The next focusIR Investor Webinar takes places on 14th May with guest speakers from Blue Whale Growth Fund, Taseko Mines, Kavango Resources and CQS Natural Resources fund. Please register here.
Here is an updated summary - 14/07/20
#1 - radio show $110, PAID, POSTED 07/06
https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/????-????????????-?????????-????????????-??-??????????????-??????/30639322.html
#2 - Short Youtube clip $5.15, PAID, POSTED 15/06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL97SI8cjzQ
#3 - TV interview 16/06 $41.20,PAID, POSTED 18/06
https://mtavari.tv/ghamis-mtavari/7642
#4 – Interview from early May, $66.95 PAID, POSTED 22/06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bDj5hEHyEU
#5 – Interview with Zaza & Govt official, 05/06, CANCELLED 29/06 US$87.55
https://palitranews.ge/video/sakme-frontera-vs-sakartvelos-mtavroba
#6 – TV Imedia news 5.23m US$20.60, PAID, POSTED 21/06
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=84RjV2oahC0
#7 – News segment with GOGC from 17/6, US$55.00, PAID, POSTED 27/06
https://www.imedi.ge/ge/video/54942/saertashoriso-skandalshi-gakhveuli-da-skhvadaskhva-qvekanashi-taglitobashi-mkhilebuli-prontera
#8 – Zaza TV interview, 23/06 from 37m mark, US$36.05, PAID, POSTED 26/05
https://www.facebook.com/107065540663565/videos/????-???????-??????-?????/211402503272921/
#9 – News segment via YouTube, 23/06, 5.30m, US$25.75, PAID, POSTED 24/06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7KRHadw7oY&feature=youtu.be
#10 Zaza interview TV Kavkasia, 25/06, 26m US$72.10, PAID, POSTED 30/06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhio3tzMsqM&app=desktop
#11 Zaza statement, Formulanews, 25/06, 3m30s, US$15.45, PAID, POSTED 28/06
https://formulanews.ge/News/32135
#12 GSAC long version of #11, 25/06, 21m US$66.95, PAID, POSTED 02/07
https://www.facebook.com/GSAC.GE/videos/270839824170062/
#13 Interview about US interests in Georgia, US$40, FREE, POSTED 06/07
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0kTGqyOv1SU&list=UUOpMeFzNjG2EQHtJzkJsgVw
#14 Mtavaria with Mullin, Zaza and others, US$ 30, FREE, POSTED 06/07
https://mtavari.tv/news/9192-ivanishvilisa-putinis-sakhipato-kavshirebi-morigi
#15 Forbes TV clip on FRR, 6m30s, 28/06, US$25, (US$10) POSTED 07/07
https://bm.ge/ka/video/fronteras-saqmis-peripetiebi/19240
#16 Mtavari with Zaza, others Time TBC, US$100, PAID, POSTED 13/07
https://www.facebook.com/107065540663565/videos/????-???????-?????????-?????/271993324056247/
Total PAID amount = US$712.75 / GBP597.65
Pt.14 (and final part)
Zaza - First of all, I would add a fourth to these 3 directions, which cannot be ignored. This is a global act of Magnitsky sanctions. So that is a very important document and lots of people from different countries are included in this list. And, which is also related to corruption, undemocratic actions, business takeovers, etc. And it is very difficult to say in what direction it will develop, because so far we have not seen any steps taken by the Georgian Dream government to somehow improve this relationship. And, how should this be done? You have to hold democratic elections. A democratic environment must be created before democratic elections can take place. A good judiciary should be established, at least the judiciary should not be used as a tool for various purposes. People should be able to work freely, create more wealth, employ more people and generate more income for people living in Georgia. Here, if all this does not happen, then all these 4 directions have the prospect of developing in a rather strict way. I would add one more. Nodar explained and was very right. By the way, Plakhatniuk tried and worked intensively with the United States administration. Tried to convince them that his government was on the right track. In contrast, Mr. Ivanishvili, for example, never visited the United States, even during his tenure as prime minister. By the way, Mr. Gakharia has never visited America during his tenure as Prime Minister. Two prime ministers of Georgian Dream. If the Georgian Dream did not want to and, for example, I do not see the resource for what can happen in the next 3 months, it could end in a very tragic result not only for senior and former officials, but also for other participants.
(J1) - Thank you very much. Nodar Kharshiladze and Zaza Mamulaishvili were our guests. We have been discussing the unprecedented decision of the United States and still hope that the United States will not need to take such measures on a strategic partner that will be harmful for the Georgian people in the first place. The "Guest of the Day" is over. Goodbye
https://www.facebook.com/107065540663565/videos/????-???????-?????????-?????/271993324056247/
Pt.13
(J1) - So, what is happening in black sea…
(NK) - On the other side, USA has Romania and Bulgaria, but they dont have anyone on the other side. Therefore, they need Georgia for that. The whole idea of Anaklia was that it should have been a strategic port. I am sure this project will definitely be done in Georgia. And, all this is prevented by one political force led by one person. This person is mentioned several times by name. Again, a relationship with Putin is considered a very big sin in America. However, it is still believed that you can talk to the Russians sometimes, but today less and less. Iran is a taboo subject. Red line. No one in America would say, when Trump was coming, why we could not settle with Iran. Such a thing is out of the question. With Russia, it is possible that if the next president is changed, "let's be a little warmer," because it is still considered a rational state. Iran is a gangster state that sponsors terrorists. Do you know the principe of USA? If he is convinced that this is the case, he will not start proving anything. Sanctions are imposed directly, and it is up to you to prove you are right. This is not a court, it is a political process. The burden of proof is on you to prove it wrong and it will take you a very long time and it is absolutely impossible. That’s why I said that in the case of Plahotniuc, these were just limited sanctions. Here, if it continues like this, the process could become irreversible and, institutionally, America, despite the goodwill that it does not want the de facto leader of an allied country to be sanctioned, can no longer stop it. What is our goal? And, here I want to finish my part. Our task is as follows. For me, of course, in the story of prestige, it’s not nice when my government, as an ally of America, is sanctioned, but we’ll move on to that again. We, as citizens of Georgia, have the main duty not to inflict damage on the country due to the recklessness of the Georgian Dream. That is our main task. Therefore, we should work as much as possible here. We are trying to find a solution in terms of business, but the main problem is that as long as they remain in power, if this continues, 15%, 20 million, will be deducted from Georgia. Therefore, it is very unfortunate all this.
(J1) - Thank you, Nodar. We have to finish. I would like to ask Mr. Zaza to summarize, 3 areas have been identified: the Markwayne Mullin Sanctions Bill, the Jim Risch Initiative and the bipartisan act. What is the situation today and what could be the result of this unprecedented pressure so as not to harm the Georgian people?
Pt.12
(J1) - In an exclusive interview with Markwayne Mullin yesterday, we asked, "What does he see and who does he see in Putin's ally?" In his letter, he directly wrote to Bidzina Ivanishvili, but we noticed in the interview that he did not try to name Georgian names and surnames and said that this was a matter of confrontation between the United States and Russia. And apparently he did not want to go into so much detail about specific Georgian rulers. Is it so important in Russian-American relations who will be superpower? The Georgian-Russian war is going on here. How do you view this process and does this sentiment mean it too?
(NK) - This matters how Washington is looking at the process. Washington sees this way - Georgia has the second largest per capita investment from USA in the world after Israel. Too many American money is invested in Georgia. Nevertheless, the United States played a major role in establishing Georgia as a state from an undeveloped country, followed by the events of 2004, 2005, 2006, rapid reform, then government elections, and some elements of statehood. Georgia is an example of gradually bringing the countries of the former Soviet Union into a democratic orbit. Of course, Russia is not included here, first we are talking about the Moldovan-type state, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, etc. Today, the Georgia in which they invest, some guys are starting to cooperate with very bad enemies of the United States and are actively cooperating against the United States. It was a little shocking at first. Was it clear, is the position of the country such or that of these people? It turned out that the position of the country is not like that. Most of the country remains an ally of the United States. But if this is the problem of these people, then this probem can be solved easily. We need to get rid of them from the active policital life. And, they will not sacrifice 30 years investment in the country to the Russian oligarch, because America needs Georgia in this region. When they have tough relationship with Turkey, when Russia has taken Crimea. This is chess principe.
Pt.11
(J1) - As I have seen actively investigated in the American media, there have been journalists and numerous articles on this topic in relation to Iran and I would like to ask Mr. Zaza what is happening in relation to Iran and why is this such a red line? To explain this to our viewers, and what kind of relationship is there with Iran that is causing such irritation in the United States? And the topic of China has also rolled in. We recalled Pompeo's statement, which was published two years ago, in the first program, when he told Mamuka Bakhtadze that the port should be built and before that the Russian and Chinese interests are expressed against American interests. What kind of interest is this to explain geopolitically, Iran, China, Russia. What's going on?
Zaza - This issue was perfectly described by Senators Cruz and Cornyn in their communication, which was sent to the Secretary of State and the Minister of Finance of United State, where they said that "Georgia cooperates with the rivals and enemies of the United States”. This trio includes Russia, which is a growing power and is working very hard to destabilize the United States. This is China, where, a couple of weeks ago, 2 aircrafts were sent by the United States to the China Sea. And, this is Iran. Relations between Iran, China, and especially Iran and Russia, are particularly dangerous for the United States. Because, as they found the definition, Iran is a state that sponsors terrorism, and even Russia is already spotted in this case. For example, a base has been opened in St. Petersburg, where Russia trains fascists and even Germans as a terrorist organization. And, all of this with Iran, these forces are aimed at destabilizing the United States and undermining the political roots of the United States. To add even more details, in the Middle East, for example in North Africa, it even went so far that Russia was helping the fighters of the Islamic Republic with its air force. In practice, Russia assisted terrorists with air power against American units. They helped the regime in Libya, which observers say is worse than the Islamic Republic. Funds and assists Hamas, creates an unstable environment in the United States itself, and seeks to influence elections. And all of this, along with Iran, is, of course, a strategic and important issue for the United States. And, Georgia, which if you had asked the Georgian Dream years ago, they should not have appeared on the radar at all, especially between the United States and Russia. But now we are in the middle these countries. This was managed by Georgian Dream.
Pt.10
(NK) contd - This year, the Russians, whose country is collapsing are mobilized not to be imposed more sanctions now because of the new constitution, they do not need anything more, they are no longer interested in mentioning Bidzina Ivanishvili, Russia is interested in Georgia`s failure. If they declare independent political center like Hugo Chavez, and then will make a speech on UN summit claiming that both Moscow and New York are satans, I don’t think that this road will lead to the success. I may be wrong, the problem is, first of all, trust. Gaining trust is very difficult both in human relations and in politics. In America, the Georgian Dream has lost trust, as it has lost the same trust with the Georgian population - with promises that it did not fulfill, not a single promise. Here, they asked about “Frontera” case, and declared that everything was settled. This was such a silly lie. They could check it within 15 minutes. They called and got the truth real quickly
(J1) - Not only was “Frontera” there. There was also Conti Group, Iconia Capital, Georgian Marnganese.
(NK) - They said that there are 200 companies operating in Georgia, and when they asked for it next time, this number increased to 300. They increased it by 100, within 3 months. I went through the list and saw one of the television channel, I wont name anyone but this was POS TV which was indicated as American investition in Georgia. Who will you trust after this? This can be easily checked with Internet and Google.
(J1) - Risch amendment. What is it called? We called the sanction
(NK) - These are sanctions. We talked about this a lot. The case against political persons, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is not the easy one. It requires the political will. If we look at Ilham Aliev, there is different kind of democracy…
(J1) - But there is different approach, I don’t think that Ilham Aliev could have said so many lies.
(NK) - This is difficult political process. The process will began from the lower level. As it was in the case of one of the city of Lithuania, Daugava, which mayor was imposed the sanctions. And the second case was, mayor of Riga, which had Russian mayor. There is also the second way, which does not require the political will. This is Iran case. In the file which is signed by Ted Cruz, is indicated that when you can somehow justify the trade with Russia, you cant do the same with Iran. If Bidzina Ivanishvili is proved to have relationships with Iran, the sanctions will be automatically imposed on him.
Pt.9
(J1) - What is the purpose? I want to ask this
Zaza - By the way, yesterday the Georgian Dream, Georgia's ambassador to the United States, countless lobbyists, hired by the Georgian government, tried all day to knock on every door in the administration and Congress to make sure that such a text was not included in the bill. All was in vain. In addition, a lobbyist should not do it, an official should do it, for example, when Zalkaniani became Foreign Minister in January if I am not mistaken, if at the end of the year, in the United States, I think in December last year
(J1) - There was a letter in December and then he went to America
Zaza - The speaker of the parliament was also there. The only thing America talked to lawmakers about was not how to improve the investment climate or how to hold democratic elections, or how not to use the court as a weapon against political or commercial business. the only thing they talked about was because our soldiers are fighting with American soldiers in Afghanistan. Let’s not criticize and live in friendship. The only topic of conversation was that because our soldiers are fighting alongside American soldiers in support of Afghanistan, so let’s not criticize us and live in friendship. Here, when you only have this on the agenda and you only want to express yourself only with such narrative, it will not have much perspective in this relationship.
(J1) - I am wondering, it is happening deliberately, it is the fault of incompetence, but we already see that the Georgian Dream has been in power for eight years now, or the ninth, it is impossible not to learn from its own experience, right? It is impossible, they have good advisors, if there is already a choice on the other side.
(NK) - No no, maybe both are, there is no limit to stupidity, Einstein said that infinity and human stupidity are not measured, so that's really the case. Looking at them and what their reactions are, it's bad for their health, and if you understand them, they often behave like fools. As for the alternative, last year Bidzina Ivanishvili had an opportunity to meet Americans and tell them that “Do not push me, otherwise as we are positioned geopolitically well, we might let the Russian in”.
Pt.8
(J1) - We often hear that Markwayne Mullin is “Frontera`s” lobbyist. His outrage and his harsh and critical statements are related to this. Do you think this business topic turned out to be a defining issue for a Texas group and, in fact, we got the fact that the Georgian Dream also has ties to America and the opposition as well. But now it turns out that the main circle of critics are the people from whom the government did not expect any attack at all.
Zaza - First of all, this is a lie. Malin is not a lobbyist of “Frontera”. This is an illegal act in the United States, a congressman cannot be a lobbyist for a company and it is punishable by law, so that when Georgia, Georgian politicians deliberately spread it, it is part of their misinformation and has nothing to do with the truth. And, as far as this text and this new law are concerned, by the way, the leading place in this case was held not by the Republicans in Texas, but by the Democrats, where numerous congressmen from the Republican Party were involved, and even more from the Democratic side. And the chairman of this subcommittee and the appropriation committee, which was considering this text at this point, was precisely the Democrat. So it has nothing to do with lobbying and bias.
(J1) - Ok, and …
(NK) - I wonder… “Frontera” has its congressman. Bokeria, who is in the minority in the parliament, turns out to be the friend of the head of the Risch staff and he decides. And, they are in power and what kind of incompetent the one should be if you cant find any congressman for their defence? After this, I watched the subcommittee hearing where this topic is happening.
(J1) - Yes talk about where it was going
(NK) - There are many topics in brief, the whole package was foreign aid. Nobody has voted on our topic, nobody, they are such a government, with a man owning 7 billion.
(J1) - Do we spend a lot of money on lobbying?
(NK) - They spend so much money and why nobody, any important member of the US legislature, is not coming out and saing that “No, it`s just a business" First of all
(J1) - One of 435
(NK) - That man is told that he is a lobbist of Frontera, he is also told that he is criminal. The head of the Risch staff was said that he was Bokeria`s friend, he was also accused of being criminal. If the goal of the Georgian Dream is to turn everyone in America who is smart and thoughtful against them, then they are doing it quite well.
Pt.7
Zaza - To put it bluntly is a disturbing text and a very sad text that we are seeing now, which will most likely fall into the next law. Imagine you Georgia, which has always been at the top of the list of countries with which the United States has a partnership, not to mention a strategic partnership. And, from these priority places today, we have already found ourselves in the ranks of countries such as Pakistan, Egypt, Colombia, where drug trafficking, corruption, anti-democratic action is a daily activity. We are already in this position according to this bill and this text, and this is when for three decades only and only huge, unconditional support was talked about in the United States, when Georgia was on the agenda. But how did we get here? We came here very methodically, very purposefully, because if you started today and went back, let's say what happened in 2019, 2018? During these years, whether it was the Prime Ministers or the Parliament, there was a lot of bipartisan communication, Mr. Nodar mentioned, and only recently there was a bipartisan letter from Senators Cruz, Cornyn and Arrington and Markwayne Mullin, not to mention the act of sanctioning business practices in Georgia. There were many such documents that pointed to the direction, the mistakes, the undemocratic steps, the use of the court as a weapon, and so on and so forth, which were ignored by the Georgian Dream authorities, but instead deliberately continued to move there, from which they could not return. The civilized world cannot adapt to oligarchic rule. Therefore, either one has to be chosen or the another, and unfortunately we can see what path has our government chosen.
This takes us up to approx 22m mark. so about half way through the program. Hope to be back soon with the rest. The translator understands the urgency.
Pt.6
(J1) -What happened? What did such a Georgian Dream spoil?
(NK) - What is already happening today between the United States and our government, I emphasize, is not between the United States and Georgia, but between the various legislative and executive bodies of the United States and our ruling party, it is, to put it a little poetically, "drinking sea with a spoon". When very slowly, drop by drop, the Georgian Dream exhausted the boundless patience and goodwill of our Western partners. It took time. It really took a lot of hard work, it needed the raid of the business, it took a lot of fool statements, to reach this point and all of this has limits and Georgian Dream has already reached this limit. No credibility, no trust rating left to him. From today, everything that the Georgian Dream does is followed by, and as we can see, the consequence is already a very instant reaction. Today, the Georgian Dream is in such a situation that it is absolutely difficult to predict what fate awaits it from the West. It is very easy to really get to the sanctions. Plahotniuc did not do so badly.
(J1) - Do you think there could be a worse scenario?
(NK) - In my opinion, yes, much worse. Because Plahotniuc did not have such serious allegations of pressure on American business. In the case of Plahotniuc, there is the problem of democratization. Georgian Dream has 2 problems here. On the one hand, some senators and congressmen, including Risch, Kissinger, and others, are raising the issue of the release of Giorgi Rurua under the March 8 agreement. But the second problem, which is absolutely independent and, in my opinion, much more important than that, is the pressure of business, which is an inviolable taboo in America. You have no right to touch a business. Private property in America is the highest value. Consequently, these two problems I have not seen anyone have at the same time. Their unity will surely lead to a political collapse for the Georgian Dream.
(J1) - Thank you, Nodar. Mr. Zaza, do you think that really this red line turned out to be a business topic for Washington, if it just accumulated all together and now it has an avalanche effect. We started with letters and it is really unthinkable that today we are talking about sanctions and yesterday Markwayne Mullin said that there are political prisoners in our country. Here we come to these formulations, which we understood about Lukashenko, we understood about Russia, and we always said that we are distanced from all this. What kind of verdict has been issued against the Georgian dream in Washington? What information do you have?
Pt.5
(J1) - Thank you very much. Salome Samadashvili from the "National Movement" was our guest and what do politicians think? At what stage did Georgian-American relations move with the last bill? We can hear their statements about it now.
George Vashadze, Opposition Leader (GV) - Due to the harmful actions of the Georgian Dream, our aid from the United States will be reduced by 15%. This is no longer an emergency statement, this is not a warning, these are specific sanctions imposed on Georgia. Every citizen of Georgia was harmed by the harmful actions of the Georgian Dream.
Unnamed member of Lelo Party - The undemocratic, lie-based and hypocritical policies of the government have led the country to the point that the decision made by our strategic partner will affect the pockets of every citizen of Georgia. If at least part of the funds allocated to Georgia is frozen or taken back, it will certainly deal a huge blow to our country and the current government is solely responsible for it.
(J1) - These are the statements that are being made all day today regarding America’s unprecedented decision. Today we will spend the whole day discussing with our guests what the first decision and the first legislative change related to the 15% freezing of the budget mean. What stage has Georgian-American relations reached? We will talk about it now with our guests - Nodar Kharshiladze and Zaza Mamulaishvili, who are very familiar with the American system, how the White House, Congress, administration, the State Department work. And what kind of reality suddenly appeared in Georgia after this decision - I want to talk about it. Hello, Mr. Nodar. I was looking for it today, and the first sanction used by USA was in 1807 against various countries. At first, this only concerned trade. In the 20th century, sanctions became a political tool. Probably, we could never have imagined, even in the worst case scenario, that Georgia would be next to Russia in the list of countries where sanctions should be imposed.
Nodar Kharshiliadze, Former Govt Minister (NK) - It was not the dream of Georgians that we were sanctioned, but it turned out.
Pt.4
(J1) -But he sees that the result is zero. What is he doing to correct all this and is it too late to correct it all?
(SS) - I think that the current government has already accumulated a lot of heavy burdens, but there is some Rubicon that Bidzina Ivanishvili has not yet crossed in order to make irreversible the future that you talked about in the introduction of the program, for example about the Moldovan oligarch Mr. Plahotniuc. This Rubicon, I think, will be crossed when Ivanishvili tries to hold the same elections (these are crucial elections that will change the government in the country) as he did in the previous presidential elections. So now he stands, in my opinion, on the Rubicon. He still has a chance to personally lead a different future for him and I think it is in the interests of our country that we can hold different elections this time and calmly and quietly change the government a second time through elections and it will really break through the development of our state. As for Ivanishvili's current rhetoric, I do not even pay much attention to what Kuchava and others say, that does not matter because I do not think Bidzina Ivanishvili should ask Kuchava for advice on his public policy or his personal fate after the elections. Other sources are more important to him, and I am confident that these sources give him the message he needs today to ensure that the elections are handed over peacefully to our country. And these messages that are being sent from Washington today, the message that we have heard from the Senate, that we have heard from Congress, that we hear in the European Parliament, that is, this message is "Hold democratic elections and obey the will of the Georgian people, the choice of the Georgian people." This is the only way left for Bidzina Ivanishvili if he does not want to really cross the Rubicon and make his future irreversible...
(J1) - ... and personal sanctions threaten him already. It may be more effective in this case when it comes to personal safety issues.
(SS) - Topics of his personal security are already emerging, I would say, because when talking about the main strategic document of the Republican Party it is written that Ivanishvili is an ally of Putin, who should potentially be considered on the sanctions list. When a bill on sanctions has already been initiated in Congress and when there is such an instrument as the Magnitsky Act, Bidzina Ivanishvili can be very easily included in the list. The infrastructure is very simple, to impose personal sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili tomorrow, it is a very simple procedure. So, ultimately, if we look at it a little bit philosophically, every person determines his own destiny and future. I believe so and today Ivanishvili has a choice between himself and, among others, the fate of the future. What choices he will make, it will appear in the elections.
Pt.3
(SS) contd - Now, in today’s document, it is very important, and I would like to emphasise, that this reduction in aid can in no way affect areas of co-operation in terms of developing democracy and the rule of law. What this means is that the United States is telling us today that "this is a priority for us" and therefore the next election will be a very important milestone that can be said to determine our future. Because even today, when we see that such messages are coming from our strategic ally, you can imagine what follows Bidzina Ivanishvili's attempt to maintain power in the country through rigged elections. It will be a very difficult reality for Ivanishvili, of course, if he tries to do so.
(J1) -The fact is that Ivanishvili will try to stay in power. We do not see any sign that he is ready for a peaceful transfer of power, or that he has made such a decision. Naturally, the government will try to maintain power. We are already used to it. In such a case, even today we hear reactions from your opponents, I mean the statements of the parliamentary group when they say that it is wrong, it is a lie, the opposition is now trying to mislead the public. What are we dealing with? Specially, the Georgian Dream is doing this for the internal audience, or they just couldn't imagine who they were dealing with and how to talk to their strategic partner.
(SS0 - I have no doubt that Bidzina Ivanishvili's political patronage does not really mean that this patronage is in Washington and he believes that it is elsewhere and will never receive instructions from there to hold free and fair elections in his country, and therefore I think that Ivanishvili still thinks that in maintaining power he has, so to speak, a reliable ally only in our country's northern neighbor and the Putin regime, because that was his pillar for years past, it is still his pillar today, but he can be under the illusion that he will be able, on the one hand, to lose his democratic mandate in the country, to retain power and at the same time, somehow try to create some myths in Washington, and today he is being told that these myths will not work. That is why, despite spending huge sums of money on lobbying for its own interests in the West, the result is zero. In fact, no lobbying can bring any results when there is a reality in the country that is currently created.
Pt.2
(SS) contd - Now I want to clarify here because I am sure that Russian propaganda and the Georgian Dream, which is the same to me, will try to use it for propaganda against the West in our country and, therefore, it is important that we explain why the financial aid is sanctioned. In the political environment in which we live. Because in such a political environment where there is a very serious challenge in terms of corruption and the rule of law, U.S. Congressmen believe that the money allocated by the American taxpayer cannot be spent for other purposes, if it fails to reach its destination, given the situation in the country. Therefore, we must understand very well that, in this case, although the sanction will affect the budget allocated to the country, in fact this sanction will affect the political regime that governs the country today. Because the political regime has, in fact, raised questions about whether the aid that America is providing to our country is going to its destination. Because America's strategic goal in our country for the past 30 years has been, is, and has not changed, to promote the creation of a democratic country based on the rule of law. And, precisely because the country has missed this path today, we have witnessed the process of introducing this regime of sanctions
(J1) - Is the deadline for this given this time? Are we approaching a very important choice in the fall? 15% freeze, stop, sequestration, in short, what word can we use at this point, does it refer to any particular period? Is the United States giving another chance to the Georgian Dream to observe how it will act if a decision has already been made and the attitude of the partners towards the Georgian Dream is already determined?
(SS) - I think that we have seen very clearly in the last 6 months that the opinion of the partners towards the Georgian Dream has been defined. We had a multi-party delegation's visit to Washington in December, and then it became clear during our meetings that the reputation of the Georgian Dream and the ruling team had been tarnished, and that this was the result of a policy pursued by Bidzina Ivanishvili. Because the port of Anaklia failed, there was a lie about switching to the proportional system, and so on. And everything we talked about, that Ivanishvili is actually playing a double game - he is talking about the West, and at this time Russia's interests are actually a priority for him. Russia is crossing red lines that should not be crossed in foreign policy. It all became very clear, and it was from December that we saw increasing pressure from the United States on Ivanishvili's government because it started with letters, messages, statements, and today it continues with the enactment of legislative acts and relevant changes.
Translation #16, Mtavaria with Zaza, others, 47m, US$100, PAID
(Please note - the translator has some laptop issues. The below translation was saved to the cloud before his laptop crashed and we will get the remaining part of the translation ASAP. I will also check that his computer is working before we begin any new projects)
Pt.1
Natia Gogsadze (J1) - The first precedent of sanctions from the United States. This is in case the Georgian government does not implement democratic reforms, does not comply with the rule of law and international standards. America's delicate warnings have already been dashed and it has moved from words to deeds. This was the case in Moldova as well, rather than directly imposing sanctions on Plahotniuc and his family members, first of all the restrictions applied to Moldova itself. What should be done so that the country is not punished and as far as possible, due to the wrong policy of the „Dream”, the Georgian people will not have to pay the price for the strictest decisions of the strategic partner. We will talk about it in this studio with Salome Samadashvili, Nodar Kharshiladze and Zaza Mamulaishvili. This is the show "Guest of the Day". My name is Natia Gogsadze. I welcome you. In the case of Moldova, it was roughly the same scenario. Initially, the conversation focused on the imposition of sanctions against the country by the United States and the European Union. After that, Plahotniuc and his family found themselves under sanctions. What will all this be like in the case of Georgia and how close is the threat to Bidzina Ivanishvili personally? We will talk about it with Salome Samadashvili from now on. Hello, Ms. Salome.
Salome Samadashvili, UNM MP (SS) - Hello. Thank you for the invitation.
(J1) - It is unfortunate that we have to talk about the first precedent. Sanctions is not a fictional word and a distant perspective. The United States has already entered a new phase in its relations with the Georgian government. What does it mean when it comes to a 15% sequestration of financial aid? Is the bill registered?
(SS) - Natia, this is a very alarming signal because it can literally be said that Congress has put in place the most influential mechanism in its power. Because it is very common in American constitutional law to talk about the "power of the purse", or the power of money that Congress has. Because Congress, the Senate, when making decisions about budget management, it is the most powerful lever for policy-making on their part. And, literally, now, for the second time in the last few weeks, we have first heard Senator Rish's position, which was mentioned in the relevant amendment, which also referred to financial cooperation and talked about possible sanctions. And, today, we see that in one of the most influential committees in Congress, which uses this "power of purse" and budget power, a financial sanction imposed on the country until the Congress hears the evaluation of state dep
Total spend so far is US$612.75 / GBP514.07
This covers translations #1 to #15
Pt.2 (and final part)
For business media, this case, or the dispute between “Frontera Resources” and Georgia, became equivalent to Anaklia case in 2020. And these two things have only one thing in common - it's the affected side. And, as I told you, this victim is Georgia. On the one hand, against the background of a completely civilized and correct decision to defend their rights with the disputed investor, all this has returned to the country with unprecedented reputational damage. And against this background, the Georgian government is now ready to consider restoring the old business status quo for Frontera if it receives guarantees due to this pressure. But “Frontera” refuses. But here's my question - 13, 12, 7, or even your favorite 41, or 48, a congressman or senator will make a statement, a letter or a memo that the problem is over, Georgia is a successful country and it is an example for foreign investors. I have some doubts. I doubt it, because when and if there was anything to be said for Anaklia's consortium for any reason, for example, "Stop this business. I don’t have skill to do this.” Sit down and talk about peaceful and business separation. Instead, we got a pre-invented simple three-act soap opera to launder money, blaming systemic bank shareholders for disrupting Anaklia's project and terminating a contract, the prospect of which is also international, but with several lawsuits, with tens of millions of dollars invested perhaps with its penalties and obligations. This is how the themes of "Frontera" and Anaklia are like the twin brothers of Siam or you want like sisters, or brother and sister. They have ruined the reputation of our country. The reputation of local and foreign investors was also damaged, with which other foreign investors looked up to (Country's investment image and ongoing projects). The reputation of the country, which is much more valuable today than in any other mineral in this century, has been damaged. And, what was needed for that? Decisions and skills were needed and definitely communication with the opposing parties, in conditions of maximum publicity, and here the government has played a crucial role and will always have a responsibility as it is responsible for both the real situation and the action. And it doesn't matter who you're dealing with at the moment, Frontera, which has been in Georgia for more than two decades with constant delays. Anaklia project, which ended as it started. Long live the united Georgia with the traditional, first toast, may God be with us. We wanted it to be better, but it worked out as usual.
https://bm.ge/ka/video/fronteras-saqmis-peripetiebi/19240
Translation #15 "The vicissitudes of the Frontera case", Forbes TV, $25 ($10)
NOTE: We don't know who the speaker is. I asked the translator if he could tell if this was a politician, businessman etc from the way he spoke. He replied the "talking is strange". He explained almost all TV news is scripted but this guy talks in an off the cuff, and so unscripted way. Some of it is possibly meant to pass for humour.
Pt.1
"I would like to dedicate part of my introduction to the dispute between Frontera and the state. Ideally, I should have talked about the dispute in the past tense. However, the parties are really pushing their own measurements at the expense of the country's image, and so far I have not seen any profit in all this. Here, the loser, traditionally, is a country whose reputation, as always, is always taken care of at the very end, when all this is either too late, or in vain, or just too expensive, and therefore does not produce the desired result. After several letters, which was signed by several representatives of the United States Legislature, Minister of Economy received with great pleasure the Ambassador of the United States of America to Georgia and spoke about the prospects of “Frontera Resources” in Georgia, where according to the available information, the international arbitration dispute ended in favor of the Georgian government. To confirm this, the company "Frontera" states that the Ministry of Economy should stop ignoring the decision of the International Court of Arbitration. In short, despite the fact that the public is unable to see the decision of the Arbitration Court due to the relevant court reservations, the parties offered a drastic Latin drama on Georgian-Texas motifs, where the actors publicly interact with each other. The letters are sent to congress, senate, with Falcon on Mars with help of Elon Musk and perhaps a special UN session will be held, where they will ask “Frontera” and Georgian government to stop the argument and tell them that they are ready not to use the right of veto within the UN mandate. Let's be a little more serious now, I will tell you that the Georgian government is ready, despite the announced victory in the Arbitration Court. I quote Deputy Minister Tvalabeishvili - "Let's go through these issues with the company and try to find such a compromise that it is possible to continue working on certain conditions on the mins of the company “Frontera", of course, by receiving the appropriate guarantee from it. And, all of this after we’ve lost the count, the media and the business community in connection with the letters that none of them were accompanied by any kind of joy. As I told you, the fact is that against the backdrop of another high-profile dispute, when we don’t read what the court has decided, the victim is still known and he is in the face. A country called Georgia.
Pt.4 (and final part)
Seth Char, Iconia LLC - To tell the American Congressmen that they are just lobbyists is a great irresponsibility and disrespect from the Georgian officials, which will not have a positive effect on Georgian-American relations. If Georgian officials talk about the fact that what the congressmen are saying is not true, then they should substantiate it with arguments and explain why they are mistaken. However, so far they have not done anything like that and are only limited to attacking the reputation of congressmen. This is bad diplomacy.
J2 - Markwayne Malin, one of the authors of the sanctions bill, says the United States is monitoring the ongoing democratic process in Georgia and the Georgian people's struggle for freedom. If the government does not follow the advice of friends, then the relationship between the partners will become much more difficult.
https://mtavari.tv/news/9192-ivanishvilisa-putinis-sakhipato-kavshirebi-morigi
Pt.3
Goirgi Vashadze, Opposition Leader - No one has the right, especially the chairman of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, to accuse any congressman of lobbying. This negative attitude must be urgently terminated because disaster strikes. We entered into a conflict with literally our main ally. This is the result of the diplomacy of the “Georgian Dream”.
Giga Brokeri, Opposition Leader - All this is, in general, a message about how concerned Georgia's strategic friends are pragmatically and based on the values of where Ivanishvili is leading the country, how he has put a dead end in all directions. Democracy, security, economic cooperation, selective justice, political prisoners - the whole range of problems.
J2 - In her letter, Markayne Mullin traditionally devotes much of his time to the harassment of American businesses, citing the example of “Frontera”, “Georgian Manganese” and “Iconia Capital”, where the Georgian government is threatening to shut down these companies and expel them from the country. Against this background, as the head of "Frontera Risours" tells us, the government is providing incorrect statistics on American investments to the Georgian Ambassador to the United States. Zaza Mamulaishvili also tells us about scandalous news.
Zaza - The Georgian Economy Minister meets with the US Ambassador and tells him that US investment has increased by 34% in the first quarter, and if you look at which companies the Minister says this is a Georgian, Russian, Iranian-owned capital. Georgian companies and not American ones, which is claimed by our minister. And, from one such company you may have been familiar with, POSTV. So Mr. Ramishvili is an American investor in the country. And, from one such company, you may have been well acquainted with it, is POSTV. So Mr. Ramishvili is an American investor in the country.