The Daily Beat:18 May
“Lifting of the air travel ban and visa regime signals Russia’s intention to deepen cooperation with Georgia,” the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, Sergey Katyrin, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta. In an interview, Sergey Katyrin praised the creation of the Russia-Georgia business council and spoke in favor of exploring a railway connection within the Silk Road route, linking China, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia, allowing long-term gas and oil supply contracts at stable and predictable prices. A Russian official emphasized the railway transit potential of Abkhazia as crucial for the Silk Road network, adding that it would also relieve the burden on Upper Lars (the only operational border crossing point between Russia and Georgia) and reduce the delivery costs.
Over a hundred NGOs issued a joint statement, slamming the government’s authorization of Russia-Georgian flights and accusing the authorities of sabotaging Georgia’s EU candidacy. In a joint statement, NGOs reminded the government of the EU’s ban on Russian flights and the commitments under the association agreement, adding, “Russian plane does not land in EU.” Local watchdogs also point to the problem of mass Russian influx and the sharp price rise, saying that Georgian people will continue to suffer due to the government’s such foreign policy course.
The first Russian flight operated by “Azimut Airlines” is expected to land at Tbilisi international airport at midday. Opposition parties like “Droa,” “Girchi,” and “Strategy Agmashenebeli,” also joined by civic activists, are reading to meet the first Russian flight with a protest rally in an attempt to demonstrate the public’s disapproval over the resumption of flights.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his success in presidential and parliamentary elections by phone, wishing him a successful runoff. According to the prime minister’s press office, during the phone conversation PM Garibashvili lauded Erdoğan’s personal contribution to bilateral strategic partnership and regional development.
Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, admitted the hesitation of the authorities to greenlight the president’s visit to Brussels, scheduled for 31 May. “We fear that the President’s visit and her statements will harm our aspirations to gain candidate status [for EU membership]. You heard the president’s statements at the parliament when she delivered her annual report, so you will agree these statements directly contradict Georgia’s desire to receive candidate status in December,” Kobakhidze said. The ruling party chair also stressed that if deemed counterproductive to its foreign policy objectives, the government has the full constitutional right not to approve the president’s visit. The president applied for the government’s consent to visit Brussels on 27 April and has not yet received a positive reply.
“The US and EU-funded NGOs are a tool to influence Nicaragua’s state processes and destabilize the domestic politics,” – Denis Moncada, Nicaraguan foreign affairs minister, shared his wisdom with de facto host Inal Ardzinba in Sokhumi. Denis Ronaldo Moncada’s visit to occupied Abkhazia coincided with the 30th anniversary of establishing the occupied Abkhazia’s so-called foreign ministry. According to Abkhaz and Russian media reports, Moncada participated in a special anniversary event held at Abkhaz MFA and attended by the de-facto leader, Aslan Bjania. Nicaragua recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008.
The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary, comprising some 40 CSOs, negatively assessed the election of the three non-judge members of the High Council of Justice (HCoJ) by the ruling party and some opposition MPs. “When trust in the judiciary is critically low, it was crucial to elect candidates who properly identify the main problem in the judicial system: clan-based governance,” the Coalition said, stressing that the appointment of impartial and competent candidates as non-judge members of the HCoJ is one of the EU recommendations. According to CSOs’ statement, interviews with the elected candidates revealed a lack of knowledge and understanding of key challenges in the judiciary system.
Yesterday we mistakenly wrote that the ruling party chair, Irakli Kobakhidze, spoke to Imedi TV, it was Georgian Public Broadcaster. We are sorry.
