Issue no: 1143 • APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE...

Issue no: 1143

NEWS PAGE 2

• APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY

In this week’s issue...

Georgia Improves Position in World Press Freedom Index

Everything You Didn’t Know about McDonald’s Georgia

Young Georgian Soprano Made Soloist of Vienna State Opera

The 4GB Electronic Music Festival

Georgia Needs to Increase Human Rights Protection Efforts in the Business Environment

Dumbo Gets It Right: Behind the Curtain at the Animal Circus

The Battle of the 'King & 'Queen'

Tsotne Ebralidze Takes Over as MD of Co-Investment Fund

CULTURE PAGE 15

CULTURE PAGE 15

SOCIETY PAGE 10

PRICE: GEL 2.50

SOCIETY PAGE 9

POLITICS PAGE 4

POLITICS PAGE 6

SOCIETY PAGE 8

FOCUS ON THE PRESIDENT OF CYPRUSA historic visit and agreements signed! PAGE 2

BY THEA MORRISON

Georgia has improved its position by one position in the World Press Freedom Index 2019 published by Reporters Without Borders on April 18.

In the index, Georgia has 28.98 points and takes 60th place. Last year, Georgia was ranked 61st.

The index rankings are based on a scale of 1 to 100, with 0 representing the highest and 100 the lowest level of press freedom.

The report reads that Georgia’s media land-scape is pluralist but still very polarized.

“The reforms of recent years have brought improvements in media ownership transparency and satellite TV pluralism, but owners often still call the shots on editorial content,” it says.

The organization also mentioned ownership dispute over opposition-minded Rustavi 2 TV, adding the outcome of the continuing dispute over ownership of the main national opposition TV channel, Rustavi 2, will, therefore, have a big impact.

The report includes the case of Azerbaijani Journalist Afghan Mukhtarli, who was allegedly abducted in Tbilisi in 2017 and taken to Azer-baijan, where he was imprisoned on various charges.

Georgia Improves Position in World Press Freedom Index

“Mukhtarli’s mysterious abduction and subse-quent reappearance in police custody in Azer-baijan was shocking for Georgians, who have traditionally offered refuge to dissidents from neighboring countries,” the index reads.

Norway, Finland, Sweden, Netherlands and

Denmark are the fi ve countries with the most press freedom, according to the report.

RSF is an independent NGO with consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organ-ization of the Francophonie (OIF).

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 20192 NEWS

BY SAMANTHA GUTHRIE

The President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, paid his country’s fi rst offi cial presidential visit to Georgia in the 27-year history of

diplomatic relations between the coun-tries, on April 16 - 18. While in Tbilisi, Anastasiades was hosted by his coun-terpart, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, in the Avlabari Presidential Palace. Although Zurabishvili has chosen to live at the historic, more modest Orbe-liani Residence, the Presidential Palace is still host to offi cial ceremonies and receptions.

“Cyprus and Georgia crossed a historic day in their bilateral relations today. President Anastasiades, welcome to Georgia and I look forward to the pro-ductive conversations we are set to have in the next two days,” tweeted Zurabish-vili prior to their meeting. Zurabishvili and Anastasiades signed agreements related to healthcare, agriculture, and the exchange of classifi ed information.

At a joint press conference on Wednes-day, the pair announced that a Georgian Orthodox Cathedral will be built in Cyprus. Anastasiades underlined the many years of strong relations between Cyprus and Georgia, saying the construc-tion of the church confi rms their special relationship. “The existence of Georgians in Cyprus dates back centuries. Geor-gians appeared in Cyprus in the 10th century,” he explained, adding “I feel at home in Georgia.”

In Paphos, a small city on the southwest coast of Cyprus, archeological excava-tions recently revealed the ruins of a monastery built by Georgian monks, which was abandoned in 1571 after being raided. “In order to celebrate our cen-turies-old relationship, Cyprus has handed over a plot of land to Georgia in order to build a new monastery in the

region where the ruins of the Georgian church are,” Anastasiades declared.

Zurabishvili also spoke of the lessons Georgia can take from Cyrpus’ experience of EU integration, including the “painful issue of occupation” that both nations face. She emphasized that both Cyprus and Georgia have decided that their confl icts will only be settled by peaceful means. Anastasiades reciprocated the desire to strengthen economic and cultural ties between the two countries.

The importance of boosting economic relations between Georgia and Cyprus was underlined with a business forum on April 18, co-organized by the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry of Cyprus, in co-operation with the Cyprus-Georgia Business Associa-tion and Cyprus Employers & Industri-alists Federation (OEB).

On Wednesday, Anastasiades met with Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and

Parliamentary Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze. Bakhtadze and Anastasiades spoke on several issues – notably, migration. They agreed that both countries will take steps to facilitate the circular migration of migrant workers and work towards a mutually benefi cial migration plan. The Prime Minister’s press offi ce shared that the meeting’s main topics were the “fur-ther strengthening of people-to-people relations, tourism and economic rela-tions.” After the meeting, Bakhtadze

thanked the President of Cyprus for visiting Georgia and, on behalf of the population, expressed gratitude for Cyprus’ support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In addition to the Business Forum, on Thursday, Anastasiades met with the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Ilia II. The majority of the pop-ulation of Cyprus are members of the autocephalous Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus.

Image source: Press Offi ce of the President of Georgia

President of Cyrpus Makes Historic Visit to Georgia

BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

Tsotne Ebralidze, new Man-aging Director of the Georgian Co-Investment Fund, has begun work on the Fund's upcoming pro-

jects.George Bachiashvili, who occupied

the position before Ebralidze, will now serve as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Fund and, according to the mandate, will be responsible for the further operation and supervisory

Tsotne Ebralidze Takes Over as MD of Co-Investment Fund

issues of the Co-Investment Fund.“I want to express my gratitude to

George Bachiashvili for the work he has done for the Fund in the past six years. I am glad that he remains a mem-ber of our team and will continue sup-porting us. I am sure that along with the managing team of the Fund, we will successfully complete the ongoing projects and carry out a number of major initiatives,” stated Ebralidze.

Founded in 2013, the Georgian Co-Investment Fund implements various projects in the power engineering, hospitality, manufacturing and agri-cultural directions.

Image source: bm.ge

BY AMY JONES

A massive fi re has ravaged the medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, one of the most well-known landmarks in France.

Two-thirds of the roof and the 850-year-old Gothic spire of the UNESCO world heritage cathedral have collapsed, but the main structure and two famous bell towers have been saved.

The fi re broke out on Monday even-ing around 6.30 pm. Some 400 fi refi ght-ers attempted to contain the blaze and salvage precious artworks inside the cathedral. The fi re was largely extin-guished by 3 am Tuesday morning.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the incident a “terrible tragedy,” and many Parisians are horrifi ed by the event.

The cause of the fi re has not been confi rmed, but it could be linked to restoration work underway at the cathe-dral.

Georgian offi cials expressed their sad-ness towards the tragic incident. “Shocked and saddened by the scope

Fire Ravages Notre Dame Cathedral

of devastation from Notre Dame’s cat-astrophic fi re. Our thoughts remain with Paris and France during this diffi cult time,” tweeted the Georgian Prime Min-ister Mamuka Bakhtdaze.

President of Georgia and former French

Ambassador Salome Zurabishvili tweeted “I am paying close attention to the horrible fi re happening at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Georgia stands with the people of France during this time.

Photo source - The Telegraph

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 20194 POLITICS

BY THEA MORRISON

Non-parliamentary Geor-gian opposition party Girchi (Cone) is offering crypto-currency to its supporters if they vote for

the party candidate in the next elections.The statement was made by the party

leader, Zurab Japaridze, who said Girchi wants to introduce one candidate to parliament before the parliamentary elections of 2020 and is ready to offer the Mtatsminda District electorate elec-tronic currency - the Georgian Dollar (GeD), created by them.

Japaridze explains that the crypto-currency can be used for two purposes:

1. Any citizen with accumulated Jet becomes an organic part of Girchi and will be able to take part in making signifi cant political decisions, including the forma-tion of the 2020 Parliamentary List.

2. Citizens who have Jet can use it for privatization of their property.

“All kinds of state property in the coun-try, be it fi elds, meadows, forests or mountains, are the property of the Geor-gian citizens, which we will return to

them,” Japaridze added.For their vote, each citizen will get $50

equivalent GeD, which, according to the party, will be equivalent to $5,000 dol-lars in future.

Those who go dor-to-door to spread Girchi’s views will be given an equiva-lent of $900 -90 GeD by the party. Those who represent the party in the election commission will get $500 equivalent

GeD, which, according to Japaridze, will be $50,000 in the future.

The party leader also claims that those who transfer to Mtatsminda district and vote there for Girchi will get $200 equiv-

alent GeD, which will be $20,000 in the future.

“We today announce our willingness to distribute 100 million GeDs, our dig-ital currency, to people who vote or engage in this process on our behalf,” Japaridze noted.

Parliamentary by-elections through a majoritarian election system will be held in N1 Mtatsminda election district on May 19. The elections became necessary after the district majoritarian MP, Salome Zurabishvili, became the fi rst female president of Georgia in November 2018.

The same day, there will be City Coun-cil (Sakrebulo) by-elections in Sagarejo, Akhmeta, Adigeni, Zestafoni, Chiatura, Tkibuli, Tskaltubo and Ozurgeti munic-ipality majoritarian election districts. The elections will be held in 26 election precincts in all eight municipalities.

The Central Election Commission (CEC) appointed Extraordinary Mayoral Elections in Marneuli, Zestafoni, Chiatura, Zugdidi and Khulo municipalities. They will be held in 362 election precincts.

Parliamentary by-elections, Sakrebulo by-elections, and Extraordinary Mayoral Elections will be held in 410 election precincts with the total number of vot-ers at 401,750.

Image source: RFE/RL

Girchi Offers Supporters Crypto-Currency in Exchange for Votes

Image source: adogcalledbrae.fi les.wordpress.com

OP-ED BY ZAZA JGARKAVA

The lavish royal wedding that initiated a chain of events nine years ago is approach-ing its catastrophic fi nale. The Ministry of Internal

Affairs (MIA) has initiated a domestic violence case against Davit Bagration-Mukhraneli, according to the Article 126 prima of the Criminal Code of Georgia. The investigation is looking to fi nd out if the ‘King’ beat up the ‘Queen’ in front of the ‘Prince,’ and the details of the events that happened at 10 pm on May 9, 2014, in the Royal Residency in Sagu-ramo. Anna Bagrationi’s lawyer revealed that Anna was victim to multiple domes-tic abuse instances even just a month following the wedding, at the time when they lived in Spain as well as after their return. They claim that the abovemen-tioned incident was the culmination of a chain of abuse that preceded it.

If the accusations are proven true, Davit Bagrationi could face imprisonment of up to three years, and his case could be aggravated as rumors in the MIA suggest that Davit has been involved in a number of other similar instances of beating up women. TV host Shorena Begashvili has been called in for questioning, as back in 2012 she claimed on the TV Show ‘Time for Truth’ that she was beaten by him. Another woman, whose identity has not been revealed, is also called to testify. In

light of the events, it can’t be ruled out that multiple women could accuse him of physical abuse, which will certainly result in the requalifi cation of the case and a court rule potentially involving imprisonment for a much longer period. The case is further intensifi ed as Davit did not appear for questioning and left Georgia. However, his lawyers argue that the reason was the illness of his mother, Donna Maria de Zornoza.

It is unknown when, if at all, Davit Bagration-Mukhraneli will return to Georgia, but meanwhile the royal intrigues are heading for a peak, as politics and past accusations are introduced to the case. Davit’s lawyer, Levan Chkhaidze, openly accused Shorena Begashvili of being an agent appointed by the Security Services with the specifi c goal of dis-crediting his client. Shorena categorically denies the accusations, claiming that she had personal relations with Davit before the royal wedding and that she is not to be blamed for the royal family break-down. Notably, nine years ago, during the royal wedding at the Trinity Cathe-dral, the center of Tbilisi was “occupied” by the opposition, which was planning to overthrow the government under President Saakashvili. The religious royal wedding initiated by the Patriarch of All Georgia, and talks about transitioning to a Constitutional Monarchy, added to the tension at the time.

In the same period, Georgian monar-chists, led by businessman Levan Vasa-dze, hailed the wedding as a historic event and declared it as the beginning

of the end of President Saakashvili’s government. Two years later, Anna gave birth to their son Giorgi, and Patriarch Ilia II claimed he would be personally involved in raising the future King of Georgia, who would replace the presi-dential republic. “Had I not been Mr. Davit Bagrationi’s friend and the head of the country, I would also have appointed an agent. Discrediting Davit was in the interests of the government at the time, which perceived the idea of a constitu-tional monarchy as a personal threat,” Chkhaidze said.

Many things happened in Georgian politics afterwards, and instead of hav-ing a King Bagrationi, President Saakash-vili was replaced by billionaire Ivanish-vili. But after Ilia II mentioned the

constitutional monarchy in his sermon again, politicians as well as members of the general public, began actively dis-cussing the issue, and the government quickly turned on the defensive, feeling threatened. Head of Parliament Irakli Kobakhidze plans to meet Ilia II together with representatives of the government, to discuss the matter, but the Head of Georgian Dream, Mamuka Mdinaradze, claims that the issue is not on the agenda and the Patriarch’s words were simply misinterpreted.

Against the backdrop of a search for truth through DNA examinations, the investigation of domestic violence and the ongoing political games, we might regard the part of the case that involves the division of property worth 90 thou-sand GEL a lyrical deviation, but let’s look

more closely. Anna Bagrationi is claiming rights to the two cars that Davit Bagration-Mukhraneli purchased in 2014-15. She claims rights for ownership as the cars were purchased when they lived together. They separated offi cially only in 2016.

Another hit came in the local ‘Game of Thrones’ when Davit Bagrationi declared that in reality Anna’s father Nugzar Bagration-Gruzynsky’s surname is Sikharulidze. His lawyer added that he had to undergo a DNA test to prove his royal roots. Whether a genetic anal-ysis can overweigh the domestic violence case is of course unclear, but nothing can be ruled out in Georgia's judiciary. It wouldn’t be surprising if the parties came to an agreement and this comic-like criminal-genetic royal dispute becomes a mere matter of history.

The Battle of the 'King & 'Queen'

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 5POLITICS

BY THEA MORRISON

The Venice Commission has released their recommendations about the controversial issue of the selection and appointment of Supreme Court judges in Georgia, which was followed

by various reactions in the country: ruling Geor-gian Dream (GD) claimed they are positive, while the opposition and the third sector state the opin-ion of the commission is critical.

The 14-page document reads that the High Coun-cil of Justice (HCoJ), which nominates the judges, enjoys very low trust from a large segment of soci-ety.

“Nevertheless, the fact that the HCoJ – in its cur-rent situation – will be selecting nearly all the can-didates for judges of the Supreme Court, producing a list which will then be submitted to a political majority in Parliament (in between elections), which in turn will appoint nearly all the Supreme Court judges, should be a matter of concern,” it says, adding this may be detrimental to the high level of public trust that an institution such as the Supreme Court must enjoy in a country.

The document reads that in order to reduce such problems, the Venice Commission suggests trans-forming the fi xed term of offi ce of the current Supreme Court judges to lifetime appointments.

The commission says that the Parliament should only appoint the number of Supreme Court judges which is absolutely necessary to render the work of the Supreme Court manageable, adding how many new judges will be needed to achieve this should be decided after consultations with the Supreme Court.

“The number should not exceed half of the 18 to 20 positions that will be vacant. Further appoint-ments may then be made by Parliament elected at the next general elections. Such a staggered approach

in the appointment of all the Supreme Court judges may both alleviate the present burden on the Supreme Court and ensure that it enjoys the pub-lic trust and respect it deserves in the long-run,“ reads the report.

The request for an urgent opinion was made by the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, after the introduction of a 10-member list of Supreme Court judges caused uproar and criticism. The Commission was asked to evaluate the amendments containing the provisions on the selection and appointment of Supreme Court judges,

including the main draft initiated by Kobakhidze and the ruling GD which was adopted by Parlia-ment with the fi rst reading on March 20.

The Commission says that the draft law is too lenient with respect to the age and experience requirements, and suggests higher formal thresh-olds for both. It also says that persons with such qualifi cations should not be forced to sit an exam-ination to prove that they are capable of dealing with points of law.

The Commission also recommends that conduct-ing secret ballots in the HCoJ should be abolished,

and the procedure of selection should be based on objective criteria on which each candidate is eval-uated. Also, the candidates should receive scores, which will allow a list of the best candidates to be presented to Parliament.

Kobakhidze held a press conference regarding the issue, saying the recommendations of the Ven-ice Commission would be taken into account. He said that the published opinion was mostly posi-tive, adding a “great part of the recommendations can be accepted, including the removal of judicial examination from the selection criteria.”

“As for political recommendations (referring to the recommendation that further appointments may be made after the next Parliamentary polls), we will defi nitely discuss them, but such recom-mendations will not be refl ected in the draft law,” he stated.

Former member of the GD, Eka Beselia, who quit the party after a confl ict of interests over the issue of judges, says the conclusion is a “real slap in the face” of the ruling party.

“It is impossible to criticize the draft more sharply than it is in the Venice Commission opinion. When the Venice Commission tells you that the High Council of Justice enjoys low public trust and the Parliament should not elect all judges now and some of them should be elected by the next Parlia-ment, this means that neither the HCoJ nor the Parliament enjoy any trust,” she stated.

Opposition party European Georgia believes the report answered all the questions regarding setting the criteria of the selection of judges.

“Trust towards the High Council of Justice is low based on the information that was provided to the Venice Commission. Therefore, they called on the authorities that this Parliament should not compose the Supreme Court and at least one half of judges should be elected by the next Parliament,” he stressed.

NGOs also say the recommendations are very critical and need to be taken into account.

Image source: lawyersweekly.com

Venice Commission Report over Selection of Judges Sparks Mixed Reactions

OP-ED BY NUGZAR B. RUHADZE

Playing the game of politics with Russia is not easy for Georgia due to the Russian political irrationality, and because Russia is still in the client-patron mood when it comes to Georgia: it looks like Russia is

not about to swallow the unexpected impulsive truncation of its three-century-old sick but still imperial body. Compared to all other ex-soviet states, Russia’s annoyance with Georgia is razor-sharp and badly jagged.

Georgia is a special case for the Russian imperial irritation: Georgia’s national freedom and independ-ent statehood being far beyond the Russian political assumption and patience. History knows that well, and historians are the best judges of the Russian-Georgian geopolitical love and hatred. It is like a marriage in which the affectionate husband is so jealous of his innocent wife that in fi ts of green-eyed resentment, the infuriated but adoring hubby is ready to tear apart his fragile, charming spouse.

Russia will not let Georgia get involved in another love affair, whoever its new signifi cant other might be. The tension in the present interaction between the two sides is extreme, hanging right on the verge of the perilously deepened political abyss, which is no heaven for any of the parties. To put it bluntly, we are in dire straits, but at present, thanks to a rea-sonably regulated relationship, the state of affairs is frozen at some tolerable degree of geopolitical temperature so as to allow additional time and resources for mutual tolerance and cooperation between Rus-sia and Georgia, if ‘tolerance’ and ‘cooperation’ could make an applicable vocabulary to describe the awkward bilateral instance. Not talent or labor, but power and violence are the recognized determinants in the negatively metamor-phosed Russian-Georgian dealings.

Meanwhile, the conventional fundamentals of power prompt the leaders of both nations to refrain from unreasonable moves that might develop into

destructive consequences for both. We are well-aware of those fundamentals now, but we had no idea what they meant 30 years ago when the Russian-Georgian belligerency started. In this vicious inter-national conundrum, most of the everlasting polit-ical and military values were badly confused, and no component of the 200-year relations was con-sidered when mutually disparaging steps were being taken without an iota of thoughtful professional analysis. Seemingly, the historical necessity never demanded the bringing of Russian-Georgian rela-tions to the point where nothing is visible except an impenetrable geopolitical cul-de-sac, out of which no living political scientist can see a peaceful with-drawal.

Any Georgian government of the last quarter of a century trying to hold on to power, has seen the dilemma of survival in balancing out its geopolitical performance between Russia and the West. The West is moderately reserved in terms of fl exing its muscles, but Russia, being an empire, needs to dem-onstrate power and splendor to inform the world of its invincibility by means of exuding imperial authority. When Georgia dared to break away from the tentacles of Russian dominance, the insulted Empire dealt a lethal blow on the recalcitrant colony, the shock of which Georgia still feels today as it stumbles towards its genuine freedom and inde-pendence.

Had Georgia known better 30 years ago the details of the Russian imperial psyche, and the paranoia that accompanies that psyche, would Georgia have

behaved the same way? This is the question which is almost impossible to furnish with a reasonable answer forthwith, but I am still posing it, hoping that politics remains the art of possible. One of my con-jectures might be that the sense of survival betrayed the Geor-gian national acumen at that crucial moment of its history. The underlying sense of this presumption is not the old adage that says to join them if you can’t beat them, because I fundamentally believe in the idea of national freedom. What I am saying is much simpler: had we known better, we would have done better. Probably!

Knowing Russia Better Wouldn’t Have Hurt

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 20196 POLITICS


The Prime Minister of Geor-gia Mamuka Bakhtadze held a meeting with his Bulgar-ian counterpart Boyko Borisov on April 16, in Sofi a,

Bulgaria, after which the two offi cials made a joint statement for the press.

The Georgian PM expressed his grat-itude to Borisov for “distinguished hos-pitality” and focused on the friendly relations between Georgia and Bulgaria.

“We are happy to see that over the years, our bilateral relations have been steadily growing and leading to what is today a strong bond of friendship and vibrant cooperation in many areas of common interest,” stated Bakhtadze, going on to accentuate the high potential for the enhancement of economic coop-eration between the two countries, and Georgia’s goals to progress in terms of integration with the EU. In addition, he spoke about the most painful challenge for Georgia: the occupied regions, and mentioned the country’s peaceful con-fl ict resolution policy. The Prime Min-

ister thanked his colleague for support-ing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.

“Georgia continues its policy of peace-ful confl ict resolution and we are thank-ful to international society, which has

demonstrated immense support to Geor-gia's efforts in this direction. Only with a fi rm stance and consistent approach

from international society can we achieve progress and establish lasting peace on the ground,” noted the Georgian PM.

Boyko Borisov stated that Georgia rep-resents one of his country's important partners, focusing on the strategic loca-tion of the country.

“Georgia is an important partner for us on the other side of the Black Sea. Georgia is a gateway for eight other countries in the region and a gateway for the Black Sea towards Europe,” said Borisov.

The Bulgarian PM also announced a major upcoming project.

“We shall support all infrastructural projects related to TEN-T, in terms of digital connectivity, by establishing a digital connection - a cable between Bulgaria and Georgia. We aim within the next few months to start the implemen-tation of this project and a cable will be laid in the waters of the Black Sea which will enable the entire region to enjoy high-speed internet and digital infra-structure.”

Bakhtadze and Borisvo agreed to con-solidate efforts and in this way maintain and strengthen successful economic relations.

Image source: Government of Georgia

PM Bakhtadze Meets his Bulgarian Counterpart

BY THEA MORRISON

Prime Minister of Romania, Vasilica Viorica Dancila, stated that Romania supports Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic inte-gration and the reforms

implemented by the government.She made the statement at a joint press

conference with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze, on April 15.

“From the Romanian perspective, the prosperity and security of Georgia are very important for the stability and welfare of the entire region. Hence, we wish to further deepen our cooperation and support the integration of Georgia with NATO. Once again, we reassured the visiting Prime Minister in our sup-port towards the territorial integrity of

the country within its internationally recognized borders, which we fully respect,” she said.

The Romanian PM noted that she dis-cussed with Bakhtadze cooperation in different sectors: transport, energy, trade, culture and education.

“Our efforts will further deepen and strengthen to make our economic rela-tions even more dynamic, increase trade volumes and export from Romania to Georgia, as has been the case in recent years. We wish to make the Inter-Gov-ernmental Commission interaction more frequent to boost the current potential even further. As for our relations in tourism and people-to-people interac-tion, these are indeed very important. We will support Romanian companies to embrace all the opportunities offered by Georgia,” she added.

Dancila underlined that the two coun-tries will continue being friends and

partners.“I am confi dent that this partnership

will grow into stronger bondage and reap very benefi cial results both for Georgian and Romanian people,” she noted.

PM Bakhtadze also made comments, noting Georgia-Romania relations are special.

“The friendship between the Georgian and Romanian people has been devel-oping over centuries. This visit is par-ticularly symbolic to me as our countries are celebrating 300th Anniversary of friendship this year,” he stated.

Bakhtadze underlined that political dialogue between Georgia and Romania can be labeled as at the highest level today.

During his visit, Bakhtadze also met the President of the country, Klaus Iohannis, and Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, the President of the Romanian Senate.

Romania Supports Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration

BY THEA MORRISON

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said that right-hand drive taxis will be prohibited from January 1, 2021, noting that they reached an agreement

at a meeting with the initiative group of taxi drivers, who were protesting the taxi reform launched last summer.

“Right-hand drive taxis will not be licensed as Category B from January 1 of 2021. They have one and a half years ahead to change their vehicles. We have made this decision as we know their condition well and are giving them the possibility to replace their vehicles with left-hand drive cars,” the Mayor said.

The Mayor wants taxis to offer better quality services to customers and his main reform is to separate taxis into two categories: A and B.

The fi rst category will be for regular

taxis. These will have to carry a taxi sign, be painted in white and will enjoy spe-cial free parking spots in the city. Vehi-cles will have to pass technical inspec-tions twice a year and will not be able to drive right-hand or two-door taxis.

Category B taxis will only be able to take on passengers via a mobile applica-tion such as UBER and Taxify and will not be able to take people from the street. However, these drivers will not need to modify their vehicles.

Many taxi drivers, mainly owners of right-hand drive cars, were against these reforms, which is why City Hall has per-mitted them to work until 2021.

On August 1, Tbilisi City Hall launched a taxi reform initiated by the Mayor, according to which from October 1, it became illegal to work as a taxi driver without a special permit.

Also, all taxis in the capital of Georgia must be white and City Hall is ready to do it for free.

All taxi drivers have to place the permit certifi cate inside the car. The certifi cate displays the driver's photo, name and

surname, the permit number, date of issue and validity, state number of the

vehicle, the model of transport, and a fast feedback (QR) code.

Right-Hand Drive Taxis to Be Prohibited in Tbilisi from 2021

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 7BUSINESS

TRANSLATED BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA

Within the scope of the annual spring meet-ings of the Interna-tional Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World

Bank Group taking place in the USA, Ivane Matchavariani, Minister of Finance of Georgia has held a meeting with Jür-gen Rigterink, First Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Ivane Matchavariani Meets EBRD First Vice President

At the meeting the parties discussed the ongoing projects carried out with the fi nancial assistance of the EBRD, including the development of municipal infrastructure, solid waste management, power engineering and energy effi ciency, the sphere of education, and the sup-port of competitiveness in the private sector.

Special emphasis was put on the impor-tant role of the Bank in terms of the development of the capital market in Georgia and implementation of the deposit assurance system and the frame-work for public and private sector col-laboration.

The ongoing and upcoming projects, taking place within the scope of the Eastern Europe Energy Effi ciency and Environment Partnership, were also dis-cussed at the meeting.

“We have had a very positive and con-structional meeting with the Minister of Finance. Georgia is a very important country for the EBRD. We have allocated investments amounting to EUR 3.3 bil-lion so far, and hope to increase this fi gure in future,” stated the First Vice President of the EBRD.

The meeting was attended by David Bakradze, Ambassador of Georgia to the United States.

Image source: metronome.ge

BY THEA MORRISON

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a 60 million Georgian GEL ($22.3 million) loan and a $500,000 technical assistance grant

to Credo Bank (Credo) to launch new products including home improvement and mortgage loans to lower-income households in rural areas and on the outskirts of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi.

The information was released on ADB’s offi cial website and reads that the loan is provided in Georgian GEL, supporting Georgia’s strategy to increase use of the local currency and reduce foreign cur-rency-induced credit risks for the ben-

efi ciaries and banks.ADB reports that the project allows

the bank to expand its services to small business and rural household customers, most of whom are women.

“We are proud to work with Credo Bank to reach underserved regions, boosting economic activity and afford-able housing to enhance Georgia’s sus-tainable and inclusive growth,” the state-ment reads.

Credo is a leading fi nancial service provider for households as well as micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Georgia, serving about 230,000 MSE borrowers, 50% of whom are female, with an aver-age loan size of 2,300 Georgian Lari.

Since 2007, ADB has provided nons-overeign loans totaling $255 million to banks in Georgia.

ADB Provides Finances for Georgia's Credo Bank

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 20198

DID YOU KNOW…?1) McDonalds burgers are made of 100% high quality beef without additives,

formed into hamburger patties, and then quickly frozen to seal in that great fresh fl avor. The company adds salt and pepper to the burgers when they are cooked on the grill in the restaurants to bring out all that great beef taste.

2) In Georgia’s 15 restaurants, tons of oil is used and changed every month. McDonalds is always looking for a way to make the world cleaner and happier, and for years environmental care was the company’s number one priority. Restaurants check and change the oil in fryers on a regular basis. There are several tests to determine when the oil needs to be changed, including a visual check, or by using a custom-made McDonalds oil testing kit). If the acceptable level reaches the limit of saturated fatty acids, the equipment automatically changes the oil, then waste oil is collected from a separate tank and taken back to a factory to be recycled.

3) All food for McDonald’s Georgia is brought from Germany and Poland. Georgian food manufacturers have as yet been unable to meet the stringent standards required of McDonald’s, so everything is imported. The McDonald's Supplier Quality Management System (SQMS) standard applies to companies who supply food products for the McDonald's restaurants chain. The standard is intended to help McDonald's supply consistently safe products of the high-est quality that meet their requirements, as well as all applicable laws and regulations.

4) McDonald’s staff wash their hands every 30 minutes following a 9-step washing guideline. It was found that wearing gloves doesn’t guarantee food hygiene standards as well as clean hands carefully washed twice an hour!

5) The coffee beans that didn’t get into that brilliant-tasting cup of coffee you just ordered are thrown out after four hours. This guarantees that the beans ground for your next coffee have retained the aromas you love.

6) You can ask for orange or apple juice in your child’s Happy Meal instead of a soft drink and choose apple puree instead of fries.

7) McDonald’s is aware of its responsibility to the younger generation. Its latest initiative is to offer books with its Happy Meals instead of toys, the ini-tiative is going ahead and this author for one will be grabbing the opportunity to stock up her kids’ bookshelf- hopefully other parents will too!

8) McDonald’s Georgia has a work experience scheme for school pupils. Where just a few years ago Georgian parents wouldn’t have dreamed of send-ing their 14-pluses out to work, it is increasingly being recognized as a way to encourage responsibility, motivation and confi dence-building.

9) Almost All McDonald’s managers started out as regular crew members. McDonald’s is a bottom-up organization which encourages its staff to stay happy, stay motivated and to stay with them for the long-term. Trainings, high international standards, fair pay and ready internal promotion opportunities mean that everyone has a chance to climb the ladder.

SOCIETY

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

Ever wondered what goes on behind the counter at a McDonald’s? Are you curi-ous about the cleanliness, interested in the ingredients

or envious of the happy smiles of the employees? GEORGIA TODAY was invited into a McDonald’s kitchen to fi nd out what makes McDonald’s Geor-gia tick.

“I joined McDonald’s 17 years ago,” Natia Devrisashvili the Director of the Dighomi branch, tells us. “First in Kutaisi, then I moved to Tbilisi. I was inspired by the brand. The training is excellent, the standards are international, and the job is both stable and enjoyable.”

Employees worldwide have a lot to appreciate from a job at McDonald’s, and Georgia is no different. There are great career prospects for a start. Uni-versity students are given the chance

to choose a fl exible shift schedule that meets their study needs. Youth as young as 14 can work weekends for limited hours (according to Georgian legisla-tion) to get work experience. And all the managers started out as kitchen workers, moving up over time with training and hard work. Each branch of McDonald’s is like a family, and each member of the team is treated as an equal- with respect and dignity. Holi-days are paid and excellence in work and standards are rewarded monetarily and in recognition, with Employees of the Month being voted for in-house.

McDonald’s opened in Georgia 20 years ago, February 5. And, according to Natia, like the global chain as a whole, the Georgian McDonald’s is “improving by the day.”

BEHIND THE SCENES – KITCHEN I was Surprised to see that kitchen runs like clockwork for the most part. The team members work in rotation at the various stations- Drive Thru (two win-dows- one for paying, one for deliver-ing), deep-fryers/toasting, dressing and serving. The desserts are prepared in a separate area. Fresh food is cooked at the far end of the kitchen and is moved down to be dressed with buns, salads, sauces and sides nearer the tills. Cus-tomers can order the old-fashioned way by approaching and paying at the coun-ter, or via self-ordering disability/child-adapted screens, which allow for menu selection and payment by card.

And there is plenty on the menu for all tastes: burgers and fries of various size (meat, fi sh, veggie or chicken), wraps, a choice of salads and then for those sweet-tooths among us, shakes, ice-creams, donuts and fruit. McDon-

ald’s Georgia, works with the “Made for You” principle, meaning that while the ingredients are ready (cheese neatly sliced, lettuce and tomatoes clean and chopped), nothing is cooked or put together until you order it. The coffee is also fresh, with beans ground to order and unused beans thrown away every four hours to ensure freshness in your cup every time.

HYGIENE Employees enter the ‘Wash Area’ and after clocking-in via an electronic fi n-gerprint identifi er, change immediately into their uniforms in a cloakroom (one each for men and women). These cloak-rooms come with a toilet and shower to ensure the employees are fresh and comfortable at all times. In case there are doubts when dressing, there are clear pictures by the door and Georgian descriptions of how a McDonald’s team member should dress. Such clear and instructive signs can be seen through-out the property. A touchscreen in the Wash Area shows each employee’s name, schedule and anything they need to know to catch up with the daily hap-penings in the kitchen. Once they are up-to-date, they wash their hands at the sensor-operated sink “as well as a sur-geon would” (again, with clear instruc-tions displayed for them) and sign their names on the “handwash sheet” at the entrance to the kitchen. They will repeat this hand-washing process every 30 minutes for the remainder of their shift, with the manager watching over them with hawk-eyes.

The Wash Area also contains a small but comfortable “Employee Lounge” with the same tables and chairs/stools as seen in the restaurant, a fridge and

a TV. Team members get a 30-minute break every four hours, more if required, with shifts lasting between four and eight hours.

SUPPLY-STORAGE McDonalds has high standards with supply storage as well, A storeroom keeps the dry goods and plastic and paper cutlery and containers at room temperature, while the walk-in refrig-erator stores the meat and vegetables which come from Germany and Poland. Absolutely every consumable is con-trolled and has a “use-by” date which is strictly adhered to. Left-overs and any food past its validity is thrown into the trash.

So, our conclusion after a visit to McDonald’s Georgia? Smiling and sat-isfi ed staff, a spotless kitchen, healthy options on the menu and strict quality and hygiene control. Here at GT, we’re lovin’ it!

Everything You Didn’t Know about McDonald’s Georgia

Each branch of McDonald’s is like a family, and each member of the team is treated as an equal- with respect and dignity

The training is excellent, the standards are international, and the job is stable and enjoyable

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 9SOCIETY

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BY GABRIELLE COLCHEN

The United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights officially visited Georgia for the fi rst time April 3-12 with the aim

of assessing the impacts of business operations on Human Rights. Last Fri-day, to conclude the visit, the experts held a press conference at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel during which they described their preliminary observations before the offi cial fi nal report to be sub-mitted in 2020. Different issues were raised during the conference, the main ones being gender equality, environmen-tal pollution and labor rights.

In the construction sector specifi cally, labor rights are often violated. This has become a systemic issue since workers often put their lives in danger by work-ing in this sector. The goal is to prevent Human Rights violations from happen-ing in order to prevent the need for legal remedies.

The experts also visited the Chiatura mine and recognized it creates signifi -cant environmental pollution. The meas-ures taken by the Georgian government are not adequate, they said, and do not prevent irremediable damage to the

environment. As for the development of natural

resources, hydropower projects were

which the company has to hire the per-son for another six months. “However, this initiative is insuffi cient, and more measures are needed so that the disabled can access work opportunities,” the UN representatives said.

Last, the issue of remedies was raised. When there is a violation of Human Rights, individuals would like to be able to hold a company accountable for it. The judicial system is well established in Georgia, but, concretely, affected indi-viduals have trouble accessing remedies from the court, perhaps due to the cost of litigation or because of the length of the judicial process. In this direction, the government is trying to give more responsibility to the Public Defender since it can be a good institution to com-plement the Court in providing effective remedies.

“Most companies do not have griev-ances mechanisms in place to deal with human and labor rights violations and the government should oblige them to have it,” the Working Group noted.

Overall, the group of experts appreci-ated the smooth running or their study and the open dialogue they had had with the stakeholders. They recognized that the Georgian government is moving in the right direction but said it should take more proactive measures in favor of these Human Rights issues.

Georgia Needs to Increase Human Rights Protection Efforts in the Business Environment

seen as being able to help ensure elec-tricity and power independence in Geor-gia; however, the UN team advised the

Georgian government to look at the process globally and make sure that the use of hydropower does not create draughts nor has impacts on climate change.

“The government needs to take a holis-tic view when assessing the impact of the hydropower projects,” they noted.

The working group spoke of its appre-ciation for a number of legislative changes in Georgia, including a new labor code, new safety laws, and the environmental impact assessment code. They also appreciated the gender equality provi-sions for the protection of women against sexual harassment. However, they made it clear that gender equality remains one of the biggest challenges in Georgia. Women are underrepresented in busi-ness and represent an alarming minority in management positions. Violence against women is also still a major issue, they said.

“The Parliamentary Gender Equality Council should work to create a more inclusive environment for women in every fi eld,” the UN team advised.

Concerning people with disabilities, they noted the disabled often face exclu-sion and discrimination and lack eco-nomic opportunities. The government has taken measures since it provides subsidies for four months to companies who hire a person with disabilities, after

BY AMY JONES

Speeding down twisting moun-tainous roads towards Stepantsminda, dangerously overtaking on corners, drift-ing in lanes on Rustaveli

Avenue: Georgian drivers have a repu-tation for reckless driving and for “over-taking as a pastime.” The government is slowly taking steps to tackle the issue in Georiga.

On April 16, the Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Gakhraia presented a new road safety plan which will be imple-mented by the end of the year, along with the new social campaign ‘For More Life’, in hopes of tackling dangerous driving in Georgia. The launch event was attended by various government representatives, including the Minister of Regional Development and Infra-structure Maia Tskitishvili and Tbilisi Mayor Kakhi Kaladze.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 6,608 individuals lost their lives on Georgian roads over the past 10 years, whilst 85,946 were injured. In 2018, 459 people were killed in road

Image source - World of Roads

Georgian Roads Killaccidents, stated Gakhraia at the launch event.

The majority of accidents were caused by drink driving, speeding, not adher-ing to traffi c signs, and lane violations, reported the Interior Ministry.

In 2018, the government already began introducing a range of measures in an attempt to improve road safety and minimize bad driving habits in Georgia.

Firstly, the Ministry of Internal Affairs implemented more cameras to capture traffi c violations. In 2017, there were just 170 cameras monitoring roads, whereas now this fi gure stands at 2,600. In addition, many patrol police inspec-tors now carry cameras, and driving under the infl uence of drugs was made illegal.

These measures have had “some pos-itive outcomes,” reads a statement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. “In 2018, the number of deaths in road traffi c incidents decreased by 11%. The per-centage rate of speeding has also decreased.” Nonetheless, the number of traffi c accidents increased from 2017 to 2018 from 6,079 to 6,452.

Despite small improvements, Georgian roads remain the most unsafe in the region. In 2017, the Organization for

Economic Cooperation and Develop-ment released data showing that Geor-gia had the highest rate of road accident deaths in Europe. The new plan includes various proposals to continue the pos-itive trend in decreasing road accidents.

By the end of 2019, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will install 5,000 cam-eras across Georgia, including 2,100 Smart cameras which measure speed averages. In addition, there will be more unmarked police patrols that will work to sanction drivers who violate traffi c rules, especially in major cities.

Aside from practical measures, “leg-islative amendments to ensure road safety will be implemented” to tighten sanctions for certain violations, reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

However, for road conditions to truly improve, it is essential for drivers to change their mindsets and habits. “The involvement of public participation and awareness is especially important in the process of road safety,” stated Gakh-aria.

On the morning of April 10, Tbilisi residents awoke to fi nd upturned dam-aged vehicles displayed on stilts on Tamarshvili Street, Chavchavadze Ave-nue, and Vazha Pshavela Street. The

installation is the fi rst project of a new social campaign ‘For More Life’. The campaign aims to encourage drivers to change their driving habits through videos, banners, installations and Face-book campaigns.

“The goal of the social campaign is

that each citizen will once again think about the consequences of violating traffi c rules,” reads the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ statement. Time will tell if the new measures and social cam-paign will continue to improve road safety in Georgia.

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 201910 SOCIETY

BY SAMANTHA GUTHRIE

The Georgian Ministry of Health was recognized on Friday, April 12, at a cere-mony in Vienna, Austria, for its successes in combat-

ing Hepatitis C in the country. David Sergeenko, the Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, received the award on behalf of the ministry. The award, recognizing Georgia as an “Exemplary Country,” was presented by the European Association for the Study of the Liver and the International Liver Foundation in Austria at the 2019 International Liver Conference.

Sergeenko presented to the assembled audience, hundreds of scientists and medical professionals from around the world, Georgia’s efforts to fi ght Hepati-tis C and highlighted the importance of making diagnostic and treatment services easily accessible nationwide in lowering the instance of the disease.

Accepting the award from Chairman of the European Association for the Study

of the Liver, Massimo Colombo, Ser-geenko said, “It is a great honor for us to be given the status as the world’s fi rst ‘Exemplary Country.’ The Hepatitis C elimination program in Georgia repre-sents the best example of cooperation between the private and public sector, the US Center for Disease Control and the Gilead [Sciences] Company. In addi-tion to the fact that this program has had

a positive impact on national public health, Georgia has also become a role model around the globe, and many coun-tries will benefi t from the experiences we have had since 2015.”

During the International Liver Confer-ence, the Ministry of Health signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the International Liver Foundation.

In Georgia, the Hepatitis C cure rate

is more than 98%. The Ministry of Health reports that each month, approximately 1,000 new patients enroll in the ‘Georgia Without Hepatitis C’ initiative, which was launched in April 2015 in partner-ship with American biotechnology com-pany Gilead. The project aims to reduce and prevent the spread of Hepatitis C in the country. Through the program, treat-ment is free of charge for all citizens of Georgia.

Research conducted at the start of the program, in 2015, showed that 8% of the Georgian population was infected with Hepatitis C.

The Ministry of Health’s anti-Hepatitis C campaign has three primary targets:

1) 90% of adults should undergo screen-ing: a simple blood test

2) Of those who underwent screening and need treatment, at least 90% should be involved in the program

3) From the 90% involved in treatment, at least 95% should be cured

Since the launch of the program, more than 2 million Hepatitis C screenings have been conducted.

In a speech at the regional consulta-tion meeting ‘Achievements Towards the Elimination of Hepatitis C’ in Feb-ruary, Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze

noted that “tens of thousands of our citizens formerly infected with Hepa-titis C have been fully cured with gov-ernment support,” and explained how, not long ago, a diagnosis of Hepatitis C meant a condition to live with, since treatment was out of the fi nancial reach of most Georgians. “We have had tre-mendous success. The negative test indicator is 98% on average. We will not spare time and efforts in the future for the ultimate eradication of the dis-ease. I am confi dent that Georgia will become one of the fi rst countries to fully combat Hepatitis C,” affi rmed Bakhtadze.

The full course of treatment costs roughly $80,000 - $90,000 per patient.

In July 2018, Akaki Zoidze, Chairman of the Healthcare Committee of the Par-liament, warned Georgians that after 2020, Hepatitis C treatment will no longer be free. He called on citizens who know or suspect that they have the disease to apply for treatment now, while the pro-gram is free. “At least 25,000 people know they have Hepatitis C and are not treat-ing it. We should do our best to encour-age these people to undergo treatment because in doing so, we will save 25,000 lives,” said Zoidze.

Image source: Ministry of Health

Georgia Recognized for Success Combating Hepatitis C

BY KATIE RUTH DAVIES

I like to have fun, but circuses, zoos and marine parks are no fun for animals. Elephants used in circuses are forced to travel all over the country and are chained

up for hours. In the wild, they would walk for miles every day. Have you ever seen elephants stand on their head in the wild? No? That’s because they don’t, - a PETA Kids young video presenter states.

“Animals in zoos live in enclosures that are hundreds of times smaller than where they would live in the wild,” another youth says. “I wouldn’t want to live in a cage with a bunch of people staring at me all day. Animals don’t like it either. How can kids learn about wild animals by looking at them locked up in cages? That’s not natural at all. It makes the animals feel really stressed. They can even get so stressed out that they go crazy.”

A third child informs us that, “Marine parks keep dolphins and whales in small tanks. That’s like living in a bath- all they can do is swim in circles. In the wild, they can swim for kilometers with their families every day. They should live in big groups, and they get lonely by them-selves.”

“The people who run the zoos, circuses and marine parks don’t really care about the animals. They just use them to make money. That’s why, if you love animals, you should never go to a zoo, marine park or animal circus,” and with that statement, the video ends. It is a simple but potent message, one which is echoed in numerous graphic images spread via social media and in the recent and pop-ular Disney offering: Dumbo, which has a very clear ‘anti-animal circus’ message throughout.

On May 4, the Yuri Nikulin Circus will visit Georgia from Russia. They use monkeys, lions, tigers and dogs in their circus shows, but we have seen a lot of documentary evidence that demonstrates how circus animals are kept in unsuit-

able and often unbearable conditions. The trainers get them to do tricks by using pain- hitting them with sticks or giving them electric shocks to incite fear. Sometimes, they starve the animals prior to performances so they will ‘work’ for food. They live and travel in small, often unsanitary, cages. Sometimes, they lack medical attention for illnesses or inju-ries.

The conditions in the circus and the way the animals are treated can make them stressed or depressed. Sometimes, they become aggressive or self-harm.

Using animals in circuses has no edu-cational or conservation function. It is only for entertainment and to make money for the circus company. When we buy a ticket to watch a circus show in which animals are being used, we are helping to support this cruelty!

Animal circuses are thankfully losing popularity and there are many circus companies which give exhilarating shows without the use of animals, among them Cirque du Soleil, Circus Vargas, Circus Oz, and Cirque Productions.

Colombia, Croatia, Costa Rica, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Scotland, Singapore, Israel, Finland, France, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Mexico, Swe-den, India, and Peru are countries which have banned animal circuses.

Georgia needs to stop animal cruelty. No animals should be used in circus performances and such shows should be banned here as they have been else-where. Instead, we should invite foreign circus companies who do not use animals in their shows. And because Georgia has its own talented acrobats, illusionists, jugglers, clowns and dancers, we could launch a Georgian circus, making new jobs for people in a humane circus with-out animals.

A group of concerned citizens is organ-izing a peaceful and informative protest event starting at 5pm outside the circus building in Heroes’ Square on May 4.

The circus administration has so far refused to respond to their invitation for open dialogue and has blocked or ignored any social media attempts to contact them regarding the issue of the animal circus. The activists have appeared on television against a background of graphic images showing what circus animals go through, a petition has begun, and a photo campaign launched to garner interest. The biggest goal is to open peo-ples’ eyes to the unnecessary cruelty suffered by circus animals, and to encour-age citizens to choose a civilized and responsible path by boycotting the Rus-sian animal circus and pushing instead for other forms of entertainment to be brought to Georgia, ones in which no animals are forced to take part.

The Circus Without Animals event page: h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m /events/2757922320890584/

Dumbo Gets It Right: Behind the Curtain at the Animal Circus

Scene from the new Disney anti-animal circus ‘Dumbo’ movie. Source: arstechnica.com


Georgian Wine Advertising Campaign Kicks Off in Tokyo Metro

A campaign advertising Geor-gian wine has begun in Tokyo metro station ‘Ten-nozu Isle,’ the station located at the exhibition

center Terrada Warehouse, where the ‘Georgia – Homeland of Wine’ exhibi-tion was opened on March 10, to last until May 7.

The station is located on an island and connects to other islands, guaranteeing a heavy fl ow of passengers, with, on aver-age, 50,000 people passing through daily.

In the station there are information-advertising posters and information brochures titled ‘Georgia - Homeland of Wine,’ which provide brief details about Georgia and Georgian wine culture.

The project ‘Georgia – Homeland of Wine,’ organized by the National Wine Agency and Association ‘Georgian Wine’ is implemented in partnership with Sony music communication and TOPPAN. The exhibition combines unique archae-ological exhibits and modern technolo-gies, the concept of which is based on the uniqueness of Georgian wine culture.

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 201912 SOCIETY

BLOG BY TONY HANMER

Here follows a list of char-acteristics required or preferred for drivers of marshroutkas, or minivan-buses, on the longest daily

route in Georgia: Tbilisi to Mestia.He will seemingly always be a he; in

20 years on the route, I’ve yet to encoun-ter a woman driver on it. Tbilisi taxi drivers, sure, but not for this trip, it seems.

He will defer to his female passengers, honor and protect them, and usually give a pair of them priority seating in the front with himself. He will maintain order and decorum in the entire vehicle, arranging passengers or helping them fi nd seats, of which the best are near the front, where motion leading to sickness in those susceptible is minimized.

He will prohibit drinking of alcoholic beverages, or smoking, in the vehicle at all times… theoretically. He usually has a No Smoking sticker installed for all to see, and hopefully will obey it himself. Working on this. As far as the drink goes, the worst infraction I ever saw on a long-distance minivan trip was going to Poti in about 2000. A passenger was allowed to bring and imbibe a bottle of vodka, trying his best to foist it on all of us as well. A young lady from Korea was my charge, on her fi rst visit to the country; we sat in back and, seeing the ensuing chaos, refused this kind but forceful offer. Things got rather scary, surprise surprise, and at the east-west pass near Shrosha, a middle-aged lady seemed to be having

heart palpitations from fear. We stopped; the men got out and proceeded to beat up the offender, stranding him; we removed our luggage and announced the end of our journey, blaming the driver. He pulled around a bend, stopped where the van wasn’t visible, and sent back a runner to apologize and ask us back on, which we accepted. This seems to have been a unique occurrence, although it has taken years for drivers to stop their habit of drinking at the main Svaneti stop before Mestia, Barjashi.

He should have a roof rack, because there’s always more luggage than on any other trip, given its distance. Best will be not only ropes to secure things, but also a plastic sheet handy in case of inclement weather.

He will speak Russian as well as Geor-gian and Svan, and maybe a smattering of English, German or French too, to aid the frequent foreigners on this route, though these last are certainly not guar-anteed.

He will know, of course, how to main-tain and repair his vehicle, in the unlikely but not impossible event of a breakdown of some kind. If this is serious enough, he will have to call for a backup vehicle from somewhere to take his entire con-tingent of passengers the rest of the way. It’s an 8-hour trip, even with the improved roads from Tbilisi and in Svaneti, so they expect to arrive on the evening or afternoon of the same morn-ing they left!

He will know a couple of good places to stop for a meal or two, and eats there for free in exchange for being a regular sup-plier of vanloads of customers. These will

be roughly half-hour stops or a bit more.He will NOT try to stuff in extra pas-

sengers on tiny, unattached stools between regular seats! Especially not for the regular price of 30 GEL for the trip!

He will have a cassette, CD or USB stick of all the “best” music for the trip, varying between Georgian “Estrada,” folk and Russian or German techno-pop; the former featuring either Alla Puga-chova or men who are imitating bears

growling, the latter focusing on Blue System. In ideal situations, this track-set will be allowed to rerun endlessly, unchanged, so that passengers can learn it by heart in one trip.

In future, I might also describe the pas-senger’s ideal set of characteristics as well, although some of them might be gleaned in contrast with the above data. Until then, enjoy your ride.

* Dali, the Svan goddess of hunting

Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with nearly 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenais-sance/

He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri:www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti

Driving Miss Dali*: Tbilisi-Mestia


The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi is to host a real celebration for bookworms on April 23, as on this date it will transform it’s Hall a large-scale book

fair. The day of the event has also been

chosen on purpose, taking into account the fact that April 23 is global World Book and Copyright Day. The event also sup-ports the social campaign launched by Giorgi Kekelidze, General Director of the National Parliamentary Library of Geor-gia, called ‘Give a Book’ (#აჩუქეწიგნი).

The event is carrying a number of important messages and is primarily aimed at the promotion of book reading

and increasing awareness of Georgian literature among foreigners. The iltmore Hotel Tbilisi represents a ‘strategic’ location for organizing this type of event as it is to grab the attention of city guests staying at the hotel, as well as local residents of Tbilisi and other regions of Georgia.

Five publishing houses, Palitra L, Intele-kti, Artanuji, Diogene and Bakur Sulakauri,

along with the Santa Esperanza Book-shop, will present a great variety of books and the most outstanding masterpieces of literature. Foreign visitors who want to discover the Georgian culture and delve into an authentic Georgian atmos-phere will have an opportunity to pur-chase books by local authors translated into various languages.

A sales-exhibition is also being organ-

ized for charity purposes. Proceeds will be donated to Gurjaani Library restora-tion. In addition, the participating pub-lishing houses will either fi nancially assist or send books to the library.

The event will start at 10:00 and last until 19:00, giving a chance for book enthusiasts to take a trip through a new universe of books and pick up a copy of the most popular works.

The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi to Host Book Fair on April 23



Moxy Hotels, Marriott International’s latest hotel brand, made its debut in the Georgian hospitality market just

a year ago, but has already managed to establish itself as a go-to destination for travelers seeking the best accommoda-tion and local residents looking to enjoy a range of events and the hotel’s business facilities.

For those business clients- great news, as Moxy Hotels has just launched a new multifunctional meeting room. With a minimalist style and painted in calm

pastels, the brand-new spacious Audi-toria makes the perfect place for offi cial and business meetings, as well as infor-mal events. The area is fully equipped with everything you need to comfortably deliver presentations and hold confer-ences. Along with a working zone, there is also a ‘chill out’ area allocated for guests, where they can enjoy refresh-ments.

The Moxy Hotels’ new meeting room may also serve as a gallery. Its airy atmos-phere makes a wonderful venue for launching exhibitions, giving visitors the chance to enjoy the works of different artists and share their impressions with each other. The modern design of the Auditoria is also able to host a great variety of informal celebrations. Floor

To-ceiling windows and mirrored col-umns add a sprinkle of freshness to the place.

As for the hotel itself, its distinguished design and concept fuse perfectly with the vibrant, colorful lifestyle of Tbilisi. The Moxy Hotel is targeted towards business and leisure travelers who pre-fer style, functionality and affordability over luxury thus the interior refl ects their needs.

The vast lobby is divided into different segments, with a 24/7 bar serving also as the reception, with customers offered a drink while checking-in. The modernly furnished colorful area, with elements of contemporary art and diverse accents of lighting, also integrates a play zone with table football and billiards, a small meeting room, a modernly equipped working corner and even a library.

Based on the trends of the 21st century

Moxy Tbilisi Presents its New Auditoria Meeting Room

and needs of the modern era, Moxy Hotels strongly focuses on the concept of offering a modern design led hotel at an attractive price point.

Dinning is also adapted to the contem-porary world and follows the so-called “Grab and Go” concept, with fresh salads, wraps, hot items, sandwiches provided.

Everything at Moxy ensures a relaxing, entertaining and fruitful stay for every guest.

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 201914 CULTURE

WHAT’S ON IN TBILISINATIONAL ARCHIVES OF

GEORGIA40 Pekini Str.

Until May 1MERAB ABRAMISHVILI’S EXHIBITION

CINEMA

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF GEORGIA

40 Pekini Str.

April 8-23National Archives Cinema in collaboration with the French Institute Tbilisi, French Institute Paris and Embassy of France in Georgia, present:FRENCH CINEMA: NEW WAVE, NEW GENERATIONFree admission.Films are presented in original language with English and Georgian subtitles.Program:April 1919:00- CHRONICLE OF A SUMMER. 90'April 20 18:00- THE 400 BLOWS. 93'20:00- FAR FROM VIETNAM. 120'April 2118:00- PIERROT LE FOU. 112'20:00- PARIS BELONGS TO US. 141'April 2219:00- CONTEMPT. 110'April 2319:00- JULES AND JIM. 105'

MUSIC

DJ. KAKHIDZE TBILISI CENTER FOR MUSIC &

CULTURE 125/127 Agmashenebeli Ave.

April 21J. S. BACH’S “ST. JOHN PASSION”By Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra, Georgian State Choir, Soloists– Nino Chachua (soprano), Nutsa Zakaidze (mezzo soprano), Irakli Murjikneli (tenor), David pataridze (bass), Zurab Natrosvili (evangelist), Lasha Mirotadze (Jesus), Luca Tsiklauri (Peter, Pilate).Conductor- famous French musician Jean Yves GaudinStart time: 19:30Ticket: 10-30 GEL

THEATER

TBILISI ZAKARIA PALIASHVILI OPERA AND

BALLET THEATER25 Rustaveli Ave.TEL (+995 32) 2 99 04 56

April 23RODIN, HER ETERNAL IDOLA ballet by Boris EifmanMusic: Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saëns, Jules MassenetSets: Zinovy MargolinCostumes: Olga ShaishmelashviliLight: Gleb Filshtinsky, Boris EifmanStart time: 20:00Ticket: 140-180 GEL

April 25ROMEO AND JULIETSergei Prokofi evBallet in Two ActsBased on the tragedy by William ShakespeareLibretto, choreographic version and staging by Mikhail LavrovskyStart time: 19:00Ticket: 10-100 GEL

GABRIADZE THEATER14 Shavteli Str.

April 20RAMONARevaz GabriadzeDirected by Revaz GabriadzeEnglish SubtitlesStart time: 20:00Ticket: 20, 30 GEL

April 21STALINGRADRevaz GabriadzeDirected by Revaz GabriadzeEnglish SubtitlesStart time: 20:00Ticket: 20, 30 GEL

April 23Animated documentary fi lm REZODirected by Leo GabriadzeStart time: 20:00Ticket: 15 GEL

April 24, 25THE AUTUMN OF MY SPRINGTIMERevaz GabriadzeDirected by Revaz GabriadzeEnglish SubtitlesStart time: 20:00Ticket: 20, 30 GEL

MOVEMENT THEATER182 Aghmashenebeli Ave.TEL (+995 32) 598 19 29 36

April 20SILENT, REHEARSAL!Directed by Kakha BakuradzePerformance consists of various short novels: "Good Morning", "Cinemat", "Welcome-Host", "Shirley Beis", "Painter", Bohemian Rhapsody"Start time: 20:00Ticket: 10-15 GEL

April 21ASTIGMATISTSDirected by Ioseb BakuradzeStart time: 20:00Ticket: 10-15 GEL

April 25DIVINE COMEDYDirected by Ioseb BakuradzeStart time: 20:00Ticket: 10-15 GEL

SHALIKASHVILI THEATER37 Rustaveli Ave.TEL 595 50 02 03

April 19, 20LIKE THISComedy genre novels based on Georgian national motivesStart time: 20:00Ticket: 15 GEL

MUSEUM

GEORGIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM SIMON JANASHIA

MUSEUM3 Rustaveli Ave.TEL (+995 32) 299 80 22, 293 48 21www.museum.geExhibitions: GEORGIAN COSTUME AND WEAPONRY OF THE 18TH-20TH CENTURIESNUMISMATIC TREASURYEXHIBITION STONE AGE GEORGIA ARCHEOLOGICAL TREASURE NEW LIFE TO THE ORIENTAL COLLECTIONS

In the framework of the celebrations of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in Georgia the Georgian National Museum presents the exhibition WISDOM TRANSFORMED INTO GOLD

MUSEUM OF SOVIET OCCUPATION

4 Rustaveli Ave. TEL (+995 32) 2 99 80 22, 2 93 48 21 www.museum.ge

Exhibition RED TERROR AND GEORGIAN ARTISTS

April 11-30Georgian National Museum and Warsaw Rising Museum presentsEXHIBITION: WARSAW RISING 1944

IOSEB GRISHASHVILI TBILISI HISTORY MUSEUM

- KARVASLA8 Sioni St.TEL (+995 32) 2 98 22 81

April 5-24THE EXHIBITION OF BESO KOBAKHIDZE AND ALEKO ESVANJIA - BOUNDARYThe exhibition showcases the works of two artists in different media - painting, sculpture, graphics, on the theme ‘an eternity of the boundaries of creative thought.’

MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS10 Betlemi Str.

Discover the Museum of IllusionsBe brave enough to jump into an illusion created by the Vortex, deform the image of yourself in the Mirror Room, let yourself free in the Infi nity room, fi ght the laws of gravity and size ratio, and take pictures of yourself in every possible pose. Enjoy our collection of holograms, look closer at every optical illusion and observe thoroughly each installation.Tickets: 17.5 GEL, Children (ages 6-18): 11 GEL, children (under 5 years): free, students: 13 GEL, family (2 adults + 2 children): 39 GEL.

GALLERY

THE NATIONAL GALLERY11 Rustaveli Ave.TEL (+995 32) 215 73 00

Until February 26 (2020)GRAND MASTERS FROM THE GEORGIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM COLLECTION XIX – XX CENTURY

Until May 27Georgian National Museum and Italian embassy in Georgia present the exhibition ESOTERIC DE CHIRICO. A TRAVELER BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

SOUNDS OF GEORGIA

April 20, 24, 25SING AND DRINKMini concerts in the cozy atmosphere of Old Tbilisi, a mix of traditional Georgian music of different genres: folklore, a capella, guitar, and Georgian pop and city songs.Start time: 17:00Ticket: 24 GELVenue: April 20- New Tifl is, 9 Agmashenebeli Ave., Wine bar ‘Wine Station’,April 24- Corner of 2 Turgenev Str., and 37 Javakhishvili Str., deep yard,April 25- Europe Square, 2 D. Megreli Str., Hotel “Nata”

KHIDIVakhushti Bagrationi Bridge, Right Emb.

April 25SOUNDWAVE New wave of live music on the last Thursday of every monthParticipants: Georgian Hip-Hop artists MokuMoku (J&T), MC Cutkill & Deka and DRO.Start time: 21:00Ticket: 15 GEL

TBILISI CONCERT HALL1 Melikishvili Ave.

April 19CHARITY CONCERT FOR MARTAPartisipants: Shvidkatsa, Theatrical Quartet, Alilo, Herio, Mukhambazi, Forte, Datuna SirbiladzeStart time: 20:00Ticket: 10-40 GEL

TBILISI STATE CONSERVATOIRE

8 Griboedov Str.

April 19GEORGIAN COMPETITION OF MUSICIAN-PERFORMERSStart time: 18:00Ticket: 5-15 GEL

April 20COMPETITION OF MUSICIAN-PERFORMERSThe Georgian Competition of Musician-Performers is quadrennial and consists of three rounds and the following four specialties: piano, solo-singing, strings and wind instruments. Start time: 18:00Ticket: 5-15 GEL

April 21VIOLINS AND VOICESBela Berkemer-Makharadze- violinUwe Berkemer- pianoSpecial Guest: Nina Berkemer- violin and vocalIn program: Azarashvili, Bach, Berkemer, Brahms, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Piazzola, Vivaldi and moreStart time: 19:00Ticket: 10-25 GEL

April 25PIANO RECITAL OFGIGLA KATSARAVAProgram: Ludwig van Beethoven,Alexander Scriabin,Alexander Scriabin,Edward Grieg,Sergei RachmaninoffStart time: 18:00Ticket: 10 GEL

BARI BARSHI9 G. Kikodze Str.

April 19SVANSIKH Start time: 21:00Ticket: 10 GEL

April 20LEIF SStart time: 21:00Ticket: Free

April 21PANIKA (ACOUSTIC) Start time: 21:00Ticket: 5 GEL

GEORGIA TODAY APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 15CULTURE

GEORGIA TODAY

PUBLISHER & GM George Sharashidze

COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT Commercial Director: Iva MerabishviliMarketing Manager: Sesili Tikaradze

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT: Editor-In-Chief: Katie Ruth Davies

Journalists: Tony Hanmer, Zaza Jgarkava, Maka Bibilashvili, Dimitri Dolaberidze, Vazha Tavberidze, Nugzar B. Ruhadze,Samantha Guthrie,Amy Jones, Thea Morrison,Ana Dumbadze, Ketevan Kvaratskheliya

Photographer: Irakli Dolidze

Website Manager/Editor: Katie Ruth Davies

Layout: Misha Mchedlishvili

Webmaster: Sergey Gevenov

Circulation Managers: David Kerdikashvili, David Djandjgava

ADDRESS 1 Melikishvili Str. Tbilisi, 0179, Georgia

Tel.: +995 32 229 59 19E: [email protected] F: GeorgiaToday

ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION+995 597 97 21 12E-mail: [email protected]

Reproducing material, photos and advertisements without prior editorial permission is strictly forbidden. The author is responsible for all material. Rights of authors are preserved. The newspaper is registered in Mtatsminda district court.

Reg. # 06/4-309

Tamuna Gochashvili. Photo Courtesy: Davit Tchalidze

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY LIKA CHIGLADZE

Tamuna Gochashvili, a 24-year-old Georgian opera singer, is a new discovery for the international opera industry. Recently, the

young Soprano was made a soloist at the Vienna State Opera: an immense achieve-ment for one so young! The charming and talented singer talked to GEORGIA TODAY about her accomplishments and future career.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO OPERA?I’ve been singing since early childhood. When I was four, my mom took me to the Pioneer Palace in Tbilisi. She always knew how to put me on the right path, so I’m very thankful to her for her com-mitment and right decisions. There, I was trained by celebrated Georgian singer Tsitsino Tsitskishvili. Later, when I was 10, I enrolled in the Evgeni Mikeladze Music School, in Svetlana Egorova’s class, there my concertmaster was Prof. Teona Buadze. Through these unique people my musical life career began and con-tinues still. In 2012, I was accepted at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire in the Aca-demic Singing Department, in Egorova’s class. During my second year, I earned the V. Sarajishvili stipendium as the most successful student in the Vocal Depart-ment. I continued my studies at the Master’s Degree level at the Conserva-toire followed by three solo concerts, each with different repertoires (Barocco, French Chamber Music, Italian Opera arias).

HOW DID YOUR SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL CAREER BEGIN?I was doing the fi rst year of my Master’s when I learned that an audition of the Theater Young Artists Opera Program was taking place in Tbilisi. The program of the Bolshoi Theater is similar to the European young artists program. I knew it offered participants international career prospects, and that’s what appealed to me the most. I passed the fi rst round of the audition with success, but in order to make it to the fi nal stage, I had to travel to Russia. I applied to the Ministry of Culture of Georgia for fi nancial help and luckily got funding to cover the travel costs. I want to express my gratitude for such assistance and support from the Georgian government. I passed all the stages and was accepted into the pro-gram and so, since 2017, I’ve been a mem-ber of Theater Young Artists Opera Program of The Bolshoi Theater headed by Dmitry Vdovin. He is the very person who helps young talented singers to perfect themselves and create interna-tional careers.

HOW DID YOU GET INVITED TO WORK IN THE RENOWNED VIENNA STATE OPERA?I took several auditions, including on the main stage of the Vienna State Opera. I sang the part of Tatiana’s letter from Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin, and Elvira’s aria from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. I had not sung this piece before. Symbolically, I performed the latter on the stage of Vienna State Opera, in the homeland of Mozart. The jury was well acquainted with this piece, so it was a huge responsibility for me. The conductor Philippe Jordan asked me to

repeat the last passage several times and I handled my duty with success. When the audition was over, I was standing outside getting ready to leave, when suddenly my agent called me and told me to look carefully at the Vienna State Opera, the soloist of which I had just become. Before me was a theater that is considered one of the top opera houses in the world, with a rich history and where internationally renowned and the most celebrated opera singers have performed. In short, I felt like I’d come straight from being a student of the Tbilisi State Conservatoire on a direct fl ight to Vienna to become a solo-ist of that Opera House! What could be more wonderful? I signed a two-year contract with Vienna and from 2020, I will be working together with lead con-ductors and directors of the theater. I will also take part in premieres as well as plays that represent classics of the theater’s program.

HOW DOES YOUR CURRENT SCHEDULE LOOK?Until July, I remain a member of Theater Young Artists Opera Program, within which I will be performing in many plays. My repertoire is very diverse, including Austrian Operetta, cantatas by Handel, and French Chamber Music of 20th cen-tury. After the completion of the program, I will fl y to Austria to sing the part of Tatiana in Eugene Onegin composed by Tchakovsky. Then I will head to Finland where I will perform my favorite part of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Helsinki Opera House.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN OPERA SINGER AND PERFORM ON THE WORLD’S

TOP OPERA STAGES AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE?I think I’m very lucky. Being an opera singer is not just a profession: this is a way of life that requires great commit-ment and hard work, physical prepara-tion and singing for several hours daily. My everyday routine also includes work-ing on phonetics, text, musical material,

style, acting and fi tting to one’s role. As part of my work, I often have to change environments and adapt to new places, language and people. I think singing is like having an invisible instrument. It is such a profession that one will never lose, and if it happens so, then things can only get worse. I am just starting out, so I think the best is yet to come.

Young Georgian Soprano Made Soloist of Vienna State Opera


Tbilisi has made major steps forwards in terms of devel-oping its night life offerings in recent years and is suc-cessfully following the

world trends in this respect today, with numerous events organized year-round

for music lovers, 4GB being among the most outstanding.

4GB is an annual international electronic music festival launched in 2011. At the beginning, the festival was small, organ-ized as a tribute to the Georgian pioneer DJ Gio Bakanidze by his friends. However, with the dedication and hard work of the organizers and their partner institutions, the festival has grown, becoming ever-more colorful and offering the best elec-

tronic music to guests, transforming the memories of their friend into an unfor-gettable event for the country, as well as the Caucasus, and raising the bar of local festival culture to a new level.

The festival carries a number of impor-tant messages. First of all, it demonstrates how the unity of like-minds and striving for mutual aspirations can turn a small memorial party into a festival of impres-sive scale, while maintaining the initial values. In addition, 4GB is a non-profi t-

able event and all income is donated for the development of the idea.

The fi rst 4GB festival was headlined by Michael Mayer, the German electronic musician and an iconic performer for DJ Gio, who brought together 1,000 lis-teners. The legendary fi gure has since become the permanent host of the fes-tival, taking to the stage for over 20,000 visitors in 2017.

One of the unique features of the 4GB festival is the ever-changing location.

The organizers know everything is in the details and so always aim to host the audience in a venue suited to electronic music.

The Electronauts Music Awards has twice recognized the 4GB festival as the Best Event of the Year.

2019 is to be no exception and the 4GB organizers are all set to offer unforget-table performances in an incredible environ to thousands of visitors once again.

The 4GB Electronic Music Festival

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Issue no: 1143 • APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE...

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Transcript of Issue no: 1143 • APRIL 19 - 22, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE...