A LETTER FROM GEORGIA: Sakdrisi "gold mine" & Romanian gold mine protest (examiner.com)

(examiner.com) We appeal to you on behalf of The Unity of Archeologists of Georgia, regarding the sensitive issue of the so-called “Sakdrisi Oldest Gold Mine” in Bolnisi Municipality, Georgia...

Recently, the problem regarding this archeological object has become the subject of wide discussions of the certain circles of the society, not only in Georgia but also abroad.

Georgian-German archeological team, headed by Mr. Stollner and Mrs. Ghambashidze think that the object represents the ancient goldmine and, hence, it shall be granted the status of monument. However, there are quite strong scientific opinions, stating that the existence of the gold mine in Sakdrisi 5,400 years ago is not proved.

Furthermore, this summer the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia founded an ad hoc professional commission, which has studied the problem and formulated the conclusion that the German-Georgian archeologists has provided no reliable and scientific proofs on the existence of the prehistoric goldmine, dated back to 4th-3rd millennia B.C. Moreover, there is no doubt that in 2006 the status of cultural heritage was assigned to the so-called “Sakdrisi-Kachagiani oldest gold mine” by falsification and full negligence of the Georgian laws.

Instead of appealing the decision of the Ministry of Culture in the Court of Justice, Mr. Stollner and Mrs. Ghambashidze launched a dirty PR campaign, which obliges us, The Unity of Archeologists of Georgia to provide you with all necessary documents in order to have a full picture of the up mentioned case.

The matter of our concern is that we would like you to understand the situation more clearly:
· - If the truth is not proved, the mining company, which paid US $150 million for the license, will withdraw from Georgia;
· - This will cause firing of about 3000 direct workers and in addition unemployment of 1000 men now completing logistic works for the company;
· - Cancelling of 85% of the Bolnisi regional budget;
· - Cancelling of about US$ 30 million annually paid by the company to the state budget as different taxes;
· - Huge ecological disaster as far as liquidation of the company will cause spills of heavy metal bearing water to the Mashavera Rivar, now purified by the company;
· - Huge damage to the image of Georgia as a country creating good environment for investors.

Contact: Giorgi Gagishvili, Director, LTD ''UNITY OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS''

Georgia,Tbilisi (via Paolo Biagi's e-mail pavelius@unive.it) for relevant documents

Links: 
Älteste Goldmine wird nach dubiosem Gutachten einer modernen Minengesellschaft preisgegeben [archaeologik.blogspot.de]
Georgia's Lost City of Gold
The Gold Mine of Sakdrissi: Results and analyses and a calculation of the prehistoric gold exploitation
THE So Called Ancient Gold Mine of Sakdrisi-Kachagiani – Myth or Reality?
Russian Owned Madneuli Plans New Investments In Georgia [gab-ibn.com]
Gold Race in Sakadrisi Layer [gardabaniherald.blogspot.de]
Video: Romanian Gold Mine protest

Gold in Georgia [gnmsciencecafe.wordpress.com]
Position to Sakdrisi Gold Mining Complex (Deutscher Verband für Archäologie)
Bronze Age gold in Southern Georgia [archeosciences.revues.org] 
THE So Called Ancient Gold Mine of Sakdrisi-Kachagiani – Myth or Reality? [georgiatoday.ge]
Culture Heritage Which We Neglect – Ancient Mine in Sakdrisi [humanrights.ge]  
Goldbergbau in Südostgeorgien – Neue Forschungen zum frühbronzezeitlichen Bergbau in Georgien [pdf]

EVENT: Georgian Day in Hilton the Hague in Netherland on Tuesday, May 28, 2013

On the occasion of the Georgian Independence Day the Ambassador of Georgia H.E. Shota Gvineria has the honor to request your company at the "Georgian Day" on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:00 in Hilton the Hague

Official launch of the Netherlands-Georgia Business Council will be held during the event
Reception will be accompanied by Georgian Music, Wine and Cuisine
(please see the full program of the "Georgian Day" below)
R.S.V.P. by email: thehague.emb@mfa.gov.ge or Tel: 070 3029080

Maka Batiashvili are inviting on her exhibition at the "Georgian Day" in Netherland in the Hague on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 18:00
In Hilton the Hague
Address: Zeestraat 35, 2518 AA The Hague, Netherlands
Maka batashvili will be also there ...

Program of the Georgian Day in Hilton the Hague
17:30 - Welcome drinks
18:00 - Music performance by the famous Georgian Folk Group “Chveneburebi”
18:30 - Official Launch of the Netherlands-Georgia Business Council:
* opening remarks by the Ambassador of Georgia H.E. Shota Gvineria
* presentation by the National Tourism Administration
* presentation by the Georgian National Investment Agency
* presentation by the NGBC
19:00 - Music performance by the Georgian Folk Group “Chveneburebi”
19:15 - Networking reception with Georgian music, food and drinks

Official Launch of the Netherlands-Georgia Business Council (www.NGBC.nl)
On April 5th, 2012, a successful kick-off event was held in the Chamber of Commerce The Hague. More than 80 Dutch companies have shown interest in the NGBC activities and expressed their readiness for cooperation. The fact that the Netherlands was number one investor to Georgia during two consecutive years, in 2011 and 2012, is an additional source of inspiration for NGBC. During the past three years investments from the Netherlands in Georgia have grown by 60%, and Dutch companies are becoming more and more active in Georgia, as they become more aware of the huge potential available in the country. This promising dynamics was one of the motivating factors for the NGBC to start operation since the beginning of 2013. Today we are ready to offer you our services with the aim to boost your interests towards Georgia through providing tailor made information about the unexplored opportunities.

Wine tasting (www.nwa.ge)
The National Wine Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture of Georgia is an organization responsible for assisting the development of Wine Sector of Georgia through establishment of quality control mechanism and organizing promotional activities to increase international awareness of the unique character of Georgian Wines. In cooperation with the leading Georgian wine producers, National Wine Agency will offer you the possibility to taste a wide range of distinctive wine varieties. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience exceptional flavors of the indigenous grape breads brought to you directly from the birthplace of wine. 

Exhibition (maka.batiashvili.net)
Maka Batiashvili, born in 1975, finished her studies at the State Academy of Arts in Tbilisi in 1997. Since then she has been presenting her artworks in various group and solo exhibitions across the globe. Maka is a great illustration of the new generation of modern Georgian artists who specializes in oil paintings, graphic, installation and video works.

Music (www.chveneburebi.com; www.youtube.com/CHVENEBUREBI)
Georgian Folk Group “Chveneburebi” consists of 8 members. Each of them is originally from a different part of Georgia. This fact helps them to keep authentic tradition and manner of singing. Besides singing, each member of the group can dance and play the Georgian folk instruments. Each of them can sing all polyphonic voices and is distinguished by the special voice tembre. Therefore, “Chveneburebi” has maintained the real, authentic character and manner of performance. The repertoire contains Pure Georgian folk music and ethno-musical compositions composed by the group (additionally supported by the standard drum, keyboard and bass guitar).

Investments & Tourism EXPO (www.investingeorgia.org; www.gnta.org)
Throughout the “Georgian day” an exposition about the opportunities for your business and pleasure in Georgia will be brought to your attention by the National Investment Agency and National Tourism Administration of Georgia.

CHANNEL: EYE ON [Georgia] on CNN - Georgia In Numbers (edition.cnn.com/eye.on)

Sources: World Bank, CIA World Factbook, UN FAO, UNESCO

Website: edition.cnn.com/eye.on

TALK: WiP - Social Capital in Georgia - Hans Gutbrod (crrccenters.org)

Wednesday, March 30 · 6:00pm - 7:30pm

ISET Lecture Room, Zandukeli St. 16, Tbilisi, Georgia American Councils and the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) present the 10th talk in the Spring 2011 Works-in-Progress Series:

... Dr. Hans Gutbrod, CRRC Regional Director "Social Capital in Georgia"

Social bonds between friends and family in Georgia are incredibly strong. In more institutional ways, however, social capital is poorly developed. This can be seen in every corner of Georgian society, from the failure of farmers to act collectively in buying and selling, to the crumbling stairwells in apartment blocks. Based on extensive CRRC research, the presentation will show the ways in which social capital is important and highlight how to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of further collaboration: apathy, distrust, reluctance to institutionalize, and social economic challenges. The presentation will also touch upon broader recommendations for how social capital can be developed in Georgia. Anyone wishing to receive the report with findings from the research in advance of the presentation should send an email to wip@crrccenters.org by Tuesday, March 29 (COB).

********

W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place every Wednesday at the International School of Economics (ISET) building (16 Zandukeli Street). It is co-organized by CRRC and the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS. The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region. Would you like to present at one of the W-i-P sessions? Send an e-mail to wip@crrccenters.org.

BUSINESS: WHAT IS GOING ON? INSIGHTS FROM CRRC SURVEY DATA IN GEORGIA AND THE CAUCASUS (investor.ge)

By Julia Hon and Tamuna Khoshtaria

Politicians and pundits are happy to tell us what they think is going on in the Caucasus. We may try to draw our own conclusions as well, based on our own observations, what we read, or anecdotes we hear from friends or coworkers. These personal insights are valuable, but they don’t allow us to generalize in any reliable fashion. In more extreme cases, people in discussions can end up talking at cross-purposes, unable to agree on any of the facts. How, then, can we really find out who people in the Caucasus are, what they do, and how they think? Survey data from the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC) offer a window into the lives of people in Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. CRRC’s yearly Data Initiative (DI) is the largest annual coordinated data-gathering effort in the Caucasus – and one of the few surveys providing quality data on a wide range of political, economic, social and cultural issues.For the DI 2008, nearly 6000 face-to-face interviews were conducted using nationally representative samples from the three countries to collect data; the Politics and Protest survey was carried out across Georgia with a total of over 1800 respondents. This article presents some snapshots from the 2008 DI, as well as the CRRC’s May 2009 survey on politics and protests in Georgia. Both, however, are broader instruments than is reflected here.

[...]

Looking forward
Despite these sobering numbers, Georgians have hope in the future of their country. When respondents were asked whether they thought their children would be better or worse off than they are, many respondents were uncertain, but only 2% thought that their children would be worse off, and 50% saw a brighter economic future for their children. Although the data cannot predict exactly what the future will hold, it can tell us that, when it comes to the long term, many Georgians have a positive outlook.
The future of the region also depends on the attitudes and behaviors of its citizens; CRRC’s data-gathering efforts endeavor to gauge them accurately. The data presented in this article is just the tip of the iceberg. Our respondents have told us about everything from what they think about the media, to whether they pray, to how often they smoke cigarettes, to what they think about their country’s foreign policy. Much of our data is publicly available at http://www.crrccenters.org/ – and we offer trainings on how to analyze data. Moreover, CRRC will soon have a web interface that allows you to check data online. You have a question about social, political, or economic developments? Explore the dataset (if you already know how), or get in touch with us at nana@crrccenters.org to find out more about the data and how to use it.
Julia Hon and Tamuna Khoshtaria are Research Fellows at the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC). CRRC is a joint program of the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and has worked with many major international organizations on various research projects, ranging from surveys and focus groups to complex mapping projects. CRRC data is regularly presented to members of AmCham at luncheons and other events. More information online at www.crrccenters.org.

full text >>>

NEWS: Georgia News Digest 01-14-08

A service of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies

Attached PDF file easily navigable with Bookmarks pane
Archives and associated files at groups-beta.google.com/group/genews/files

ELECTION and AFTERMATH
1. Thousands rally in Georgia against Saakashvili
2. video: Opposition demonstrate for new ballot
3. video: Rally against Georgia poll result
4. Thousands protest in Georgia
5. Opposition vows to keep protesting against election results
6. audio: Opposition supporters protest, demand recount
7. video: Georgia's opposition back on the streets
8. Opposition denies PM post offered to Gachechiladze
9. report: Presidential election: Summaries of reports by international, domestic election observers & official results
10. Some good, some shenanigans observers report
11. Saakashvili re-elected as CEC approves final vote tally
12. Saakashvili’s lead now irreversible in Georgia ’s presidential vote-counting
13. Georgian press quotes on results of 5 January presidential polls
14. CEC turns down complaints
15. Serious changes not possible in preliminary data
16. CEC head denies ‘falsified vote summary protocol’ allegations
17. Courts begin to discuss election violations
18. Courts turn down most of election complaints
19. Courts annul vote counts at seven polling stations
20. Trash talking: Georgian NGO activist claims to find proof of electoral fraud in CEC garbage bin
21. Election watchdog slams CEC
22. GYLA appeals to the Court
23. NGO head accuses electoral bodies of ignoring complaints
24. Election monitoring results: Essentially consistent with most international standards, but significant challenges
25. Opposition calls for second round of presidential polls
26. Ballot fraud museum
27. Twenty-nine suits alleging vote rigging filed with Georgian courts
28. Labor Party demands repeat polls
29. Opposition leader refuses to reconcile himself to election results
30. No justice, no peace
31. If a runoff in the presidential election is held, Gachechiladze and Saakashvili will split the vote!
32. Election notebook: A day in the life of a Batumi polling station
33. Activist pours cold water on election assessments
34. United Council representative quarreled with GPB anchors for 10 minutes
35. Authorities don't 'steal' victory from opposition-Bryza
36. Opposition MP lashes out at OSCE observers, businessmen
37. OSCE'S different evaluations of the presidential election in Georgia show the structure to be in a crisis
38. Boden's confession to become trump card of Georgian opposition—Markov
39. Dieter Boden summoned to Foreign Ministry
40. Shalva Natelashvili met with Dieter Boden
41. Dieter Boden did not confirm accuracy of information released in German press
42. ODIHR observation mission in Georgia head invited to Foreign Ministry for explanations (Part 2)
43. Pardoned opposition figure says there are political prisoners in Georgia
44. US support for Saakashvili may turn Georgians against west – Gamqrelidze
45. Businessman faces charges in Tbilisi
46. Patarkatsishvili is sure to see Gachechiladze as next president
47. Patarkatsishvili denies accusations of General Prosecutor’s Office
48. Team members of Badri Patarkatsishvili met Dieter Boden
49. Patarkatsishvili rails against "Saakashvili regime"
50. Patarkatsishvili spokesman interrogated at Georgian Interior Ministry
51. Patarkatsishvili entourage says campaign headquarters attacked in Tbilisi
52. Imedi TV to resume broadcasts next week
53. Imedi TV head and several journalists leave channel
54. Key Imedi TV figure quits
55. Okruashvili goes on hunger strike to protest against election ‘falsifications’
56. Eka Beselia left for France regarding Okruashvili’s case
57. Batiashvili released from custody
58. Saakashvili ready for dialogue with opposition – Bakradze
59. Saakashvili denies bargaining with radical opposition
60. Saakashvili says he is ready for dialogue with opposition
61. Bakradze confirms meeting between Gachechiladze and Saakashvili
62. Burjanadze: Meeting between Saakashvili and Gachechiladze is important positive step
63. Saakashvili comments meeting with Gachechiladze
64. I met with Saakashvili’ – Gachechiladze
65. Davit Bakradze: there are many decent people in the opposition
66. Saakashvili meets ruling Party MPs
67. video: Saakashvili resumes leader’s role in Georgia
68. Government to begin fulfilling promises of Saakashvili from tomorrow
69. Saakashvili sounds conciliatory note toward Russia, regrets spoiled relations
70. Saakashvili vows to fight poverty, mend Russia ties
71. Less foreign trips, more local focus – Saakashvili
72. Saakashvili's inauguration ceremony to be held Jan 20 or 21
73. About 8 presidents to attend Saakashvili's inauguration
74. President of Turkmenistan expected at inauguration
75. Gurgenidze to leave for Austria within working visit
76. Acting President pardons opposition politician
77. Saakashvili’s wife arrives in Baku
78. Sukhumi accuses Georgian media of disseminating disinformation
79. Georgian-Abkhaz dialogue under Saakashvili has no future

NATO
80. Georgia aspires to earn an entrance ticket to NATO
81. 70 percent of Georgians vote for joining NATO in a referendum
82. The only game in town: 61% support integration into the North-Atlantic Alliance
83. Baramidze: Georgia given opportunity to make one more step towards NATO
84. Europe to lose from Georgia accession to NATO - German professor
85. Politician proposes referendum on country's neutral status
86. Sarishvili to gather signatures for referendum
87. Georgia has no chance unless Ukraine joins NATO
88. Plebiscite outcomes hardly to speed up Georgia’s accession to NATO
89. Too early to talk about dates for Georgia to join NATO - Bryza
90. Scheffer: We have an intensified dialogue with Ukraine and Georgia
91. Russia's envoy to NATO calls Georgian plebiscite on NATO membership mistake
92. Referendum on NATO fires separatist sentiment, says Russian NATO envoy
93. Georgia will be unable to join NATO - Russian analyst
94. paper: Georgia’s Railway to NATO Passes Through Turkey

COMMENTARY
95. A matter of image
96. Weekly experts panel: Georgia’s vote
97. Rekindling the beacon
98. Surviving the investment “pause”
99. If the opposition fails to achieve anything now, its popularity will wane
100. Cold snap doesn’t touch political temperature
101. With new political landscape, can stability prevail?
102. video: Interview: Evgeny Kozhokin
103. video: Interview: Eduard Shevarnadze
104. How Saakashvili was made president
105. The biggest mistake

OTHER NEWS
106. paper: Georgia: Energy Policy
107. Wanted: A new source of heat
108. Pipeline puzzle
109. Georgian energy barons gather to analyze oil market operation of last four years
110. National Investment Agency welcomes new business to Georgia
111. Our goal is to return Israel to leading positions in Georgian economy
112. Dhabi Group – building a bridge between Georgia and Middle East
113. International military exercises to be held in Georgia in summer
114. Army receives American self-loading rifles
115. Georgian police purchased Turkish 'Cobras'
116. Georgian borderlands
117. Baby, it’s cold outside
118. Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs to dissolve the drug agency
119. MIA initiates reduction of fines on certain rules of traffic movement
120. Press summary for Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia
121. Georgian x-tmas tree in America
122. “Didgory’s Battle” to be made in Hollywood
123. Anti-Semitic newspaper distributed in Tbilisi
124. Lawmaker responds to rumored rift with Patriarch

full digest: Georgia News Digest - Ansicht in Groups BetaNeu!

Jonathan Kulick, Ph.D., Director of Studies, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, 3a Chitadze, Tbilisi 0108, Georgia (Republic), jonathan.kulick@gfsis.org, office: +995 32 47 35 55, mobile: +995 95 33 33 40, USA voicemail: 310.928.6814

WIRTSCHAFT:


Aserbaidschan entdeckt die Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien
Artikel erschienen am 13/08/2007
Von Ellen Köhrer in Baku

Noch stecken die Bemühungen um eine alternative Energieversorgung im Öl- und Gasland zwischen Kaukasus und Kaspischem Meer in den Kinderschuhen. Aber es gibt ehrgeizige Ziele, die mit dem Kapital ausländischer Investoren und technologischer Hilfe – vor allem aus Deutschland – schon bald erreicht werden sollen....

NEWS:

Lilli Di Puppo has published two new articles in CauCaz.com

“The present situation concerning the South Caucasus conflicts cannot go on forever, there must be some movement.”
By Lili DI PUPPO
Interview with Ambassador Per Eklund, Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Georgia and Armenia....

New foreign investors are entering the Georgian market
By Lili DI PUPPO
Since the Rose Revolution, attracting foreign investment has been the Georgian government’s number one objective. Foreign investors are expected to bring well-needed capital inflow, and contribute to the building of new infrastructure, the transfer o...

«Umwelt und Entwicklung in Georgien»

Seminar: Umwelt und Entwicklung in Georgien Georgien Nachrichten - Das Arbeitnehmer-Zentrum Königswinter führt ein Seminar zum Thema «Umwelt und Entwicklung in Georgien» durch. Das Seminar wird von der INwent gefördert aus ...

Arbeitnehmer-Zentrum Königswinter (AZK)
Beginn der Veranstaltung: 2007-04-13 18:00
Ende der Veranstaltung: 2007-04-15 15:00
Staat: Deutschland
Land der Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Nordrhein-Westfalen
Ort: Königswinter
Veranstaltungsstätte: Arbeitnehmer-Zentrum Königswinter (AZK), Johannes-Albers-Allee 3, 53639 Königswinter
Kontaktadresse: Arbeitnehmer-Zentrum Königswinter (AZK), Johannes-Albers-Allee 3, 53639 Königswinter; Tel.: (0 22 23) 730, Fax: (0 22 23) 73-111
E-mail des Kontakts: entwicklungspolitik@azk.de
Tagungssprache: Deutsch
Relevanz: bundesweit
Inhaltsbereich der Veranstaltung: Erwachsenenbildung/Weiterbildung

Adressaten: Allgemeine Öffentlichkeit Weiterbildungsinteressenten
Kurzbeschreibung:
Die georgische Regierung verfolgt eine engagierte Politik zum Schutz der Natur. Sie tut dies auf nationaler, aber auch auf regionaler Ebene. Georgien gehört in der "Gemeinschaft Unabhängiger Staaten" sicherlich zu den Vorreitern im Bereich der Umweltpolitik. Grundsätzlich ist der Stand des Umwelt- und Naturschutzes in Georgien angesichts der wirtschaftlichen Lage sowie der drängenden Prioritäten der Bevölkerung des Landes nicht einfach. Kampagnen, auch während der vergangenen Wahlkämpfe, zur Achtung und zum Schutz der Natur des Landes werden aber sichtbarer und sollen das Verständnis der Bevölkerung für diese Thematik fördern. Auch die Arbeit nationaler Nichtregierungsorganisationen wird inzwischen besser wahrgenommen. Die Kaukasusinitiative des BMZ fördert die politische und wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit der südkaukasischen Republiken Aserbaidschan, Armenien und Georgien. Sie bildet die konzeptionelle Klammer und das Dach für die deutsche Entwicklungszusammenarbeit mit und in der Region.

Das Seminar:

- vermittelt Hintergrundwissen über Georgien (Politik/Wirtschaft/Religion/Umwelt, Natur und Energiesektor)

- analysiert und diskutiert, inwieweit die deutsch-georgische Zusammenarbeit auf verschiedenen Ebenen mit unterschiedlichen Akteuren der Umsetzung des siebten MDGs "ökologische Nachhaltigkeit" Rechnung trägt.

Eine Online-Anmeldung zu diesem Seminar ist möglich.

ENTWICKLUNG; GEORGIEN; KOENIGSWINTER; NATURSCHUTZ; PLANSPIEL; SEMINAR; STAEDTEPARTNERSCHAFT; UMWELT; UMWELTSCHUTZ;
Eingetragen von: entwicklungspolitik@azk.de

Georgien will Biotreibstoff produzieren Georgien Nachrichten - In Georgien soll es ab Herbst 2007 Biotreibstoff aus eigenem Anbau geben. Nach Berichten georgischer Medien arbeiten Spezialisten aus Georgien derzeit daran ...
Georgien will Investoren aus Deutschland anziehen Georgien Nachrichten - Nach einem Bericht des Privatsenders Rustawi 2 bekundeten auf der Veranstaltung mehrere Teilnehmer aus Deutschland Interesse an Investitionen in Georgien.

of the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia