The Iran is perfectly stable and attracts no investor

With the global financial crisis, the Georgia was one of the key issues of the French Presidency of the European Union. The latter, once is not custom, spoke with one voice after the Russian military intervention in Georgia in early August. Nicolas Sarkozy succeeded in uniting the usual criticism of the Kremlin (Britain, Poland, Baltic countries) and advocates a more conciliatory approach, as Rome and, to a lesser extent, Berlin or Paris.

"It is the first time that the Union is committed both politically, financially, and with the sending of observers humanely", said Temuri Yakobashvili, Minister of the national reintegration. Sign of its geo-strategic importance, related to the transit of hydrocarbons from the Caspian Sea, the Georgia must be 4.5 billion of Western aid over three years, the equivalent of 15 of its GDP. Largely of rebuild the handful of bridges and buildings bombed by the Russians, to a value less than $ 250 million. It will also be assisting 20,000 refugees who had to abandon their home at night. "I had just time to pass a gown and take a bit of cash," said a woman on the threshold of one of the 1,700 prefabricated houses built in a few weeks. But the bulk of international assistance should mainly be used to "restart the machine", strongly seized by the psychological effects of the war. Today, well sites are at the stop, retail sales are shrinking, the number of tourists dropped by 90, and unemployment was significantly above 20.

Investment suspended

New international investment projects are suspended, while they were, with 1 billion on the only first quarter of 2008, the engine of growth of impressive GDP, 12 per year since the "rose revolution" which brought Mikhail Saakashvili to power in November 2003.

"The international assistance represents the equivalent of a huge fiscal stimulus", summarizes Robert Christiansen, former representative of the international monetary fund in Tbilisi, said to expect GDP growth year next 3.5 to 4.5. Tbilisi also hopes to sign a free trade agreement with the European Union, to which Georgia a in disaster redeployed its foreign trade after the establishment of a total trade embargo of the Russia two years in 2009. "The Kremlin has rendered service, because it forced us to raise our standards to serve the European or Japanese markets", said a Georgian businessman.

However, the Georgia was unable to enter NATO early December. Paris and Berlin was opposed. It also queries in Europe on the stability of the regime of Saakashvili, who the Georgians ask no doubt accounts for to be launched on an adventure that ended in the loss of one fifth of the territory, when the union sacrée against the Russian invasion exhausts. The President already lost most of its allies of the "revolution of roses", sacked its ministers in turn arm and saw his Ambassador to the UN, Irakly Alasania, resign recently, no doubt, attempt to unite the opposition. "We would be unstable. So what! ", laughs Temuri Yakobashvili, the Minister of the national reintegration. "The Iran is perfectly stable and attracts no investor." While high-tech companies flocking in Israel, which is not the quietest place of Earth.