Georgia Prime Minister Ivanishvili to EuroFora+: Free Media but complicated Energy choices in view?

*Strasbourg/CoE/23-24 April 2013/Angelo Marcopolo/- Addressing "EuroFora" in line with his promise for Freedom of Press, even if critical on some points, as key part of his declared ambition to try to link a "Georgian Dream" (as is named the political parties' coalition which won the 2012 Elections) with a "European Dream", including gradual progress in relations with Russia, the new Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, focused at his overall aim to develop Democracy via "Civil Society", (See Infra).

- Even if currently some Strategic Choices between various possible Energy links between Central Asia's Oil/Gas resources and Europe, might seem, at first sight, perhaps, too "Complicated", as he replied, smiling,  to "EuroFora"'s question on the AGRI project to transport Liquefied Gas by Ships directly to the EU via the Black Sea and Danube-Rhine Rivers. Ivanishvili, indeed, preferred to carefuly reserve a detailed answer after forthcoming contacts with the primarily interested countries, (i.e. Romania, Azerbaidjan, Bulgaria, Hungary, etc, probably also Germany and France, etc), and other relevant actors, (including naturaly Russia, who is even Member of the Danube Committee, based at Budapest, which has recentlyy started to cooperate with the Rhine river Navigation Commission, historically headquartered in Strasbourg).

- Significantly, however, speaking as a matter of general principle, Ivanishvili stressed earlier that he intends, on "Energy", "to enhance Georgia's function as a Transit Zone" in the future, in ways that will be beneficial to the rest of the World as well", while also "continuing the relations with our neighbours" f.ex. on "the large-scale pipelines that (already) traverse Georgian Territory", as he said, possibly pointing at a policy which should keep various Complementary Alternatives open and properly functional, for greater Security of supply, etc., taking also account of the fact that "Energy is the most attractive sector for Investors in our country", as he observed. The Topical Importance of this is obviously highlighted also by the fact that Economy is, at the current situation, the No 1 Priority of Georgia, as Ivanishvili confirmed later here, (while observing in addition that this could also contribute to a gradual amelioration of relations with neighbouring Russia and other countries).
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Indeed, Economy, together with Culture, etc., is part of a "Civil Society" way to progressively realize Ivanishvili's coalition "Dream" to "settle our (Georgia's) Relations with our large neighbour Russia", without "illusions" that a "Total Restoration" might come "very Soon", but rather "step by step", together with Europe's (and particularly EU's and CoE's) Help,  while continuing to promote EU Integration and even "Euro-Atlantic" aspirations, as well as "Territorial Integrity" and restoration of Displaced persons' Homes and Properties, even if it might go "Softer" than in the Past.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              In this regard, as well as concerning the need to find Solutions to "many Problems" faced by Georgia more generally, the new Prime Minister promissed to "join efforts" with President Saakashvili, in a kind of "Co-Habitation", in order to "stand together" in "moving towards the right direction", without "Time to lose in Disputes", and preferring to "act diplomatically".

Acknowledging "Many Mistakes over the Past 20 Years ...made on both sides", by "the Georgian Government and our Abkhaz and Ossetian Brothers", where "wounds need Time to heal", Ivanishvili promissed that his Government "will not even consider .. using Force", but focus on "Public Diplomacy and Peaceful means", asking for "Patience and Peace", in order "tp achieve Georgia's Main Aims: Reviving the Economy, developing Democratic Institutions, and improving relations with the Abkhaz, the Ossetians, EU and Russia", as he said. "Only after that can we speak of Historic Progresss" and try to "Restore our United Country", as he said, while also pleading for "New Structures .. of (Local/Regional) Self-Government", mainly through a recently "published" New "Draft Law", as part of a Wider "Strategy" aiming "to establish real Self-Government institutions in the Regions ... with the Maximum possible rights", (which were "non-existent in the Past"), and underlying the aim of "Independence of Local Self-Government bodies".
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+ Meanwhile, promissing to "cooperate" "in Future" with the ChristianDemocrat/European People's Party (EPP), currently "the Biggest"  both in EU Parliament and inside CoE's PanEuropean Assembly, Ivanishvili dismissed some complaints about "Democratic Backsliding" and "Media Freedom", reportedly criticized previously by a Letter of some MEPs as well as critical mentions  in a PACE Resolution would have been, in fact, influenced by false clailms made by  certain opposition groups, as he said. Meanwhile, given also on-going attempts, allegedly to fight corruption might only find some responsibilities to former Officials of the previous Government, Ivanishvili promissed a "Transparent" and "Reformed", "Independent" Judiciary", No 1 Priority in a forthcoming visit by CoE's Human Rights' Commissioner Muižnieks.

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In fact, "our main task is to improve protection of Human Righs", and this includes Reforms in the Judiciary, as well as in the Mass Media", Ivanishvilli stressed, after adding also "a Vital Health care reform", where "Universal health care programme" is to be followed by a "next stage", in which "all citizens ...will enjoy the benefits of the state’s universal medical insurance package, and the system will improve even further in the future", as he promissed.

Because "we believe that Security, Unity and Prosperity of Georgia largely depends on the Quality of our Democracy", Ivanishvili pointed out.

- But, "building a country on Democratic values is impossible without Free Media", the new Georgian Prime Minister stressed. Therefore,   "Journalists must be free to Criticise the government and thereby provide Society with objective Information. Our government is absolutely 0pen to media representatives, and their objective appraisal and Criticism will benefit our work tremendously", he observed.

This is a key -part of the aim to "replace Authoritarian structures of the Past with a Modern Civil Society", instead of a "Rulling Elite" which used toi "control practically all fields", adding "Corruption" but "ignoring Human Rights", and deploying "Pressure" against "those holding Differend Views", and even on "their Families and acquaintances", while "the Media were mostly under Control", as he denounced earlier in his Speech at CoE Assembly's Plenary.

All this is included in a Strategy aiming mainly "to use the tools of Civil Society to help build Peace in our Region", Ivanishvili underlined. Because "our Democratic Vision – our "Dream" for Georgia", should be linked to the "European Dream", he indicated in substance : "I have read the history of the European movement carefully, and I understand that building a United Europe was, above all, a project of Peace. Looking back over the Past century (20th), one can see how Recurring Warfare was especially Disastrous for small countries caught up in Conflicts not of their making. Europe was once a Battlefield", as he reminded, pointing mainly at the 1870-1950 period. That's why "the awarding of the 2012 Nobel peace Prize (where PanEuropean COE's Secretary General Jagland, Chairman of the Oslo Nobel Committee, played an important role) to the E.U. was in recognition of Europe’s Historic achievement in building Peace", he reminded, while also denouncing the fact that "Warfare has not been overcome completely; small countries, in particular, continue to suffer from aggression", as he said, anouncing, however, a "Correct but Principled" stance on resolving remaining conflicts (Comp. Supra), and expressing his "will to Turn the page in Dialogue".

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Both in hard facts' reality, and Symbolically, such aims obviously need some New Architectural Vision, and, timely, Bidzina Ivanishvili's own personal Family Home's ... overall Design, a famous, Superb and Natural Environment-Friendly but also Functional Architectural idea chosen to be build up at a Mountainous Forest, gave an opportunity to "EuroFora" to sincerly Congratulate Georgian Prime Minister Ivanishvili for the "excellent choice of the Architectural design of (his) own Home", (which practically includes, near a small Lake, even a High-Tech Tower able to host a CoE's Conference !), as he agreed with a very large Smile in reply...

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