Many, if not most, countries adhere to the principle of non-interference in others’ internal affairs. China and Russia stressed this in their recent joint statement. It is one of the six “fundamental principles” of the Association of South-East Asian Nations, it has traditionally been the policy of the Arab League, and it was “reaffirmed” as a principle by the foreign ministers of the G77 group at a meeting at the UN in 2022.
Western countries such as the US and the UK don’t use the exact same words – it would be hard for them to do so after their history of disastrous interventions, Iraq and Libya in particular – but they don’t like outsiders interfering in their domestic discussions either. Witness the outrage after then president Barack Obama intervened in the debate over Brexit by saying in 2016 that the UK would be at “the back of the queue” for a trade deal with the US should Britain leave the EU. The previous year, the Democratic Party was in a ferment when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a speech to the US Congress in which he criticised the Obama administration’s approach to Iran.
This very weekend, the government of Spain reacted with fury when Argentine President Javier Milei attacked Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his wife at a far-right rally in Madrid. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, stated that Mr Milei had broken with all diplomatic customs. “Mutual respect and non-interference is an unbreakable principle of democracy,” he said.
So this makes it all the more astonishing that the foreign ministers of Latvia, Estonia, Iceland and Lithuania turned up in Tbilisi last week and not only took part in a protest rally against Georgia’s democratically elected government, but three of them sat on the rostrum in the front of the crowd as well. Far from batting an eyelid, a host of western leaders joined in the criticism of the Georgian government.
It is a reasonable assumption that the Georgian NGOs that western and EU leaders are so worried about are receiving their foreign funding from, mainly, the US and the EU
Quite apart from being extraordinarily rude and undiplomatic, this was a blatant expression of interference in Georgia’s internal affairs. Can one possibly imagine Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attending a march against US President Joe Biden in Washington, or an Indonesian foreign minister protesting against the government of a neighbouring country in its capital? It’s unthinkable. Yet these European ministers had no qualms about this display of the utmost disrespect towards the Georgian Dream coalition government, which since 2012 has won every general election – in polls that US-based Freedom House describes as “regular and competitive”.
What they are objecting to is a recently passed bill that they claim could stand in the way of Georgia’s eventual accession to the EU. The law stipulates that NGOs and independent media that get more than 20 per cent of their funding from foreign sources would have to register as “organisations serving the interests of a foreign power”. (The bill has been vetoed by President Salome Zourabichvili but is expected to pass again and become law.) Now 20 per cent is a considerable proportion, and one would have thought it would be easy for groups wishing to avoid this label to shave a bit off the outsider funding, and make do with 19 per cent, perhaps. But the fact that there is such an outcry suggests that many of these NGOs feel they can’t survive without the foreign funding.
And why would any country find that acceptable? Shouldn’t civil society groups be organic, and spring from the country they are in? If ordinary Georgians aren’t supporting these NGOs, or not enough to keep them going, are they genuine expressions of what Georgians actually want? Why are they so necessary? Shouldn’t the laws of the market apply to them too – if they can’t sustain themselves, they go bust. I’d go so far as to say that any NGO with a domestic political agenda should be banned from receiving any foreign funding at all, because it’s not for foreigners to meddle in a country’s internal politics – that is the principle of non-interference. This is a view held widely around the world, certainly in Malaysia, where I live, and where accusations of foreign funding are hugely damaging and always hastily denied.
The Speaker of Georgia’s Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has explained on social media the rational for the legislation, and denies it is meant to copy a Russian law that some have interpreted as an attempt to shut down internal opposition. “Georgia has to deal with dramatic foreign challenges mostly on its own,” he wrote.
“One of these challenges is unaccountable foreign money, which freely flows into Georgia’s political system, including the radical groups. The new legislation on transparency of foreign influence is to deal with this challenge. The legislation has precedents in the West, is constitutional, proportional, and within the limits of democratic governance. Simply calling this law ‘Russian’ does not make it undemocratic, and, moreover, does not justify attacks on the Georgian government.”
There are indeed precedents in the West. Britain recently introduced the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, to enable “transparency of foreign influence in UK politics”. In the US, under the Foreign Agents Registration Act the former senator Bob Dole has had to register as a “foreign agent” for his work for other countries. It sounds a little sinister, and also a bit demeaning for a man who stood for both the presidency and the vice presidency for the Republican Party. But that’s the law.
We don’t have the figures to hand. But it is a reasonable assumption that the Georgian NGOs that western and EU leaders are so worried about are receiving their foreign funding from, mainly, the US and the EU. And what the latter are saying is that when they are pushing their agenda, it should not have to be declared – presumably because their agenda is self-evidently “good”. (Naturally the same would not apply to China or Russia.) Accountability is apparently not necessary in their case.
So the story is completely back to front. I don’t believe that US and EU leaders are defending the path to European integration in Georgia – for since when has that involved the right to receive unlimited, undisclosed foreign funding? Neither is it about democracy; there is a general election due in October, and if voters don’t like this law they can kick the government out.
I think the truth is that the EU and western organisations and individuals are demanding they have the right to interfere in Georgian politics – because that’s what this is – without ordinary Georgians knowing about it.
And if that’s an expression of “European values”, I’ll take “Asian values” instead any day of the week.
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
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The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
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Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Brief scoreline:
Crystal Palace 2
Milivojevic 76' (pen), Van Aanholt 88'
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
2020 Oscars winners: in numbers
- Parasite – 4
- 1917– 3
- Ford v Ferrari – 2
- Joker – 2
- Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood – 2
- American Factory – 1
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- Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You're a Girl) – 1
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- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner AF Nashrah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner Mutaqadim, Riccardo Iacopini, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
6pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Jose Santiago, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
6.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner AF Almomayaz, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
7pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner Dalil Al Carrere, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash.
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8pm Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner Jayide Al Boraq, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
