Author: Vasil Iarajuli

Hungary is now forced to look for new ways to import oil and gas, since the previous ones were disrupted as a result of the conflict in Ukraine, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations of Hungary, Peter Szijjártó said, Azernews reports. “Serious opportunities are opening up in this area thanks to cooperation with Türkiye, Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia. Therefore, we need new connections, new supply routes, and the Turkic states offer a very good opportunity to become a bridge between East and West,” Szijjarto said. He also noted that Hungary has signed a contract with Türkiye, according…

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov on Friday discussed trade, economic relations and perspectives of future cooperation in their meeting in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi. The Administration of the Government of Georgia said the meeting noted trade and economy as two of the “important areas” in the bilateral cooperation between the countries, as Bulgaria remained in the top 10 trade partners of Georgia. The Administration said the officials expressed their willingness to expand investment cooperation in various sectors of the economy. The body also noted the officials acknowledged their intention to continue…

Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze on Saturday said the European Mobility Week, hosted in Tbilisi starting from today till Friday, aimed to raise awareness of sustainable urban mobility, promoting travel by public transport, walking and cycling. Mikautadze noted that sustainable mobility and energy saving would “ultimately” have a positive impact on Georgia’s sustainable future and energy security and encourage the creation of a healthy and clean environment, the Economy Ministry said. He added that a large share of energy consumption came from transport, which “once again” demonstrated the need for popularisation of clean and alternative means of mobility. Within…

Several European countries say they will examine concerns the iPhone 12 is emitting too much electromagnetic radiation, after France ordered Apple to stop sales. Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany are now also looking into the issue. France’s regulator has given the tech giant two weeks to respond to its probe, which German authorities say could lead to Europe-wide measures. Apple said it had provided proof it was complying with radiation regulations. France’s National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) said on Tuesday that radiation tests on the iPhone 12 had come back higher than allowed. The halt on French sales “could have a…

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is on his way home Sunday from Russia, ending a six-day trip that triggered global concerns about weapons transfer deals between the two countries locked in separate standoffs with the West. Kim’s armored train departed to the sound of the Russian patriotic march song “Farewell of Slavianka” at the end of a farewell ceremony at a railway station in Artyom, a far eastern Russian city about 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the border with North Korea, Russia’s state news agency RIA reported. Senior officials including Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources…

As a successful harvesting season yielding several hundred tons of lavender oil wraps up in Bulgaria—the world’s top producer—the industry’s future looks more gray than purple. With a global production glut already weighing on prices, Bulgarian distillers now fear new EU regulations will further crimp business. While the European Union has offered to pause the implementation of the bloc’s revised regulations restricting harmful chemical substances, the clock is ticking. Nikolay Nenkov, head of Galen-N distillery—one of the biggest in Bulgaria—is worried that he will soon have to affix health warning labels featuring off-putting slogans to his vials of lavender oil. “We…

The Croatian company Span has been well known on the domestic scene for a long time now, and it’s now opened a company in Georgia. As Poslovni Dnevnik/Josipa Ban writes, the Croatian company Span, otherwise one of the leading domestic IT companies currently operating, is expanding its operations to Georgia. As they announced on the Zagreb Stock Exchange recently, the procedure for establishing Span with its new headquarters in Georgia has now officially been initiated. “Back when TOV Span was founded in Ukraine, we received Microsoft Licensing Solution Provider status for both Georgia and Moldova. The intention of the company following the…

Last December’s EU Council vote on welcoming Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania to the border-free Schengen zone was supposed to be a victorious moment for the bloc. Showing unity after a year of political and economic hardship, as well as highlighting that the bloc still had the political capacity to further integrate Balkan states into the European project. Although Croatia brought in the new year by joining both the eurozone and Schengen zone one month after their successful entry bid, their Balkan partners were not so fortunate. Citing concerns about failures to fully implement EU standards on the rule of law, alongside…

Prince Daniel of Sweden is shutting down speculation that his marriage to Crown Princess Victoria is on the rocks. On Tuesday, The Times reported that the 49-year-old royal debunked the gossip in a rare interview with SVT, Sweden’s national public broadcaster. The comments came in the televised special “Prince Daniel 50 years,” local outlet Expressen reported, which aired ahead of his 50th birthday on Sept. 15. During the sit down, Daniel spoke about the reports of impending divorce that emerged last year. The couple later made a statement disputing the allegations. “Many friends from across Sweden and overseas have got in touch and things arrived at a certain point…

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said Georgia would be leading the countries aspiring to join the European Union in terms of its readiness by 2030. Kobakhidze’s comment followed a statement by Charles Michel, the European Council President, who on Monday said the EU “must be ready” for enlargement by 2030. The Georgian official said Michel’s mentioning of a “specific year” in the comment was “important”, and noted candidate countries who had been aspiring to join the bloc over the recent decades. The ruling party head said Georgia had “made progress” in terms of…