Issue no: 1075 • AUGUST 17 - 20, 2018 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 Source: REUTERS In this week’s issue... De Facto Ex-PM of Breakaway Abkhazia: Georgians Are Not Our Enemies NEWS PAGE 2 Presidential Candidate Apologizes for Unethical Address to Reporters POLITICS PAGE 4 What Will the Fallout of the FOCUS Sanctions Be for Georgia? ON CAUSE & EFFECT Exclusive interview with Saakashvili's former adviser PAGE 8 Kaladze’s Weekly Priorities: 179 Unfi nished Buildings in Tbilisi POLITICS PAGE 7 BY SAMANTHA GUTHRIE Why International Law Will ach week, the municipal government Never Recognize South of Tbilisi holds a meeting at City Hall. Preceding this week’s meetings, Mayor Ossetia or Catalonia Kakha Kaladze made several impor- POLITICS PAGE 10 tant remarks. EIt was noted that, in addition to continued availability online and at district governments, HUAWEI: A Leading Brand in taxi drivers will be able to go to the Justice House for assistance with the registration process from the Smartphone World August 21. “I want to thank [Justice Minister] Tea Tsu- SOCIETY PAGE 11 lukiani for her support and cooperation,” said the Mayor. “So far, just 244 drivers have regis- Renowned German tered for taxi licenses. From October 1, those who do not have a license will not be able to Conceptual Artist Incorporates provide [taxi] services. Therefore, it is time to start registration," Kaladze urged. Images of Georgian Migrants Kaladze also drew attention to Shartava Street, structure Development Service, to bring it in mented in different districts of the capital. We which is undergoing complete rehabilitation, line with modern standards. started the complete rehabilitation of Shartava in Vienna Exhibition implemented by City Hall’s Municipal Infra- Several "large-scale projects are being imple- Street. Continued on page 2 CULTURE PAGE 15 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS AUGUST 17 - 20, 2018 De Facto Ex-PM of Breakaway Abkhazia: Georgians Are Not Our Enemies neighboring countries. There were con- it turned out that the Georgian side did BY THEA MORRISON fl icts among European states too. They not accept any proposal," Shamba stated. were fi ghting each other. But there is Shamba is a senior politician who cur- always time to settle the relationship. I rently is a member of the so called Peo- ormer “Prime Minister’ of think now this kind of dialogue with ple's Assembly of Abkhazia, and Chair- Georgia’s Russian-Backed Georgia can be started," he noted. man of “United Abkhazia.” breakaway region of Abkhazia, The politician believes the only way He was so called Prime Minister of Sergey Shamba says Georgians to start the dialogue is within the frames breakaway Abkhazia under de facto are not his enemies and he has of the Geneva International Discussions. President Sergei Bagapsh from 13 Febru- Fmany friends in Georgia. “We should not miss the opportunity. ary 2010 until 27 September 2011. Shamba told Echo Moskvi that he was We should start talks,” he added. Between 1997 and 2010, he was de facto the leader in the fi ght against Georgia Shamba spoke about the events in 1992- Minister for Foreign Affairs under both but now thinks that the breakaway lead- 1993 and recalled talks with Georgia, Bagapsh and his predecessor Vladislav ership of occupied Abkhazia should which eventually ended without con- Ardzinba, with only a half-year interrup- launch dialogue with the Georgian side. sensus. The Abkhaz politician said that Photo source: 1TV tion in 2004. Shamba has twice unsuc- “We need to think about a joint future they were hoping to negotiate with some form of agreement. We were com- agreement. However, Georgia rejected cessfully participated in so called pres- because we are neighboring countries… Georgia during the Abkhaz War. mitted to federal relations too. Then all of these suggestions. We were very idential elections of the breakaway region, I mean not only Georgia among the "We hoped that we would reach at least there were talks about the confederation close to consensus. However, in the end in 2004 and 2011. Georgian President & Administration Criticized for Spending GEL 13 mln in 2017 The SAO also stated that some events visits…the Presidential Administration BY THEA MORRISON Photo source: 1TV were fi nanced from the President’s Reserve spent more money on vacations than all Fund which should have been fi nanced 150 MPs together,” Zoidze stated. from the budget. According to the opposition, every insti- eorgian President Giorgi Parliament Vice-Speaker Gia Volsky tution should pay particular attention to Margvelashvili and his says the President spent the money irra- the rational spending of budgetary funds. administration fell under tionally. Parliamentary minority European Geor- sharp criticism from the “I am not surprised that the President gia says that when the poverty is so high ruling Georgian Dream spent 2 million GEL on bonuses. During in the country, it is unacceptable to spend G(GD) and opposition parties after the his term, he lived only for himself and so much money. release of the State Audit Offi ce (SAO) spent money as he wanted,” Volsky “It is not correct that the people's money report, which reads that the Presidential claimed. is spent on offi cials and not on the peo- Administration spent GEL 13 million in Akaki Zoidze, Chairman of the Com- ple's well-being," one of the leaders of 2017. mittee on Healthcare and Social Issues, the party, Zurab Chiaberasvili, noted. The SAO says that up to GEL 2 million believes that while the country cannot Meanwhile, the United National Move- of the total expenditures were spent on dence in Avlabari on which the Admin- employees every month, without a reason get a concrete result from some visits, ment (UNM) says the issue might be of bonuses, and notes that giving bonuses istration spent almost half a million GEL being indicated. the President should refrain from such a political character. Roman Gotsiridze to employees was of a systematic char- and ordered only one company to organ- According to the report, in the year 2017, expenses. says that State agencies and ministries acter at the Presidential Administration ize the event. the President's Administration spent “I understand that it is important to issue twice more bonuses but no one last year. “The Administration must pay more 4,622,445 GEL on Labor remuneration decently represent our country at the studies their activities or asks why they The Audit Offi ce gave recommenda- attention to budget planning to avoid out of which 2,649,852 GEL was spent on international level, including the Presi- were spent. tions and remarks regarding the New large expenditures of funds,” the SAO salaries, and the rest on bonuses. The dent, but money belonging to thousands The Presidential Administration has Year event held at the President’s resi- says, adding that bonuses were given to number of approved staff in 2017 was 140. of pensioners is being spent during such yet to respond to the SAO report. GEORGIA TODAY AUGUST 17 - 20, 2018 NEWS 3 Kaladze’s Weekly Multinational Military Priorities: 179 Unfi nished Drills Noble Partner 2018 Concluded Buildings in Tbilisi Continued from page 1 him for his cooperation because it would Going forward, Mirzikashvili will lead have been impossible to implement the the process to elaborate Framework Plans In the framework of the project, the project in this particular location,” for specifi c areas around the city. She road surface will be updated with an explained Kaladze. will also work on further developing the asphalt-concrete double layer, a new The head of Didube district, Irma concept of cultural heritage protection drainage system will be installed, side- Zavradashvili, has been ordered to and development. There are 11 areas walks on both sides of the road will also build a public square on the location selected in the city where Framework be constructed or repaired as needed, instead. Kaladze said, “people living Plans will be developed. and underground communication lines there will have a green space, a very At the end his remarks, Kaladze called will be replaced. Additionally, under- nice square. If our help is needed, we on construction companies to submit ground passages will be adapted for are ready to take part in the process,” proposals regarding the unfi nished build- people with disabilities, as in developed Kaladze said. ings in Tbilisi, claiming that there are countries,” explained Kaladze. The Tbilisi City Hall Supervision Ser- 179 unfi nished buildings in the capital. The completed street will connect to vice was called to the area near Eliava "We talked about the unfortunately Photo: MOD Kostava Street and Pekini Avenue, creat- market. "The Supervision Service was unfi nished constructions, of which there team experts attended the event. BY THEA MORRISON ing a full circle of high quality infrastruc- obliged to regulate the situation on Kho- are approximately 179. I spoke to the This year, the drills involved 1300 Geor- ture. “Lampposts will be replaced, new biashvili, Agladze and Giorgadze streets Prime Minister about the situation. Con- gians and 1170 US soldiers as well as 500 LEDs will be installed, and cables will near Eliava market in the Didube district. sequently, the central government will soldiers from 13 other countries: Georgia, be put underground. Georgian Water We all know what the situation was like work to resolve the problem. Irakli he US-led, multinational USA, UK, Germany, Estonia, France, and Power is spending 800,000 GEL there - building materials and tires dis- Khmaladze and Ilia Eloshvili will work annual military drills in Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Turkey, ($310,000) on repairing the underground played on the sidewalk making it impos- on this topic.