Thursday, September 5, 2013

Ivanishvili on Eurasian Union - Political Immaturity or Deliberate Statement?


With the recent decision of Armenia to join Customs Union instead of getting a free trade deal with the EU, once again demonstrated how dangerous can Russia get in the EU's neighbourhood. Since it became clear that there is a high probability of 4 Eastern Partnership countries – Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia to move closer to the EU, Kremlin intensified threats towards governments in Kiev and Chisinau. Method used to convince EaP countries about the ‘beauty’ of Customs Union and Eurasian Union are classic for Russia and it has been already applied to Georgia throughout last years. Putting embargo on Moldovan products, playing with the issue of Transnistrian conflict, manipulating with gas prices, offering financial benefits to Ukrainian government.. Quite strong leverage for Moscow to make foreign policy shift in respective governments, as they already did in Armenia.

In fact, Russia didn’t even need to threaten Yerevan, as Armenians simply do not have many options. Country is landlocked because of relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey and heavily dependent on Russian economy. As well as Nagorno-Karabakh issue is very important and Armenia needs Russia’s backing.. Hence, for Putin it was not hard to convince Armenian counterpart to abandon DCFTA at the moment when country has basically finalized the negotiations with the EU.



In this situation, when Russia is openly threatening Moldova and Ukraine, when they have already managed to induce Armenian president, Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili is apparently “studying” and “observing” how Eurasian Union is evolving. So that he might consider joining it later. In addition to that, he noted that Georgia has no position yet about this issue.


(c) voiceofrussia.com

I don’t know how aware current PM is of Georgian Foreign Policy Strategy, but it is explicit in number of chapters of this document that European and Euro-Atlantic Integration is a key foreign policy goal of Georgia. And considering Customs and Eurasian Union as an alternative, is simply not compatible with even the declaratory foreign policy goals of this government. 
Not to mention that idea of joining these institutions will be largely unpopular among the population of Georgia.



Let me also recall different researches conducted by the CRRC and EU Neighbourhood Barometer, which demonstrates that Georgians have highest trust towards the EU within EaP countries (I’d argue that higher than anywhere else). In comparison with the overall 43 % of positive attitude in the ENP East, 51 % of Georgian citizens have very positive attitude towards the EU. With 40 % neutral and only 11 % of negative attitude. Also based on the same research, most Georgians feel the European Union is an important partner of their country, and would like it to play an even greater role in Georgia, across a range of areas.

(c) Radio Liberty
Based on the CRRC research, if there were a referendum on joining the EU tomorrow, four out of five Georgians would vote yes.” As well as, eighty percent of Georgians would vote to join the EU (79% in 2009), and 88% think Georgia should be a member of the EU, up from 81% in 2009.

I think these figures say a lot about the choice of people of Georgia and maybe Mr. Ivanishvili could have skimmed it once again before making another political mistake?! Hundreds years of historical lessons from Russia, should have been enough to learn that these kind of statements won’t serve for the interests of the Georgia. Country, which has been recently invaded by Russia and which doesn’t control up to 20 percent of its territories. Not to mention that after numerous endeavours to settle relations with Kremlin, metre by metre Russia still continues to shift border on Georgian side..
Under these circumstances, statement of Georgian PM was largely immature, if not betrayal of Georgia's security and foreign policy interests.  I still hope that it was the case of political immaturity rather than a deliberate step..



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Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Another awkward moment of the EU's Foreign Policy?

New Europe (c)
Seems like an awkward moment of the EU's external relations is about to occur. As situation after the unconfirmed usage of chemical weapon in Syria caused a need of urgent reaction among certain western countries (namely USA, France and the UK), we are close to experience another mismatch and lack of coordination between the EU and its Member States. At the very same day, head of the EEAS Catherine Ashton talks about the continuation of political dialogue under Geneva negotiations, while at the same time François Hollande states that peace talks should resume and express his readiness to attack Syria.
While general situation regarding Syria is rather fishy, let's hope that traditional 'hawks' of the EU Member States will show more willingness at least to coordinate more in order to avoid another Arab Spring type of failure.. After 3 years of existence, argument about newly established department is not valid any more.

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Monday, July 22, 2013

My Travel Guide to Georgia


Recently quite number of friends asked for some tips about Georgia. Where to go, what to see, etc.. so I decided to make a small guide, which turned out to be very helpful for me, as it saves a lot of time from responding separately to everyone. Hopefully it will be useful for people who are still in the process of planning. :)

How to get to Tbilisi:

Flights:

Wizzair is currently the cheapest option, flying from Warsaw, Katowice, Kiev and few other cities of Ukraine. Take into account that it flies to Kutaisi, the old capital of Georgia, which is 2 hrs drive from Tbilisi. It might be worth seeing actually, as the new parliament is placed there and also few important monuments of the country are in the same area.

Also if you intend to visit Batumi, the main seaside resort, Kutaisi is well placed to get in there also in around two hours.

www.wizzair.com

Pegasus is also very cheap and convenient due to the variety of destinations. It flies in Tbilisi via Istanbul and from most of the European cities you can get there easily.

www.flypgs.com

FlyGeorgia – is a new company just started direct flights from BXL to TBS. Prices are a bit more expensive than Pegasus, but still worth checking, especially if you want to avoid transit flights.

www.flygeorgia.com

AirBaltic – can also be a good option and sometimes they have good offers.

www.airbaltic.com


Accommodation:

As I haven’t really stayed in many of the hotels/hostels cannot be very helpful, but still have a look on the list.

Hotels: (AKA not particularly cheap)

Betsy’s Hotel is quite nice one and I think it mustn’t be expensive. It’s a bit on the hill, but nicely located still and view is great

http://www.betsyshotel.com

Villa Mtiebi – nicely located in the old town and hotel looks quite cute as well

http://www.hotelmtiebi.ge/gallery.htm   

Hotel Kopala – I’ve stayed there and it’s nice. If you can afford I totally recommend. It has a bar on the top floor with fantastic view! It is walking distance from Old town and from main areas of sightseeing.

http://www.kopala.ge/

British House – nicely located as well, right in the center of the city. 3 mins walk from the main avenue.

http://www.british-house.ge/

That’s all I can say about hotels.. I didn’t include the main ones like Radisson Blue, Marriot, Courtyard Marriot and Sheraton Palace as those are the fanciest and most expensive ones as well. So I guess if you are willing to pay that much you don’t really need my advice J

Also for more info about hotels and anything basically you can visit the web page http://www.info-tbilisi.com/hotels/


Hostels:

I had a look on some hostels and all I can say is that most of them are naturally located in the city center. So you can have a look yourself
http://www.hostelworld.com/findabed.php/ChosenCity.Tbilisi/ChosenCountry.Georgia


Where to go?

Everything depends on the time you can spend in GE. In any situation even within 3-4 day you can see quite a lot as the country is not really big.

Tbilisi is the must see! Even though you might arrive in Kutaisi or Batumi, try to see the capital. It is the most lively and interesting place I assume.
Tbilisi
Mtskheta – is the first capital of Georgia, before 4th century. Few important monuments are there that are part of the UNESCO heritage. It is 10 minutes drive from Tbilisi and you can see it in half a day basically.

You can take minibus from Metro Station Didube (announcements and signs in the metro are in English as well, as you won’t be able to read in Georgian J)

Within the trip, I totally recommend to stop at place called Salobie. It is traditional Georgian place wherein you can get delicious stuff for really cheap.


Gori – as you might know it’s a birthplace of Stalin so you might also be interested to visit. In fact you can combine Mtskheta and Gori in a day.

It is 1 hour drive and Mtskheta is on the way. Bus or a minibus is also leaving from Metro Didube.

Stalin’s museum is absolutely worth seeing, I have been there few times and it is really interesting. and apart from the museum you can see a fortress in Gori, which is a walking distance from the museum.

Kazbegi – I don’t know how much you are into mountains, but I’d absolutely recommend to visit Kazbegi and see Gergeti church there. It’s 2200 from sea level and a stunning place. Driving will take 2,5 hrs and on the way you will also see Ananuri water reservoir, which is also very nice.

Even if you are in Georgia for three days, include Kazbegi in the list of places to see. You can leave Tbilisi (From metro Didube again) early morning and be back by the evening.
Gergeti. Kazbegi
Vardzia and Rabati – If you are more than five days in GE, I recommend to go to south of the country. Vardzia is a cave city from 13th century and it is worth seeing. On the way, you can also stop in Akhaltsikhe and see also visit Rabati fortress, which is newly renovated and you need probably 2 hours to see it.

In Vardzia you can stay in local hostel/guesthouse, which will cost you around 15-20 Euro (all inclusive)

Batumi – is the main summer resort and during summer it’s really nice. Especially in July, August and September. So take the train from Tbilisi (will take around 5 hrs) and go there if you have around week.

Also you can arrive there from Turkey, as it is close to the Turkish border. Several flights are also operating there, including Pegasus.

Svaneti – if you will have time and if you appreciate mountains, this is the place to go. You can find the highest populated village there, amazing mountains and experience local architecture and cuisine. Trip to Svaneti, requires proper planning. So in case you decide to go that far, drop me a line and I can help in planning.
Ushguli. Svaneti
Eastern part of Georgia is also very nice. This is the agriculture center of the country and Georgian wine mainly comes from Kakheti region.

There are several nice cities, especially Sighnagi and Telavi. Both are 2 hours away from Tbilisi. Both are interesting because of architecture and .


Tbilisi

As for the bars and places to go out I can have quite a list, but will suggest my favourites.

Café Galery – It is my favourite place to go out during the week end (mean Friday and Saturday. Sometimes Sunday can be nice as well.. depends on). It is the most lively place currently in the city.

During the day it’s normal bar and by the evening it turns into more like a club. especially on week ends. During Summer you can enjoy bottle of house wine (for like 4 Euro) and they have terrace as well. Once you enter during the day ask them to take you to the terrace, otherwise you might not find it yourself J

http://info-tbilisi.com/cafe-gallery/   

Mtkvarze –  This is an alternative place on the river side, same kind of situation as in Galery and same category of people. It’s a bit out of city center but Taxi will cost you like 2,5-3 Euros :D so in case you are up for late fun on week end, after 3 am. go there.

https://www.facebook.com/page.mtkvarze this is a facebook page and agladze str. 2, Tbilisi, GE.

Tbilisi
Bars: Few main areas in the city where you can go and experience different kind of things.

  1. Perovskaia Street – It is close to Metro Rustaveli and Rustaveli Avenue, the main street of the city. It is like a neighbourhood wherein many bars are located. Cannot particularly recommend any of them, but bar Dublin, London and few others offer live music almost daily basis so you can just crawl around. For the sake of live music I recommend to go there once at least during the week. after 8-9 pm.
  2. Tabidze Street: It is right next to Freedom Square, beginning of Rustaveli avenue and Old Town. You find the Old City Hall building and it’s on the right side of it. You can find few of my favourite places there were you can have nice meal and enjoy the ambiance. Go to ‘People’s’ (mainly for food), ‘Divani’ and ‘Downtown’ for Coffee.
  3. Shardeni Street/Erekle Street – these two streets are mainly for tourists and posh local ppl J quite expensive for Tbilisi but average for normal European price. However you cannot avoid it. They have nice open air cafes. It is right in the old town and I personally go there a drink frequently in Summer. Places to consider ‘café Kala’, ‘KGB’. The rest you can discover J


Traditional Georgian Food:

If you can genuinely enjoy something in Georgia this is food and wine. Being completely objective here, variety of food is amazing :D


In the city center you can find Network of “Shemoikhede Genatsvale” (the one at Pushkini Street and on Leselidze as well. I think the new one has been opened also at Metro Rustaveli area.

Try ‘Saperavi’ – Georgian wine for sure. As for food, the absolute must is “Khinkali’ (5-6 per person). we mainly eat it with beer or vodka. ‘Khachapuri’ – there will be different varieties of Khachapuri according to the region, but try as many of the m as you can J. Also try ‘Badrijani nigvzit’ (eggplants with nuts), IDK if you eat meat but try “Mtsvadi” as well.

http://info-tbilisi.com/shemoikhedegenatsvale/, apart from this place you might find “Machakhela” network as well. it’s like a network as well all over city center.


Places worth visiting mainly because of the view:

Café Flowers: adr: 1, D. Megreli St (Avlabari Ascent) http://info-tbilisi.com/cafeflowers/

Sky bar: Adr: 22 Metekhi St. Tbilisi http://info-tbilisi.com/skyybar/


Also another bar, which is nearby the fortress Narikala and the ropeway is called '144 Footsteps'. Gorgeous place specially at night!

Certainly there are much more things to see and do, but cannot list all of it. But hopefully this post will be a good start to discover Georgia from the perspective of local.

 Pleasant journey! 




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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

The reason to visit Iceland

Hard to recall any other concert I've attended before, when I felt the same emotions as on Sigur Ros live.. I gladly purchased ticket right after it was announced and was counting days for almost last three months, but the event completely exceeded my expectations.

There is no doubt that their music is beautiful, but sound, light and video installations created somewhat   unnatural mystic atmosphere. Especially video art was fantastic.. but again this music is so special that live concert couldn't be otherwise.

 


There are certain priceless things and Sigur Ros live is definitely one those. If you hear that they visit your nearby city, do not miss this fantastic opportunity to get more acquainted with this absolutely fantastic music.


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Monday, December 10, 2012

One Speech in Two Chapters

Who takes the Nobel Peace Prize and who will represent the European Union were the main questions after the decision of Nobel Committee has been announced. Different versions have been mentioned and suggested, and considering the overall criticism of the decision, I was looking forward to this moment. 

I also expected that Herman Van Rompuy would present the EU in Oslo, but at the end we have seen all three leaders of the EU institutions - Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission and Martin Schulz representing the European Parliament. Moreover, leaders of 20 Member States (Shame that David Cameron didn't attend!) payed visit to Norway, which made this award ceremony even more interesting.

For certain Europsceptics, Kissinger question - 'whom to call in the European Union' might be relevant once again, but this ceremony has been a vivid demonstration of 'sui generis' nature of the Union. And non of the single EU institution would have been legitimate enough to solely represent the Union on that level. Thus, Oslo ceremony united the Commission, as a watchdog of European integration and supranational entity, European Parliament as the only democratically elected institution, representing citizens of the EU and European Council as intergovernmental part of the Union. 

All three leaders took the prize together, which was already logical, but indeed the most interesting part was the speech divided into two parts. As presenter announced - "One speech in two chapters" delivered by Herman Van Rompuy and J.M. Barroso. Both stressed the role of the Union and especially Barroso underlined the importance of supranationalism and need for more Federal Union. Pride moment indeed and let it become the beginning of new narrative of the EU!

You can see speeches of Van Rompuy and J.M. Barroso in all EU languages: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-12-930_en.htm 





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