be ready for a. freedom of speech and. the freedom to. hello and welcome to. the shevardnadze today where in my native p.c. capital of georgia though small in size this beautiful country has seen some major changes in the last decade and police who has been at its very heart there wasn't power has raised many hopes for a breakthrough but also. today was held to the new government's front line or the new prime minister. after two terms in office really has just been replaced in the presidential seat just like his party was replaced in parliament.

but off to such a powerful. economic and political. will the new arrivals be able to prove themselves will they be able to live up to the claim reflected in the policies name will they fulfill the georgian dream. mr prime minister thank you very much for being with us today great to have you on our show. only two years ago you were making your first steps in politics meanwhile georgia is transformed from a presidential republic into a constitutional republic and all of a sudden you find yourself holding practically absolute power. were you expecting something this huge. amount of frankly i never expected it to happen. however life is a strange thing and it's full of surprises to me office or position does not imply luxury neither is it a matter of honor fame once position implies

a responsibility more than anything else it is the duty i have assumed before my country and my people and it is the responsibility i have before mr bigs anyone who severely who has put his trust in me and in trusted me with the fate of our country i'm extremely mart of ated i moderated to do it quality job in every way no matter what i do and most importantly i moderated to be honest to my people and my country we should live in a way that we are never ashamed to look back at it with this is my guiding principle this is the principle that has guided me throughout my whole life. nobody doubts your sense of responsibility but do you have enough experience to govern the country with your thirty one the youngest prime minister in the world as of today your minister of interior affairs is twenty eight and in general your cabinet of ministers is very young and since you brought up mr really who is the richest man

in georgia and also your mentor critics say that he will be governing the country behind the scenes not you i understand this skepticism has always been there it was there when i was appointed ministerial interior i was thirty at the time i think the ministry was in the amount of bullshit when i took over the system. politicise and i'm proud to point out that we put the ministry back on its feet and trust in the police has doubled in the past year with the level of trust in the police is eighty six to eighty seven percent while it used to be way down before mr venice really always gave me and i served as minister of interior for a year so that gave me enough freedom i was always free to make my own decisions i mean as for the skeptics who believe he will be running the show behind the scenes

i will never feel embarrassed to say what i'm about to say i have said it before and i will say again that mr bunny civility is my role model and i will always follow his example with i will always accept advice from him especially since i know that this man is only useful and beneficial recumbent patients to he's people if we have to listen to for him or a logical expert's critiques from the opposition why can't we listen to someone who made a difference of this magnitude in our country that will make you free to our country and society from a monstrous series sheen on that is the national movement regime just does not make any sense to me and if we claim to be pragmatic and efficient then why not listen this is my answer and i'm being totally honest with you since you mentioned the opposition there are many things that happened for the first time in georgia in the past eighteen months the first democratic election in the history of modern georgia

peaceful transfer of power and it is for the first time that an actual opposition is present in the parliament having a real opposition force in a parliament and a position that dislikes you so much and will oppose you in many ways is it a good thing or a bad thing for the country. and i think if we look at this issue in terms of paul . we can call them an opposition force of course but i would say that they're very hard to understand in general that there are more often opposition to themselves there are opposing their own people their own citizens and their own country in other words they're not doing anything new in reality so you do not view them as healthy competition it's very difficult to maintain a healthy competition with. there's no such thing as healthy criticism from them with i'm not sure they understand what the word healthy means in the first place

with neither do they know what the word objective stands for that will be little but i want to remind everyone and i know that large forty and says are listening to us now three i would like to remind everyone that these people have been offering their citizens it is driven type of democracy it was just a facade democracy it was all facade i have looked into every field name one field with not implemented façade changes façade reforms these people have prosecuted three thousand people to me it's disastrous three hundred thousand of their fellow citizens in nine years you. it was a very ambiguous regime if you're interested in my take on the issue of i can't accept all this quietly and without emotions moreover i can't accept calmly criticism from them their sabotage and moral lecturing this is cynicism at

its worse. this is my take on today's opposition of course by the opposition i mean the national movement that is the parliamentary minority in the past ten years georgia has been positioned abroad as a country that has undergone substantial changes even present fiercest critics admit that certain modernization processes have been successfully implemented in georgia now not only members of your opposition but also foreign investors say that georgia is backsliding that its economy is worsening and that investors are no longer eager to enter georgia some even fear that the country is on its way back to the one nine hundred ninety s. . i totally disagree about economic down slightly let me remind you that economic downslide if we can refer to it as downslide started as early as two

thousand and twelve that is under the previous government of the vest amount of external debt has been accumulated during their period in power. even this year we had to cover a significant amounts as part of the country's an external debt with the same is true of next year it will have to pay about eight hundred million and who is soon the six journal debt we are forced to cover the debt is soon by the previous government this is one example a lot of mean you know you know when our party won the election but president saakashvili was still in power he openly stated both at home and abroad but that a horrible government had a comment to power and this new monster is government. off to force would bury the country this is what me really said and they kept doing it all year we hope to get anything in light of all this it is very difficult to convince the

investor that you can guarantee stability and it is a well known fact that in this years are the best scouts in the world and they're very sensitive to stability that they can measure stability with the unique person they know exactly when it is in the buys a bull to invest in the one or another country. this is what happened in reality nothing else nothing special at least in our economy has been through much tougher periods under the previous government and yet no one talked about it. during this could be taishan period many of second surely is colleagues members of this cabinet where apprehended and interrogated at this point present sec is really himself face out of the country when and if he returns will he question two. or three but i can say with all assuredness. as to the arrests one investigation agencies have actual substantial evidence proving that someone that you know if he

or she is a senior official such as former minister of interior and the former prime minister of and on merabishvili whom we arrested as well as some former ministers and former high ranking officials you know i have said this on many occasions and i would like to read to rate that northeast or position guarantees immunity. let's take my position for one which is very high you know that if i commit a crime and five or ten years from now a new government comes into power and this new government finds out and proves that i have committed a crime ah i should be held liable if we don't enjoy munity. as for your question of whether or not interrogating agencies will have questions to president saakashvili if there are any questions raised during that process the investigation of course suck us relieved the former president will be questioned again i repeat there is nothing special about it i think that president saakashvili had

a very concrete foreign policy agenda he wanted a session to nato and the european union he constantly quarreled with russia which ultimately led to war how does your foreign policy differ from that of your predecessor. or do you go to board has for the main priorities of our foreign policy to remain the same because we made it clear and i would like to reiterate that european integration and meets all are the main directions so our foreign policy think it with these aspirations of ours are supported and nourished by the will our people who want to see georgia become a full fledged member of the european union and nato and you probably know that over seventy percent of our citizens support georgia's accession to the european union and nato the european union is not some kind of bullock a whim you know let me explain why necessarily the european union with them that if

we look at the history of georgia we'll see that our ancestors in our country have always longed for and had aspirations in relation to europe and european civilization this is not something we have devised gotten down thus we continue what our ancestors started we are truly trapped and by european values or with with as for other political aspects the european union implies a number of advantages which will open its market and make it available for georgia in production. and i believe it should make one proud to see products labeled made in georgia and european markets this implies gaining at foothold in the different market. for political aspects we're talking about safety security mobility to and from the european union zone all this will have an impact on the

welfare of our citizens. but i think i shall break now and when we come back we'll talk to georgia's new prime minister. about georgia's that session to may tell. george i'm going to sochi olympics in two thousand and fourteen stay with us. so we leave. no one is with the.

this is the place that has been consecrated to god for almost a thousand of years people jam here twenty years ago it's very established a monastic life on the silence. and people feel the love of christ all working. people say. something happens on this island that makes them return to it again and again. join me james brown on a journey for the soul. only. the olympic torch is on its epic journey to structure. one hundred twenty three days. through to some nine hundred two cities of russia. relayed by fourteen thousand

people or sixty five thousand killings. in a record setting trip by land air sea and others face. a limp a torch relay. on r t r c dot com. wealthy british. markets why not. find out what's really happening to the global economy cons report. welcome back to the show we're talking to georgia's new prime minister eat at

a lot of us really here in d.c. capital of georgia. you know europe well you lived in france you hold a master's from saul bunn the e.u. is not just a blue flag with stars but it's also europe in crisis and numerous questions bureaucrats. contacts are mainly dictated by brussels and everything starting from agriculture to immigration publicists are decided they're small members are really asked their opinion or taken into account who decides and political and economic advantages. well that's an interesting question however i would like to underline one point we are well aware of all those difficult is that will have to face and overcome heart over georgia does not have a better choice europe is the only right way without the there is nothing better than your you may know something better if so please let me know in europe european culture this is our historical choice and i understand the high level of

bureaucracy and i understand that the decision making process is more complicated dear yet there is more safety there are more of the benefits that this is why we spar to join europe. so you say that georgia shares the european values so you think that georgia is psychologically ready for instance i'm thinking last year's anti-gay protest bashing georgia ready to be tolerant like europe. i don't need a gun with both of these and well i didn't say that we're ready today what i'm saying is that we must develop incrementally step by step i see we're not. in the european union knows this better than anyone else we have many tests to pass if a student does not do his or her homework he or she will flunk that this is why there are grades in school. i can't say in what grade we are now what i can still

use that we are moving in the right direction but all i can say is that it takes consistency i often use this wording because this is exactly what we need if nato membership is as important than this precludes good relations with russia russia has said on many occasions that it is against natto eastward expansion towards its borders and we're not talking about e.u. membership here this is something that threatens russia's national security how do you intend to solve this conflict of interests. if you don't not with them our position concerning need to remains the same goal we have confirmed in the more than once and i will confirm and once again georgia is spars to become a nato member state. as for your question how we can match and harmonize those interests it's a tough question unfortunately we have failed so forth to achieve tangible improvements in relations with russia. but as you know for years one of the main

claims of the russian government has been the inability to copulate with the previous government and the governmental mihael sec us really if you remember the previous governments or rhetoric which was absolutely unacceptable and full of hate speech we think we changed this rhetoric you know we started to reset and improve our relations with russia. we have spoken about this issue many times that you may know that we publicly expressed our willingness and we do conduct direct dialogue with within this format by a lateral meetings are held between the prime ministers personal representative and grigori. you probably know that the pro cis of successful improvement over what i call technical relations is well underway meaning improvements in trade relations as you know the ban on georgian wines and mineral waters and other georgian

products has been lifted them all this is of course helpful and serves the purpose of building trust between the georgian and the russian peoples that with it since we came into power our european and american partners have that constantly urged us to regulate our relations with russia this has been their main appeal. and serves our interests as well. with russia as our neighbor and the warm relations between the georgians and the russians if you have always been in place with the baby and we the georgians remember these are relations that have been and still are between us. you know that up to a million georgians live in russia you know we fully realize that that and in light of all this with a process ease along the occupation line seem in comprehensible to us. sure it's understandable that relations must be reset but how exactly will you accomplish

this task if you become a nato member i repeat that we're not talking about e.u. membership which russia may or may not like russia openly states that if nato expense near its borders it will do everything in its power to prevent it the russians point out that it will threaten their national security. yes but we must succeed in convincing were sure that georgia can't possibly pose a threat the fact that we aspired to join european union and nato does not imply a threat against russia that this is this is our task. i understand that it will be a difficult time with an audio but this is why dialogue is necessary this is why actual negotiations are necessary that you and i would like to see a few words about the conflicts these conflicts must be resolved. otherwise it will be very difficult to hold effective talks with russia this is a very painful issue for us. do you think that russia is ready for

a serious political dialogue. i don't know and this is exactly why our government expresses its willingness to have dialogue with russia you know get them we have already taken that step with a view to researching and regulating our relations in my opinion i truly believe that it is a heavy burden to have recognized a policy and seen vali as independent state. and if as i hope and i'm quite optimistic about this issue if the russian government decides one day to reset relations with georgia by means of peaceful conflict resolution it will be the best case scenario let me remind you that under the previous government that's when it was absolutely unacceptable for russia to engage in any type of dialogue with the previous government and it was openly stated that they would never speak with south

of civility in them and with these procedures did not occur because i mean the barbwire process it was not as intense of them and now when a new government has come into power now when we have actually changed our rhetoric now when there is actual willingness to reset our relations and create a means of direct dialogue it is in comprehensible why they continue this border as a nation pros installing barbed wires so intensively so we do have a number of questions. what you've mentioned the barbed wires why are you so to mystics and in a recent interview allegedly putin said that none of it would have happened had it not been for president saakashvili decision to enter tskhinvali but since that happened he believes this process has been completed and is irreversible russia recognize that applies in south us that as independent state. u.a.

yes but the same president putin made a statement about the necessity to build trust between the russians and the georgians and that this process must be expedited. this border ization process impedes the process of confidence building that is truly in comprehensible to us and our government much of the one hand we honestly want to restore trust among our nations then on the other hand there is this border is ation process which creates a great deal of discomfort with instances of temporary incarceration of people or intensifying with several houses wound up on the other side of the dividing line. our population is very concerned about all this. i mean we have all made mistakes with let's admit that we have all made mistakes in the early ninety's for example that there is no way only one side can be spotless and unblemished the. but

we take it close to heart we are hurt our policy and city and brother is no longer lived with us somehow i believe in i feel that sooner or later that the posse is in the city and will be compelled to live with us and i certainly hope that this dream to will come true as spoken to many a president and a sessions and most of them say cool could exist with anyone but the georgians say it's fifty years have passed the new generation has grown that doesn't remember georgia and doesn't understand why it should be a part of georgia what would you tell those who'd rather be with anyone else but georgians their radical if they were aware at any given time for the radicals may exist in georgia as well as in a posse or it seen molly but i'm talking about reasonable people who think

rationally about the future of their children and their own future in general. i'm not talking about those holding radical views on the georgians. in their statement that they don't see themselves co-exist with the georgians seems in comprehensible to me you have to try really hard to come to dislike coexistence with someone who is you're going to co-exist with you and haw for you to restore the brotherly relations you once had but. most importantly though russia must come to believe that we pose no threat that we cannot possibly pose a threat that we have already proved in the past year that we are not successors to the rest have been ready policy pursued by the previous government in relation to russia. and once again nearly all the countries of the world are trying to maintain normal relations with russia why should our relations with russia be tense and

messy it makes no sense whatsoever. the sochi olympic games are very hotly debated topic in georgia some believe that georgia must boycott the games well i there's things that it should not what is official position of georgia at this point is georgia participating in their lympics. game we had discussions on this issue of whether or not you were to should participate in the olympics and the government made is the georgia will purchase a p any such olympics there's a decision was made by us in cooperation with the olympic committee of course so our athletes will participate in the saudi olympic games will you be there to root for your athletes no no government delegation will be present and saatchi but our athletes and senior officials of the national olympic committee will surely be there though. mr prime minister thank you very much for this interview thank you i

hope i was frank and i think we covered everything. right on the scene. first. and i think. foreigners. to be in the know. what is the fate of the house of saud its list of complaints against washington is long

and getting longer the saudis are furious over western dealings with iran disappointed that obama didn't bomb syria and one of its only real friends in the region is israel given all of the house of saud afford what he calls an independent one paul. from countries rich in natural resources are the poorest africans a colony is a colony of the big corporations it's a colony of someone's home leaders who are under the thumbs of the big corporations so they have to beg from the world bank development of social programs goes to pay back debts whole country is drowning under the amount of debt that they had and so every year they would borrow money. and they would use that same amount of money to pay back o. their. money. the wages of debt.

war is probably the most complex difficult if. not. the phenomenon of friendly fire probably extends back to the invention of gunpowder. just kill a bunch of people who don't want their families their review of people. reading. this something shoots my brother in the leg not intentional because of it because it was night time and four in the morning even the best even the belch shoulders. are going to make mistakes does this whole idea of brotherhood . and camaraderie in this sense it was in this context that has absolutely

no place. protest as a police in ukraine brace themselves for another night with the government building under siege there are fears sunday's mass rotting could be repeated. russia's president putin says ukrainian opposition is able to control the protests which has now become a breeding ground for extremism plus. cavil's here it is found in the office of the left you will party hoping the question it's a party will give a voice to those who feel represented by the current government british leftists return to grass roots in a challenge to what they called a rotten establishment that is sold out from the country's working class ideals. and afghanistan's president says the u.s. is holding back aid to pressure him into signing a deal which would let american troops stay in the country.