__Abstract__
Georgia
is
still
deeply
entrenched
in
economic
and
social
transformation
processes
through
which
it
tries
to
shake
off
soviet
hierarchical
and
state
led
economic
and
societal
structures
and
to
become
a
pluralist
democratic
state
with
a
modern
market
economy.
Advances
in
the
past
decade
have
been
spectacular
on
certain
fronts,
notably
improving
the
rule
of
law,
combat
corruption
and
liberalizing
the
economy,
opening
up
to
FDI
and
seeking
to
integrate
in
the
world
economy,
while
at
the
same
time
cushioning
the
impacts
of
large
scale
privatization
and
deregulation
reforms
on
the
predominantly
rural
poor
