Big on mountains and romantic vistas, the South Caucasus country of Georgia this year has a starring role in two Indian films; an international prominence that many Georgian film professionals hope could advance the fortunes of their long-struggling industry.
On the fourth anniversary of the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia, many of the tens of thousands of Georgians who were displaced by the conflict are still fighting – to find a job.
When Georgian wrestlers compete in the London Summer Olympics, they will be defending more than their country’s two 2008 gold medals. For the wrestling team, the 2012 Games are an important stop on a decades-long journey back to international prominence.
A competitive parliamentary election race is taking shape in Georgia. As a result, the political process in the South Caucasus nation is diversifying – getting out of the capital and into the countryside.
Georgia’s ongoing flirtation with Iran may be raising eyebrows in Washington, but there are signs Tbilisi and Tehran are taking their courtship to the next level: culinary affairs.
Iranian restaurants are popping up in Tbilisi’s popular dining districts, with eateries ranging from the height of touristy kitsch to night clubs. While there are just four in the central district so far, they appear to be taking root.
On Akhvlediani Street, a café-filled side street that runs parallel to the capital’s main boulevard, Farsi ads and Iranian flags are the newest addition to an eclectic mix of ethnic restaurants.
A large Iranian flag stakes out a swath of prime clubbing space for New Mask, an Iranian restaurant/night club. While the ambiance is thin – generic carnival masks make up the bulk of the décor – Iranian pop music sets a certain mood. Plus, at an average of 18 lari ($10.84) an entrée, sampling Iranian comfort food like zereshk polow ba morgh (roasted chicken with a sweet tomato sauce served with rice and barberries) is an affordably exotic treat.
The baby step from tourism to restaurants seems like a safe move in the diplomatic minefield of fostering relations with Iran. Georgia, long considered Washington’s main ally in the region - and recipient of $1billion in aid money over the past four years – has been understandably circumspect about forming close ties with Tehran.
In 2010, Tbilisi lifted visa requirements for Iranians – a move that has helped bolster tourism between the two countries and led to a small, but noticeable, increase in bilateral trade.
But Georgia has also been careful to seek a balance between closer commercial ties with Iran and its diplomatic responsibility with the West: during an interview with CNN on July 9, Economy Minister Vera Kobalia sidestepped a question about Georgia’s increasing ties with Iran.
At first glance, you might think that psychotherapy would be a natural fit for the South Caucasus country of Georgia, a society famed for its love of conversation and sharing emotions. But only now are Georgians turning to counseling to solve problems that would ordinarily have been left to families to resolve privately.
The ongoing face-off between the Georgian government and billionaire opposition leader Bidzina Ivanishvili took a fresh twist on June 14 when American investor Alexander Ronzhes, a partner in a cable TV provider targeted by a campaign-finance investigation into Ivanishvili's parliamentary election campaign, was detained at the Tbilisi airport while trying to leave the country.
Ronzhes, who owns 17.2 percent of the provider, Global TV, is currently being held for questioning related to a money-laundering investigation, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance cited by the Georgian news agency Interpressnews. No information has been released about the target of the investigation.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance confirmed that Ronzhes is being questioned related to allegations that he tried to take “a considerable” amount of money out of the country without declaring it.
Citing the ministry statement, Interpressnews reported that Ronzhes had sold a piece of property on June 8 to a Tbilisi-based company, Lizingi 21, for 3.1 million lari (about $1.89 million).
Archil Kbilashvili, a lawyer and member of Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream coalition, told EurasiaNet.org that Ronzhes has not been officially charged with any crimes.
State auditors claim that Global TV distributed satellite antennas to 25,000 households free of charge, courtesy of Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose brother, Alexander, owns 66.8 percent of the company.
On June 11, a Tbilisi court fined the billionaire 126 million laris (about $77.65 million) for allegedly violating campaign-finance regulations.
When it comes to public works, there can be a fine line between stately and profligate. A case in point is Georgia’s new parliament building, which is under construction in Kutaisi, a former industrial center that is hoping to shake off its rust.
Freedom has a flip side. In Georgia, that translates into a prison population that is proportionally larger than Russia’s, and a justice system that remains a sensitive subject for the government.
