Press Digest 14.10.2014

Over the last year, prices have increased for some products by 50-70% in Georgia

They aim to isolate Abkhazians from Georgia -- Irakli Menagharishvili

Russification process in Georgia’s breakaway enclave of Abkhazia launched

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Over the last year, prices have increased for some products by 50-70% in Georgia

"Over the last year, the cost of agricultural products has substantially increased in Georgia. Within this period of time, the price of some products has jumped by 40-60 per cent, while some of them -- by 70-100 per cent. Boosted prices on agricultural products have had a negative affect on the overall inflation indicator. As the “Saxtat” data confirms, if compared with previous years, in September 2014, inflation has hit 4.8 %. The experts link the hike in prices of products to unfavorable climate conditions and increased demand at the market. As our experts presume, product prices will be increased in the future too; however, as per them, the necessity to sound the alert over the situation has not yet surfaced,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“As the National Statistics Service has it, if compared with the previous years, in 2014, inflation has increased by 4.8%. Since 2011, this is the highest figure. Inflation has reached its critical point as prices on products have gone through the roof. Over the last year, the prices of vegetables and fruit as well as milk and other dairy products have also gone up. The same can be said regarding meat. The prices of some products have reportedly increased by 40-50 percent, while others – by 70-100%,” reads the article.

“It would be interesting to note that over the last year, the price of beans has increased by 60-65 percent. If last year 1 kg of beans cost 3-3.5 GEL, in 2014, this price runs up to 4.5-5 laris. Likewise, if in the previous year 1 kg of cabbage cost only 0.4 GEL, now it costs 0.7. The price of tomatoes has also substantially been boosted. If in 2013 one could have bought 1 kg. tomatoes at 1-1.5 GEL, now you have to pay 2-2.5 laris. The price of nuts has also sharply increased. If one could have purchased 1 kg. of nuts by paying only 10 GEL, now you have to pay 16-18 GEL. The price of garlic has also jumped; as for potatoes, the price of this product has reportedly been boosted by 100 per cent,” reads the article.

“Expert in social and economic issues, Zviad Kandelaki, links this steep increase in the prices of most products to the climate conditions as well as the deficit in products. “The fact that the cost of agrarian products has gone up does not necessarily mean that a demand on them has increased. One of the key reasons of this is that less and less products have been placed on our market; due to unfavorable climate conditions, the harvest was insufficient. The higher cost of products obviously has a negative impact on the poor. This is particularly sorely felt when the price of the products on which the demand is particularly high is increased. A higher cost for such products always has a negative impact on the socially vulnerable and destitute people,” concludes the author of the article.

They aim to isolate Abkhazians from Georgia -- Irakli Menagharishvili

"The Abkhazian side has expressed its readiness to hold negotiations with the Georgian Government only if it recognizes the independence of the occupied region. What kind of a comment can be released on their announcement that only seemingly aims to resolve the conflict? This announcement is only an illusion of their readiness to coordinate with the Georgian side and set a clear path to the political solution of the conflict. And, naturally, on this occasion, the Abkhazian Government has not acted independently – Russian has also helped the Abkhazian authorities to adopt this no-negotiation stance,” Foreign Minister, Irakli Menagharishvili, told the Rezonansi gazette. 

“The resolution says something regarding selective justice. I want to emphasize that not even a single former top official has been illegally incarcerated in Georgia; however, I also want to admit that it’s also important whether or not the Government’s move to systematically imprison the former high officials is compatible with the present political atmosphere in our country. I think that our Government must comply with the Georgian legislation only and must toe the line under any circumstances… As for the critical resolution from such a paramount international forum, certainly, the Government must be held accountable because of the fact that this resolution has been drafted. This means that someone has done something wrong; thus, we must put our heads together and come up with the ways to improve our mistakes if they obviously have been made,” states Mr. Menagharishvili.

“The resolution from the parliamentary assembly gives us recommendations and obliges us to do nothing. The decisions that cannot be dismissed under any circumstances are made by the Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs. However, the aforementioned resolution is obviously of paramount importance and it must undoubtedly be taken into account,” maintains Mr. Menagharishvili.

“As for the present situation in Abkhazia, we all know that the residents of this region very often cross Georgia’s border and enjoy different services here. If they don’t encounter any problems while crossing the border, they get assistance from the Georgian side and it is not also a secret that without this assistance they will find it extremely difficult to go on with their life. Thus, if the independence of Georgia’s breakaway region is recognized, the Abkhazian people will break off from Georgia once and for all. This will obviously not help reconciliation and naturally, will not resolve the conflict,” contends the respondent.

“However, the statement from the Abkhazian side does not mean that the dialogue between the parties must be ended. We must keep trying to provide a solution to this issue and move beyond the present impasse. We must also officially appeal to the International Community to help us in resolving the conflict,” concludes the respondent.

Russification process in Georgia’s breakaway enclave of Abkhazia launched

"They plan to teach the Georgian population the Abkhazian language in Gali; these people will reportedly undergo 3 month training courses that are being held in one of the schools of the region of Gali. The majority of the people who will attend these courses will be administrative workers, doctors and teachers. As the respondents told the paper Rezonansi, their initiation to make the Abkhazian language courses mandatory in Abkhazia is a part of the Russification policy,” reports the Rezonansi gazette.

“Information regarding their initiation to open the Abkhazian language learning courses for the Georgian population has been released by the Ria Novosti Agency. As the agency reports, the learning materials for the students will be issued by Abkhazia’s De-facto Ministry of Education,” says the article.

“Leader of “European Democrats”, Paata Davitaia, thinks that by introducing these courses in the region of Abkhazia, Mr. Khajimba contributes to the Russification process. “The separatists have elaborated the tactics as per which the dominant languages in Abkhazia must be either Abkhazian or Russian. Thus, the state language has always been Abkhazian which is why the Georgian speaking population has always encountered some really serious problems in the region. However, all presidents of Abkhazia, stood away from the region of Gali and refused to compel its population to learn Abkhazian in order to enjoy their support in the elections. Although Mr. Khajimba has not taken this cue from his predecessors, and the clear testimony to this is his move to look into the issue of passport distribution,” states Mr. Davitaia.

“De-facto President Khajimba tries to purge the Abkhazian population. He wants the resident of Abkhazia to be Abkhazians from head to toe. Thus, first he plans to close the border of Abkhazia, then to force the locals to master the Abkhazian language and finally make each and every inhabitant of Abkhazia Abkhazian,” asserts the respondent.

"And you know, even the residents of Sokhumi find it extremely difficult to learn this language as they lack Abkhazian learning materials. Textbooks are mainly issued in Russian there. And making the Abkhazian language compulsory in the region will force the locals to tilt towards the Russian language. Believe it or not, even Abkhazians do not have an extremely good command of this language… As for the Georgian population, they are really at a standstill, as only some of them serve the Abkhazians there. It’s an actual fact that both, the passport distribution process as well as making the Abkhazian language mandatory in the region serves the sole purpose – to close the border of the region,” claims Mr. Davitaia.