Alongside topics such as the economic and financial crisis, energy security, and climate change, the Summit will also address a number of international issues, including Afghanistan/Pakistan, non-proliferation, Iran, as well as the recent conflict in the Southern Caucasus.

The EU does not accept status quo in Georgia. Council conclusions have made clear that the Russian violation of territorial integrity and unilateral recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are unacceptable. The October GAERC noted that the withdrawal of Russian troops from the zones adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia was an essential step in the implementation of the agreements of 12 August and 8 September, and called on all parties to continue to implement their commitments.

Prior to the Summit, President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, said: “The conflict in Georgia has emphasized the crucial need for permanent political dialogue between the EU and the Russian Federation, while the global economic crisis has underlined once more the interdependence between the EU and Russian economies. It is our belief that the New Agreement offers the best possibility for the EU to advance its interests while defending its values.”

The first round of negotiations took place in July 2008; following the Russia/Georgia conflict the EU postponed the second round pending withdrawal of Russian troops to positions held prior to August 7.

The Summit is also expected to take stock of progress in the New Agreement negotiations. From the outset of the negotiations, leaders have agreed that the New Agreement should not only reflect the development of EU-Russia relations over the past 15 years, but also provide a strong legal basis for a substantial enhancement of EU-Russia relations in the future. It will also confirm the common commitments to respect for human rights and democracy that the EU and Russia have entered into at the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.

In Tbilisi Public School #97 students of 12^th grade have a math class at 10 o’clock. It is already 10:10, but despite of scheduled in-class test, there are only six students out of enrolled 45. Teacher comes in the classroom. She does not seem to be surprised with a low attendance. She hands out test papers to them and lesson starts.

“We are 45 in the class and everyday attendance is about 10-15 students. Almost everyone is preparing for entrance exams with private tutors. They have no time to come and attend classes,” says 17-year-old Mariam Gavasheli.

She is in the 12^th grade of Tbilisi Public School # 97 and plans to enter Tbilisi State University to study economics. Gavasheli is preparing for examinations with private tutors for every subject: English language, math, Georgian language and general abilities. Every day she is so busy that has no time left to attend classes at school. “I was a candidate for a Golden Medal. But this year I preferred instead of attending classes at school use that time for private lessons. I will not get from school proper education to take the marks which I need for university,” says Mariam Gavasheli.

As Gavasheli’s other classmates note, there is chaos in the 12^th grade. Sometimes 11 and 12 graders have classes together. “We have no homework and practically study nothing,” says 17-year-old Nino Maisuradze.

Mariam Gavasheli’s mother Shorena Gavasheli also thinks that private lessons are necessary for her daughter. “I talked to the school director and we agreed that Mariam will attend classes two days a week. Of course I would better not to need pay so much money for private tutoring, but…” says she.

As the director of Public School #97 Ketevan Meurmishvili mentions there are many educational problems in their school, just like in others.

“We do not differ from the other public schools. There is low attendance in the finishing classes. But it is students’ and their parents’ choice. On the other hand our teachers are very active in mastering in new methods of teaching,” she says adding that low attendance has also something to do with personal responsibility. If the student has responsibility he/she will find time not to miss school classes at the same time.

Meurmishvili says that the school cannot provide the teachers with modern tools, conditions, and payment. “But in spite of such problems there were many cases, when our students without private preparation have passed entrance exams.”

Elene Kasradze finished 4-th experimental private school. She is third-year student of Tbilisi State University’s Law faculty. In the finishing class she also was taking private classes in three subjects. “At private lessons teacher shares all attention among two-three children, while at school there are 12 of us,” she explains.

Tsisana Khakhanashvili, professor of Russian language at Ilia Chavchavadze State University, who is also a private tutor for 30 years, says: “for about last 10 years process of study at schools has worsened. I know that there are different kinds of programs aimed at improving school education but as I see the reforms still have no big results.”

The head of the of Georgian Language and Literature Group in National Examinations Center Kakha Jamburia says that low attendance at finishing classes is not a result of educational reform and this problem existed before United entrance Examinations. 

“Ministry of education is working on this problem, that’s why we started reform by electing school directors. If the school has a good director, he/she will manage to choose good teachers and these all will increase authority of school,” he says.

Jamburia agrees that school cannot give appropriate knowledge to students, but as he says, they “analyze the results of every previous exam and step by step every year improve the examination tests.” He suggests that need for preparing with a private tutor will change after reform and implementation of teachers’ certification program.

 “It is in teacher’s interests. In the future qualified teachers will have priority for vacancies,” he says, adding that even today there are many cases when students receive high scores at Unified Entrance Examinations without any private tutors.

Eliso Gazdeliani passed University Entry Examinations this year and is a student of Shota Rustaveli University of Theater and Cinema. Gazdeliani graduated from Lentexi #1 Public School. She said that there was no need for her to take private lessons to enter the university. “If the teacher is knowledgeable and responsible and if the student is interested in studying, he/she can get high-level education from school,” says Gazdeliani. 

The rose was resting at the keyboard while I was typing up the story

It was 11:30 p.m. on May 31, 2009, the day of city council election in Yerevan, Armenia – it was also the longest day in my life.  I came back to the IREX (International Research and Exchange Board) office, dragging my feet with exhaustion after 15 hours of running from precinct to precinct. There were a few people: my editor, photo editor and 2-3 students. In my hand, was a wilting rose, and together the group cried out: “Where did you get the rose?”

 “It’s a long story,” I told them. And here it is …

 **

 I’m Georgian, so I couldn’t understand the details of the argument between observers and commission members at Malatia Sebastia’s precinct 8/06. But the loud shouting and pointing at the ballot box helped me guess the gist of the quarrel – observers were protesting that some men had put unstamped ballots in the ballot box.

 I immediately started taking photos. At the same time, I was keeping an eye on the ballot box to make sure people didn’t drop more invalid ballots in the box. I felt I had to: the box controller, in was so involved in the argument that she wasn’t paying attention to the box.

 After half an hour the situation calmed down, but soon I found myself in trouble. One of the commission members – a man about 45, tall and big-bellied – approached me angrily, shouting and waving his hands. I tried to explain in Russian that it was my right, I was an accredited journalist, I registered, it was public place and I could take photos of conflict without asking special permission. But he was not appeased, and continued to shout. For the first time that day, I was happy that I could not understand Armenian.

 But the man knew Russian and started translating plenty of swear-words. “Go and take photos in your ruined country!!! (Meaning Georgia), Take care your crazy President! (Meaning Mikheil Saakashvili).” And so on.

 Finally, I approached him, showed my photo camera and let him erase his photos, I didn’t need them. Conflict was finished.

 ***

Several hours passed at the precinct. I had to wait till the end of counting ballots. I started friendly chat with some female commission members. And soon I noticed how my antagonist started moving towards me. It was clear he wanted to say something, but I threw such an offended look, he walked away in embarrassment.

 “Yes I am a journalist, I know there will be many uncomfortable attitudes against me, I must be ready for it, but I have my personal pride! It is hard to carry on…”  I thought, feeling sorry on myself. Oh, my God! I wanted cry but I would never forgive myself to show my tears to anybody, so I bit my lip to stop the tears from falling.

 **

The counting process finally started. I was sitting on the table in the commission room and counting votes with others. The process seemed endless. Suddenly I see the formerly angry commission member coming towards me holding one long rose, which looked like it had been plucked from a bush in someone’s garden. He stopped in front of me bashfully and presented the flower, smiling, before walking away.

 I realized how badly he felt, and that this was his apology. I forgave him, and again felt tears rush to my eyes but with the great effort I managed to keep from crying

 After the counting finished, I went outside to report to the office. The commission member again asked how much experience I had in journalism. I explained that I was a student. I saw my answer finally broke down his resistance.   He took my hand and asked where I was staying in Yerevan. He suggested visiting him and staying in his home. “I have one daughter, be my second one,” he said.

 I smiled and politely refused. After all, I still had to report back to the IREX caucasusreports.com news office. I still had work to do.

Lia Lazashvili April 11;2009, on the demonstration in front of the Parliament

“Somebody helped me run to the Rustaveli Theatre, where I was able to hide,” said the 60-year-old activist.  “For several years, I would avoid walking by Parliament, it was so terrible.”

Lazashvili eventually overcame her fears, and her history as an anti-government protester has placed her back in front of Parliament several times, including last Thursday, April 9. She was among the crowd during the 2003 Rose Revolution protests, where she became an active member of now President Mikheil Saakashvili’s  United National Movement, and served as a Tbilisi City Council Deputy representing the party.

But she quit in 2006, disappointed in how the government spent money, and how they ignored the opposition.

“I told them ‘You are Neo-Bolsheviks,’” she recalls. “The freedom we gained 20 years ago we are losing and we need to fight for it again.”

Now, Lazashvili is a Republican Party member, and heads the Mtatsminda region office. She chose this party, she said, “because it has 30 years stable experience and is oriented on liberal democracy.”

Lazashvili was born in 1948 in a village in Gurjaani, a grape-growing region northeast of Tbilisi. After finishing the school, in spite of parents’ resistance, she passed exams to Tbilisi State University of Theatre and Cinema and moved to the capital city. From 1970 to 1990 she was an actress in the Youth Theatre. Lazashvili is the participant of many political processes in Georgia.  She wasn’t interested in politics at first, but said end of the 1980s, and the collapse of the Soviet Union, caught her interest. “I was witness to many important events in Georgia becoming an independent state and always know what happens in the political kitchen,” she said.

Lazashvili does not have a husband, but said, instead, she is married to politics.

 “It is too loud statement, but it can be said I have devoted my life to participate in each prosperous process for Georgia.” she said.

She believes that a democracy can’t function unless criticism is allowed openly, one of her main complaints about Saakashvili’s Nationalist movement as well as the Soviets.

Her coworkers also admire her dedication.

“If 40 percent of Georgians were as honest and diligent like Lia, our country would be perfect,” said 51-years-old Bela Guguladze, Lazashvili’s coworker at the Republican party office.

.

At 11 a.m., President Mikheil Saakashvili stood next to the opposition leader Levan Gachechiladze at a prayer held by Catholicos-Patriarch of all Georgia Ilia II, to commemorate the 20 Georgians shot and killed for protesting against the Soviets. Gachechiladze even helped to light a candle held by Davit Bakradze, the head of Parliament and prominent member of Saakashvili’s National Movement. April 9 is a national holiday for Georgians to commemorate the tragic events.

The morning meeting set the tone for Thursday’s protests, which were more civil than disobedient. With large but orderly marches, leading to about 55,000 protesters converging upon Parliament, and a measured government response with not even one can of tear gas fired, the day ended as it had begun: with Saakashvili still president, and the opposition still demanding his resignation.

More tension may come today, when demonstration leaders have directed protesters to block parliament, the president’s administration building and other “main building” entrances if he doesn’t resign by 4 p.m.

Both sides took credit for the peaceful first day protests. According to opposition leaders the peace lasted during the day because the protestors were “well organized and in a nonviolent mood,” said Zviad Dzidziguri, a prominent member of the Conservative Party. Government officials maintained the fact that the police was restrained and instructed not to obstruct any peaceful protests.

Some Georgian experts are saying that much depends on how long each side can maintain the goodwill.

“I don’t think that Government is concerned because of the protest yet. Everything depends on the development of the process. If the number of protesters will rise, than the government will think about compromise, if no they will continue pretending that nothing important has happened,”said Vladimer Papava, a Professor of Economics and a Senior Fellow of the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies.

Another political scientist, Soso Tsiskarishvili, who ran Georgia’s External Economic Relationships Department under ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze, adding:

“The side which will use violence first will lose.”

The day started uncharacteristically early for Georgia: at 5 a.m. about 60 people gathered in front of parliament to commemorate national holiday. Most of these people were going to participate in opposition protests later, but for the moment, they were lighting candles and laying flowers at a memorial in front of Parliament.

After meeting together in prayer, opposition leaders split off in four different places, meeting their supporters at 12 p.m. Gachechiladze and the Alliance for Georgia party gathered in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster building. Nino Burjanadze’s party, Democratic Movement – United Georgia, together with the youth movement branding themselves April 9 Headquarters, started from Tbilisi State University. National Forum and their supporters moved from Dinamo Stadium, while the Avlabari Metro station was the starting place for the Conservative party and Movement for United Georgia.

At about 2:30 p.m. all of the protesters met in front of the parliament, joined by tens of thousands of others. Poet Dato Magradze read the statement written by the opposition saying that this is the last chance for the government and that the protesters will not leave until their main demand – resignation of President – will be fulfilled.

Almost all leaders of oppositional parties addressed protesters with textbook speeches promising few concrete future actions. The appearance of Nino Burjanadze, former Saakashvili administration anchor turned opposition, was met by whistles and boos. She apologized to the crowd for not being able to protect them during the protest of November 7, 2007.

“Nino it’s too late,” shouted some protestors. Many are angry that Burjanadze didn’t do more to curb Saakashvili over the past four years. They also don’t trust her connections, including her father, a flour mogul, and her husband, a high ranking official during former President Eduard Schevardnadze’s time.

About 4 p.m. part of protesters an oppositional leader’s decided to go back to the building of the Public Broadcaster to complain about not showing complete coverage of demonstrations. Read more on this story here: www.ketiebanoidze.wordpress.com

Couple of hundred protesters stayed in front who ran Georgia’s External Economic Relationships Department under ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze of the Parliament building during the night and during the day on Friday. Read more here: www.radiobedniereba.wordpress.com

-By Lika Kasradze, Ia Gavasheli and Natalie Nozadze

 

Nino Ghviniashvili, 21, has been working as a sales manager since September 2008 at World Ex LTD Company, a cargo and shipping company.

Ghviniashvi graduated from Tbilisi State University, faculty of Social and Political Sciences. She started as an office manager with the company, but now is sales manager. She finds new customers, contacting them by e-mail and phone. She takes their orders, then contacts office partners in other countries and finds out their rates. Then she sends these rates to the customers and organizes the documents.

Ghviniashvili thinks that the most important thing about her job is that she gets the experience of being a team worker.

Communication with clients is not very difficult, she said. The most difficult part is talking about prices with them. Sometimes they are not happy about the prices. But she enjoys the process.

“Sometimes I meet with such important people I could have never met if I was not working here,” she said.

Ghviniashvili would like to see the company have a bigger office and more employees. The office located in the center of Tbilisi, with newly reconstructed rooms and modern design.

Vato Samadashvili, 24, is general manager of World Ex. He is young but Ghviniashvili said he is experienced in working in the related fields. Although she said he is not very strict, he likes everything is done on time. So Ghviniashvili tries to do everything correctly.

 “I can’t say that I am very satisfied with my salary, but I am not a whiner,” she said. “But I know that whatever the salary is, I will not ever be truly satisfied with it. I hope that it will get more soon as we are getting more and more new clients and income are growing.”

Ghviniashvili works from 9:30 am to 6:30 p.m. and usually has no chance to leave the office during the workday. Sometimes customers have many questions and she must answer all of them. So the job demands great energy and at the end of the day, she goes home very tired. At home she does everything herself, because she lives alone.

“We are 45 in the class and everyday attendance is about 10-15 students. Almost everyone is preparing for entrance exams with private tutors. They have no time to come and attend classes,” says 17-year-old Mariam Gavasheli.
She is in the 12th grade of Tbilisi Public School # 97 and plans to enter Tbilisi State University to study economics. Gavasheli is preparing for examinations with private tutors for every subject: English language, math, Georgian language and general abilities. Every day she is so busy that has no time left to attend classes at school. “I was a candidate for a Golden Medal. But this year I preferred instead of attending classes at school use that time for private lessons. I will not get from school proper education to take the marks which I need for university,” says Mariam Gavasheli.

As Gavasheli’s other classmates note, there is chaos in the 12th grade. Sometimes 11th and 12th graders have classes together. “We have no homework and practically study nothing,” says 17-year-old Nino Maisuradze.

Mariam Gavasheli’s mother Shorena Bokuchava also thinks that private lessons are necessary for her daughter. “I talked to the school director and we agreed that Mariam will attend classes two days a week. Of course I would better not to need pay so much money for private tutoring, but…” says she.

As the director of Public School #97 Ketevan Meurmishvili mentions there are many educational problems in their school, just like in others.
“We do not differ from the other public schools. There is low attendance in the finishing classes. But it is students’ and their parents’ choice. On the other hand our teachers are very active in mastering in new methods of teaching,” she says adding that low attendance has also something to do with personal responsibility. If the student has responsibility he/she will find time not to miss school classes at the same time.

Meurmishvili says that the school cannot provide the teachers with modern tools, conditions, and payment. “But in spite of such problems there were many cases, when our students without private preparation have passed entrance exams.”

Elene Kasradze finished 4-th experimental private school. She is third-year student of Tbilisi State University’s Law faculty. In the finishing class she also was taking private classes in three subjects. “At private lessons teacher shares all attention among two-three children, while at school there are 12 of us,” she explains.

Tsisana Khakhanashvili, professor of Russian language at Ilia Chavchavadze State University, who is also a private tutor for 30 years, says: “for about last 10 years process of study at schools has worsened. I know that there are different kinds of programs aimed at improving school education but as I see the reforms still have no big results.”

The head of the of Georgian Language and Literature Group in National Examinations Center Kakha Jamburia says that low attendance at finishing classes is not a result of educational reform and this problem existed before Unified Entrance Examinations.
“Ministry of education is working on this problem, that’s why we started reform by electing school directors. If the school has a good director, he/she will manage to choose good teachers and these all will increase authority of school,” he says.

Jamburia agrees that school cannot give appropriate knowledge to students, but as he says, they “analyze the results of every previous exam and step by step every year improve the examination tests.” He suggests that need for preparing with a private tutor will change after reform and implementation of teachers’ certification program.
 “It is in teacher’s interests. In the future qualified teachers will have priority for vacancies,” he says, adding that even today there are many cases when students receive high scores at Unified Entrance Examinations without any private tutors.

Eliso Gazdeliani passed University Entry Examinations this year and is a student of Shota Rustaveli University of Theater and Cinema. Gazdeliani graduated from Lentexi #1 Public School. She said that there was no need for her to take private lessons to enter the university. “If the teacher is knowledgeable and responsible and if the student is interested in studying, he/she can get high-level education from school,” says Gazdeliani.

It is a square, size of big living room, hall. The 6 oval brown lustres, like the great shining plates, on two lines, parallels to each other, are hanging on the ceiling. Brick walls and stone floor give the place the ancient look. In one corner of the hall stands a table with sweets and champagne.  At the front wall there is a table. At the table sits young about 40 years old, smiling woman with heavy make-up. In front of the table stands an arch decorated with white and pink flowers.

So it is a wedding house on Meidani Street.

One end of the hall is already full of relatives and friends of a couple. Woman, sitting at the table, stands up and says: “We are starting!” In the hall come bride and groom. The groom is wearing black suit and white shirt; the bride is in white wedding low cut dress. Loud sounds of Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March”. The couple stands under the decorated arch. Smiling woman addresses them: “do you both agree to be married?” a little pause …  everybody expects the answer with so strained faces as if it would be something different from “YES.”      

After all the couple leaves the signature in registrar’s book and with a bit shy and blushed faces dance waltz under Mendelssohn. Thousands of silver colored paper pieces fall down from the ceiling. Relatives open champagne and congratulate them. Soon they have to leave, because a new couple is waiting outside.                                                                         

Alana Gagloeva

Many friends, active lifestyle and work experience is Gagloeva’s typical daily life. Everywhere she is in the center of attention. “She is ready to go” such is her friends’ answer when you ask about Alana Gagloeva. She often is on business trip and travels much all over the world. At that time Gagloeva is in Finland.

 Alana Gagloeva was born in Tbilisi in 1984, but her father was from Tskhinvali and her mother went to live there. When Gagloeva’s mother was pregnant on her in 7-th month, her husband died. Gagloeva was growing in Tskhinvali for 6 years, but during the conflict breakout she and her mother moved to Tbilisi. Gagloeva recalls: “It was difficult to start living in other town. Mother asked me not to talk in public transport in Ossetian. It was dangerous for us.”

 Gagloeva wanted to study in University of Theater and Cinema, but as her mother was against her decision, in 2001 she entered Chavchavadze State University of Foreign Languages and Culture. Gagloeva’s student years were colorful – she sang with the University’s chorus “Tbilisi” and the same time played drums in rock group “Embrioni”. Also she had motorbike and taking part in motor-racing.

 In 2006 she was studying in London for six month, taking courses in effective communication, psychology and public relations at several private colleges. There she gaind a lot of friends and till now keeps contacts with them.

 Alana Gagloeva has different jobs but as she says the most interesting from them is TV. Since 2004 she works on Georgian Public Broadcaster where she is an anchor of an Ossetian language news program.

Gagloeva currently studies at Georgian Institute of public affairs for MA in Journalism and Media Management. Her friend and leqturer in GIPA Leli Bragonravova says: “Everybody loves her. Her main personal characteristic is that she takes everybody’s request to heart and never refuses to help people. I know that I can always call her ask for help. Alana would do her best to help me.”

Alana Gagloeva loves clubbing for relaxation. Her friends say that they always have good time in clubs and love spending time with her. Also she collects small BMW toy cars, is fond of cars and motorracing.