Press Digest 20.11.2014
Georgian PM ensures Brussels that our political vector has remained unchanged
“Opening NATO Military Base in Georgia is nothing good for us”
Today, Government’s target is Gambling Business
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Georgian PM ensures Brussels that our political vector has remained unchanged
After an immensely successful visit to Brussels, the Georgian Prime Minister called upon the public as well as the political powers to unite and adopt a common posture when it comes to the issues of national importance. In his words, the government is ready to support any initiation that will move the country forward. “A unique chance of empowering our country has actually fallen in our hands today,” announced the Georgian Prime Minister at a joint press conference. According to him, it’s not a secret that tensions are running high in the region which is why the government needs not only criticism but support as well. The aforementioned announcement from the Prime Minister can be viewed as a response to the statement from High Representative of the EU, Federica Mogherini, in whose words, the political climate must be improved in Georgia and the practice of political persecution must be uprooted,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.
“While evaluating the initial results of the Georgia-EU Association Council, Defense Minister of Georgia, Tamar Beruchashvili, declared that the session has laid the foundation for a new phase in the Georgia-EU relations, and the parties have drawn up the association plan for the next three years. Georgia has been recognized as a leading country in Eastern Europe thanks to its recent accomplishments and impressive reforms. Plus, Georgia stands a strong chance of establishing visa-free travel with the EU and it is ready to exert strenuous efforts to achieve this paramount goal as soon as possible. As per the Minister, the EU has expressed complete readiness to stand by Georgia and provide it with stronger backing in the future,” says the article.
“As for Federica Mogherini, she stipulated the recommendations from the EU in terms of Georgia. According to her, the Georgian top officials should take all recommendations from different international democratic institutions as well as Humans Right Offices into account and should follow them before next elections are held; in addition, in her words, the Georgian authorities should not spare efforts to implement the Rule of Law in the country and enact rational reforms in its Justice System. Only in this way, all doubts regarding the acting authorities’ eagerness to subject their political adversaries to political persecution will be scattered. Federica Mogherini stressed that investigation into the former top officials’ cases must be transparent, just and impartial under any circumstances,” reads the paper.
“Media outlets disseminated information saying that they had some questions regarding the authorities’ inclination towards selective justice. Although, questions have really not been raised regarding this issue recently as I’ve passed detailed information onto them and explained to them quite clearly that we are absolutely motivated to toe the line. The Prosecutor’s Office does its job pretty well; as for our court, it is an absolutely independent body and our judges take independent steps only,” emphasized Gharibashvili. He also welcomed an initiation from the EU to organize training courses for the Georgian lawyers, judges and prosecutors as well as the decision from the European parliament Foreign Committee to raise the issue of the ratification of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement and underscored that this will be an additional incentive spurring the EU member countries to ratify the association agreement in the immediate future,” writes the author of the article.
“At the meeting in Brussels, they also focused on Russia’s new initiation on finalizing a Deal on Cooperation and Alliance with Abkhazia. In the words of the Prime Minister, EU member states voiced concern over this agreement, and they welcomed the Georgian authorities’ decision to adopt a constructive approach to Russia. “We succeeded in deescalating the situation and diffusing tensions in the region. We are geared up to continue a dialogue with Russia and pursue our interests whatever it takes; territorial integrity is the most vulnerable issue for Georgia at this point in time,” stressed the Premier, who once again emphasized that Georgia’s political course has remained unchanged.
“Opening NATO Military Base in Georgia is nothing good for us”
“Only the representatives of our government have labeled their visit to Brussels as a landmark event in our history; however, I personally, have failed to see anything special or historic in it. The words saying that this visit has moved us closer to NATO have also reached my ears. These words have echoed in Georgia for years; although it has remained unclear how we are moving closer to NATO. Is our defense system in line with its standards? Are we developing or moving forward? In what manner are we becoming compatible to NATO? The issue of opening the NATO Military Base in Georgia has also been thrown in as a point of ongoing discussions in Georgia. A great deal of our political experts claim that this base will lead us to a dead-end critical situation since for Russia, it will be like a red cape to a bull. By doing this we will only irk the aggressor giant country that usually goes as far as it wants as no one throughout the entire world can block it from taking arbitrary steps… Therefore, after this just think for a while, who will prevent the Russian bear from gobbling up our tiny Georgia?” -- asks leader of the left-wing Alliance Soso Shatberashvili in his interview with the Akhali Taoba gazette.
“We will not find it difficult to see the pending threats if we remember some statements having been released a short time ago. After information regarding the NATO Military Base in Georgia had been spread, one of the members of Azerbaijan’s Parliament took the floor and issued a statement saying that the Azeri people should have cultural autonomy in Georgia. After this, the Russian papers published a map in which Georgia is presented as 6 independent regions. Under the given circumstances, how can one define this visit as special or immensely successful? Don’t throw all discretion into the wind, people! Use it when making paramount decisions! Tell me, can the steps taken by us in 2008 be defined as rational? Or can our eagerness to allow Turkey to build so many mosques in Atchara bring us anything good? Was it reasonable to enter Abkhazia in 2008 in order to protect its railroad? ... By all odds, Russia will use the separatist groups from Armenia and Azerbaijan against us, and our incompetent authorities must get this,” states Mr. Shatberashvili.
“The chief of our foreign ministry as well as his entourage are really incompetent and unprofessional officials. Obviously, I’ll have nothing against it if they prove the opposite; on the contrary, I will only welcome their accomplishments and will be immensely glad if they draw any positive changes in our lives. However, unfortunately, the present status quo as well as the events of 2008 suggest the opposite,” maintains the respondent.
To the remark “the issue of visa-free travel with the EU has bee thrown into the mix recently,” the respondent states:
“This issue became a subject of ongoing discussions long ago; nothing has come of it thus far though. And you know, unfortunately, the association agreement article regarding exporting goods from Georgia discriminates against us. As you know, customs duty is not levied on the European products, while we have to pay taxes when shipping our goods there. Is this just or right? I don’t really think so.”
Today, Government’s target is Gambling Business
"The Government seeks to exert full control on our gambling business. As the Rezonansi gazette has been informed, they have already sent letters to some companies which say that they must give them detailed information regarding their betting system as well as other issues related to this sphere. Thus, the Finance Ministry will also attempt to make money from this business. It is not difficult to see through the authorities plans. As a matter of fact, they have elaborated a rather well thought out plan – the representatives of this sphere will obviously not dare to openly protest regarding their move by crusade against the government that has trained its sights on slot-machines and gambling business,” reports the Rezonanis gazette in an article under the title “Today, Government’s target is Gambling Business.”
“Only documents have been filed at different companies and they have not yet been mandated to pass detailed information onto the authorities regarding their betting system as well as the situation in different casinos. As the Rezonansi found it out, the Revenue Service will get all desirable information regarding this issue firsthand from different companies involved in the gambling business,” says the article.
“Regarding their intention to systematically get information about the ins and outs of the gambling companies, auditor Irakli Shavishvili says that they are absolutely entitled to do this. However, he cannot say for certain that the law granting them the right to take this step is just or right. “The law says nothing about how frequently the Revenue Service can urge these companies to issue the aforementioned information. Certainly, this is far from being right,” maintains Mr. Shavishvili and adds that releasing this information too often may pose some threats for those involved in the gambling business,” reads the paper.
“As for “Atcharabet,” the Finance Ministry Investigation Service has categorically turned down the recently released information saying that the company has been fined 80 to 200 million GEL. As Head of the Investigation Office Press Service says, the investigation into the case has not been wrapped up yet. Therefore, jumping at different hasty conclusions is an irrational step. At this point in time, slot machines are not operating within the company. The marketing manager of the company states that some deviations might have really occurred in the company and absolutely nothing is surprising about this,” concludes the author of the article.
