The Daily Dispatch is our editorial take on the past day’s news. You can subscribe here to get it in your mailbox. Click to write to us! We’d love to hear your ideas and opinions. Giorgi Tskhakaia has been scanning the news for you.
RUSSIA’S CRONY, ME? Our revered The Economist once said, in reference to Mr. Saakashvili, that international reputation is much like fast-setting cement. Once established, the adjectives press uses to define the politician are difficult to shake off. Mr. Ivanishvili is learning (or not) much of the same lesson. Not so long ago, prominent U.S. lawmakers questioned if he was in cahoots with “hostile rivals and enemies”. This was promptly dismissed by the ruling party as a result of lobbying by the disgruntled U.S. oil company. But Congress is at it again. This time, the Republican Study Committee, an influential caucus made up of 147 conservative Congressmen, put out a report on global threats targeting the U.S., which portrays Georgian Dream’s chair in most unflattering terms. The report refers to Ivanishvili as “the richest man in Georgia, a close ally of Putin” and “involved in destabilizing Georgia on Russia’s behalf.” In the same section, the RSC deplores that “current sanctions have not sufficiently addressed Putin’s foreign cronies.” Repeated slaps on the wrist from the U.S. corridors of power have ruffled a few feathers in Georgia. “Just a low-level document – signed off by a mere 13 UNM-lobbyed Congressmen,” scoffed Georgian Dream’s Irakli Kobakhidze (who is thus making a triumphant return to our column). “The Congress keeps a close eye on events in Georgia,” noted U.S. Amb Degnan while commenting on the report. It’s hard to read those lines as anything but a sign of deep concern over Ivanishvili’s rule. With all the good words of strategic partnership in the same document, murky associations should be quite concerning for Georgia too.
KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER He was there when Aleksandr Ankvab’s Sokhumi “headquarters” were stormed in 2014, forcing forsaken Abkhaz leader to cede power. He is said to have masterminded a plot against Khajimba – Ankvab’s successor – in January this year, leading a mob to raid the “presidential palace.” In the interim between two “coups”, the plump-faced troublemaker fought side by side with a ragtag bunch of Donbas separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Akhra Avidzba, a Sochi-born ethnic Abkhaz, has now finally made it to the upper echelons – tapped by incumbent leader Bzhania as his right-hand man. Will Avidzba remain loyal to his new patron? Or he may have a sudden change of heart and start conspiring against Bzhania, just like before?…
A FRIEND IN DEED Armenia, Georgia’s longtime doorstep neighbor, is in dire straits – caseload continues to rise unabated, while hospitals are overwhelmed with severe patients, and testing capacity cannot keep pace. Gracefully, brotherly nations, known for habitual bickering, stick together when lives are at stake. PM Gakharia announced yesterday that Georgia will dispatch a team of docs to the virus-stricken country. More aid – ventilators and diagnostic test-kits – is on tap at neighbor’s request. Let’s hope this will be enough to take the edge off Armenia’s plight.
SUDDEN CULINARY BOON Abnormal search results in Japanese Yahoo have pointed to a fortunate PR coup for Georgia. Nikkei, a Japanese daily, released a list of top dishes craved by Nippon foodies in the first half of 2020. Shkmeruli, a butter-fried chicken served with garlicky sauce, came in second in the rating, propelling the gem of Georgian cuisine to the top of Yahoo lookups. One local food company now plans to mass-produce oven-ready Shkmeruli packages. Enough to whet Japanese appetite for visiting Georgia, if only borders were open…
That’s full lid for today!