GEORGIA BI-WEEKLY UPDATE MARCH 7

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000384 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON KDEM GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA BI-WEEKLY UPDATE MARCH 7 ¶1. This cable contains current items of political, economic, and social interest concerning Georgia during the weeks of February 23-March 7. New Board for Public Broadcaster -------------- ¶2. On February 26, the Georgian Parliament approved the new composition of the Supervisory Board of Georgia's Public Broadcasting Service, following consultations between the opposition and parliamentary majority. MPs selected 9 people (5 aligned with the government and 4 with the opposition) out of the 27 candidates that President Saakashvili had submitted to parliament. On March 5 the newly elected Supervisory Board held its first meeting, at which the members of the Board elected Irakli Tripolski, an opposition-backed member, as chairman and Irakli Gakheladze as his deputy. The Board also announced a competition for the post of the general director and agreed upon the criteria for selecting a person, with the nomination scheduled to occur by April 4. The Supervisory Board approved the resignation of the General Director Tamar Kintsurashvili, whose departure had been a high-profile demand of the opposition. Based on an understanding reached in the negotiations, the new general director is expected to be government-backed. Divisions in Okruashvili's Party -------------- ¶3. Problems are emerging within the new opposition party For United Georgia, founded by former Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili. Okruashvili himself, wanted by the Georgian government on corruption charges, is currently awaiting the decision of a Paris court on his extradition from France. Meanwhile prominent supporters are reported to be leaving the party. Gia Tortladze and Gia Tsagareishvili have resigned their positions in party leadership, SIPDIS and rumor has it that Okruashvili dismissed them because of disagreement over where they would rank on the party list for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Another member, MP Keti Makharashvili, left the party, saying publicly that while Okruashvili was her friend, he had placed personal ambitions over the interests of his party and Georgia. A party congress is scheduled to be held next week and Okruashvili is expected to be formally elected party chairman. At this stage it is not yet clear whether Okruashvili's party will run for the parliament on its own or on the common ticket with the opposition United national Council. 
Georgia Seeks Coalition to Support MAP -------------- ¶4. In the period leading up to the NATO summit in Bucharest in April, the Georgian government is working to build support within the alliance for Georgia to receive a Membership Action Plan (MAP). On March 3, President Saakashvili paid an official visit to Poland, which he said was aimed at securing "a broad coalition" within NATO in support of Georgia. Calling Poland a "leading member of this coalition," Saakashvili said "In four weeks Bucharest will host what can become an historic NATO summit. The issue of the irreversibility of Georgia's and Ukraine's integration into NATO may be solved." As the Georgian press reports, in pursuit of this goal Saakashvili plans to visit Brussels and later the U.S., where he will hold talks with President Bush. Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Burjanadze and Foreign Minister Bakradze visited Brussels to discuss Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Following a meeting with NATO Secretary General de Hoop Scheffer, Burjanadze told journalists that "it is clear that the attitude towards Georgia is positive." Bakradze also stressed that "the Secretary General has noted once again that Georgia has fulfilled its homework excellently." Georgia Reacts to Duma Hearings on Breakaway Regions -------------- -------------- ¶5. The Russian State Duma held a hearing with Russian government officials March 5 to discuss lifting restrictions on use of the Sukhumi Airport, and Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov announced that another hearing March 13 would consider the appeal of Georgia's separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to Russia to recognize their independence. Leaders of both de facto governments will participate in the March 13 hearing. The South Ossetian "parliament" formally appealed to the UN, EU, and CIS for recognition, and Abkhazia is expected to do so March 7. Georgian Foreign Minister Bakradze criticized possible Russian use of the airport, saying that use of the territory of another state without its consent was equivalent to annexation. State Minister for Reintegration Yakobashvili said any Duma decision for recognition would be a recommendation only and would go against Russia's own interests. Russia Opens Polling Stations in Separatist Regions -------------- -------------- ¶6. The Georgian MFA objected strongly to the establishment of polling stations for the March 2 Russian presidential election in Georgia's separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia without Georgia's consent, calling in Russian Ambassador Kovalenko to provide an explanation February 26. After the meeting with Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Vashadze, Kovalenko told the press that TBILISI 00000384 002 OF 002 "Russian authorities have created all conditions to enable Russian citizens to fulfill their duty" to vote. Media in Abkhazia and South Ossetia reported that Dmitry Medvedev won about 90 percent of the vote in both regions. U.S. Supports Export of Georgian Wines -------------- ¶7. The Ambassador and USAID Mission Director joined Georgian officials February 29 on a tour of the Mildiani and Vinoterra wineries to highlight plans for large-scale export of Georgian wines to the U.S. Georgian wine producers are increasingly looking at Western markets to fill the gap caused by the closure of the Russian market in 2006. The USG has facilitated linkages between two Georgian wineries, Vinoterra and Tsinandali Old Cellar, and the U.S.-based distributors serving Whole Foods Market. The first order of 10,500 bottles will be shipped to Seattle in March. The volume is expected to more than double within a year. In 2006 and 2007 Georgia's wine export to the U.S. (mostly Teliani Valley products) was worth about USD 1.5 million each year. Judges Receive TIP Training -------------- ¶8. On March 2008 IOM, in cooperation with the High School of Justice, facilitated a training course for Georgian judges to raise their understanding of trafficking in persons (TIP) and sensitize them of the plight of victims of trafficking. Nine judges and eight judge assistants, from six different towns in Georgia, participated in the two-day training course. Participants were trained in the intricacies of the crime of human trafficking and the importance of protecting the rights and interests of victims and witnesses during court proceedings. TEFFT