Ambassador of EU to Georgia about the events on Georgian Public Broadcaster
By Inga Kakulia
Wednesday, April 24
Ambassador of EU to Georgia, HE Karl Hatzell, discussed the current events on Georgian Public Broadcaster. During a half-hour long interview with the host, Irakli Absanidze, the two covered the topics ranging from confrontation in Pankisi Gorge to the recent Presidential Elections in Ukraine.
Speaking about the Pankisi Gorge and the protests against HPP-s Mr. Hartzell said that the EU approach would be considering the interest of both parties.
The Ambassador for the EU said that when talking about hydropower and the EU approach, the union is sympathetic towards this issue because there is alternative energy, an alternative to fossil fuel. But according to Mr. Hartzell, it is always necessary to make a full assessment of environmental impact as well as the effect on society, which should be the starting point.
Irakli Absandze asked the guest, whether the government of the EU would be willing to provide some expert assistance. To this, Hartzell replied that EU would gladly provide the necessary expertise and mentioned that the Union was working closely with the Georgian Government on issues such as hydropower and that their main focus is towards the restoration of existing Hydro Power stations, the Enguri HPP, for example.
When asked about whether he would have any advice for the government considering that the Pankisi populations are demanding that no one is punished for violent actions that took place on April 21st, Hartzell said that it is too early to make any assessment in this regard.
Absanidze also brought up the topic of media during the interview and asked the guest if maybe his critique of Georgian media was a little too harsh. To that, Hartzell replied he appreciated the fact that the coverage of the recent elections was very efficient and noted that it would have been challenging to verify all news stories. Hartzell stressed that his intention was not only to criticize or sound condescending. The ambassador noted he understands the media has a difficult task and expressed hope that there is a possibility to see a bridge from the two very polarized sides that broadcasted opposed viewpoints about what happened as well as for investigative journalism to find better ways.
The interview also discussed the visa-free travel and the increase in Georgian asylum seekers. The host posed the question of whether or not that would serve as a jeopardizing tendency and potentially lead to complications in the EU-Georgia relations.
Mr. Hartzell replied that visa-free travels are a win for EU as well as Georgia, but the ambassador also recognized the challenges that come with the visa-free travel but reassured the host as well as the viewers that the small percentage of people wrongly taking advantage of this policy would not ruin it for the majority.
Two presidents, Tusk and Juncker have sent congratulations to the newly elected Ukrainian president. The letter states that the EU is ready to continue its close cooperation with Ukraine to support Ukraine's territorial integrity and deepen their alliance. “So the message is very clear and very positive. This is a new starting point for closer cooperation,” - said Karl Hartzell.
At the end of the interview, the divisive Venice Commission Recommendations was addressed. Hartzell stated that this topic required a lot more time and coverage for the community to be fully informed about the process. The ambassador also stressed it is crucial that the judges are selected by their qualifications as well as their reputation.
