public offi cials are potential targets of criminal groups and foreign intelli- errorism, corrupt civil servants and gence services,” he stressed. Program of Celebratory Events the diffi cult humanitarian situation Gomelauri added that the State Security Ser- in Georgia’s Russian-occupied vice had revealed foreign citizens who had tance to mark the German year much impressed me: between the BY MAKA LOMADZE regions were the main aspects of alleged ties with foreign security services. The in Georgia in the context of German Embassy and Goethe the annual report presented to the agency also learned of their connections with Georgia’s being an honorary Institute, between the Georgian Tparliament by State Security Service (SSS) Head Georgian citizens and permanently monitored his year, Germany guest at the Frankfurt Book Fair Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vakhtang Gomelauri on Wednesday. them in order to prevent any illegal activities. and Georgia are that is to take place in 2018. Georgian Ministry of Culture and Gomelauri said that the existence of the occu- According to him, currently such actions are celebrating the 25th Various towns throughout Ger- Monument Protection, and with pied territories, with the Russian military con- being carried out regarding 99 people, both anniversary of the many have already hosted a other German organizations in the tingent located there, is a top threat to the State. Georgian and foreign citizens. establishment of number of Georgian literary cultural sphere,” said H.E. Ambas- He added that the serious criminogenic situ- After the presentation of the report, the MPs Tdiplomatic relations. 2017 is also events in which Georgian writ- sador of Germany to Georgia, Mrs. ation in these regions, discrimination of the asked the SSS Head questions. The presenta- signifi cant because it is 200 years ers took part. Georgia’s partici- Heike Peitsch. “Our aim is to show ethnic Georgian population, illegal arrest of tion of the report was open to media but the since the fi rst German colonists pation at Leipzig Book Fair is our bilateral relations, that count citizens, the so-called borderization process, parliament session closed to journalists once came to Georgia. The third impor- also worth mentioning. What’s 200 years, from a fresh angle. By restriction of free movement and access to the question-answer format began. tant date is connected with the more, this year, Berlinale marking the Georgian-German education and intensive military exercises are The opposition parties say that Gomelauri did acknowledgment of the centen- screened three Georgian fi lms.” year, we wish to research the diver- serious challenges for Georgia. not fully answer their questions. nial of Georgian independence The Georgian-German year in sity and intensity of the cultural, The SSS Head also touched upon terrorism, Giga Bokeria, member of the parliamentary by Germany.