Tbilisi Mayor responds to British Embassy’s statement about Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, September 29
Tbilisi Mayor Davit Narmania has responded to a statement of the British Embassy regarding the upcoming Georgia-Wales football match, which says that there is lack of public toilets in Georgia also adding that there have been some reports of sexual assaults by taxi drivers after dark.
In response, the Mayor said that Tbilisi is a very friendly and safe city.
“People are very friendly towards tourists, foreigners, and visitors. So I do not see any substantial threats in this regard,” he said.
As for the toilets, Narmania says that during concerts and matches, bio toilets are placed in the streets.
“I would like to say that everything will be considered and this will be a high-standard match,” he added.
The Head of the Georgian National Tourism Agency (GNTA), Giorgi Chogovadze, also commented on the issue and expressed hope that the attitude of the embassy towards Georgia will change.
“We will consider the statement of the embassy as a misunderstanding or over-caution. The precedents mentioned in the statement have not taken place towards any British citizens,” said Chogovadze.
The Georgia-Wales 2018 FIFA World Cup European qualifier match will be held at the Dinamo Arena in Tbilisi on October 6.
The British Embassy in Georgia released the statement on September 26, giving some recommendations to the British citizens regarding the country and the match.
The statement reads that crime levels in Tbilisi are generally low, but muggings do occur from time to time after dark in the center of the city, particularly around bars and clubs and near dimly lit entrances of private apartments.
The embassy tells its citizens not to take much money with them, do not walk alone, respect local traditions and the national religion.
The statement also warns the British to be careful while crossing roads, adding that accidents are common, mainly due to poor or reckless driving and inconsistent enforcement of traffic rules.
