MAY 11 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Ahead of a EU summit in Riga later this month, Georgian president Georgy Margvelashvili travelled to Brussels to meet the EU President Donald Tusk, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. Georgia sees the Riga summit a chance to press its pro-EU agenda.
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(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)
TBILISI/GEORGIA, MAY 13 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) — The second Saturday of May is an important date in Tbilisi’s calendar, as the New Wine Festival and its rivers of free wine kick off the capital’s summer party season.
But, although there were a record number of participants, this year’s festival was set against the backdrop of falling Georgian wine exports.
The 6th annual New Wine festival, organized by the Wine Club of Georgia, attracted thousands of visitors to sample 72 different types of local wine produced by more than 100 different companies and small family wineries.
“It is a great place to introduce people to different wines and to attract future customers,” Alex Rodzianko, an American who started his own winery in Georgia a couple of years ago and participated in the wine festival for the first time, said as he poured full glasses of amber wine to a circle of Georgians.
But life is less rosy for bigger companies, which target foreign markets. Last week the National Wine Agency released a report, which said that Georgian wine exports dropped by 58% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period in 2014.
In total, in 2015 Georgia exported over 6m litres of wine worth $23m to 26 countries but the two biggest markets, Russia and Ukraine, reduced their Georgian wine consumption by 76% and 57% accordingly. Blame war in Ukraine and an economic recession in Russia.
Teliani Valley, one of the better-known Georgian winemakers, exports 80% of its produce. However their export sales are dwindling. Media representative Nutsa Avalishvili said that the company is now trying to expand into other countries such as Poland, Kazakhstan, China and the US to compensate for losses.
“The main reason for dropping sales in Ukraine is the political situation and crisis in that country,” she said.
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(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)
MAY 7 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia will allow parliament to vote on the appointment of the prosecutor-general, media reported, a move designed to bolster democracy. Under the current system the PM appoints the country’s top prosecutor. New laws will introduce a special council to advise on an appointment which will then need to be approved by government and parliament.
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(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)
MAY 11 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – US and Georgian forces began two weeks of military exercises, war games which are likely to irritate neighbouring Russia. The exercises are an annual arrangement designed to increase understanding and cooperation between the two armies. Georgia wants to join NATO.
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(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)
MAY 13 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – In an opinion poll for the National Democratic Institute in Georgia, only 24% of respondents said they would vote for the ruling Georgian Dream Coalition. The poll is another blow to the authority of the coalition.
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(News report from Issue No. 231, published on May 13 2015)
APRIL 30 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Germany’s Kaltenberg beer, which traces its roots back to the Bavarian royal family, will open a brewery in Georgia. It may have a reputation as a wine-making country but Georgia is also a major consumer of beer.
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(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)
APRIL 30 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – The European Investment Bank, the EU’s institution for giving long-term funding, opened an office in Tbilisi. The office will serve the whole of the South Caucasus and underlines the EU’s commitment to the region. It also announced a $40m loan to the Bank of Georgia to fund small sized projects.
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)
APRIL 30 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the ruling Georgian Dream coalition, and a former Georgian PM, has once again criticised the Central Bank for failing to stop a depreciation of the lari currency, media reported. The previous government, loathed by Mr Ivanishvili, appointed the current Central Bank chief.
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(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)
MAY 1 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Georgia is on the cusp of easing visa regulations which were tightened eight months ago on the premise of being in line with EU regulations.
Parliament has passed two readings of the visa bill and the final vote is scheduled for later this month.
Georgia’s economy is reliant on foreign investment and Eric Livny, director of International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University, said any relaxation of migration rules would be positive.
“Georgia should use the current opportunity to liberalise its visa regime with Europe while staying as open as possible to the outside world,” he said.
The bill reinstates the 360-day visa-free stay for citizens and permanent residents of countries listed by the government. Most likely, this will include EU members and the US. The changes also include simpler procedures and lower fees for obtaining Georgian visa and residence permit.
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)
MAY 5 2015 (The Conway Bulletin) – Relations between Georgia and Armenia threatened to sour after the speaker of the Armenian parliament, Galust Sahakyan, met a delegation from the Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia in Nagorno- Karabakh.
Initially, Mr Sahakyan’s meeting with South Ossetian official Anatoly Bibilov, who was in Nagrono-Karabakh to monitor local elections, appeared to suggest some degree of official Armenian support for the rebel government. Tbilisi was incensed.
Georgia and Russia fought a brief war in 2008 over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Russia and a handful of crony states which want to curry support from the Kremlin — think Pacific Island states looking for aid handouts — have recognised their independence although Georgia still says it wants to reclaim the regions.
Georgia’s government called in Armenia’s ambassador to Tbilisi to explain Mr Sahakyan’s actions and later Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili spoke to Armenian PM Hovik Abrahamyan to avoid a diplomatic incident.
An Armenian government spokesman later said: “The meeting between Galust Sahakyan and Anatoly Bibilov was purely of private nature. No official issues were discussed whatsoever. A meeting between private individuals has nothing to do with political positions.”
The statement concluded by confirming Armenia’s support for Georgia’s claim over South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Copyright ©The Conway Bulletin — all rights reserved
(News report from Issue No. 230, published on May 6 2015)