British Ambassador: Three Challenges that Georgia Faces

The British Ambassador to Georgia, Alexandra Hall Hall spoke about Georgia's success, and of what it has yet to do for further success, at an international conference at the Rooms Hotel, Tbilisi, this week.

She stated that she is more optimistic than others, citing Georgian developmental successes and added, when asked whether the population has access to information and whether media and political forces could challenge the government, her reply would be a “yes.”

“There are still issues, but Georgia has done a great job with the basic tools it had, and has achieved significant progress. The general elections were conducted very well. ..all of which means that Georgia is on the right path- it has progressed despite 20% of its territory being occupied and having to face the problem of IDPs. Of course, Georgia is an unconditional leader in the region.”

According to the Ambassador, the three challenges Georgia faces include democratic values, accountability, and civil responsibility. “In the first case, I refer not only to the form of democracy but also its contents and basic values. I mean, for example, personal supervision, accusations, questions and attacks on rival political forces. When such attacks are carried out against former or present PMs or presidents it disgraces these people as well as the institutions they represent.”

She recalled last year when “many negative incidents have happened in political parties as well as between political persons”- urging -“we should be more cautious,” when asked about the second challenge.

For the third challenge Hall Hall considers civil responsibility in a very wide sense. “Georgia’s citizens should feel their own civil responsibility. For example many foreigners comment negatively on your driving manner and on how Georgians litter everywhere… This is not only the business of the elite. Georgian people should show more respect towards one another and society,” she concluded. 

Zviad Adzinbaia