Georgia's minister of economy and sustainable development talks to Haaretz about the future of ties with Israel.
Vera Kobalia, 29, is Georgia's minister of economy and sustainable development. Born in Sukhumi, she lived, studied and worked in Canada for 15 years. In 1999 she graduated from King George High School, and in 2004, she received a degree from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She returned to Georgia in February, and on July 2 she was appointed to her present position. The minister of the economy and stable development of Georgia spoke about the further relations with Israeli in her interview with Haaretz. The humanrights.ge publishes the short version of the interview.
-Is an investment in Georgia worthwhile for Israeli businessmen?
"To some extent we're in a similar situation, with an environment that's not always friendly. When investors from the U.S. or the European Union plan to close a deal, they always ask about the possible risk level, especially from the north, from Russia, after the conflict in 2008. Investors from Israel don't ask about the risks at all - after all, they're in a mostly hostile environment and understand us and our needs very well."
-Won't the arrest of two Israeli businessmen, Ron Fuchs and Zeev Frenkel, damage economic relations between the two countries?
"Look, the Georgian government has carried out quite a few reforms in many areas, including in the police force [about 30,000 policemen were sent home almost simultaneously]. The objective was to eliminate the corruption that devoured everything in our country. Now our businessmen are protected and have to pay only taxes, nothing more. Everyone is equal before the law and an attempt to give a bribe will be handled in keeping with the law. Of course Frenkel and Fuchs are presumed innocent as long as it hasn't been proven otherwise. They will receive proper defense, in order to prove their innocence."
-But doesn't a 60-day detention prior to trial indicate the severity of the suspicions against them?
"Those are the court regulations, I'm not sufficiently versed in them."
-Will the request by President Shimon Peres to his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili, to release the two, achieve results?
"I speak to Saakashvili mainly about economic issues. I can't answer that question."
-How did you react to the Russian boycott of your products, including high quality Borjomi mineral water and Saparavi wine? It sounded like the Russians discovered all the elements on the periodic table in them.
"It looks as though they only did us a favor with their embargo. Before the boycott the exports to Russia were relatively poor quality, what they call 'wines with water and sugar.' Now we have higher standards, in order to export to the West and to Israel too."
-What is the trade volume between the countries?
"I believe it is very low, only about $100 million. It needs to be upgraded tremendously. Incidentally, I think this will bring bilateral benefits. After all, there aren't too many countries that are interested in trading with Israel and are only two hours away by plane."
-Don't you think that relations between Israel and Georgia are lacking in the realm of culture and sports, even though there are about 55,000 Georgian speakers living in Israel?
"I will definitely speak about that with our minister of culture. Incidentally, today we managed to reach an agreement that will increase the number of weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Tblisi and back to 10, up from 6. All these flights are packed and there's a need for more."
-What about the story about the nightclub, in which you starred, that was publicized extensively this summer?
"Nobody knows whether he or she will be appointed to a senior position one day. And if you want a serious answer - years ago, when I was studying in Canada, we took a vacation in Florida with friends. We went to an ordinary night club, and danced. After I was appointed minister, an opposition newspaper in Georgia reported on the outing and published a picture.
"The Russian media took advantage of it and blew up the story beyond all imagination. In one newspaper it became a strippers' club, in another a masochistic strippers' club, with various delicacies. It's all nonsense. In Georgia they took it calmly. I really don't care about those stories."
Eli Shvidler
Vera Kobalia, 29, is Georgia's minister of economy and sustainable development. Born in Sukhumi, she lived, studied and worked in Canada for 15 years. In 1999 she graduated from King George High School, and in 2004, she received a degree from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. She returned to Georgia in February, and on July 2 she was appointed to her present position. The minister of the economy and stable development of Georgia spoke about the further relations with Israeli in her interview with Haaretz. The humanrights.ge publishes the short version of the interview.
-Is an investment in Georgia worthwhile for Israeli businessmen?
"To some extent we're in a similar situation, with an environment that's not always friendly. When investors from the U.S. or the European Union plan to close a deal, they always ask about the possible risk level, especially from the north, from Russia, after the conflict in 2008. Investors from Israel don't ask about the risks at all - after all, they're in a mostly hostile environment and understand us and our needs very well."
-Won't the arrest of two Israeli businessmen, Ron Fuchs and Zeev Frenkel, damage economic relations between the two countries?
"Look, the Georgian government has carried out quite a few reforms in many areas, including in the police force [about 30,000 policemen were sent home almost simultaneously]. The objective was to eliminate the corruption that devoured everything in our country. Now our businessmen are protected and have to pay only taxes, nothing more. Everyone is equal before the law and an attempt to give a bribe will be handled in keeping with the law. Of course Frenkel and Fuchs are presumed innocent as long as it hasn't been proven otherwise. They will receive proper defense, in order to prove their innocence."
-But doesn't a 60-day detention prior to trial indicate the severity of the suspicions against them?
"Those are the court regulations, I'm not sufficiently versed in them."
-Will the request by President Shimon Peres to his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili, to release the two, achieve results?
"I speak to Saakashvili mainly about economic issues. I can't answer that question."
-How did you react to the Russian boycott of your products, including high quality Borjomi mineral water and Saparavi wine? It sounded like the Russians discovered all the elements on the periodic table in them.
"It looks as though they only did us a favor with their embargo. Before the boycott the exports to Russia were relatively poor quality, what they call 'wines with water and sugar.' Now we have higher standards, in order to export to the West and to Israel too."
-What is the trade volume between the countries?
"I believe it is very low, only about $100 million. It needs to be upgraded tremendously. Incidentally, I think this will bring bilateral benefits. After all, there aren't too many countries that are interested in trading with Israel and are only two hours away by plane."
-Don't you think that relations between Israel and Georgia are lacking in the realm of culture and sports, even though there are about 55,000 Georgian speakers living in Israel?
"I will definitely speak about that with our minister of culture. Incidentally, today we managed to reach an agreement that will increase the number of weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Tblisi and back to 10, up from 6. All these flights are packed and there's a need for more."
-What about the story about the nightclub, in which you starred, that was publicized extensively this summer?
"Nobody knows whether he or she will be appointed to a senior position one day. And if you want a serious answer - years ago, when I was studying in Canada, we took a vacation in Florida with friends. We went to an ordinary night club, and danced. After I was appointed minister, an opposition newspaper in Georgia reported on the outing and published a picture.
"The Russian media took advantage of it and blew up the story beyond all imagination. In one newspaper it became a strippers' club, in another a masochistic strippers' club, with various delicacies. It's all nonsense. In Georgia they took it calmly. I really don't care about those stories."
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