Author: Vasil Iarajuli

Pankisi, a wooded valley in the Caucasus Mountains, was labeled a refuge for terrorists. All I found was life-changing food and hospitality. We were down to the last slice of khachapuri when our host, Leila Achishvili, said something that made me put down my fork: “Everyone thinks we’re terrorists here.” We’d been talking about the situation in Pankisi, a remote valley in northeastern Georgia where I’d come to write about the food. Pleated nettle dumplings, pumpkin-honey flatbread, plump beefy noodles called zhizhig galnash—these hyperlocal dishes were some of the most distinctive (and delicious-sounding) in Georgia, yet nobody seemed to know anything about them.…

Advocates say they’re emulating the best Western practices. Critics fear the inspiration comes from Russia. A group of MPs close to Georgia’s ruling party is pushing for the creation of a register of “agents of foreign influence” for foreign-funded non-governmental entities, in what critics see as the government’s attempt to crack down on critical watchdogs. On New Year’s Eve, the People’s Power movement, led by MPs who formally quit the ruling Georgian Dream party last year, announced their intention to table a bill that would compel foreign-funded NGOs to register as foreign influence agents. The group claims the bill copies…

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Saturday congratulated the citizens on National Flag Day, highlighting it as “one of the most important” symbols of Georgian statehood. The Georgian flag has been an “expression” of Georgian identity, “national spirit and unique culture”, tracing the history of the country that every citizen has been proud of, Garibashvili noted in his social media post. Our flag unites the history of our country [Georgia] and people, the values that we have protected for centuries and will always do. Our people have worked hard to get to where we are today and we have achievements…