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• Visa and Rooms Hotels Partnership in Georgia Embarks on New Phase

  Tbilisi, Sep 06, 2023 – Visa, the world leader in digital payments, and Rooms Hotels, world known brand in the hospitality industry from Georgia, announced a new stage in their partnership, engaging Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) expertise and innovative solutions to support Rooms Hotels.  

  The new partnership sees VCA playing a key role in providing strategic support to Rooms Hotels by allocating Visa consulting and various other Visa functions in joint projects. The partnership aims at creating exclusive offers for Visa cardholders at Rooms Hotels.

  The launch of the new collaboration was marked by the special event held in the Rooms Hotel Courtyard in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi. The happening featured the representatives of Rooms Hotels and Visa, including Valeri Chekheria, Rooms Hotels Lab CEO, Roberto De Meo, Vice President of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA, and Diana Kiguradze, Visa Regional Manager for the Caucasus Region. 

  “Visa Consulting and Analytics (VCA) Team is delighted to partner with Rooms Hotels, a leading hospitality brand in Georgia and a name known worldwide for its portfolio of innovative and design-oriented hotels that cater to different segments of travelers. VCA's rich global expertise, knowledge, unique insights, and local experience can benefit Rooms Hotels with a deeper understanding of the latest and emerging trends, market dynamics and customer needs in the hospitality industry - all of which are critical to further improve offerings and services to most demanding clients,” Roberto De Meo, Vice President of Visa Consulting & Analytics, CEMEA, said.

  VCA represents a major source of value for Visa, with experts in strategy, product, portfolio management, risk, digital, and more with decades of experience in the payments industry.

  “We are celebrating yet another great milestone in our years-long partnership with Rooms Hotels.Our companies started collaboration 3 years ago, and together, we've redefined what it means to provide remarkable experiences for guests and Visa cardholders. Customers will get more tailored offers and better customer experiences matching their travel profiles and expectations when staying at Rooms Hotels. Visa remains steadfast in fortifying the local business ecosystem in the country and fostering tourism ecosystem development,” Diana Kiguradze, Visa Regional Manager in the Caucasus Region, said. 

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  Valeri Chekheria, Chief Executive Officer. Valeri is a business leader, hospitality consultant and dedicated philanthropist. Before joining Slow end-2021, he led Tbilisi-based Adjara Group building a diverse portfolio of renowned hotels and trend-setting entrepreneurial projects. Prior he served as Chief of Staff to the Georgian Minister of Economic Development and the Minister of Finance. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs. In 2018, Valeri was appointed as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

  About Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA)

  Visa Consulting & Analytics (VCA) is the payments consulting arm of Visa. We are a global team of several hundred payments consultants and data scientists across six continents. Our consultants are experts in strategy, product, portfolio management, risk, digital and more with decades of experience in the payments industry. Our data scientists are experts in statistics, advanced analytics and machine learning with exclusive access to insights from VisaNet, one of the largest payment networks in the world. The combination of our deep payments consulting expertise and our breadth of data allows us to identify actionable insights and recommendations that drive better business decisions.

  To learn more about VCA, please visit https://www.visa.com.ge/en_GE/services/visa-consulting-analytics.html 

  About Visa

  Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement.

  Learn more at visa.com.ge

• Black Sea Arena Launching a Wide-Scale Campaign in Georgia Branded as Starring Georgia

  At the decision of Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia, Black Sea Arena is launching a wide-scale campaign in Georgia branded as Starring Georgia. Main goal of the campaign is to promote the country and to boost its tourism, economic and cultural potential.

  Within the scope of the new campaign, concerts will be held in Shekvetili, Tbilisi and other locations, apart from the Black Sea Arena.

  Following events have already been announced:

  Nile Rodgers & Chic on August 5 at Black Sea Arena/Front Stage

  FKJ on August 6 at the Black Sea Arena/Front Stage

  Damian Lazarus on August 10 at The Social Space

  The Killers on August 15 at the Black Sea Arena

  All Day I Dream on August 18 at The Social Space

  Imagine Dragons on August 31 at Mikheil Meskhi Stadium

  Box Office will gradually start selling tickets for the scheduled concerts from April 24 via its website at www.BSA.ge.
• High-level Meeting on Black Sea Submarine Cable Project Held in Tbilisi

  A high-level Steering Committee meeting within the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary was held in Tbilisi. The Parties to the Agreement emphasized the importance of cooperation in Green Energy Development and Transmission as well as energy security thus underlining the significance of implementation of the Black Sea Submarine Cable project.

  The Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili, opened the meeting. Minister of Finance of Georgia Lasha Khutsishvili, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Aleksandre Khvtisiashvili, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Péter Szijjártó, Director of Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency Javid Abdullayev and State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of Romania, George-Sergiu Niculescu also attended the event. European Union Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński, Regional Director of the World Bank in the South Caucasus Sebastian Molyneux, General Director of “Georgian State Electric System” Giorgi Gigineishvili and other high-ranking guests also took part in the event.

  The Black Sea Submarine Cable project will be implemented with the support of the Georgian Government and the cooperation of the Georgian and Romanian transmission system operators – “Georgian State Electric System” and “Transelectrica”. On December 17, 2022, an Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary was signed. One of the important issues of the Agreement was the Black Sea Submarine Cable project – upon the implementation of the project, a 1195-kilometer cable will connect Georgia and Romania (1100 km underwater and 95 km on-land cable). The Cable will allow the countries of the South Caucasus and Romania to take advantage of expanded export opportunities and trade based on the hourly prices of the electricity market.

  The Black Sea Submarine Cable is a strategic project and a great investment opportunity for Georgia and its neighbouring countries. It will contribute to the development of the renewable energy sector, increase transit opportunities and bilateral trade potential between the EU and the South Caucasus region, which in turn will ensure a sustainable and reliable energy future for the regions.

  At this stage, "Georgian State Electric System" with the help of consulting company CESI is carrying out a feasibility study of the project. In the future, within the framework of the project, environmental and social impact assessment and geophysical and geotechnical studies of the Black Sea bottom will also be carried out. The possibilities and best ways of practical implementation of the project will also be determined. The committee will review a presentation prepared by CESI outlining ongoing and planned activities within the feasibility study.

  Next meeting of the Steering Committee established within the frame of the Agreement on Strategic Partnership in the Field of Green Energy Development and Transmission between the Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary will be held in Bucharest. 

• US labels Foreign Agents bill setback to Georgia's aspirations, US ability to be Georgians' partners

  “We see a draft piece of legislation that would be a tremendous setback. This would be a setback to the aspirations of the people of Georgia; it would be a setback to the ability of the United States to continue to be a partner for the people of Georgia,” Ned Price, US Department spokesperson stated at the briefing.

  Ned Price commented on the People’s Power-tabled bill on the Transparency of Foreign Influence that the Parliament of Georgia adopted on March 7th in its first reading.

  According to the spokesperson, “anyone who is voting for this draft legislation would be responsible in part for jeopardizing those very Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people.

  “You asked about the feeling here. The feeling here is one of deep concern. You have heard us express that sentiment consistently in recent days. It is a feeling of deep concern because of the potential implications of this draft law. This draft law would strike at some of the very rights that are central to the aspirations of the people of Georgia for a consolidated democracy, for Euro-Atlantic integration, and for a brighter future. It would stigmatize and silence independent voices and citizens of Georgia who wish to do nothing more than work together to build a brighter future, a future that is integrated with Europe, a future that is democratic and free, where Georgia is an independent and sovereign country,” Ned Price has said.

  The spokesperson went on to say that the US was “deeply concerned and troubled, of course, for what this could mean for the people of Georgia.”

  “We are so deeply concerned and troubled, of course, for what this could mean for the people of Georgia, but also because the United States has been a partner to Georgia over the course of recent decades. Ever since Georgia declared its independence, the United States has been right there with it supporting the aspirations of the Georgian people. And at the earliest days of Georgia’s independence, those aspirations were nascent. They were nothing more than an idea in some cases.

  Over the course of ensuing decades, the people of Georgia have worked to realize those aspirations. They have made tremendous progress in becoming the democracy that they sought from those earliest days, in integrating Georgia into the Euro-Atlantic community and ensuring that Georgia stays on that path.

  Now, however, we see a draft piece of legislation that would be a tremendous setback. This would be a setback to the aspirations of the people of Georgia; it would be a setback to the ability of the United States to continue to be a partner for the people of Georgia. I made this point yesterday, I think it was, but anyone who is voting for this draft legislation would be responsible in part for jeopardizing those very Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people. We don’t wish to see that happen. Beyond the United States, it is the EU, the UN, of course most importantly the Georgian people, Georgian civil society groups – all of them have issued strong statements of concern about this draft legislation,” Ned Price stated.

  The State Department spokesperson also stated that “the best counterexample is the United States partnership with Georgia,” as the United States are concerned, that partnership could be – at least in part – jeopardized should a law like this move forward.

  “The best example is the counterexample. It is an example of the type of partnership that the United States Government can have with people and countries that aspire to continue down that path of democracy, of democratic reform, of integration with Europe and the broader Euro-Atlantic region. I think the best counterexample is the United States partnership with Georgia, if you want to look at what that partnership can look like, what that partnership can feel like, and how, as we are concerned, that partnership could be – at least in part – jeopardized should a law like this move forward.

  Ultimately, these are going to be the decisions of the Georgian people and the Georgian Government. It is our strong hope that the Georgian Government listens to the Georgian people. The Georgian people are speaking with a clear voice. Right now, we’re seeing some of those clear voices, those loud voices drowned out by tear gas, by efforts to suppress those – that peaceful exercise of freedom of assembly. That’s of concern to us. But ultimately, we think it’s important that governments around the world, including, of course, the government in Tbilisi, listens to its people,” Price stated.

  Alluding to a question whether “there is anything that prevents the United States Government from sanctioning Mr. Ivanishvili, “who is obviously bringing up this sort of legislations,” Ned Price stated: “I don’t speak to specific individuals or entities who may be subject to U.S. or other sanctions, but we have a number of tools within our purview that would allow us to hold accountable anyone in any country around the world who is responsible for the suppression of what would otherwise be a universal human right. There are authorities that are written into various laws, into executive orders that we will look at closely in this context, as we do in any context, to hold to account those who may run afoul of what the Georgian people want and, most importantly, what the Georgian people expect and deserve in terms of their universal rights.”

  Source: https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/us-labels-foreign-agents-bill-setback-to-georgias-aspirations-us-ability-to-be-georgians-partners/

• EU welcomes initiative to lay submarine cable under Black Sea

  The EU will be ready to provide financial support for the Black Sea Energy submarine cable project, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on 17 December, attending the signing in the Romanian capital Bucharest of a memorandum of understanding between Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary and Romania, which envisages the laying of an underwater electricity cable across the Black Sea. 

  Ursula von der Leyen said the agreement would bring the European Union closer to its partners in the South Caucasus region, and would help both regions achieve the clean energy transition. “Since the beginning of Russia’s war, we have decided to turn our back on Russian fossil fuels and to diversify towards reliable energy partners, like the partners here around the table. And it is working,” said the European Commission President.

  She added the initiative would reinforce energy security in Europe and bring new opportunities to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: “This project could bring Georgia, a country with a European destiny, great benefits as well. It could transform the country into an electricity hub and integrate it in the EU internal electricity market. Finally, the Black Sea electric cable could also help bring electricity to our neighbours in Moldova and the Western Balkans, and of course to Ukraine – it will help start rebuilding Ukraine’s energy system and the reconstruction of the country.”

  Find out more

  Press release