• Introduction and Overview
• Government Agencies
• Non-Government Agencies
• Demographic Profile
• Social Protection
• Child, Youth and Family Policy Regimes
• Maternity Benefits
• Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
• Child Education
• Child Health
• Special Groups of Children
• Child Labor
• Child Trafficking
• Notes
• References

(Last updated September 2006)

Introduction and Overview

Located in the region known as the Caucasus or Caucasia, Georgia is a small country of approximately 69,875 square kilometers, about the size of West Virginia. To the north and northeast, Georgia borders the Russian republics of Chechnya, Ingushetia, and North Ossetia (all of which began to seek autonomy from Russia in 1992). Neighbors to the south are Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The shoreline of the Black Sea constitutes Georgia's entire western border. 

The conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, regions within Georgia seeking independence, took a significant toll, with about 300,000 people displaced, much physical capital destroyed, important trade routes disrupted, and the new government’s authority in large segments of its territory undermined to this day. In addition, the spill-over from the conflict in Chechnya has weakened Georgia’s control of the Pankisi Gorge and surrounding territory, where there has been rampant smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping. Ever since, Georgia's economy has been buffeted by internal fragmentation, droughts, and the 1998 financial crisis in Russia. [World Bank, 2006] 

Since independence in 1991, the political scene of Georgia has been dominated by the struggle between numerous factions to gain control over the country. The military coup that brought down the first Georgian president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, resulted in the civil war in Tbilisi and Western Georgia, soon followed by the bloody war in Abkhazia. The new president Eduard Shevardnadze managed to stabilize the situation by gaining entry for Georgia into the Commonwealth of Independent States and the formation of a new national party, the Citizen's Union. But his government soon faced increasing public criticism because of  widespread poverty, corruption and crime. His presidency finally came to an end in November 2003 following mass demonstrations over alleged ballot rigging in parliamentary elections. This event, now known as the Rose Revolution, was orchestrated by the opposition leader, Mikhail Saakashvili, who was elected president in January 2004 with around 96% of the vote. [One World-UK, 2005]

Georgia has been a democratic republic since the presidential elections and constitutional referendum of October 1995. The President is elected for a term of 5 years, limited to 2 terms; his constitutional successor is the Chairman of the Parliament.

The Georgian state is highly centralized, except for the autonomous regions of Abkhazia and Ajara, whose precise legal statuses have not been determined by law. Those regions were subjects of special autonomies during Soviet rule, and the legacy of that influence remains.

Following its independence in 1991, Georgia suffered a dramatic socio-economic downturn. Macroeconomic stabilization and systemic transformation commenced in 1994, with the government’s adoption of the anti-crisis program supported by International Financial Institutions. The main thrust of the reform was seen in the transformation of monetary policy and drastic fiscal adjustment, accelerated privatization, reforms of health care, education and social protection, liberalization of economic activity and trade, as well as price liberalization. Despite certain positive developments, Georgia’s overall socio-economic situation remains difficult. Rapid and sustainable economic growth and a significant improvement in the population’s social situation are still to be achieved. [UNDP - MDG, 2004]  

Georgia’s GDP in 2005 was US $5.2 billion and the per capita GDP was US$3,300. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, contributed 16 percent of the total. Industry, including manufacturing, mining, and construction, produced 26.8 percent of goods. Services, which include trade and financial activities, accounted for 57.2 percent of the GDP. However, a large portion of the Georgian economy is in the so-called informal sector and outside of usual economic reporting.

Agriculture is an important feature of the Georgian economy, and the country has one of the most diverse agricultural sectors of any of the former Soviet republics. The lowlands of the west have a subtropical climate and produce tea and citrus fruits, while grapes and deciduous fruits grow in the uplands. The country’s long growing season allows it to grow almost any crop, and Georgia also produces large amounts of vegetables and grains. Draining of swampy coastal lowlands around the mouth of the Rioni River added much fertile land. Livestock raising is also important; milk from cows and goats is used to make cheese. The agricultural sector provides 40 percent of employment in 2005.

The processing of agricultural goods is the most significant part of Georgia’s industrial activity. The country also gained importance as an industrial region because of the abundance of mineral deposits (manganese, iron ore, molybdenum, and gold) and fuel (coal and petroleum). Marble, alabaster, and diatomaceous shale are also mined. However, industries focused on machinery production and metalworking declined in the 1990s. During the Soviet era several concerns produced military goods, giving the country a highly skilled industrial workforce. The industrial sector provided 20 percent of employment and services 40 percent in 2005. [Encarta, 2005]

Over the past ten years, poverty has increased sharply in Georgia, as incomes and social protection deteriorated. The poor have suffered disproportionately from a collapse in public spending on health and education, which has led to a decline in the quality of education and an increase in disabilities from untreated health conditions. Over the past three years little improvement has been seen, worsening the impact on the poor. The more salient problems that the country has faced include the drought in 2000, the Russian crisis in 1998, as well as wage and pension arrears.  

The proportion of population living below the poverty line at the official subsistence level (US$68 to US$70 per month) increased from 51.8% in 2000 to 54.5% in 2003. The proportion of population in extreme poverty (on less than $1 a day)  increased from 14.3% to 16.6% between 2000 and 2003; 12.4% lived on less that $2 a day in 2003. [UNDP, 2005]   

Labour market analysis signals a significant deterioration in the status of women after independence. According to the State Department of Statistics in 2002 women only account for 47.7% of the economically active population. Some 35.9% of women in the total female employed population above fifteen years of age are contractually employed. The remainder, 64% are self-employed. Most self-employed women work on family farms or business for no wages. The share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector declined from 55.1% in 2001 to 49% in 2002. The proportion of seats held by women in national parliament too declined from 7.3% in 2000 to 6.8% in 2002. [UNDP, 2005] 

The law provides for the protection of children's rights and welfare, although funding shortages limit government services. Primary and basic education is officially free and compulsory from age 6 to 14. However, parents do have to pay some form of tuition. Free health care is available for children up to age four.  

The large number of street children is a problem. Street children are very vulnerable to abuse and trafficking. NGOs estimate that, in 2004, there were approximately 1,500 street children between 3 and 15 years old in the country, with 1,200 concentrated in Tbilisi, due to the inability of orphanages and the government to provide support. Other problems children face include thousands of displaced children due to the ongoing conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. UNICEF reported, in 2004, that in these regions health services were scant, immunization rates lower than elsewhere in the country, schools deteriorating, and malnutrition a serious problem.  

Georgia’s internal conflicts in Samachablo (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia led to the emergence of especially vulnerable groups. According to government data, IDPs currently number approximately 260 000 persons. In addition, there are approximately 170 000 so-called ecological migrants, casualties of natural calamities, displaced into 11 regions through state and other programs. However, these figures have never been adequately verified.  

Currently the government is undertaking a comprehensive recount of IDPs (except ecological migrants) with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Many persons in both categories are deprived of acceptable living conditions. Infrastructure as well as employment opportunities in the displacement areas are poor. According to the Ministry of Refugees and Resettlement, 42% of IDPs are accommodated in former hotels, hostels, kindergartens, schools, institutes or healthcare facilities, many of which are inadequate for living. The rest are individually accommodated or rent living spaces. [UNDP, 2005]

Return to Top

Government Agencies

The Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia  is  the federal Ministry responsible for developing and enforcing laws on health, social security and labor including child labor. 

The Ministry of Education of Georgia is the federal  Ministry  responsible for developing and implementing all education policies and programs. 

Return to Top

Non-Government Agencies

During the last several years a number of non-governmental organizations, working in different fields, were established in Georgia. Despite the difficult economic and social situation in the country, these organizations have not only survived but with high enthusiasm and energy, they have begun to become more successful and influential. It's clear that the new-born Georgian NGOs will proceed with their activities and will create a real sector of NGOs in Georgia.  

The first civil society organizations in Georgia appeared in the 19th century, the most important of which was the Society for Promoting Literacy which, unlike existing trade and professional unions of the Soviet period, pursued cultural and educational goals. 

Since 1992 after Georgia gained independence, non-governmental organizations have flourished and as of 2005, over 6,000 registered NGOs existed in Georgia, the largest activity in the Caucasus. The creation of NGOs was encouraged by the representative offices of international development foundations, such as Open Society Georgia (Soros Foundation), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Nations, and foreign embassies in Georgia, which are even today the largest donors to NGOs.   

NGOs work on a broad array of issues, including the promotion of democracy and civil society, conflict settlement, development of local self-governance, child welfare, environmental protection, education, health care, disadvantaged people, professional unions, community unions, internally displaced persons, human rights, (children's, women's, and prisoners' rights), watchdog groups, etc. Some NGOs are engaged in auxiliary entrepreneurial activities in the education and service sectors and publish books for sale. NGO activity is based on its staff since the institution of ‘volunteering’ is largely undeveloped. 

NGOs have played a significant role in developing civil society and democracy in Georgia, and in launching reforms. The majority of developed NGOs are established in the capital with some operating in the regions. In recent years due to donor encouragement, NGOs with common interests have begun forming coalitions to achieve long-term goals, while others establish coalitions to implement particular projects. At the same time, NGOs cooperate with media outlets, business, and government agencies at both the central and local levels. 

Georgian legislation allows for two forms of NGOs - a union and a foundation. NGOs differ significantly by their level of organizational development. In practical terms, only one tenth of registered NGOs operate and only a small part of these are truly ‘developed’ in terms of organization: those that have equipment appropriate for its activities, office space, various sources of funding, delineated executive and supervisory functions, clearly defined mission and a staff employed on a permanent basis. NGO budgets mainly rely on foreign financing with a tiny share of local funds. There are few NGOs with membership fees comprising 15-50% of their budgets. [American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia]

Return to Top

Demographic Profile

The population of Georgia is 4,677,401 (2005 estimate), giving the country an average population density of 67 persons per sq km (174 per sq mi). Some 52 percent of the country’s inhabitants live in cities. Population is concentrated mainly along the coast of the Black Sea and in river valleys, especially the valley of the Kura River, where Tbilisi, the capital and largest city, is located. The next largest city, K’ut’aisi, is located on the upper Rioni River. Other important urban centers include Bat’umi and Sokhumi, which are the capitals of Ajaria and Abkhazia, and Rustavi, located on the Kura downstream from Tbilisi.

Nearly 100 different ethnic groups make up Georgia’s population. Georgians are the largest group, making up about 70 percent of the population, followed by Armenians (about 8 percent), Russians (about 6 percent), and Azerbaijanis (about 6 percent). Significant numbers of Ossetians, Greeks, and Abkhazians also reside in the republic.

Georgian has been the country’s official language since 1918, when Georgia briefly gained its independence. Georgian remained the official language of the republic during the Soviet period, although Russian predominated in communications from the central government in Moscow. Georgian is not spoken by many of the country’s ethnic minorities, such as the Ossetians and Abkhazians, who speak their own native languages and frequently Russian as well. Russian is the first language of about 9 percent of the population.

The Georgian identity has been closely tied to religion since the introduction of Christianity in the early 4th century. During the Soviet period, religious practice was strongly discouraged because the Soviet state was officially atheistic; however, the Georgian Orthodox Church was allowed to function openly.

Orthodox Christianity is the religion of about 58 percent of the Georgian population. About 19 percent of the country’s population is Muslim, with ethnic Azerbaijanis, Kurds, and Ajars (ethnic Georgians who converted to Islam in the 17th century) being the principal Muslim groups. Judaism is also practiced, although to a lesser extent.

Despite centuries of foreign domination, Georgia has maintained a distinct culture, one influenced by both Asian and European traditions. The Georgian language is one indication of this cultural individuality. Georgia’s ancient culture is evident in the republic’s architecture, which is renowned for the role it played in the development of the Byzantine style. [Encarta, 2005]

In 2006, Georgia's birth rate was 10.41 births per 1,000 population, its death rate was 9.23 deaths per 1,000. Life expectancy was 79.87 years for females and 72.8 years for males. In 2006 the infant mortality rate was 17.97 deaths per 10,000 live births. Georgia has a relatively old population with the media age being 37.7 years in 2006. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the Georgian population was aging slowly; the cohort under age nineteen shrank slightly and the cohort over sixty increased slightly as percentages of the entire population during that period. The Georgian and Abkhazian populations were the subjects of substantial international study by anthropologists and gerontologists because of the relatively high number of centenarians among them. In 2006, 16.5% of the population were 65 years or over, 66.2% were between the ages of 15 and 64, and 17.3% were below 15 years of age.

Return to Top

Social Protection

Georgia has a dual social insurance and social assistance program. Local authorities and employers can provide supplementary benefits out of their own budgets.  

Social insurance is available to all people residing in Georgia. Sources of funds for the program come from the insured person (1% of earnings), and employer (27% of payroll for state-owned and private-sector enterprises). The government provides subsidies as needed. The cost of the social assistance program is borne entirely by the government. These contributions also finance benefits for maternity, work injury, and dependents’ allowance.  

Old-age pension is available to employed persons from age 65 for men and age 60 for women. Social Pension is payable to an individual or to a family without other means of support. Other means of support include pension benefits, earned income by any family member, or assistance from relatives outside the immediate household. Local departments of labor and social protection determine eligibility. Old-age pensions in 2002-03, were 14 lari (US$ 7.7) a month, regardless of the duration of employment. Social pension were 18 lari (US$9.9) a month for a single person and 29 lari (US$16) per month for a family of two or more. The benefit amount is offset by 14 lari if one family member is eligible for old-age pension.  

The Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs provides general supervision and coordination. Local departments of labor and social protection administer the program. [SSA, 2003]

Return to Top

Child, Youth and Family Policy Regimes

Maternity Benefits

Maternity benefits are covered under the dual social insurance and social assistance program of the government. Cash benefits for maternity are available to employees; there is no minimum qualifying period. Maternity benefits include 100% of wages and is payable for 4 months before the expected date of childbirth. A mother is entitled to leave without pay for up to 8 weeks after childbirth; the leave may be extended to up to 3 years without pay to care for an infant. [SSA, 2003].  

According to the UN Development Program (UNDP) in 2005, employers frequently withhold benefits connected to pregnancy and childbirth. Some women have alleged being dismissed while on maternity leave though this is prohibited by law. Women are generally considered more expensive and less reliable workers because they have the right to take maternity leave. This tends to discourage women from taking the entire period of maternity leave they are entitled to.

Return to Top

Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

The only program for early childhood education in Georgia is preschool, which is integrated in the system of education. There are three types of pre-school institutions for children: nursery schools (up to three years age), combined kindergarten - nursery schools (from 1 to 6 years) and kindergartens (for children from 3 to 6 years).

There have been significant changes in the pre-school education system in Georgia since the breakup of the Soviet Union. Between 1990 and 1998, both the number of preschools and the number of children enrolled declined because of the economic crisis in Georgia. Most preschool institutions in the Soviet period were established at factories and other organizations, where children of employees were cared for during working hours. The economic depression destroyed this system, factories and organizations were either closed down or no longer able to maintain their kindergartens. As a result, trade pre-school institutions decreased from 805 to 47 in number between 1990 and 1998.

Gross enrolment ratio (GER) in early childhood programs indicate that in the whole country 41.1 percent of the age-group 3 to 5 population attended kindergartens in 1990 and the number fell down to 20.5 percent in 1994. Since 1995 the GER increased annually and had risen approximately 1.3 times by 1998. The enrolments in rural areas are two times lower then those in urban areas. The reason for this could be the poor network of preschool institutions in rural areas and the economical conditions of population in these areas that are worst then those in urban areas. In 2002/03, 43% of children aged 3-5 were enrolled in pre-primary education, an increase from 27% in 1998/99.

Private kindergartens began to appear after 1992. There are no official statistics about the number of private kindergartens mainly because a majority of them are not registered and simply operate from private flats. There seems to be a preference for private rather than state run preschools among parents. State run preschools subsidize costs on the condition that parents pay some part of the costs. The amount of fee depends on each pre-school institution, which sets the amount taking into account particular conditions and financial state of the child’s parents. Donated money is spent mainly on nutrition.

Return to Top

Child Education

Georgia has an adult literacy rate of 99.5 percent, a result of the Soviet emphasis on free and universal education. Georgians were among the most highly educated of all the nationalities in the former USSR. Since independence, however, all levels of education in Georgia have been seriously under funded, resulting in lower educational standards. Most schools are state operated and provide tuition-free education; however, a number of private schools have opened since the early 1990s. Education is compulsory from the first through twelfth grades, and most students enter the school system at age six.  

Under the 1997 Law on Education, school education comprises twelve grades: grades 1-6 primary school, grades 7-9 basic school, and grades 10-12 secondary education. The net enrolment ratio in primary education is fairly high owing to the school infrastructure inherited from the Soviet period. However, the overall economic downturn in the country has lead to a drop in this indicator. More specifically, inadequate budget allocations for education, outdated logistics, the population’s financial standing, and other factors have resulted in an increase of student dropouts. Net Primary Enrollment Ratio declined from 97% in 1990/91 to 89% in 2002/03.  

The education system takes into account the interests of national minorities. They can receive instruction in their mother tongue. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to provide adequate primary education in remote areas and in settlements with low population numbers. Budgeting procedures lack transparency, are undemocratic and inefficient. There is no tradition or practice of public monitoring. To address these issues, the Government’s Program of School Education Development has defined interventions to upgrade the quality and improve the efficiency of the school education system.  

A lack of adequate attention to the problem of access to education for handicapped children contradicts the principles spelled out in the Georgian Constitution, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other internal acts or international instruments. Paradoxically, the Law on Education and the model regulation of general education institutions adopted by the Ministry of Education do not provide special and inclusive education. 

Some of the significant challenges for school education include fitting classrooms and school laboratories with requisite equipment, the provision of visual aids, staffing schools with qualified professionals, the development and introduction of a new system of state examination and the provision of new textbooks and learning materials. Georgia’s education system realignment and strengthening aims to improve teaching and learning in primary, basic and secondary schools, upgrade students’ knowledge and skills to make them better equipped to meet the requirements of a market economy and a democratic society. The main objectives of education policy are the reorganization of the education system, decentralization of management, optimization of physical and financial resources, development of an information system enabling identification of relevant mechanisms and elaboration of recommendations to ensure effective management and monitoring.  

Return to Top

Child Health

Unfortunately, administrative data on nutritional status of children has not been gathered regularly in Georgia so far. The only available source is the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) jointly conducted by the State Department of Statistics, the National Centre for Disease Control and UNICEF in 1999. The survey suggests that the proportion of underweight children under five years of age in Georgia is 3.1%, which per se is not a bad indicator. The 1999 MICS Survey found acute and chronic malnutrition rates to be 2.3% and 11.7%, respectively. The nutritional status among children shows no gender disparity.. [UNDP, 2005] 

In recent years the under-five and infant mortality rates in Georgia have increased and are at fairly high levels compared to average figures for European Union (EU) countries. In 2000 the average under-five mortality rate in Europe constituted 12.6, in EU countries 5.7, in Georgia 24.9. The average infant mortality rates were 9.7, 4.7, and 22.6 respectively. For children under 5 years of age, the first year is the most critical. Infant mortality accounts for the bulk of deaths under the age of 5. 

In such conditions it is imperative to improve child and maternal health and decrease child and maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Within the context and efforts to improving general health status of the population, major importance is attached to ensuring an “encouraging start” for children. The latter envisages prioritizing special care and control over child health in the prenatal, perinatal and postnatal periods as an important determinant of child health and development in the future. Priority given to the protection of maternal and child health stems from the need to  bring up a healthy, harmoniously developed and socially active new generation. [UNDP, 2005]

The factors contributing to the high level of child mortality in Georgia include:

• Lack of access to and inadequacy of prenatal and perinatal services, hence to safe child-birth practices;

• Low level of mothers’ education and awareness of safe motherhood and early child care and development;

• Low awareness and utilization of existing health benefit packages by  women  and families;

• Inefficient pre and postnatal diagnosis, provision of genetic consultations;

• Inadequate medical assistance and care immediately after birth;

• Lack of appropriate monitoring of child’s health status;

• Inadequate management of common childhood diseases including low immunization rates;

• Inadequacy of training for medical personnel at the primary healthcare level and community mobilization initiatives;

• Non-existence of sustainable continuous education system for pediatricians and neonatalogists.

HIV/AIDS

The first HIV/AIDS case was detected in Georgia in 1989. As of 2003, adult prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS was 0.2%; 3000 persons were living with HIV/AIDS and less than 200 had died. Persons with HIV/AIDS are mostly young drug users in the age group of 21 to 36 years. Most cases of HIV are transmitted through needle sharing among injecting drug users.

Georgia is classified among countries with low HIV/AIDS prevalence. AIDS does not appear to have a major share in the current pattern of morbidity and mortality. However, the study of possible risk factors (high prevalence of intravenous drug users, high-risk sexual behaviour coupled with other social, economic, geographic and cultural factors) indicate that conditions in Georgia might lead to a rapid spread of HIV/AIDS. It is worth mentioning that the incidence of new cases of HIV infection has increased twelve times between 1996 and 2003.

The government has set up the HIV/AIDS/STI Control Commission which is responsible for implementing national AIDS control policies and fostering effective inter-sectoral coordination. The Minister of Labor, Health and Social Protection chairs the Commission.

The National HIV/AIDS Control Program was launched in 1994 with a focus on detection of new HIV infections. Another national program, the Blood Safety Program, began in May 1997 and was designed to detect risk groups. In 1999, both programs were integrated as the AIDS Control, Blood Safety and STI Prevention Program. The AIDS Centre, under the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs implements the national AIDS control program.

The HIV/AIDS control program undertakes the following activities: testing of risk groups, health education, publication and dissemination of information related to HIV/AIDS, test lab monitoring, and working with HIV-infected persons by providing legal protection, psychological rehabilitation, etc.

In 1995 the parliament passed the law HIV/AIDS Control Regulation in Georgia with amendments and additions in November 2000. The final version came into effect in January 2001. Some of the  provisions in the law included government responsibility for HIV/AIDS control, equitable access to health care, protection of the rights and interests of people with HIV/AIDS and observance of personal freedoms.

Return to Top

Special Groups of Children

Child Labor

There are laws and policies to protect children from exploitation in the workplace, but the government has not been able to implement them effectively. The Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs is responsible for enforcing laws regulating child labor. The actual enforcement of these laws is questionable, although child labor is not considered a serious problem.

Return to Top

Child Trafficking

Although the law prohibits trafficking in persons, the country is a source, transit point, and destination for trafficked persons. There is evidence that local officials facilitate trafficking.   

Return to Top

Notes

* Research and Reported by Manita C. Rao
 

References

Georgia: Country Report on Human Rights (2005); Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor; US Department of State; Washington D.C. ; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61649.htm

The Library of Congress (2005); A Country Study: Georgia; Federal Research Division, Library of Congress; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs/getoc.html

United Nations Development Program (2004); Millennium Development Goals in Georgia; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.undp.org.ge/news/Georgiamdg.pdf

One World, UK (2005); Country Guide: Georgia; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://uk.oneworld.net/article/archive/8234#Politics

Human Development Report (2005); Country Sheet: Georgia; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/countries.cfm?c=GEO

Georgia (country); Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2005 http://encarta.msn.com  © 1997-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Education for All – 2000 Assessment; The Ministry of Education of Georgia International Program; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www2.unesco.org/wef/countryreports/georgia/contents.html#cont

Education in Georgia: Statistics in Brief (2003); UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.uis.unesco.org/profiles/EN/EDU/countryProfile_en.aspx?code=2720

Georgia (2003); Social Security Administration; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/progdesc/ssptw/2002-2003/asia/georgia.pdf

Georgia Investment Guide (2005-2006); American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia; Retrieved from the World Wide Web at http://www.investmentguide.ge/pages/country_overview/politics/society/ngo/