Author: Goga Akhalkatsi

Kenes Rakishev. An entrepreneur, philanthropist, former special envoy for Kazakhstan, head of the Kazakh boxing federation, a family man, and most importantly, a man of success. The backstory of Kenes Rakishev and his philanthropies is a complex one, with multiple factors and numerous actors involved. The 40-something Kazakh is an interesting study of human success. Ultra boyishly shy, he is the poster boy of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s “New Kazakhstan” vision for the future and better Kazakhstan. He received his education in the UK, fortunately married into the Kazakhstan elite clan and positioned quietly in the affairs of the state. Kenes’…

Silk Road Real Estate, a prominent real estate management company in Georgia, has announced the issuance of a US$20 million bond as the first tranche of a two-part issuance worth US$40 million. The three-year maturity bond carries a coupon of 9.00% p.a. (gross). The company is expected to issue the second tranche later this year, and with the bond issuance, Silk Road Real Estate will become a publicly listed company on the Georgian Stock Exchange. The first tranche of US$ 20 million offers a coupon of 9.00% p.a. (gross) with a maturity of 3 years. The second US$ 20 million…

Deep in the foggy wilds of the Papuan highlands, a platoon of Indonesian soldiers was combing the jungle, looking to rescue a New Zealand pilot who had been held by armed separatists for weeks and used as a pawn in a decadeslong conflict. Then the treeline came alive. The West Papua Liberation Army (TPNPB), an armed and fierce group of independence fighters, attacked the Indonesian soldiers’ military post in the northeastern corner of Papua’s Nduga regency on Saturday. At least six government soldiers were killed, while 21 others fled into the jungle, according to military and media reports. In a statement…

Georgia’s European Union integration and France’s support in this regard were discussed on Friday in a meeting between Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Catherine Colonna, the French Foreign Minister. Zourabichvili highlighted that the French FM’s visit was “very important” for Georgia especially at this stage, in the process of implementation of the EU recommendations for granting the country the membership candidate status, the Presidential Administration said. Georgia cannot accept a second refusal regarding the candidate status [from the EU], it will be hard to understand [for Georgians] and counterproductive message [from Europe]”, she added. Colonna said “It is pleasing to…

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CN) — Russia must pay 130 million euros ($143 million) to Georgia for killing civilians, torture and looting during the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, Europe’s top rights court ruled Friday. The money judgment for Tbilisi, which lost hundreds of lives and saw hundreds of thousands displaced during the five-day conflict, follows a 2021 determination from the Strasbourg-based court that Russia had allowed torture, illegal detention and pillaging by militia groups operating in the area When Russia invaded its neighbor, in what marked the first European war of the 21st century, it offered as a pretext that Georgia was committing genocide against Russian-speaking…

Catherine Colonna, the French Foreign Minister, on Friday arrived in Georgia to mark the first trip of a French top diplomat to Tbilisi in five years, as the visiting official was welcomed by Teimuraz Janjalia, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia. The Ministry said Janjalia welcomed Colonna at Tbilisi International Airport and noted the French FM would meet with her Georgian counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili before a joint press briefing. She will also meet the country’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and President Salome Zourabichvili. The visit comes as part of the French top diplomat’s South Caucasus trip. She will arrive in Baku and…

Four trial judges from the country of Georgia visited Cobb Superior Court the week of April 24, 2023, to observe jury trials and study the judicial process. The visit marks the post-pandemic resumption of a cooperative effort that has been ongoing since 2017 between the Georgian judiciary; the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs; the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia; and the State of Georgia’s Administrative Office of the Courts. The program was developed to promote the transparency and independence of the Georgian judiciary, assist their judiciary in court and jury trial management, and strengthen…

London, Brussels (27/04 – 33) Kazakh entrepreneur and philanthropist Kenes Rakishev’s acquired company, Oxus Acquisition Corp. and Borealis Foods Inc. announced the signing of a definitive business combination agreement in February this year. This alliance is expected to result in a newly combined company under the name Borealis Foods Inc. Upon the signing, the company will continue to be led by Borealis’ CEO and co-founder Reza Soltanzadeh, and chairman and co-Founder Barthelemy Helg. The boards of directors of Borealis and Oxus have each unanimously approved the proposed $150 million transaction. Borealis is a food technology company that has created ramen meals that…

Jailed Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili has vowed to go on hunger strike again after a court hearing into his jail term was postponed. Saakashvili, 54, has been in a Georgian jail for more than a year, convicted of abuse of power while in office. He has not been seen in public since April, and has reportedly suffered significant weight loss and is unable to move without assistance. Wednesday’s hearing was cancelled because no video link was set up. The court in Tbilisi had been due to consider whether to suspend his sentence or release him on humanitarian grounds for medical…

The West is changing its attitude towards the problem of Kosovo and Metohija in a beneficial direction for Serbia, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on March 26 in an interview with the Kurir newspaper. With its strong arguments, Serbia forced the West to put pressure on Pristina to form the Community of Serbian Municipalities, Dacic said. “They are changing their attitude to the problem, which is good and useful for Serbia, we forced them to change their attitude to the problem, because we had a strong argument. This had an impact because Serbia, unlike…