архив  arhive  |   |  за нас about us  |   |  за контакт contact  |   |  литарт litart  |   |  ателие atelier  |   |  фотоателие fotoatelier	| |    търсене

issue 1, year XVII, 2010 MIKHEIL SAAKASHVILI PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA, Exclusively for "Europe 2001" Magazine Page 4 H. E. MR. MIKHEIL UKLEBA, AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF GEORGIA TO THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA: GEORGIA HAS A POSITIVE BALANCE WITH BULGARIA Interview by Valentin Kostov Page 6 GEORGIA: A COUNTRY PROFILE Page 8 DIPLOMATIC AND BILATERAL RELATIONS BETWEEN BULGARIA AND GEORGIA By the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Department Page 9 The Republic of Bulgaria recognized the independence of Georgia on 15th January 1992 and diplomatic relations were established on 5th June 1992. On 4th February 2005 the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Katya Todorova took part in a summit of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania - the so called by Georgia "New group of friends of Georgia". The states signed memorandums with Georgia for development of the collaboration in the scope of European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Further the Czech Republic and Sweden joined the group. The states from the group committed themselves to support the integration of Georgia as well as to support the interior reforms needed. GEORGIA: A FAVOURABLE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT By Maria Angelova Page 10 According to the Doing business 2010 Report of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Georgia rates 11th among the most business friendly countries, improving its rating by 5 places in comparison to 2009. Georgia has low taxes, simplified import procedure and preferential regimes with its major trade partners, including EU, the CIS countries, USA and Turkey. GEORGIA - NATO By the Embassy of Georgia in Bulgaria Page 12 Georgia admits the significant role of NATO for the consolidation of the stability and the security of the country. Formally the institutional collaboration between Georgia and NATO began in 1994 when Georgia became a member of the program "Partnership for peace". Since 29th December 2004 the Atlantic Alliance has begun a cooperation in the format of IPAP (Individual Partnership Action Plan), Georgia being the first country to start work on this plan. Georgia supports the antiterrorist and peacekeeping NATO operation Active Endeavour and takes part in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. At the Jubilee Summit of NATO in Bucharest in April 2009 the member states of the Alliance once again declared their support for the accession of the country in the organization. GEORGIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION By the Embassy of Georgia in Bulgaria Page 14 Georgia considers very important the collaboration and further integration in the European Union. The country shares the common values and aims of the EU. The main legal document to regulate the relations between Georgia and the EU is the Agreement for Cooperation and Partnership, entered into force in 1999. In 2004 Georgia joined the European neighbouring policy. It is important for Georgia that the EU follows policy of non-recognition of the occupied Georgian territory. HISTORY OF GEORGIA By the Embassy of Georgia in Bulgaria Page 16 The national Georgian name of the state is Sakartvelo. The root "kartvel" means "inhabitant from the East-Central Georgian region Kartli". According to the Georgian annals the ancestor of the Kartvelian people was Kartlos, great-great-grandson of the biblical character Japheth. In spite of its inconstant history and its potent neighbours in XII century Georgia managed to turn into a powerful country. David the Builder (1089 - 1125) is the most famous Georgian king who sets the beginning of the country’s golden age. During the rule of king Tamar (the only queen in the world declared a king), a granddaughter of David, Georgia reached its zenith. In XVI century it found itself in a trap between two enlarging empires - of the Ottomans and of the Iranians. In 1801 Russia started annexing the country and Georgia was part of the Russian empire (later the USSR) for 150 years. In 1991 Georgia unilaterally declared its independence. THE GEORGIAN LITERATURE By the Embassy of Georgia in Bulgaria Page 18 The Georgian alphabet is one of the fourteen alphabets existing nowadays and has no analog around the world. There are 33 letters in the contemporary Georgian alphabet while in the ancient one there were 38. There is no accurate data about the date when the alphabet was invented. The XI century historian Leonti Mroveli believed that the alphabet had been created by king Parnavaz I (III century BC). However, there are no documents confirming this fact. There are several ancient inscriptions in Georgian preserved in a church in Bethleem (close to Jerusalem) dating back to 430 BC, and in the Bolnisi Sioni temple (close to Tbilisi) dating back to IV-V century BC. TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP Dinko Dinev, Honorary Consul of Georgia - Burgas Page 20 The traditional friendship between Bulgaria and Georgia and the lack of open political issues creates opportunities for cooperation between the two countries. The efforts of the Honorary Consul aim at encouraging the partnership between business circles in Bulgaria and Georgia. The aim is achieving real business results. THE CROSS OF SAINT NINO, EQUAL TO THE APOSTLES By Goran Blagoev Page 22 Christianity had been spread in today’s Georgia long before it was officially adopted in IV century. It was brought there by Christians fleeing from persecutions in the Eastern Roman Empire. Four centuries later St. Nino, believed to be a cousin of the martyr St. George the Conqueror, after having cried while listening to the evangelic story about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, asked her mentor where Jesus’ mantle was. He answered that it had been centuries ago when it had been taken to Georgia. That was how St. Nino found herself in Georgia in search for the mantle. With her preaching and devout life soon she started gaining many Georgians over Christianity. TWO GEORGIAN SACRED PLACES ON THE BALKANS By Goran Blagoev Page 23 THE IVIRON MONASTERY IN ATON During the second half of X century a group of Georgian monks with Joan of Iveria and Euthimius of Athos at the head came in the most influential monastery of Athos - the Great Lavra. In 972 Joan of Iveria with the generous financial help of his son-in-law started building a monastery known later as Iviron (over the Greek name of Georgia). THE MONASTERY OF ST. MARY PETRITSIONITISA Few Bulgarians know that the well-known Monastery of Bachkovo was founded by Georgians in XI century. At that time Bulgaria was under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. In 1083 Grigoriy Bakuriani, commander of the Byzantine army on the Balkans, founded the monastery and named it after the near situated fortress Petritsion (the Asen’s Fortress). Bakuriani did his best to make the monastery "free and thoroughly independent" from the emperor, as well as from the Patriarch of Constantinople. Near the monastery Bakuriani built a hospital and a school where about 100 Georgian young people were educated. Half of them became monks in the monastery, while the other ones were sent as teachers in Georgia. A MOSAIC OF PLACES AND PEOPLE By Maria Angelova Page 26 Not entirely Asian, not completely Middle-East and not fully European - Georgia is a colourful mosaic of in fluences and it will fascinate you for sure. Georgia is definitely a country of surprises and continuous changes. Sometimes you need less than an hour to reach from mountain gorges to the beach, from snow-drifts to palms swaying in the wind. TBILISI: FAITH, LOVE AND HOPE... By Hristo Petrov Page 32 It is hard for one to define where the city is over and the museum begins. Historically Tbilisi has been develo-ping on the slopes of a mountain covered with dense forests. In the Old city the quarters might be seen while jumping from roof to roof - so closely the houses lean against each other. The culture lovers won’t be disappointed. More than 20 museums preserve unique historical and ethnographic collections. The Museum of Outdoor Arts, the Museum of Silk, the Museum of Applied Arts and dozens of galleri-es are among them. The historical building of the Library of Tbilisi is situated in the city centre, side by side with the Parliament. The first and biggest university in Caucasus was founded in Tbilisi and nowadays it is one of the twelve universities in the city. NIKOS KAZANDZAKIS: ONE CRETAN IN CAUCASUS By Zdravka Mihaylova Page 38 Georgia is among the countries which have left deep traces in the soul of the Greek writer Nikos Kazandzakis. There is a special place saved for Georgia on the pages of his travel notes and novels. He traveled to Georgia three times and had the chance to see nearly the whole country. GEORGIAN PAINTERS Page 41 GENO TSULAIA AND THE GEORGIAN MOVIES FOR CHILDREN Page 44 While studying in the Moscow Cinematography Institute the famous Georgian film director Geno Tsulaia met a Bulgarian girl, Neli Nenova. They started working together in Tbilisi and created many of the favourite movies for children for one generation of Georgians. N&N: THE NINO AND NAZAR DUET By Dora Aleksandrova Page 45 The love story of the artists Nino (born in Tbilisi and then escaped in Turkey from a prearranged marriage) and Dimitar Kolev-NAZAR began hard with the lack of approval from the father of Nino but now they are happy, live in Bulgaria and create music together. Their family is a bridge between two cultures - the Bulgarian and the Georgian. They sing in Georgian, Bulgarian, Turkish and Russian and treat love as well as the latest events in Georgia and the faith of disabled children. THE GREEN CAPE By the Embassy of Georgia in Bulgaria Page 46 In one of the most beautiful Black sea coast resorts of Georgia Mtsvane Kontskhi (the Green cape) situated 9 km away from Batumi a unique botanical garden is situated. This garden is related to the famous scientist Andrey Krasnov who traveled around the world, studying the flora and climate. He reached to the conclusion that the Black sea, and particularly the Green cape, is the best place to make a botanical garden. In the Botanical garden of Batumi you can find growing together different species of plants from different climatic zones. A COUNTRY OF A MYTHICAL AND CONTEMPORARY NATION By Dora Aleksandrova Page 48 The national character of Georgians is expressed in their dances with fast, abrupt movements. In Georgia gathering of the vine harvest is more than tradition, the production of wine is a ritual preserved for centuries and a way of life. The holidays are a sequence of dances, fun, temperamental music and songs. FAMOUS PERSONALITIES FROM GEORGIA Page 53 BEKA AND BESHKEN OPIZARI SULHAN-SABA ORBELIANI ILIA CHAVCHAVADZE NIKO NIKOLADZE EKVTIME TAKAISHVILI OTAR IOSELIANI GIYA KANCHELI ROBERT STURUA PHOTOATELIER PRESENTS BADRI VADACHKORIA Page 57 LITART PRESENTS SHOTA RUSTAVELI Page 61 GALAKTION TABIDZE Page 63 TITSIAN TABIDZE Page 63 GIORGI LEONIDZE Page 64 ATELIER PRESENTS KIRIL BOZHKOV: A soul who has seen the light Page 66 ALEKSANDER MOLLOV: A world of movements and signs By Dochka Kisyova-Gogova Page 68 Translated by Maria Angelova top