Georgian Government Research Articles

The Politics of Flexibility: Exploring the Contested Statehood–EU Actorness Nexus in Georgia

ABSTRACT This article examines whether contested statehood represents a hindering condition for EU actorness in Georgia, a country where the EU has had ample opportunities to engage with contested territories. It focuses on EU engagement in Georgia in three policy areas – conflict management, migration and mobility, and trade – where the implications of divergent conceptions of sovereignty, legitimate authority and territoriality are most salient. The article argues that the EU has gone to great lengths in adjusting its frameworks and their practical implementation to accommodate Georgia’s ‘problematic sovereignty’ by adopting a flexible approach: conflict management policies explicitly include the unrecognised territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; migration and mobility instruments omit any reference to Georgia’s contested statehood, implying the two entities’ default inclusion in visa liberalisation; and trade explicitly excludes them from the DCFTA, unless the Georgian government can ensure full enforcement in these territories. Regardless of the EU’s attempt at flexibility, the irreconcilable interests of the conflict parties, together with the EU’s privileging of international legal recognition, has resulted in a fractured record of EU actorness: strong actorness towards the 80% of Tbilisi-controlled territory, and low actorness towards the two unrecognised entities.

Process of Formation of the Legal Environment for Marketing in Georgia

Abstract The article emphasizes significance of the laws within the legal framework for performing marketing activities, timely solution of the problems and protection of the consumers’ interests. The author describes the process of development of the legal framework for business in Georgia and pays particular attention to the activities performed after signing and effectiveness of the Association Agreement with the European Union. With respect of protection of the consumers’ rights, the article provides analysis of Georgian laws: Code of Food Safety and Free Circulation, Code of Food/Animal Fodder Safety, Veterinary and Plants Protection, Georgian Law on Advertising, Technical Regulation on Additional Requirements to Labeling of Food Products, Technical Regulations on Providing Information on the Products to the Consumers. In the author’s opinion, significant weakness of the legislation affecting marketing is the fact that Georgian Law on Protection of Consumers’ Rights suspended in 2012 has not been enacted yet while the draft law is ready and published. On the basis of analysis of legal framework the author concludes that the consumers’ rights, in general, are protected in the country by the effective legislation but the main thing is not only existence of the laws but rather their enforcement. For this purpose, states the article, Georgian government has adopted the resolution (2015) Food/Animal Fodder Safety State Control Rule, according to which the relevant state structures control the respective businesses and protect the consumers’ rights in this way. The process of improvement of the legal basis affecting marketing in Georgia is still in progress.

Role conceptions, crises, and Georgia’s foreign policy

This article explores the scope conditions of national role conceptions as reference points for foreign policy decision making during crises. It aims to contribute to a refined perspective of the agency of new states undergoing socialization processes in relations with significant others. Drawing on a primary material consisting of interviews with Georgian and US officials, the article analyzes the significance of Georgia’s role conceptions in the country’s relations with the USA in relation to two major crises: the 2007 riots in Tbilisi and the 2008 war with Russia. The article posits that crises provide situational circumstances where the requirements of appropriate behavior associated with role expectations may enter into conflict with the demands of the immediate situation. In order to resolve ensuing role conflicts, actors face the need to both rationalize role expectations, and to compensate for departures from them. In turn, these strategies relate to the possibility for change and stability in role conceptions, and by extension their enactment in foreign policy. The analysis of the Georgian government’s management of the two crises demonstrates actions that implied both rationalization and compensation, aiming to retain the credibility of its existing role conceptions in the eyes of its US counterparts.

Seasonal migration and symbolic power: The case of Muslim Meskhetians from Nasakirali

The repatriation and inclusion of Muslim Meskhetians, forcefully displaced by the Soviet government from Georgia to Central Asia during the 1940s, is still ongoing. In 1977, some Meskhetian families settled in the village of Nasakirali in western Georgia. The Soviet Georgian government built houses for the repatriates in a separate district, referred to as the “Island.” The location acquired a symbolic meaning for Meskhetians. After 40 years of repatriation, Meskhetians still remain “islanders:” isolated from the majority population, speaking a different language, practicing a different religion, and facing different employment opportunities. This study explores the coping mechanisms used by Muslim Meskhetians to sustain themselves and their families and improve their social conditions in a strictly Christian post-socialist country where “Islam is taken as a historical other.” The study primarily asks how employment/seasonal migration in Turkey changed the lives of Meskhetians by adapting their social, cultural, economic, and symbolic capital and became the only viable solution for overcoming social marginalization. The study explores how informality allows social mobility, changes gender attitudes, and helps “islanders” reach the “mainland” by becoming“Halal”—truthful and reliable. The study applies Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of “capital” and “symbolic power” for understanding Meskhetians' informal economic practices.

Tourism Potential of Imereti

Georgia is a country with ancient history and original unique culture. The country historyis a long list of rises and downfalls of empires, intrusions of external enemies, violenceand wars. But, at the same time, this country has huge cultural heritage. Georgia is aunique country possessing enormous tourism potential. Extended along the Black Seacoast, it has about 300 mountains (Abastumani, Bakuriani, Bahmaro, Gudauri, etc.),seaside (Kobuleti, Ureki, Batumi, and etc.), balneotherapeutic and mud (Borzhomi,Sairme, Likani, and etc.) health resorts, over 10 thousand monuments of archeology,history, architecture and art, and also numerous nature sanctuaries. And all these areconcentrated within the small territory occupied by the hospitable and distinctive people.Since the Georgian government decided to move their parliament to Kutaisi, therehas been a lot of work on restoring streets, buildings, parks and monuments and thecity has become much safer. But a visit here is nonetheless near mandatory to see themagnificent Bagrati Cathedral, and Gelati Monastery, both of which are UNESCO WorldHeritage sites, and have commanding views from the mountain slopes over the city andthe Rioni river.

Вивчення порушень прав людини та політичної ситуації в Грузії останні 30 років.

It is obvious fact that when it comes to political generations, they tend to be quite fluid. Generations as entities as such have different ways and coping mechanisms when it comes to violations of their rights as rightful citizens. The only aspect that never changes and fluctuates is the universality of human rights and its significance for democracy. The above-mentioned fluidity is often caused by a social action that is the result of most citizens being unsatisfied by the political processes in the country. The perfect example of the interrelation between human rights violations and people’s “reactions” towards this issue is the Republic of Georgia, which has been through wars, revolutions and protests throughout the history. Today’s Georgia is still struggling with lack of freedom and violation of Human Rights. Georgia now suffers from other human rights violations such as drug policy, right to privacy, sexual orientation. Georgia still does not have an effective independent mechanism for investigating abuse by law enforcement officials. The Georgian government has an attempt to transparently show all the political processes conducted to avoid further complication of human rights violations. It can be said that the new generation (aged 18-30) has considerably different preferences, feel the need and obligation to protest about issues that this century has brought about, the issues like LGBT rights, marijuana decriminalization, abortion, prostitution, transgender woman and their rights, violence against women, workers’ rights, etc. The reason that the new generation in Georgia is so politically active is that they realize the system is even affecting their everyday life and the ones surrounding them. The research paper covers the most politically important occasions over the last 30 years in Georgia and analyses the most crucial and severe human rights violations, following with the coping mechanisms and political behavior in different generations. The rights and freedoms being violated and discussed in the paper are the following: the right to freedom of opinion and expression, right to a fair social order. The tasks will be to evaluate violation of human rights during wars in Georgia, to investigate the role of NGOs in the protection of Human Rights and to research the changes in Human Rights in contemporary Georgia.

Astronomical Research and Outreach in Georgia

Interest in astronomy has been significantly increased in Georgia. As a result, the development of astronomical research, education and public outreach are in progress. In Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory - a research institution at Ilia State University - the observational and theoretical studies comprise a wide range of topics in astronomy and adjacent fields: solar system bodies, solar physics, stellar and extragalactic astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, cosmology, atmospheric and near space physics. Georgian scientists are involved in wide international collaboration and participate in a number of networks and projects. Astronomical education at bachelor, master and doctoral levels are held at Ilia University. PhD programs are also offered at other universities. In 2018, under the financial support of the World Bank and Georgian government, the renovation of Abastumani Observatory has been started. International conferences and workshops have been carried out in Georgia. Excursions at the Observatory and public lectures in astronomy throughout the country are carried out. Amateur astronomers organize astronomical events. A private observatory is under construction near Tbilisi. All these puts better perspective for future development of astronomy in Georgia.

Weber's secret admirer in the Caucasus: Saakashvili and the nationalisation of Georgia's Armenian and Azeri borderlands

AbstractAfter the 2003 Rose Revolution, the Georgian government strove to integrate its disaffected Armenian and Azeri minorities, settled in southern Georgia across the border from their kin states. This article sheds novel light on this nationalisation drive. It argues that the centre's nation‐building entrepreneurs – the Mississippdaleulni – laboured to spur minorities in the ethnic enclaves first to interact with the heartland and then to adapt to its language. Officials invested in infrastructure and extended the state's clout into the borderlands so as to foster inter‐ethnic contacts. In tandem, the authorities promoted the Georgian language in the civil service, demoted the Russian tongue, and acculturated pupils to the state language. This nationalisation drive, I conclude, drew upon the same set of tools that Eugen Weber recorded French authorities as using in the opposite corner of Europe centuries ago.

The Contribution of the International Pain Policy Fellowship in Improving Opioid Availability in Georgia

In the Republic of Georgia, the incidence and prevalence of cancer are increasing, signifying a growing need for palliative care and pain relief, including with controlled opioid medicines. As a signatory to the Single Convention, the Georgian government has a responsibility to ensure the adequate availability of controlled medicines for medical purposes; however, the consumption of morphine is very low, suggesting a high occurrence of unrelieved pain. In Georgia, palliative care development began in the 2000s including the adoption of a policy document in 2005, the creation of the National Palliative Care Coordinator in 2006, and important changes in Georgian legislation in 2007 and 2008, which served to lay a foundation for improving opioid availability. In 2008, a neurologist from the Sarajishvili Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery in Tbilisi, and member of the Georgia National Association for Palliative Care, was selected to be an International Pain Policy Fellow to focus on improving opioid availability. Working with colleagues, government officials, and international experts, the Fellow contributed to several improvements to opioid availability, such as 1) positive changes to opioid prescribing legislation, 2) clarification of legislative terminology regarding dependence syndrome, 3) initiating the importation of both sustained-release and immediate-release oral morphine, and 4) improvements in the availability of sustained-release morphine. Despite these varied achievements, morphine consumption remains low in Georgia relative to the estimated amounts needed. The Fellow is continuing to study and understand the barriers that are impeding physician's prescription of opioids and patient's acceptance of them.

Collaboration, confrontation, and controversy: the politics of monument restoration in Georgia and the case of Bagrati Cathedral

This paper examines the history of the restoration, or more accurately, reconstruction of Bagrati Cathedral in western Georgia. Constructed in 1003, Bagrati Cathedral is an important cultural monument in the political and architectural history of Georgia. Destroyed by an explosion in 1691, the cathedral was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1994 in its ruined state. However, the Georgian government under President Mikheil Saakashvili and Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) officials made the reconstruction and reconsecration of the cathedral a priority. The reconstruction of Bagrati Cathedral, completed in September 2012, brought the differing aims of Georgian politicians, GOC officials, and architectural historians – the major players in the process – into sharp focus. This paper maintains that the rebuilding of Bagrati Cathedral was part of Saakashvili's political agenda, which merged with the interests of the GOC and worked against the objectives of architectural historians and the aims of academic principles of restoration and preservation. The result is that Bagrati has been rebuilt but is under threat of removal from the World Heritage List. The story of Bagrati's reconstruction has implications for the future of monument preservation and restoration in Georgia.

Globalization challenges and Georgian trade relations

At current stage, deepening of the trade & economic relations with the developed countries is of greater significance than with the countries at the same development level. Thisis mostly caused by the increasing technological dependence on the developed countries. For the developing and transition economies it is of critical significance to attract foreign investments providing the basis for economic development, exports growth and integration into the world trade and economics. To evaluate the directions of the foreign trade relations of Georgia, the work offers discussion of the foreign trade turnover, export & import, the largest trade partner countries, the largest groups of import and export goods and other indicators. Georgian government supports the idea of exportoriented policies. Reduction of import tariffs and liberal local policies of recent years is best suitable for such approach. Export-oriented policies imply entry to the foreign markets and improvement of situation, with respect of production and costs in domestic export sector. Both of these aspects are subject of trade agreements, determining the conditions for opening markets for one another by the trade partners. And such negotiations deal not only with the tariff and non-tariff barriers but legislation regulating and forming the markets in general, as well. Trade policies of a country comprise significant part of the economic politics, as exports promotion is associated with economic growth, especially, where the trade partner, e.g., such as EU, implements the policies oriented towards foreign markets.

Successful implementation of electronic disease reporting in Georgia

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate several aspects of theelectronic disease reporting system and its abilities used in Georgia.Also, the study assessed if the system abilities are tailored to thenational surveillance requirements. User attitudes (system strengthand weaknesses) toward the system was also surveyed.IntroductionThe Ministry of Health of Georgia accepted the ElectronicIntegrated Disease Surveillance System (EIDSS) as an officialdisease reporting system in 2012. The Georgian government adoptedelectronic reporting for both veterinary and human diseases in2015. We conducted a comparative assessment of progress in theimplementation of electronic reporting.MethodsA face-to-face initial survey was conducted in 2012, a follow-upsurvey (through telephone interviews) was performed in 2016. Theinitial survey was conducted in regions that had EIDSS installedand the follow-up survey was conducted in all regions. Standardizedquestionnaires were used and data was analyzed in Epi Info.ResultsOut of 450 trained EIDSS users, 32% were interviewed in theinitial survey and 25% (of 550) EIDSS trained users were interviewedin the follow-up survey. Of 147 respondents in the initial survey and138 in the follow-up survey, 44% and 79%, believed that they wereusing EIDSS effectively, respectively. The follow-up survey showeda 23% increase in respondents who acknowledge an improvement ofthe electronic reporting; acceptance of EIDSS increased from 80.3%to 97.8%. Of those interviewed in the follow-up survey, 19.7%mentioned that the main success in development of the system is dueto improved collaboration between institutes. However, 17.36% of therespondents in the follow-up survey reported non-sufficient qualitydata.ConclusionsOur study suggests that the acceptance and use of EIDSS hasnoticeably improved, indicating the successful implementation ofelectronic reporting. Recommendations have been made to furtherimprove the data quality by conducting regular data cleaning andadditional user training. We recommend the continuation of EIDSStraining.

Gatekhili Mountains, gatekhili State: Fractured Alpine Forest Governance and Post-Soviet Development in the Republic of Georgia

While many states at the periphery of the former Soviet Union have pursued decentralization in nearly all areas of governance, this trend is perhaps most notable in natural resource sectors and the effects these reforms have on society. I explore these scalar political, economic, and environmental connections through a qualitative case study of alpine forest governance in the mountains of Georgia. Analyzing a series of thirty-five semi-structured interviews conducted during the summers of 2012 and 2013, I investigate the ways in which state power operates through governance of Georgia’s alpine forests. Like all democracies, the Georgian government oscillates between poles of centralization and decentralization. However, the practices of the Georgian government, as it currently exists through alpine forestry, produces a distinctly fractured (gatekhili in Georgian) form of democracy. The dynamics of the emerging Georgian state as seen through alpine forest governance are informative for understanding the political transition of mountainous post-Soviet states in the 21st century, and contemporary state formation more generally.

Liberalism and shadow interventionism in post-revolutionary Georgia (2003–2012)

ABSTRACTThis article looks at the informal governance practice of Georgia’s post-revolution (2003-2012) reformers. Empirically, we argue that the deployment of informal governance strategies became necessary for the Georgian government precisely because its official liberal reform course was politically constraining and incapacitated it from coping with the social costs of marketization and political-economic crisis. The analysed case, we submit, has major implications for theories of governance and informality. As it stands now, the literature is predominantly preoccupied with improvements in the state’s institutional quality. The Georgian case, in contrast, highlights the importance of institutional design. Utilizing perspectives from Polanyian institutionalist analysis, we problematise the ongoing propagation of market-enhancing institutional design and underline the importance of market-constraining and social regulation. Arguing that reliance on informality cannot be reduced to profit seeking, or even to formal systemic institutional weakness, we attempt to shift the focus of the literature on governance and institutions from quality of institutional performance back to the once dominant question of development studies, namely the content of institutional design.

MULTICULTURALISM IN GEORGIA: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

During 25 years of independence, because of different objective and subjective reasons, independent Georgian State could not fully get over the problems concerning ethnic minorities (despite the fact that in this direction after Rose Revolution of 2003 the situation was positively changed and several steps were made) We can single out still actual several main issues concerning ethnic minorities and their integration process. Among non-ethnic Georgians, especially in the compactly populated regions the level of knowledge of Georgian language is still very low. In the country the level of unemployment is quite high and ethnic minorities are no exception too. In non-urban space the level of unemployment is higher than in urban space. As a result, Georgian population has less possibility to interact with ethnic minorities in the public sphere. Cultural and informational alliance. The level of civic alienation is quite high too. Weak civic institutionalized space doesn’t help the collaboration of ethnic groups and appropriate articulation of private interest. Until recently Georgian political establishment was very cautious with the ethnic politics and indecision in this regard was also quite often. Despite the individual projects and efforts carried out in recent years, it is still difficult to say that the Georgian government has consistent and effective policies in order to overcome problems caused by its ethno-religious multi-membership. Although in this sense recently there are some positive trends but the given efforts have still fragmented character and they can’t be called well-formed reflexive and coherent policy that in the near future will bring rapid and effective changes in terms of civic integration. As we think among the strategies of ethnic approchmant the most optimal way for Georgia is the strategy of integration. The state can develop this strategy by several ways. Creation of stable democratic environment and institutional development. Strengthening of local self – government, what’ll promote the involvement of the citizens at the local administrative level. Education system should ensure spreading of the knowledge of state language among ethnic minorities. To encourage development of urbanization in the regions compactly populated by ethnic minorities. Obviously, cooperation between state institutions and civil society organizations, and between the state and minorities, are very important in this process. Article visualizations:

Internationalization of Georgian Higher Education: National and International Influences

In response to the scant academic research about higher education internationalization in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, this paper investigates the characteristics and influences of internationalization in the Republic of Georgia. Based on interviews with Georgian government representatives and university faculty and administrators, this research identified the perceived benefits of internationalization and the effectiveness of its implementation. The research findings indicate that three main engines are driving internationalization in Georgia: western influences through modeling and international programs; national higher education accreditation processes; and the academic programs, courses, and partnerships developed by internationally-mobile Georgian faculty and students. In addition, two recent opportunities for additional growth in internationalization are described – international students in Georgia and joint and dual degrees – along with recommendations on how to further enhance internationalization efforts.

GEORGIA'S ECONOMY IN THE SPACE OF CONTRADICTIONS BETWEEN REGIONAL POWERS

The article deals with the economic ties between Georgia and four countries neighbouring the Caucasus region: Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Kazakhstan. The authors focus their attention on regional analysis and, for comparison, give figures on Georgia's relations with three global players: the USA, the EU, and the PRC. The authors postulate at least three challenges to Russia’s interests in Georgia. First, both Georgian establishment and society regard integration with the EU and NATO as main goal of the state, which in case of NATO evidently contradicts Russian national interests. Second, from the economic point of view, the USA is no longer a financial driver of Georgian reforms. The EU, main trade partner of Georgia for the past 15 years, has replaced it. The CIS surpasses the EU in commodity turnover with Georgia, however it is in fact an amorphous organization that formally combines its member-states and lacks for common economic policy, unlike the European Union that acts as an integration association. Third, Chinese investment in Georgian infrastructure within the "New Silk Way" project serves as a ponderable alternative to Russian financial flow. For a comprehensive analysis of the situation the authors used some figures concerning commodity trade, FDI, cross-border financial flows, tourism, and transport development. Major pipeline branches, including the planned projects, are taken into account as well. The findings are based on the results of desk research, and on empirical data obtained through meetings with Georgian government officials.

Origins and the Reasons of Monetary Crises in Georgia (1995-2016)

The article “Monetary Crises in Georgia” (Authors: Doctor of Economy, David Aslanishvili and Doctor of Business Administration, Kristine Omadze) is the first attempt to overview the three main monetary crises in Georgian history since its independence and to study origins of the crises and evolution. The purpose of this article is to study the three monetary crises in Georgia itself and the errors in the Monetary Policy provided by The National Bank of Georgia and Georgian Government. It is crucial for stable economic development to have corrected Monetary Policy and to avoid mistakes similar to the mentioned in this article. At the same time, the article pays attention to importance of coordination providing Monetary Policy between the National Bank of Georgia and the Ministry of Finance. In our opinion only such coordination is the best solution for crisis prevention. Our research aims to determine the relevance and regularity of Georgian Lari (GEL) exchange rate and monetary policies conducted by the National Bank of Georgia.

Евроинтеграция поневоле? Оценивая “наступательный” характер ОПБО ЕС

Евроинтеграция поневоле? Оценивая “наступательный” характер ОПБО ЕС

SMEs and Country Growth Strategy: Evidence from Georgia

Last decade in Georgia the main drivers of economic growth were foreign direct investment (FDI) and banking sector development. Since global financial crisis of 2007-2008, business activity in Georgia has been constrained by weak FDI and slow global recovery. The revision of Georgian pre-crisis to post-crisis strategy consists of diversification of investment sources. FDI should be accomplished by internal (private) investment, the main generators of which are SMEs. Nowadays SMEs contribution to economic growth is insignificant. The importance of SME sector is under evaluated by Georgian society and government.