Georgia: Saakashvili does not let himself be forgotten, the authorities do not forget about the economy

In 1988, the first visits to Tskhinvali of emissaries of the Georgian nationalist and separatist movement began. They advocated the separation of the Georgian SSR from the USSR and the construction of a sovereign Georgian state. Since then, during all the years of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and its settlement up to 2008, the backbone of the Georgian propaganda was the mantra: "Russia is an unreliable ally and will betray South Ossetia at a critical moment."

However, life itself, moreover, both in August 2008 and long before it, showed loyalty to Russia (in contrast to Gorbachev's USSR) to its allied obligations and the historical liberation mission of Russia, the Russian army.

What can be said in this respect about the West?

We see how the West equated everyone with contempt and surrendered Mikhail Saakashvili to his enemies. Mikheil Saakashvili was just yesterday a faithful conductor of the western political line and the aggressive Russophobic policy of Georgia.

Mikheil Saakashvili was once the sovereign ruler of Georgia. With one stroke of the pen he ruined human destinies by the thousands. And today in prison they drag him by the arms and legs, drag him by the hair, and even beat him.

And what do you think?

Only some third-rate tragicomic characters speak out in Saakashvili's defense.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, now a member of the European Parliament Anna Fotyga met in Tbilisi with the leader of the Georgian party "Droa" and member of the Georgian parliament, Elena Khoshtaria. Demanding Saakashvili's transfer to a private clinic, she has been on a hunger strike since November 3 in the office of the Lelo - Partnership for Georgia parliamentary faction.

The ex-president and Khoshtaria’s hunger strike was also joined by a doctor, head of the Association of Clinics, Willi Pachkoria. He told the media that by this form of protest he was demanding that Saakashvili be transferred to a civilian clinic. According to him, he will continue the hunger strike until his demand is satisfied and Saakashvili is provided with full-fledged medical assistance. Willie Pachkoria emphasizes that the health condition of the third president is extremely grave.

Georgian doctors working in the United States also did not stand aside. They sent an open letter to the US Congress and call on senators and congressmen "not to abandon the ally country in the South Caucasus and to join in saving the life of Mikheil Saakashvili." The appeal was signed by about 100 Georgian doctors working in the USA.

Plus, the party of Yulia Tymoshenko "Batkivshchyna" made a statement in connection with Saakashvili and demanded "to return him to Ukraine."

“From the videos released, the stories of witnesses and the doctors' diagnoses, it is obvious that we are talking about bullying, humiliation of honor and dignity, causing irreparable harm to the health of a prisoner politician. Human rights defenders qualify individual actions against Mikheil Saakashvili as torture! ”, In particular, the statement of the Ukrainian political party says. The chorus of voices in defense of Saakashvili was joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

However, they are not the interpreter of legal issues, but only the court. In this case, the European Court of Human Rights, which has already received applications about the fate of Saaakashvili. And what did the ECHR do?

The ECHR, contrary to expectations, recognized the actions of the Georgian authorities as legal and just, and called on Saakashvili himself to end the hunger strike. What a cruel mockery of those who, for some unknown reason, still trust the West!

Against this background, the Georgian leadership does not forget about economic development. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on November 10 approved the allocation of a loan to Georgia in the amount of 101 million euros. The loan is to be used to create new infrastructure in Georgia and rehabilitate the existing one, as well as to improve services in urban centers.

The loan was provided by the Asian Development Bank as part of the Sustainable Urban Development Investment Project. According to preliminary estimates, 1.5 million people in Tbilisi and regions of the country should benefit from it.

The project provides for the rehabilitation of urban centers, public places and parks, improvement of public transport, construction of libraries and kindergartens.

The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development has prepared new large investment projects aimed at creating new resorts and tourist attraction centers in Georgia. Up to 40 investment proposals were discussed.

By the end of the month, Kutaisi International Airport will be connected to the railway station. The construction of the station has already been completed, and in the near future it will begin to receive passengers.

In 2021, the Georgian Railway increased its freight traffic by 12%. In total, cargo was transported for 264 million lari. Transportation of petroleum products increased by 43%, sugar - by 82%, and fertilizers - by 18%.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) improved its forecast for Georgia's economic growth for 2021 by three percentage points. The International Financial Institute expects this year economic growth in the country by 7.5 percent. According to EBRD experts, the key to Georgia's GDP growth above the 2019 level is the sharply increased economic activity in 2021. At the same time, analysts place special emphasis on foreign trade turnover.

The West pays Georgia for the preservation of Euro-Atlantic aspirations with hard currency, involving it in its economic projects. However, too much integration into the Western economy may turn out to be the embrace of a boa constrictor, dragging the country into the next economic crisis that threatens the West against the backdrop of the coronavirus.

Inal Pliev,
political commentator for IA "Res".

https://cominf.org/node/1166539746