Ambassador Per EKLUND: "The political culture needs to be developed"

30.10.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Today we are honored to welcome a very special guest: Ambassador Per EKLUND, former EU Ambassador to Georgia, and a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm. 

Ambassador Eklund recently led an international observer delegation to monitor the 2024 Georgian parliamentary elections.

▶ ქართულად: The Georgian version is here.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal: Dear Mr. Ambassador, thank you for finding time for this interview. Unlike many international observers, your firsthand experience as a former EU ambassador, coupled with your continued engagement in regional affairs, provides you with a unique perspective on Georgia. How would you summarize your impression of the election and other recent developments?

Per EKLUND: Georgia, now an EU candidate country, did not meet the high expectations the international community had regarding the 2024 elections. Particularly concerning was the pre-election period, which failed to meet fundamental standards for democratic elections. Election observers were discredited, legislation passed was not in line with European standards, and reports of harassment and threats against voters were frequent. With the ruling party dominating the media landscape, having access to administrative resources, and controlling the administration, it was not a level playing field.

Professor Jan KOMÁREK: "Joining the EU does not end the struggle for justice – it only takes different forms"

28.10.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Our guest today is Jan KOMÁREK (Czechia), Professor of EU Law at the University of Copenhagen and Visiting Professor at the Charles University in Prague. 

▶ ქართულად: The Georgian version is here.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal: Dear Jan, welcome. We have been looking forward to this interview in particular because of the crucial importance of the legal aspects in the EU integration process.  And, on the other hand, the legal side of things has the most direct impact on the public.

Let's begin with some fundamental questions: What happens to an individual's rights when their country joins the EU? Do people become better protected? What options are available if there is a conflict between national laws and EU laws?

Jan KOMÁREK: Thank you for having me for this interview. But let me correct one premise of your question first: Law does not have such an immediate effect as you suggest. The change is slow and gradual and depends very much on who the people in charge of applying and enforcing the law are. And if a new country joins the EU, these are the same officials as before, responsible for its daily application, whether in the public administration or in courts. 

Arnold STEPANIAN: "I'm very glad we have such a generation in our country" (video)

10.10.2024 (Caucasian Journal)  We were delighted to welcome Arnold STEPANIAN, Chairman of Public Movement “Multinational Georgia” (PMMG) - one of the first non-governmental organizations established in Georgia. PMMG, an "umbrella" organization, has worked with national minorities since 1999.

Do we see progress or a regress in the evolution of civil society? Which political parties pay more attention to national minorities? What's in the future for national minorities in Georgia? Watch the video below to find the answers. 

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Abdulaziz Zayed Al SHAMSI: "Georgia gains access to our global network and supply chains in more than 50 countries"

09.10.2024 (Caucasian Journal). We are delighted to welcome Mr. Abdulaziz ZAYED AL SHAMSI, Regional CEO of AD Ports Group (United Arab Emirates). 

AD Ports Group is a leading global maritime and logistics company, based in Abu Dhabi. The company has recently acquired a majority stake in Tbilisi Dry Port, and we believe our readers would be keen to learn more about this project and its importance for Georgia and the wider region.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal: Dear Abdulaziz, welcome to our journal. Let's begin with your project in Georgia and then explore a broader international perspective. Your company has become the majority owner of Tbilisi Dry Port (TDP), which is scheduled to commence operations this October. For many readers, the term "dry port" might seem contradictory. Could you please explain what a dry port is and what types of operations will you be initiating this autumn?

Abdulaziz Zayed Al Shamsi (AZA): Certainly. A dry port is sometimes referred to as an inland port. The Tbilisi Dry Port (TDP) is an intermodal terminal directly connected by road and rail to a seaport. TDP is a custom-bonded terminal with procedures in place to ensure customs duties are levied and paid, and it is rail-connected. It’s a logistics hub that can move containers, vehicles, and other goods for distribution and storage. TDP is an excellent fit for AD Ports Group. Not only does TDP represent a major step in our strategic expansion along the Middle Corridor between Asia and Europe, but it is also centrally positioned. TDP offers direct westward rail links to Türkiye and Georgia’s ports of Poti and Batumi. To the East, TDP connects with ports located along the Caspian Sea via a railway corridor to Azerbaijan. We have said that we expect to be operational in Tbilisi in Q4, when TDP begins its activities as a regional transit hub for manufacturers, shippers, and consignees moving all types of goods.

Dr. Václav STETKA: “Illiberal Actors Copy Each Other’s Practices” (watch video or read)

12.09.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Our guest today is Dr. Václav ŠTĚTKA from Czechia, Associate Professor in Comparative Political Communication at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom.  His new book discusses the increasing trend of illiberalism, polarization, and declining trust in mass media in Central and Eastern Europe. 

How applicable are these trends to Georgia? Which European experiences can be particularly helpful here? Watch or read the expert's responses below.

▶ ქართულად: The video subtitled in Georgian is here. The Georgian text version is here.

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The full text version of the interview is below:

Dr. VÁCLAV ŠTĚTKA: “ILLIBERAL ACTORS COPY EACH OTHER’S PRACTICES”  

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of CJ: Hello and welcome to Caucasian Journal video interviews. Our guest today is Dr. Václav ŠTĚTKA from Czechia, Associate Professor in Comparative Political Communication at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. His new book published this year discusses the rise of illiberalism, polarization, and declining trust in political elites and mainstream media, focusing on Central and Eastern Europe. That sounds very relevant to our situation, but let's see… Welcome Václav, we have been looking forward to this discussion!

Václav ŠTĚTKA: Hello, and thank you very much for the invitation. I’m honored to be your guest.  

AK: One of your book's main conclusions is that “the illiberal public sphere does not show any signs of weakening at a global scale”. To better understand this I must ask you to introduce to our audience what is an illiberal public sphere, and how does it correlate with mass media and polarization?  

Professor Andreas TAKIS: “A State Religion Is Problematic for Both Church and State”

09.09.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Last month, Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party proposed to strengthen the constitutional status of the Orthodox Church and declare Orthodox Christianity as the state religion. Currently, Georgia's constitution recognizes the country as a secular state, although Orthodoxy is the largest and historically dominant religion. 

The current narrative of the ruling party attempts to fold the status of the church and the status of the government into the same institutional box, as custodians of family and traditional values. The opposition is asking whether EU membership aspirations can be squared with the ambition of establishing a “state religion.” One could counter this question: “Look at Greece and Cyprus,” where there is a state religion. 

To address this question most competently, Caucasian Journal sought the expertise of Professor Andreas TAKIS, Professor of Jurisprudence at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece. Notably, Professor Takis previously served as the Deputy Ombudsman in Greece, a role closely tied to the defense of individual civil rights. His experience in this position allows him to speak to the tension between the church's moral authority and the state's power, and vice versa.

The interview was conducted by Dr. Ilya ROUBANIS, Government Affairs Consultant and Area Studies Analyst, and “our man in Greece”. Ilya and Andreas discussed the relevance of the Greek experience as context to conceptualize the political significance of the proposal before Georgians.

Ilya ROUBANIS: The incumbent Georgian ruling party is campaigning for re-election on a promise to raise the status of the Georgian church within the Constitution, thereby creating a “state religion.” As Greece already has a “state religion” and is an EU member state this would be a useful comparison. So, what is the relationship between the Orthodox Church and the state in Greece? How did this connection come up?

Professor Dušan DRBOHLAV: “Reducing the risks of migration is a long-term process”

02.08.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Caucasian Journal is honoured to present our guest, professor Dušan DRBOHLAV (Czechia). He works at the Department of Social Geography and Regional Development, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, and leads the Geographic Migration Centre (GEOMIGRACE) research team.

▶ ქართულად: Read the Georgian version here.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of CJ:  Today, we will address a crucial topic - migration. We are grateful to have Professor Dušan Drbohlav from the renowned Charles University in Prague as today's speaker for this opportunity. In our interviews with European experts, we are trying to look at Georgia's future, as it is strongly linked with the EU. Migration is an important factor in Georgia, so we want to understand how a country's migration situation may change while it is integrating with the EU.  If a government understands the potential risks of migration, can it mitigate them through legal reforms or other steps?

Dušan DRBOHLAV: International population migration - in all its possible forms - was, is, and will be here. It is the result of many factors, the key one being the existing and often widening inequality between rich and poor. It is an inequality in the quality of life, particularly in terms of economic conditions, environmental qualities, political environment (in terms of the existence of freedoms and political stability), and demographic developments.  While the negative parameters of these factors create a strong migratory push in the countries of the global South, the positive tuning of the factors in question creates a strong migratory "pull" in the rich and democratic countries of the North. 

Radim SRŠEŇ: “EU is like a family, so before the wedding, learn to live together”

18.07.2024 (Caucasian Journal). Our guest today is Dr. Radim SRŠEŇ, President of European Leader Association for Rural Development (ELARD), member of the European Committee of the Regions, Deputy Minister of Regional Development of Czechia, Mayor of Dolní Studénky, former vice-chairman of STAN (a liberal political party in Czechia) 

▶ ქართულად: Read the Georgian version here.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of CJ:  Dear Radim, welcome to the Caucasian Journal. You have recently visited Georgia taking part in the Kutaisi Fourth International Forum, and it was not your first event in Georgia. May I ask you to tell a bit about yourself, and how you became familiar with our country?

Radim SRŠEŇ: It is my great pleasure to participate in this interview. I must say that I love Georgia. My first visit was in 2015, when I was president of European Leader Association for Rural Development. The European neighborhood policy program started with supporting Georgia mostly in the area of agriculture, but we tried to use other tools, like so-called LEADER  and Local Actions Groups [LEADER is a European programme with the aim to involve local actors in rural areas in the development of their regions by forming Local Actions Groups (LAGs) – CJ].  I was asked by the biggest Czech NGO which is very active in Georgia – “People in Need” – to participate, so from 2015 to 2017 we established groups in Georgia. 

Projects from Armenia and Georgia are among winners of European Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards

04.06.2024 (Caucasian Journal). On 30 May, the European Commission and Europa Nostra announced the 2024 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards. This year, Europe’s most prestigious awards for heritage go to 26 winners from 18 countries across the continent, including from Armenia and Georgia.

The ‘Teryan Cultural Centre – Empowering Armenian Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh’ project from Armenia is one of five winners in the category ‘Education, Training and Skills’.

Since 2002, the Teryan Cultural Center has been committed to the study and preservation of Armenian culture, undertaking extensive research and hosting exhibitions about this culture. Since 2016, it has partnered with the Smithsonian Institute to take part in the ‘My Armenia’ project, training 55 Armenian artisans from the region of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, and enabling them to share their crafts with local and international audiences. 

The Real Problem with NGOs in Georgia, and What Law Is Truly Needed to Solve It

01.06.2024 (Caucasian Journal). What’s the keyword of the newly adopted Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence? Correct, it is the word “budget”, because the law’s main provision is that a non-governmental organization must be labeled as a foreign agent if at least 20 percent of its budget is from foreign grants. The law is focusing on the budget, regardless of the NGO’s profile and mission.

▶ ქართულად:  Read the Georgian version here.

Even organizations typically not associated with political lobbying, such as medical, cultural, environmental, and even the dog shelters, would become vulnerable if they depend on foreign funding.  But instead of once again criticizing the law, let’s take a look at the core of the problem – why are they all dependent on foreign funding? What’s wrong with the Georgian nonprofit sector that it has to rely largely on foreign organizations’ grants? And what is to be done, in practical terms?

Most of the civil society organizations would be happy to live without foreign grants if they could secure funding locally.

The answer is simple. Most of the civil society organizations would be happy to live without foreign grants if they could secure funding locally.  But the organizations are forced to seek grants from foreign sources.  This brings us to the main issue: Where are the local Georgian donors?

The answer is again simple: There are no laws in Georgia that encourage companies or individuals to donate.