The Readers Speak: Georgia Today’s 17th Birthday

To celebrate the 17th birthday of GEORGIA TODAY, below are some of the many birthday wishes we have received so far.

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Ian Kelly

“I want to offer my sincere congratulations to the staff and publishers of Georgia Today who are celebrating the 17th anniversary of this essential publication. Over the course of my many years in the region, as well as my tenure as the United States’ Ambassador to Georgia, I have come to appreciate and rely on Georgia Today’s comprehensive coverage of politics, society and culture – as well as its expanded focus on business, economics and law. Many thanks for your reliability, professionalism and constant striving to be the best source of information on the region.”

Justin McKenzie Smith, UK Ambassador to Georgia

“I just want to send my congratulations to Georgia Today, its staff and all the readers. In my time in Georgia, I have found it a very valuable source of information. Best wishes for the next 17 years!”

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Georgia Mr. Toshio KAITANI

On behalf of the Embassy of Japan in Tbilisi I would like to offer my sincere congratulations on the occasion on your 17th anniversary. Georgia Today plays a very significant role for the international community in Georgia as well as for the Georgian people. I would like to wish your whole team further success in the future, continuing your significantly important work, with ongoing good health and happiness.

Anano Korkia, Head of PR and Marketing Department at PASHA Bank

“Happy birthday to my dearest Georgia Today! This is a team of professionals who never stop developing Georgian media. I am sure everyone agrees that their contribution to this field is tremendous. They simply put a high standard and we can all read it through the lines of their publications. I cannot fail to use this opportunity and thank them wholeheartedly - as a reader and a loyal customer as well. We have been business partners for several years already and this relationship has become much more than just that - it has developed into friendship based on mutual trust and respect. I wish Georgia Today many readers, many partners and further success!”

Andreas Heidingsfelder, General Manager, Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel, Tbilisi

“On behalf of Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel, I extend our heartiest congratulations to Georgia Today for completing 17 years of success in business. It’s been our pleasure to cooperate with the newspaper since it was founded. During my five years in Tbilisi, the newspaper has published numerous interesting and uncountable important articles that contribute to the national and international discussion. Georgia Today was always our exclusive partner in all Sheraton initiatives concerning Corporate Social Responsibility, such as Green Initiatives, charity or cultural events, Earth Hour, and business initiatives. The newspaper, with its brilliant team of dedicated workers, has achieved tremendous growth and has built distinguished goodwill and recognition in the community. They always tried to provide the best product and keep an eminent position in the market. Congratulations to all those involved in producing Georgia Today. Working with you has been a real honor. We look forward to our future partnership and wish you continued success as an integral part of media.”

Molly Corso, Editor of Investor.ge and former employee of GT

“My first job in Georgia was at Georgia Today, back in 2002 when foreigners had to have proof of employment to apply for a long-term visa. It was a great opportunity: I met fabulous journalists and learned the nuts and bolts of copy editing. I didn't get paid much (or on time, for that matter) but I learned a great deal about Georgian politics and made some good friends. Over the years, the newspaper has always provided a steady stream of talented contributors for Investor.ge, AmCham Georgia's business magazine. I really appreciate the efforts that have been made over the past few years to expand the newspaper's scope. Georgia Today has the potential to be a strong English-language newspaper and I hope you achieve great things in the next 17 years and beyond”.

Mako Abashidze, Director, The British Georgian Chamber of Commerce

“From the very beginning I was a dedicated Georgia Today reader and since founding the British Georgian Chamber of Commerce 10 years ago, Georgia Today has been our loyal partner. Georgia Today gives our members in the UK direct access to all the most important news in Georgia thanks to the Georgia Today team. We look forward to continuing our friendship and partnership."

Tony Hanmer, journalist, Svaneti region, Georgia

“I became aware of Georgia Today soon after I moved to Georgia to live in December 1999. There was, and remains, nothing to touch it for quality of news on the country and region in English.

My relationship with the paper as an outlet for my own writings, mostly about Svaneti, began with a simple email offering my services from Mestia in February 2011. My offer was accepted, and from March 2011 until now I have written once a week, just now celebrating six years and over 250 articles on Svaneti and a few others from elsewhere in Georgia, Canada, Zimbabwe, the UK, and wherever I happened to be. The requirement of a weekly deadline has been sufficient for me to find something every week on which to write, never having to cast about for subjects.

I am grateful to Georgia Today for this opportunity, congratulate them on their anniversary, and look forward to a long future together as long as they will have me! Gagimarjot (cheers to you)!”

Paul Rimple, Bureau Chief Culinary Backstreets Tbilisi

"I was one of those ex-pats who found temporary employment copy editing at Georgia Today when I moved to Tbilisi in 2002. Those were days of splintered keyboards, greasy monitors and overflowing ashtrays in an office next to the Georgian Wrestling Federation. Some years later, my friend became an editor and asked me to write a column, which was a lot of fun. I appreciate Georgia Today for being one of the few places where young local journalists have launched their careers in English language media. Georgia Today’s alumni have gone on to work for the BBC, Bloomberg and RFEL."

Zaza Purtseladze, Director British Council Georgia

“Georgia Today is our long-time partner and we have had many successful years of cooperation with the newspaper and I hope that will continue in the future.”

Eric Livny, Acting President, International School of Economics, Tbilisi (ISET)

“Georgia Today has become an indispensable part of Georgia's media landscape, shaping the country’s public opinion and political discourse in many important ways. Georgia Today is independent and critical, not shying away from sensitive topics, and its journalists and partners live up to high professional standards, basing their articles on sound investigation and research. Throughout the years, original articles published in Georgia Today gave impetus to important political developments, like the reversal of the restrictive immigration law that was introduced in September 2014, or the lifting of the landownership ban for foreigners. Both topics were extensively discussed and criticized in Georgia Today, among others in articles provided by ISET. We are proud to have Georgia Today as a media partner for our weekly column, and we wish this outstanding Georgian newspaper all the best for the future.”