A New Path to Democracy Can Revitalize Georgia
By Paata Burchuladze
"Today our freedom sings to the glory of the future." Those words are a line from the national anthem of the Republic of Georgia. As a Georgian opera singer, I've sung these lyrics hundreds of times.
However, for too long, those words haven't reflected reality. The freedom and glorious future promised in our anthem never materialized.
Georgia, a country of just under 4 million people, straddling Europe and Asia, and bordering the Black Sea, is suffering from economic stagnation, persistent political instability, a disregard for the rule of law, and a constant threat of aggression and creeping annexation from Russia.
Opportunities are scarce for most Georgians. According to the most recent opinion polls, 68 percent of Georgians consider themselves unemployed. Economic growth is nonexistent, and the lari, Georgia's currency, lost nearly half of its value over the past 18 months.
To make matters worse, Georgia is thought to be run in an informal and anti-constitutional fashion. Many Georgians, who see cabinet ministers as puppets of an unelected, unaccountable billionaire, lost hope that the current government is capable of bringing about any positive changes.
Today, my beloved country stands at a crossroads. Georgians can choose the worn path of statism, embrace a dangerous dependence on Russia, and remain captive to unstable political and legal systems. Alternatively, Georgia can take a new path - one rooted in independence and self-reliance, rule of law, free market economic policies, and greater integration into Euro-Atlantic structures.
That's why I've put my opera career aside to launch the Georgia Development Foundation, which will help bring unity, economic prosperity, stability, rule of law, and self determination to my glorious homeland.
Georgia is strategically positioned politically, geographically, and economically to become a major hub for commerce, finance, and banking, as well as a valuable ally for countries searching for alternatives to Russian energy. As the only nation in the Caucasus with a free trade agreement with the EU, Georgia stands to serve as an economic and cultural bridge between Asia, the Caucasus, and the EU.
In order to attract foreign direct investment and grow foreign trade, the Georgia Development Foundation is committed to improving Georgia’s business climate and living standards. We believe cutting taxes and slashing regulatory burdens will spur our nation's economy.
Although Georgia's education system is far from ideal and still needs to be reformed, the country already ranks highest in the region on the United Nations' Education Index and is home to approximately 50 universities.
Georgian banking system has come a long way since its transition from the centralized Soviet system and presently is the most developed one in the region. With proper guidance and effective use of regional investment opportunities, Georgia can become a financial center for the Caucuses region and beyond.
Even though Georgia is well-positioned for the future, the Georgia Development Foundation's vision for stability and prosperity cannot be accomplished without support from its friends and allies. As we work to rebuild a just, open, and trustworthy legal system, we seek guidance and cooperation from the United States and the EU countries.
Additionally, full implementation of US-Georgia Charter on Strategic Partnership and restarting talks on a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Georgia would benefit both nations enormously. The free trade agreement with the US will allow Georgia to attract more international investment and strengthen Georgia's position as a significant U.S. partner, helping to stabilize the often mercurial Caucuses region.
With Georgia's new vision and America's help, soon those words from Georgia's national anthem will ring true.
Paata Burchuladze is the founder of the Georgian Development Foundation. Before starting the Foundation, he was a world-renowned opera singer who performed at London's Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Vienna Staatsoper and La Scala in Milan. He has served as a UN Ambassador of Peace and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
