GEORGIA: Saakashvili's political plans & more – 15th Feb 2024

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 15th of February twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

Starting out the episode with politics, on Friday the 9th, during court proceedings at the Vivamedi clinic, former Georgian President Misha Saakashvili announced he was ready to lead the political activity committee of the National Movement party. He emphasized the critical nature of the upcoming parliamentary elections for Georgia's future and expressed his desire to fight on the front lines, if he gets the support from ordinary party members. He says his vision includes a board that not only features party leaders but also socially active figures, underlining the pivotal moment for Georgia's presence and future prospects.

On Friday the 9th, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze issued an order appointing new ministers. This move comes after the Parliament affirmed its support for Kobakhidze's government. The reshuffle saw Juansher Burchuladze being replaced by Irakli Chikovani as the Minister of Defense.

The announcement outlines the commencement of duties by all appointed ministers, marking a significant reorganization within the Georgian government aimed at addressing the nation's future challenges.

On Thursday the 8th, a catastrophic landslide struck the village of Nergeeti in Georgia's Imereti region, devastating four households and tragically ending nine lives. Led by Temur Mgebrishvili, emergency response teams, including 200 firefighters and rescuers, mobilized swiftly.

That same day, the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region suffered severe windstorms and flooding that resulted in substantial damage and power outages. The community's resilience and teamwork stand out and are further tested as efforts to restore electricity and clear roads of avalanche debris in Tago village in the same region continue.

Good weather is not really on Georgia’s side this week, as on the same day, heavy rainfall caused around 10 individuals and 40 families to be evacuated from a landslide risk zone in Surami, Khashuri Municipality, southwest Georgia. Local authorities and emergency services acted quickly to ensure the safety of residents. Mayor Tengiz Chitiashvili stated that landslip processes had halted overnight, and geological assessments are underway to determine when it will be safe for evacuees to return home.

On the same note, on Saturday the 10th, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze visited Baghdati, responding to the recent deadly landslide in Nergeeti, Imereti region. He assured that the government would provide necessary support and compensation to the affected families Kobakhidze and also highlighted the expansion of monitoring and warning systems to enhance preparedness against natural disasters.

On Monday the 12th, in Gali, Abkhazia, authorities initiated a criminal case against three militia employees for the murder of Georgian citizen Temur Karbaia, with two arrests made. Karbaia had been brought to a police station and subjected to an illegal search that escalated to physical assault by the officers and resulted in severe injuries that led to his death.

This case has shed light on the grave human rights issues and abuse of power within the occupied territories.

Speaking of illegal detentions, on Tuesday the 13th, at the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting in Ergneti, adjacent to the Tskhinvali region, Georgian officials raised serious concerns about the unlawful detention of Georgian citizens Dimitri Korinteli and Giorgi Meladze. The main focus of the meeting was the murder of Tamaz Gintur, with Georgian representatives demanding accountability for those responsible, despite claims from the controlling forces that their border guards acted lawfully.

Discussions also touched on the broader issues of illegal detentions, ongoing borderization, and the presence of Interpol-wanted criminal Davit Gurtsiev, highlighting the complex security challenges facing the region.

On Friday the 9th, a tragic shooting occurred at the Istanbul Market in Rustavi, in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia, resulting in four deaths and one injury. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed the incident and reported that law enforcement promptly responded to the scene following an emergency call. Efforts are underway as authorities mobilize to address the situation and take all necessary measures in the wake of this violent act.Investigations have revealed the incident was a targeted attack arising from a family dispute, involving the gunman and his own relatives.

On Wednesday the 14th, the Georgian Parliament initiated a bill to establish a new protected area in Guria of moree than 15,000 hectares across Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti municipalities. This initiative, costing around 760,000 Lari (almost 290,000 USD), aims to designate this vast tract of land as the Guria National Park. The proposal includes the creation of a dedicated administration for the park, highlighting a significant step towards environmental protection and sustainable management in the region.

Still on the topic of the environment and conservation, on Tuesday the 13th, during the twenty twenty-three Annual Meeting, Nikoloz Shurgaia, General Director at PASHA Bank Georgia, shared insights on Sadagi, an environmental initiative in Georgia that was inspired by the cleanliness in Britain and Shurgaia’s desire to serve his community. Sadagi was founded in twenty twenty-one with the goal of fostering environmental consciousness and aims to make Georgia cleaner through various projects and community involvement, while also aligning with several UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The initiative has gained notable support, including from celebrities like Katie Melua, and focuses on educational projects in schools to instill environmental values early on.

Now, great news for the tourism sector: the World of Statistics highlighted Georgia's ranking as the 4th safest European country for tourists walking alone at night, according to Numbeo.com and social network X data, with Croatia, Slovenia, and Iceland leading the rankings. Numbeo is an NGO known for its extensive unbiased database on global living conditions and its ranking solidifies Georgia's reputation as a secure destination.

Still on the tourism updates, on Tuesday the 13th, Batumi was recognized as one of the top five travel destinations in Europe for twenty twenty-four by European Best Destinations. Batumi’s safety, green spaces, friendliness, romantic atmosphere, and rich gastronomy puts it as the trendiest spot for travelers seeking premium experiences at great value. Popular magazines like Forbes and Wanderlust have highlighted Batumi as a top destination. Their praise is based on a survey of over a million travelers worldwide, confirming Batumi's place as a key spot on Europe's tourism map.

On the same day, The Telegraph highlighted Tbilisi as Europe's 'most exciting city,' now more accessible to British travelers with the introduction of direct flights from Gatwick to Georgia's capital starting on the 13th of May. This new route, operated by Air Iveria, reduces travel time significantly, opening up Tbilisi's unique blend of dynamic culture, historical richness, and emerging fashion scene for a convenient long weekend getaway.

On Monday the 12th, the National Tourism Administration’s report showed that Georgia's tourism sector achieved a historic milestone by generating more than $4 billion in revenue in twenty twenty-three, surpassing the previous records set in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty-two by significant margins. The report showed substantial growth in both visitor numbers and income, with over 7 million international travelers and nearly 5 million tourist visits, indicating robust recovery and growth from pre-pandemic levels. Georgia’s twenty twenty-three performance confirms it is becoming a prime tourist destination.

On Sunday the 11th, Georgia celebrated the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, honoring the achievements of female scientists. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Education and Science and co-organized with the Rustaveli National Scientific Foundation, highlighted the significant contributions of women to the scientific field. Deputy Science Minister Nodar Papukashvili and Foundation General Director Teimuraz Dochviri acknowledged these contributions, emphasizing the importance of gender equality and the promotion of women and girls in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

That’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

Last week we asked you to fill in a survey to get to know you and we got quite a few replies, thank you so so much ! We are very excited, tons of great ideas! We’ll be sharing the link to the survey in the shownotes one more time this week in case you didn’t see it. All respondents will be entered in a lottery to win a cruise in the Mediterranean… just kidding, it's in the South Pacific, but we would love to hear from you! Don’t be shy!

Nakhvamdis!