Author: Goga Akhalkatsi

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday discussed the positive decision of the European Commission to recommend the European Council to grant Georgia the European Union membership candidate status. In a phone conversation, Scholz positively assessed the progress achieved by Georgia on its path to European integration, which was confirmed by the Commission’s decision, and said his country would continue to support Georgia’s EU integration. Garibashvili said his country was waiting for the confirmation of the Commission’s positive recommendation from the European Council in December, which would take Georgia to “a new stage” of…

As widely reported, France has recently agreed to sell an advanced air defence system, the Thales GM 200, to Armenia. In addition, the two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding according to which France will sell Armenia the Mistral short-range air defence system sometime in the future. Armenia, however, is already covered by a joint air-defence system with Russia. This was agreed between the two countries in 2015, and in 2016 the Armenian parliament ratified the agreement. One might reasonably question why a NATO member is selling advanced technology to a member of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Russia’s…

Providing 20% of the EU heat demand with district heating by 2030 would save 24 billion cubic meters of gas, representing 32% of Europe’s Russian gas imports in 2022. Decisive EU action is needed to leverage this potential.  The Ukrainian crisis was the wake-up call we needed to finally grasp the urgency of reducing Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels, and address the decarbonisation of our heating and cooling sector. Space heating & cooling and hot water supply in buildings represent about 31% of the EU’s primary energy consumption with over 75% coming from fossil fuels. Despite a successful reduction of…

On December 6 a top U.S. diplomat made a visit to Azerbaijan against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between the two countries. The visit was received positively by Azerbaijani officials and media, but there is no sign that the hunt for “U.S. spies” in the country is about to let up. Elsewhere on the same day, President Ilham Aliyev issued a warning to France and India against arming Armenia, saying that doing so increases the chance of more war. Aliyev’s reception of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien was the first high-level meeting between the two countries since the sides…

The Georgian National Tourism Administration on Friday said CNN travel had included the country’s capital city of Tbilisi among its list of European towns and cities that are “magical at Christmas”. The list covers towns and cities ranging from Austria’s Vienna to Sweden’s Gothenburg that “revel in Christmas like no other place”. The travel section of the outlet describes Tbilisi as a “number one festive destination” with a “vast” Christmas tree unveiled on the central Rustaveli Avenue, nearby Christmas Village and markets among festive highlights. The main day of celebration here is December 31, when locals exchange gifts and a wild, impromptu…

According to the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), Levan Petriashvili, who was illegally detained by the Russian occupation forces near the Tskhinvali occupation line in the village of Ergneti, Gori municipality, is free and in the territory controlled by the Central Government. Petriashvili was detained on May 15. According to Radio Tavisupleba, after his arrest, his friend Archil Basanidze was also illegally arrested for crossing the occupation line, and the de-facto court in occupied Tskhinvali region ordered both of them to be remanded in custody on May 29. Basanidze was released on October 25. To secure Petriashvili’s release from illegal detention, the SSSG actively used the Hotline mechanism,…

More than half of Georgian Dream’s donors have ties to alcohol-producing companies, many of which have received government subsidies, loans, or contracts. This is according to the newsletter published by Transparency International – Georgia, a watchdog. The newsletter provides a quarterly overview of the donations made by political parties from July 1 to September 30, 2023. According to TI-Georgia, altogether the parties received a total of GEL 1,901,299 during the reporting period, four times more than in the previous quarter (GEL 453,336). Georgian Dream got 65% of these donations – GEL 1,238,000, up from GEL 778,000 the previous quarter. The United National…

Brussels (3/12) Governments may be doing great while the people suffer. Bombing of the Nordstream 2 pipeline, carrying cheap Russian natural gas to industry and consumers in Europe, is exerting a cascading effect on companies and employment, eventually to be reflected in rising places and sharpening inflation. Russia is steadily experiencing price increases for a variety of goods and services, Russian media report. Is there obviously not a link to the sanctions placed on Russia and the seizure of Russian funds and savings abroad? Punishment for Russia’s “Special Military Operation” to purportedly protect Russian-speaking citizens in eastern Ukraine from state…

A new public opinion poll commissioned by the International Republican Institute (IRI) and released on November 15 shows strong support of Georgian citizens for EU and NATO membership. The polls also show support towards Georgian Dream party, pro-Western foreign policy and further dialogue with Russia. 54% of respondents said that the country is heading in the wrong direction, while 39% noted that it is going in the right direction. The figures happen to be improved compared to the previous poll conducted in April 2023. 55% of respondents consider economy and unemployment to be the most important problem facing Georgia, based on their first and second…

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday said his country and Georgia could present themselves as a “united, strategically important team in Europe”, Azerbaijani media outlet Trend.az reported. Azerbaijan and Georgia are close partners. Our partnership is not [only] confined to energy”, Aliyev noted, stressing that “significant” issues were discussed during his and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s “regular” visits between the two countries. Azerbaijan “fully” understands Georgia’s desire to join the European Union and wishes “Georgian friends” success in this regard, he added. Aliyev congratulated Georgia on the European Commission’s recommendation to the European Council last month to grant the…