Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality
Head of Department for Policy Analysis,
Tel: 995 32 2988105
Mob: 995 599 196415
E-mail: kochoradze@yahoo.com
Dear Keti,
I hope all is well with you.
I am now back in 14 days self-isolation after returning late last night from Sukhumi.
I wanted to contact you as soon as possible after my return since I am aware that the account of my meeting with Mr. Kove on 28/5 that was publicized by the df MFA has caused some concern here in Tbilisi. As I am sure you are aware, we have no control over what the df MFA puts on its website, or how Mr. Kove presents what we discuss. We are never even consulted on whether we agree to have the meetings reported to the public. As happened in this case, what was reported was inaccurate.
Some background. I had not planned on meeting with Mr. Kove during this visit, but the meeting was required by the df MFA to prepare for a later meeting with Mr. Bzhania. At this later meeting, I used the opportunity to underline the importance of lifting access restrictions in order for our humanitarian and human security work to continue. I raised the same issue in a subsequent meeting with Mr. Ankvab. My understanding here was that the new df authorities are prepared to lift the passport-stamping requirement.
Going back to the discussion with Mr. Kove, it was focused on how UNDP could help people in Abkhazia survive the impact of COVID-19, which is already quite dramatic given the restrictions on travel and trade that remain in force. I said that we were adapting our programming to meeting COVID needs in close consultation with our donors. Mr. Kove was insisting that we pool our funding into one large project, rather than continue with small grants programs like those under ENPARD. My argument was that ENPARD-style programs are effective in helping vulnerable and impoverished households weather shocks. This is a long-standing difference of views and I felt it was important for me to push back, and also to indicate diplomatically that it is not the df MFA that dictates the shape of our programs.
The issue of support to small and medium-sized businesses was raised by Mr. Kove, as it is a favorite topic of his. He was somehow under the impression that UNDP was launching a new program with this direction in the fall. I said that I was not aware of any such program – that perhaps some other actor was involved. But I did indicate – underlining numerous times that this information was confidential and not to be shared – that we were discussing a new program with the EU aimed at community-level resilience that could help address the COVID-19 crisis. I did not go into details, but for your information, this is the sub-regional program that we have been discussing with DG NEAR for more than a year and that I briefed you about back in June 2019. DG NEAR has assured us they would contact the Government.
Unfortunately, as you have seen, Mr. Kove used the information shared at the meeting to publicize a self-serving story about a new EU-funded program for business support. When we saw what had happened, we intervened as quickly as possible to have the account corrected. The df MFA deleted the inaccurate information, as did the two news agencies that had picked up the story. So by the end of the day on Friday, 29/5, the inaccurate reporting from the meeting had been removed everywhere.
Here are the links to the corrected versions:
I am very sorry this happened. But, as you can see, it is important to treat what comes out of the df MFA with skepticism, particularly in this transition period when people are still competing for positions.
I would be happy to discuss the details by phone and also share other impressions from the visit, during which I was able to accompany UNDP teams in delivering COVID-19 supplies to hospitals in Gudauta, Gali and Tkvarcheli, and to the UNDP-supported tuberculosis treatment centers in Gudauta and Gali. All in all, the COVID-19 situation looks better than expected, but there are big worries about a second wave.
As always, we count on your understanding and very much appreciate our strong partnership.
With warm regards,
Louisa
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Louisa Vinton UN House Eristavi St. 9 Tbilisi 0179, Georgia Mobile: +995599950025 E-mail: louisa.vinton@undp.org |
