Saakashvili in Odessa

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details No.40, September 2015
Publication Date 18/09/2015
ISSN 2315-1129
Content Type

Issue Alert by Nicu Popescu.

Odessa has served as a spring board for foreign politicians before. The governor of the region between 1803 and 1814, Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, went on to serve as prime minister of France twice. But (temporarily) hosting for a former president is something new.

The appointment of Mikheil Saakashvili, a former President of Georgia – a restless yet error-prone reformer – as Governor of the region of Odessa Oblast in May 2015 was a gamble. Much of Ukraine’s trade passes through Odessa, the country’s fourth-largest city. And following the loss of Crimea and the blocking of Mariupol’s access to the sea, Odessa has become even more vital. In both political and economic terms, the Black Sea port city is well placed to become one of Ukraine’s powerhouses – or one of its biggest headaches.

Source Link Link to Main Source https://publications.europa.eu/s/dnCu
Related Links
ESO: Background information: The battle for reform in Kyiv http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-battle-for-reform-in-kyiv/
Wikipedia: Mikheil Saakashvili https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikheil_Saakashvili
The Guardian, 27.10.15: Putin’s nemesis: Can Mikheil Saakashvili survive long enough to make a difference? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/27/mikheil-saakashvili-putins-nemesis-ukraine
The Guardian, 30.05.15: Ukraine appoints Georgia ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili governor of Odessa http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/30/ukraine-appoints-georgia-ex-president-mikheil-saakashvili-governor-of-odessa
BBC News, 01.06.15: Georgia ex-leader Saakashvili gives up citizenship for Ukraine http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32969052
Politico, 04.11.15: Ukraine’s most popular politician http://www.politico.eu/article/ukraines-mikhail-saakashvili-most-popular-politician/
Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 18.02.16: The Odessa Project http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=62815

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