Category: Audio Review – South Caucasus News

On September 22, Georgia’s Interior Minister, Vakhtang Gomelauri, responded to opposition questions about the Shovi tragedy in the Parliament by way of interpellation. Gomelauri was summoned to Parliament by Tina Bokuchava, Chair of the UNM faction, who submitted the request letter on August 14.

MPs address the Interior Minister with five questions. They were asking why the SMS early warning system was not implemented; why the rescue operations started with a delay of 3 hours; on what basis the government decided not to ask for international help in the search and rescue operations; what is the condition of the rescue equipment of the Emergency Situations Management Service of the Ministry of the Interior and how is it compatible with international standards; and on what basis the state refused to purchase two search and rescue helicopters (“HUEY II”) on a grant basis.

The Minister’s responses reiterated his previous statements. He claimed that rescue operations commenced as soon as possible, with rescuers arriving on site within 28 minutes, heavy machinery reaching the area in one hour, and helicopters arriving within three hours. According to him, this approach was the most optimal given the mountainous terrain and adverse meteorological conditions. He also noted that the landslide was sudden and substantial, causing all the victims to perish instantly, as evidenced by the severely deteriorated state of the recovered bodies.

In response to inquiries about why the government declined assistance offered by neighboring countries, Gomelauri reiterated that there was no requirement for additional aid. He asserted that the operation was conducted at its utmost capacity, and the on-site rescuers possessed the necessary training to effectively carry out their duties. Furthermore, he addressed MP Tina Bokuchava’s question concerning Georgia’s decision not to acquire two search and rescue helicopters (“HUEY II”) as a grant from the United States. Gomelauri explained that these negotiations, conducted in 2016, were primarily between the government and the U.S. with the purpose of procuring the helicopters for the defense forces, rather than the Interior Ministry.

In response to inquiries about early warning systems, the Minister deferred to experts, indicating that they should provide a more detailed response. As the question concerning Georgia’s current rescue helicopters, he stated that the existing helicopters were fully equipped with night vision capabilities and were performing effectively.

During the parliamentary hearing, several heated verbal confrontations occurred among attendees, with the ruling party mainly targeting Giorgi Vashadze, the leader of the “Strategy Aghmashenebeli” party. Following the conclusion of the hearing, MP Tina Bokuchava was allotted an additional three minutes for further questions. During this time, she criticized the Internal Ministry for its perceived lack of preparedness in responding to the Shovi tragedy, citing also previous incidents in 2015 in Tbilisi, 2017 in Borjomi, and 2022 in Gudauri.

“It is a lie that it was impossible for the rescue team to reach the place faster, when the airport of Ambrolauri is 57 km away, where there should have been a helicopter equipped with the rescue function. You yourself explain that the second group had to take a detour from Ambrolauri because the bridge had already been washed away by the floods, why didn’t you call in the Defense Forces right when you saw the extent of the disaster?.” Bokuchava emphasized that the Defense Forces arrived late (2 days after the landslide) to the operation and pointed out that, given the circumstances resulting in the loss of 34 lives and with the bodies of two children still missing, characterizing the operation as successful is incorrect.

“Lelo – for Georgia” MP Salome Samadashvili had the same critique, saying: “What surprised me was the tone of your speech, and I must refer to the majority MPs, who were applauding – what are you applauding? What do you applaud when more than 30 people are dead? When you tell us that climate change is to blame for this tragedy and that there will be more tragedies like this, you know what I want to hear? What are you going to do in the future and what could have been done differently so that we are not pulling our dismembered children from the earth”.

MP Avtandil Enuqidze of the “European Socialists” party expressed disapproval of the criticism directed at the Interior Minister. Enuqidze remarked, “Did anybody remind Charles Michel that when he came to sign the 12-point recommendation, Belgium was grappling with severe flooding, resulting in 200 dead, 400 people missing, and 10,000 left without homes. Didi anyone then question: ‘Why did you come? Why don’t you explain why you’re here?’ Whether a minister or a deputy minister was present at the disaster site, would it have changed the outcome? Within three hours, everything was organized, but people were still tragically lost. Blaming one individual for the natural disaster today doesn’t seem justifiable.”

Also Read:

• 08/08/2023 – Vice PM: Shovi Disaster was Unavoidable

Irakli Edzgveradze, a member of the Tbilisi Sakrebulo (City Council) from the United National Movement, was attacked this evening. He was beaten near his home in the Gldani district as he was returning from the Council meeting. Edzgveradze relates the incident to the altercation with Kote Zarnadze of the Georgian Dream party during the Council session earlier today. According to him, a group of members of the national football team were involved in the beating.

The incident was followed by a confrontation between UNM members and police in the Gldani district, after which police detained UNM members Nika Melia, Bacho Dolidze and Zviad Kuprava.

More to follow..

A convoy of about 15 trucks bearing Russian flags and operated by Russian peacekeepers traveled from Armenia to Artsakh through Goris is the Syunik Province.

An Agence France Presse camera captured the trucks traveling along the Goris-Stepanakert highways.

This is already the second convoy of Russian trucks entering Artsakh through the Lachin corridor on Friday, News.am reported. Earlier, a Reuters correspondent had reported that seven trucks of Russian peacekeepers had traveled to Artsakh on the Goris-Stepanakert motorway.

Watch the AFP video.

It is not yet known what cargo the trucks are carrying.

Vardan Sargsyan, a representative of the Armenian government’s crisis management working group for Nagorno-Karabakh, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that his office does not have any information about it.

“There is no information about the movement of Armenian trucks. I cannot comment regarding the Russian trucks because it has nothing to do with the cargo being sent by the working group and the Armenian government,” Sargsyan said.

With this piece of information from Ararat Petrosyan, the puzzle came together: the incident with the group of Azeri policemen  “occurred within a demining area, suggesting that this was a planned provocation.” 

They were sent there, on purpose: Aliyev-2 needed a pretext, a casus belli, to justify the one day special operation: from 1PM on 9.19.23 to 1PM on 9.20.23. It was timed with the UNSC session on 9.21.23. 

Perfect planning, Israeli precision weaponry and expertise,  advanced diplomatic and PR maneuvering – everything was calculated and calibrated to bring the resounding propaganda victory. And it did. 

However, the real war and the real peace have started right after this extended intelligence operation. And it remains to be seen, how they will unfold. 

In July this year, Georgian experts and the political community were surprised when, during the visit of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to China, the two sides issued a joint statement on the establishment of a Strategic Partnership. The document has been criticised by experts for its perceived imbalance between Chinese and Georgian interests and concerns.

This month, Prime Minister Garibashvili announced visa-free travel for Chinese citizens and the government’s intention to increase the number of direct flights to China to “further facilitate tourism.” This was followed by statements from Georgian officials that they would welcome Chinese investment in the strategically important infrastructure project for Georgia, the Anaklia deep-sea port. Indeed, today the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Levan Davitashvili, revealed that the Sino-Singaporean consortium has been selected as one of the two finalists in the selection process for the Anaklia port private partnership.

Against the backdrop of ambivalent relations with Georgia’s strategic partners – the EU and the US – these developments raise concerns and question marks. What does it all mean, and what are the implications for Georgia’s established foreign policy priorities?

Armed with these questions, we turned to Tinatin (Tina) Khidasheli, chair of the Georgian think-tank Civic Idea, which studies Sino-Georgian relations. Tina Khidasheli is a former Georgian Defense Minister and former Member of Parliament.

Civil.ge: Georgia recently announced a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens “to boost trade, investment, and tourism” alongside the establishment of a “Strategic Partnership” with China. While this move has been met with both praise and criticism, what is your assessment? What potential benefits and risks do you see for Georgia in this decision, especially considering the country’s aspirations for NATO and EU integration?

For a country like Georgia, which has a very flexible visa policy, the “boosting trade, investment and tourism” argument is pure speculation. The visa regime has never prevented Chinese investors from coming to Georgia, as the process is very easy, cheap and hassle-free. It is more of a political statement than a practical step.

After issuing a statement on strategic cooperation, the Georgian government felt the need to act and, without looking at the actual consequences of the action, came up with this idea as a first step with a political flavor, almost similar to the announcement of the first Chinese-run World Trade Expo on 23-25 September. We will see many initiatives in the coming weeks leading up to the Silk Road Forum at the end of October.

The bigger problem with all these decisions, including the establishment of a visa-free regime, is that even in dealing with a country like China, the Georgian government has no concrete medium- or long-term plan, development strategy or risk assessment documents. We do not see any planning for medium- or long-term goals and outcomes that the government wants to achieve, but a very concrete domestic agenda goal to sell increased Sino-Georgian cooperation as a counterbalance to the government’s total failure on the Western front, be it with the EU or the US.

Civil.ge: Given the commitment made by the government of Georgia in its agreement with China, particularly regarding adherence to the ‘one-China principle,’ support for initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI), and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and considering other European countries’ decisions to withdraw from initiatives like the BRI what is your perspective on the potential implications of such a commitment?

Again, these are all political decisions so far, without any particular substance or understanding of what the actual results will be for Georgia. I do not expect these principles to have any immediate practical effect on the Sino-Georgian affair, nor do I expect any immediate reactions from the West. The fact that the Georgian government, without any consultation with the Parliament or the Commander-in-Chief (President of Georgia), took the liberty of joining the GSI, which was created and delivered as an anti-US and anti-NATO strategic statement, says a lot.

The GSI recognizes, approves and promotes the idea of the UN as the one and only institution guaranteeing world peace and prosperity. It denies the importance of other institutions and recognizes the legitimate interests of countries in self-defense in cases and decisions that are absolutely outside the jurisdiction, territory or legitimacy of any particular country. To make the case easier, we need to remember simple facts. The GSI was launched and presented after Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Accordingly, it is seen as the PRC’s response to the invasion. It accepts the legitimacy of Russia’s claim that NATO’s enlargement threatens Russia and declares it a strategic concern in Russia’s case. It does not explicitly legitimize Russia’s aggression, but it declares these legitimate concerns to be grounds for serious consideration. Georgia has unilaterally recognized the GSI and pledged to abide by its principles, notwithstanding its clear confrontation with our most important long-term strategic partner in defense and security.

It is difficult now to predict exactly what the consequences for Georgia will be, but it is fair to say that the language of the strategic declaration, as well as its release so close to a historic decision on EU candidate status, is a pure provocation by the government. It fits in perfectly with the rhetoric we have recently heard from the mayor of Tbilisi, Kaladze, about NATO.

Civil.ge: The term “strategic partnership” often implies the possibility of military cooperation and intelligence-sharing. How do you view the potential for such cooperation between Georgia and China, and what implications might this have for the region and Georgia’s Western alliances?

So far, there is no visible sign of any planned military/defence cooperation. We have only had two attempts to bring the Chinese into the defense sector: the Motor Sich case and a promise of a military training exchange that never materialized, mainly due to the intervention of Covid.

To some extent, as long as Georgia sticks to the NATO agenda (also for PR purposes), I do not really see the possibility of official Sino-Georgian military cooperation. China does not usually start by moving its military officers or personnel around. Another obstacle is Sino-Russian defense cooperation and joint military training, where again it would be absolutely suicidal for the Georgian government to participate.

As for intelligence sharing, in a sense, we are already doing it by keeping Chinese Nuchtech on our borders. So, making it official in treaties will depend totally on the turn Georgia will make after the 2024 elections.

Civil.ge: It has been suggested that China uses strategic partnerships with small states to exert influence and secure support for its global initiatives. What role do you see Georgia playing in the broader context of China’s Initiatives and its ambitions in the South Caucasus and Central Asia?

It is absolutely clear that the main interests of the PRC lie in Central Asia and the resources of the Caspian Sea. Georgia, by virtue of its geographical and political position, is an integral part of the whole scheme. As I see it, the July 2023 statement on strategic partnership was not so much about the materialization of the huge amount of concrete plans as it was about locking in Georgia as a sphere of interest. I call it the PRC’s master plan to replace “Russki Mir” with Confucius World for the time when all the above principles and plans will be activated.

It should also be mentioned that the statement on strategic partnership goes even deeper and provides that Georgia will coordinate its activities with the PRC at the level of an international organization. Therefore, we should not be surprised if one day Georgia will start voting with the Chinese voice instead of the EU or the US in the UN or other organizations.

Civil.ge: As Civic IDEA closely monitors the ongoing developments in Georgia’s cooperation with China and continues to investigate potential risks and misconduct in various sectors, including infrastructure, economics, and education, could you elaborate on the specific concerns and irregularities that your organization has uncovered during its five years of research? Additionally, what recommendations or measures do you propose for Georgia to address these concerns, enhance transparency, and promote accountability in its relationship with China?

This is a very big question, and you can find all the answers in our reports. Each report has a summary of problems demonstrating the magnitude of misconduct or risks to the country, including corruption risks.

Civil.ge: Given the evolving dynamic in which Russia and China appear to be united in challenging the Western liberal democratic world order, especially as evidenced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and their joint efforts to forge multilateral institutions, and given China’s role in financing Russia’s actions and blocking sanctions against Russia, what strategies or safeguards can Georgia implement to protect its interests and maintain its relations with both China and the West?

We believe in cooperation, so there is nothing in our policy paper recommendations against Sino-Georgian cooperation. There’s always room to do more, and the Georgian government could have successfully worked on mutually beneficial treaties and agreements. The problem with the 31 July statement is that it is absolutely one-sided, and represents the whole spectrum of issues that the PRC is concerned about, but none of them reflect the interests of Georgia. So our recommendation is simple: at least work with the principles of reciprocity in mind when drafting these documents.

But if we look at the bigger picture, it is absolutely clear that Georgia has a chance to become stronger and have more influence with the major regional players only if and when it is supported by the Western alliances and allies. Close cooperation with the EU and the Americans has always helped Georgia to get maximum results from all cooperation agreements with third countries, and this is no different in the case of the PRC. Obviously, we are slowly but surely losing the power and influence that we have steadily gained through our firm commitment to EU and NATO membership and the transformation of the country into a European-style liberal democracy.

Georgia’s only competitive advantage in this volatile region is its firm European aspirations, its democratisation and its setting an example of democratic success for the region, and I do not mean just the post-Soviet space. This is what makes transit through Georgia attractive and an obvious choice from Russia or Iran. We seem to be losing this competitive advantage.

Civil.ge: And finally, how would you comment to the today’s announcement by the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili who revealed that one of the two finalists in the Anaklia Deep Sea Port private partnership selection competition is a Chinese-Singaporean consortium, without naming it though?

The Sino-Singaporean consortium, or even the Swiss-Luxembourg consortium, does not tell us much because where the company is registered does not tell us much about it. The biggest problem at the moment is that the information is completely classified. There is no reason why the government should not publish a list of companies interested in the bid, or why it should talk to citizens in riddles, but unfortunately this has become a very common practice. In the meantime, it prevents us from doing due diligence, and until that happens, there should be public scrutiny.

BBC World Questions, a program that brings people across the globe to engage in discussion and hold those in power to account, hosted its first discussion in Tbilisi, Georgia. The topics presented by presenter Anu Anand and tackled by the panel encompassed Georgia’s pathway to EU accession, relations with Moscow, freedom and democracy, and the sobering recent climate-related tragedies that have beset the country. The program was aired on September 16 for the audience of millions of BBC listeners around the world. I was invited to attend and follow the discussion as Civil.ge Executive Editor.

Nata Koridze is Civil.ge Managing Editor

Listen to World Questions – World Questions: Georgia – BBC Sounds

Anu Anand began her presentation by talking about Georgia’s anticipation of the decision on the EU candidacy, saying, “This decision is anxiously awaited by the majority of the 3.7 million Georgians.” This is certainly true, but as soon as the programme started, the anchor was confronted with the pervasive political rift, present right there, on the stage of the Liberty Theatre, where the programme was being recorded. The BBC’s desire to foster discussion in Georgia came up against the wall of entrenched opinions, divided speakers and audience, and the divide between them: a reminder of the tense and polarized reality in which Georgians live today.

This, despite an apparent effort being made to balance the panel: MP Mariam Lashkhi, represented the ruling Georgian Dream party while MP Tina Bokuchava spoke on behalf of the largest opposition party, the United National Movement. Philosopher Levan Gambashidze and Professor of Political Science Kornely Kakachia were to be making up the middle between those two stringently opposed political poles.

Source: BBCWQ, programme recording in Tbilisi, Liberty Theatre

The sole point of consensus was reached as all participants underscored Georgia’s profound historical and cultural ties to Europe. But that assertion seemed rooted in the cultural affinity rather than the shared political project.

Philosopher Levan Gambashidze referred to this saying that being part of the European Union is important for Georgians also from the philosophical and historical perspective. “Georgia is a European state with a European past,“ he noted, emphasizing that aspiring to Europe has “always“ been the cornerstone of Georgia’s foreign policy. 

The key point of contention at the panel was whether the current Georgian administration was doing enough to achieve the European Union membership.

When asked about the plan of the government to fulfill the 12 EU conditions with so little time remaining before the Commission presents its assessment, the ruling party MP Mariam Laskhi predictably said that the conditions of deoligarchization, judicial reform, and political polarization need time, that they cannot be achieved in just a few months. She promptly shifted the blame on the opposition, lamenting the lack of their participation in the ruling party’s efforts to address the EU concerns.

UNM’s Tina Bokuchava noted, “The EU and NATO are the best insurance policies for Georgia against a delusional Putin who wants to restore the Soviet Union.” Bokuchava criticized the Georgian Dream government for the absence of political will to implement the necessary reforms to obtain EU candidate status. As for the opposition’s participation in implementing the EU recommendations, Bokuchava said: “We are part of the political process, but unfortunately, the agency to implement reforms is with the government.”

Professor Kornely Kakachia was cautiously optimistic about Georgia’s potential to become the EU state, but he placed the locus of that optimism outside Georgians’ hands. Rather, in his mind, the European Union’s leaders are eager not to split the Associated Trio of Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Kakachia admitted, though, that Georgia’s actions have dented that eagerness, saying, “Georgia, because of its foreign policy posture, is a little bit isolated lately” due to its “strange” positioning towards Russia and Ukraine. He argued the country has “lost its geopolitical and moral compass.“

Source: BBCWQ, BBC WQ programme recording in Tbilisi, Liberty Theatre

The matter of morality – or the lack of it – in current politics was the underlying discussion when the panelists touched upon the questions related to political justice in Georgia, state capture, and the recent news about the impeachment proceedings launched by the government against the incumbent president. As expected, the opinions of the opposition and the ruling party diverged profoundly on that matter, and the grumbling of their supporters from the audience – which one is likely to miss during the broadcast – made the abyss between the positions – and the vitriol mixed into this confrontation – blatantly obvious.

The question about the ways to overcome polarization was tackled directly by the anchor. How could Georgian people unite if the UNM and GD cannot work together? UNM MP Bukuchava said that the government is key to achieving such unity. She pointed out that the government holds political sway over the judiciary, mentioning the case of the former president and the UNM founder, Mikheil Saakashvili. In MP Bokuchava’s politicized justice, the absence of an impartial arbiter makes depolarization impossible.

GD MP Lashkhi dismissed the allegations of politically motivated justice out of hand, saying her party had successfully transformed the nation into a parliamentary republic and pluralistic country. She said nine parties are represented in the Parliament, with tools at their disposal to oversee the government. Many in the audience clearly considered that argument disingenuous, given the overwhelming sway of the ruling major and its satellites in the parliament chamber and their reticence to share power.

Russia and its impact on Georgia’s European aspirations was obviously on everyone’s mind. MP Lashkhi concurred that it’s impossible to maintain good relations with Russia as it is the country’s occupier. At this point, she was confronted by MP Bokuchava who spoke about specific steps made by the GD government for the rapprochement with Russia. MP Bokuchava said joining NATO, rather than the EU, was the surest way to normalize relations with Russia as Putin “is quite hesitant to pick up a fight with any NATO country.’’

Ghambashidze stressed that “the issue of how we treat Russia is the issue of how Russia treats everybody else.” He criticized the ongoing justification by Georgia’s ruling party of its foreign policy toward Russia as being aimed at preserving “peace,” saying, “Russia tries to offer the world peace on their terms.” Russian citizen present in the audience said it was impossible to maintain positive relations with the current Russian government while simultaneously pursuing the EU aspirations.

Unanimity, lack of divisiveness and friendliness reigned only as the final question was posed to the panelists and audience: what is unique about Georgia that it can offer the international community? The answers ranged from food to nature, from the Georgian polyphonic singing tradition to the values of friendship and hospitality. There was no disagreement, only unity and harmony, so unusual and refreshing in the Georgian reality.

What are the key takeaways?

Georgia’s political divisions run deep and make dialogue almost impossible. One wonders to what extent the BBC’s global audience has grasped the issues facing Georgian society. One thing is true – feeling the world’s gaze, the bitter adversaries tend to temper their rhetoric a little, to the point of almost civilized conversation. Not enough, perhaps, to move forward, but in a way that makes room for other, less radicalized opinions to be heard. Ultimately, this is what Georgians expect from the EU – a breathing space to calm their fears and a framework of rules and political culture that might allow the political process to move forward.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has decided to postpone the Consecration of the Chrism scheduled for October 1 given the difficult situation created around Artsakh.

The decision was made at the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council chaired by His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

It was also decided to declare October 1 as a day of nationwide prayer for Artsakh, on the occasion of which a special Mass will be performed in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiatsin and in all churches of Armenia and the Diaspora.