Episode 114
Georgia Update – Direct Flights & more– 25th May 2023
Protests against direct flights between Russia and Georgia, Zourabichvili boycotts Airzena, Georgia marks Abkhazia Day, Freedom House Report 2023, and more!
Thanks for tuning in!
Let us know what you think and what we can improve on by emailing us at georgia@rorshok.com or follow us on Instagram @Rorshok__georgia or Twitter @RorshokGeorgia or Mastodon @georgia@rorshok.social
Like what you hear? Subscribe, share, and tell your buds.
Transcript
On Friday the 19th, demonstrations took place at the airport in Tbilisi to protest the first direct flight from Moscow to Tbilisi. Media reports said that police detained around ten people. The demonstrators said that the resumption of flights deviates from the EU integration path. They also pointed out that the Russian plane landed on the seventh anniversary of the killing of Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria, who was murdered by Russian occupation forces near the Abkhazian occupation line. President Salome Zourabichvili once again criticized direct flights. However, the Georgian Dream or Otsneba members justified them under the premise that it would ease the transportation struggles for over a million ethnic Georgians that live in Russia. According to a news outlet, Publika, around 260 thousand Georgians live there but Ostneba exaggerates the numbers.
Continuing with protests, we’ve got the Kakheti region.
On Saturday, the 20th, protesters gathered outside the Kvareli Lake hotel in the Kakheti region to express their disapproval of the planned marriage between Mika Vinokurov, the Russian Foreign Minister son-in-law, and Ekaterina Lavrova-Vinokurova, the daughter of a politician. The opposition politicians, including Droa party leader Elene Khoshtaria, accused the Government of cooperating with Moscow and criticized the presence of the couple, who were both included in international sanctions for having ties with the Russian government Police detained seventeen individuals on charges of petty hooliganism and disobeying the police but released them the next day. President Zurabishvili stated that the Interior Minister had informed her that the family and the individuals who organized the wedding had departed, and the event hadn’t taken place. She expressed that this is a win for society. Moreover, Zourabichvili slammed the Georgian authorities for failing to prevent the sanctioned individuals from entering the country. Otsneba leader, Irakli Kobakhidze, accused Zourabichvili of promoting xenophobia and argued that imposing sanctions on family members violates human rights.
Speaking of sanctions…
On Tuesday, the 23rd, the US State Department also talked about the concern regarding the direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi. Matthew Miller, The US State Department spokesperson, issued a warning that companies engaging with Russia could lead to the imposition of sanctions against Georgian airports. The Western community has clearly distanced itself from the regime and says that there shouldn’t be an increase in engagement with Russia. Other countries also expressed their concerns regarding Georgia's visa-free regime and direct flights with Russia. The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed disappointment over the resumption of flights between Russia and Georgia, stating that it goes against Georgia's interests since it had chosen the path of the EU and Euro-Atlantic integration. Meanwhile, Oleg Nikolenko, the Spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, views Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to cancel visas for Georgian citizens and resume flights as a political compensation for Georgia's refusal to impose sanctions on Russia. Nikolenko likened the situation to a deal with the devil, where the devil ultimately wins.
On Saturday the 20th, During a briefing at the Orbeliani Presidential Palace, President Salome Zourabichvili announced her decision to boycott Airzena Georgian Airways, a Georgian airline that conducts flights between Russia and Georgia. She criticized the airline for prioritizing profits over everything else and doing whatever it took to make money, regardless of who was in power. Tamaz Gaiashvili, the Director of Airzena Georgian Airways, issued a statement in response to the boycott of President Salome Zurabishvili. Gaiashvili declared that they would not allow the President to board their flights until she apologized to the Georgian people. Also, the company considered her persona non-grata. In his statement, he welcomed Putin's decision to cancel the visa regime for citizens of Georgia and restore direct flights. The guy certainly welcomed the wrong President.
More on the Government's possible cooperation with Russia.
On Monday, the 22nd, the opposition accused the Georgia Revenue Service of allowing sanctioned rail freights from Azerbaijan to enter Georgia, but the Service denied the claim. In an address to the allegations, the Service confirmed that Azerbaijan sent fifty-eight carriages to Georgia but said the international community did not sanction these carriages. Also, the Maritime Transport Agency denied reports of regular sea transportation between Batumi and Novorossiysk (Russia). In a statement, the agency said that they check ships and owners for international sanctions and prohibit those on the sanctioned list from entering Georgian ports.
rst time to honor Abkhazia in:We have some scientific news as well...
On Tuesday the 23rd, the Intelligence from Economist podcast mentioned Georgia's phage therapy potential to cure different bacteria-caused diseases. Because of the broad public acceptance of phage therapy in Georgia and the presence of one of the oldest research institutions, like Eliava Phage Therapy Center, that specializes in phage therapy, Georgia is ahead of the world. Every year, over 500 patients visit Georgia to get phage therapy treatment. The issue's importance skyrocketed within the medical world as antibiotics lose their efficiency against bacterial disease due to bacteria's adaptive nature to resist chemical drugs. In the last three years, pharmaceutical companies worldwide conducted more research on phage therapy than in the past two decades.
Moving on to international affairs.
On Monday, the 22nd, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly issued a declaration condemning Russia's continued occupation of Georgia's Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions. The declaration highlighted Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, along with its unjustified, illegal, and brutal actions in Georgia. The declaration stressed that Russia poses the greatest and most immediate threat to the security of NATO's allied states and the peace and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region. The Assembly also expressed support for an open-door policy with Georgia, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additionally, the bloc endorsed the swift implementation of an aid package for Georgia and measures to facilitate the country's integration into the alliance.
On Tuesday, the 23rd, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili visited Qatar to participate in the Annual Economic Forum and met with Sheikh Tamim, Emir of Qatar, and Prime Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed. Parties discussed bilateral economic relations between Georgia and Qatar and investment opportunities. At the ongoing Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, Garibashvili stressed his government's achievements in Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration. He also emphasized that despite Georgia surpassing both Ukraine and Moldova in making significant progress toward becoming a full member of the EU, the European Union did not grant Georgia the EU membership candidate status.
We end with a fresh Freedom House report on Georgia.
leased its Nations in Transit: