Tbilisi Tales - No, YOU Eat Feces!
Occasional tales from our life in the Republic of Georgia
Georgia's biggest exports are:
1. scrap metal
2. wine
Georgia's largest market for its wine is Russia. Perhaps you heard that last month Russia very abruptly banned all imports of Georgian wine, citing sanitation concerns. Georgians claim that the move is politically motivated and point out that it comes shortly after Russian supplies of gas and electricity were cut during Georgia's coldest winter in a decade. (Russia said that the gas line and electric cable to Georgia were mysteriously "sabotaged.") The wine ban has added greatly to the already considerable tension between the two countries. It's a serious matter for Georgia, which is a very poor nation with few resources. Even so, we couldn't help laughing when we read the latest in this war of words.
Check out these excerpts from The Messenger newspaper ("Georgia's English language daily" - we subscribe!).
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Georgian Wine Tsar Opts for the Direct Approach
Okruashvili's statement about Russian taste ratchets up tension and does little to help Georgian wine makers
by Keti Sikharulidze
The statement of Georgia's Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili saying "even feces could be sold in Russia" has, predictably, caused a serious increase in tension in Georgian-Russian relations.
Okruashvili made this statement while speaking about the wine row with Russia on a live Rustavi-2 show on April 20. "Georgian wine was always geared towards the Russian market, meaning that dealers used this chance to sell the wines of low quality there…even if you export - excuse me for this expression - feces to Russia it can be sold there," Okruashvili said.
Russian MPs did not hide their aggression towards Okruashvili's statement. The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovski was especially aggressive. "For such a statement your minister should be in prison…It is you Georgians who should eat and drink feces and not Russians," said Zhirinovski on Thursday.
Another leader of the Communist Party Genadi Zyuganov believes that the wine problem could be solved if Georgia preferred cooperation with Russia rather then with the United States. "If you want to get oil and gas then you should stop aggression and listen less to the United States," Zuganov stated.
The Liberal-Democratic Party was also rude and rowdy while Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze was presenting a speech at Tavrida Palace, in St. Petersburg on the 100th anniversary of Russian Duma.
The MPs became extremely furious after Burjanadze stated that she had been planning to bring Georgian wine to Moscow, but she could not because of the Russian embargo. "We don't need Georgian wine"- shouted Russian MPs while banging their fists on the table in protest.
Georgia's biggest exports are:
1. scrap metal
2. wine
Georgia's largest market for its wine is Russia. Perhaps you heard that last month Russia very abruptly banned all imports of Georgian wine, citing sanitation concerns. Georgians claim that the move is politically motivated and point out that it comes shortly after Russian supplies of gas and electricity were cut during Georgia's coldest winter in a decade. (Russia said that the gas line and electric cable to Georgia were mysteriously "sabotaged.") The wine ban has added greatly to the already considerable tension between the two countries. It's a serious matter for Georgia, which is a very poor nation with few resources. Even so, we couldn't help laughing when we read the latest in this war of words.
Check out these excerpts from The Messenger newspaper ("Georgia's English language daily" - we subscribe!).
# # # # # # # # # # # #
Georgian Wine Tsar Opts for the Direct Approach
Okruashvili's statement about Russian taste ratchets up tension and does little to help Georgian wine makers
by Keti Sikharulidze
The statement of Georgia's Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili saying "even feces could be sold in Russia" has, predictably, caused a serious increase in tension in Georgian-Russian relations.
Okruashvili made this statement while speaking about the wine row with Russia on a live Rustavi-2 show on April 20. "Georgian wine was always geared towards the Russian market, meaning that dealers used this chance to sell the wines of low quality there…even if you export - excuse me for this expression - feces to Russia it can be sold there," Okruashvili said.
Russian MPs did not hide their aggression towards Okruashvili's statement. The leader of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovski was especially aggressive. "For such a statement your minister should be in prison…It is you Georgians who should eat and drink feces and not Russians," said Zhirinovski on Thursday.
Another leader of the Communist Party Genadi Zyuganov believes that the wine problem could be solved if Georgia preferred cooperation with Russia rather then with the United States. "If you want to get oil and gas then you should stop aggression and listen less to the United States," Zuganov stated.
The Liberal-Democratic Party was also rude and rowdy while Georgian Parliamentary Speaker Nino Burjanadze was presenting a speech at Tavrida Palace, in St. Petersburg on the 100th anniversary of Russian Duma.
The MPs became extremely furious after Burjanadze stated that she had been planning to bring Georgian wine to Moscow, but she could not because of the Russian embargo. "We don't need Georgian wine"- shouted Russian MPs while banging their fists on the table in protest.
posted by Jason, Amy, Sophie, and Matthew @ 2:45 AM
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