The Daily Beat: 17 July
The acting Polish Ambassador to Georgia, Mariusz Pietrzak, was summoned to the foreign ministry over the incident involving a Polish doctor at the VivaMedi clinic. Last Friday, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze alleged that one of the Polish doctors who arrived in Georgia to study the health condition of Mikheil Saakashvili tried to “covertly sneak” a sample taken from the ex-president. Minister Bregadze also provided video footage of the incident.
Speaking to the media at “Mountain Days – 2023,” Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili questioned the need for NATO membership in case Russia is defeated in Ukraine. “Apart from the fact that they said [at the Summit] that MAP [for Ukraine] is no longer needed, we heard direct statements that Ukraine cannot become a member of NATO until … it defeats Russia. I have a question, if Ukraine defeats Russia, what use [does it have for NATO membership]? – said PM Garibashvili rhetorically.
Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov, arrived with an official visit to Georgia, holding tête-à-tête and extended format meetings with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. According to the government’s press service, prime ministers discussed trade relations, investment opportunities, and Georgia’s transit potential, including the importance of the “middle corridor.” Aripov and Garibashvili agreed to exchange successful reforms experience and further boost trade and business ties between the countries.
According to “Formula TV,” the court released a person charged with attacking Formula TV journalist Salome Bokuchava under the bail of GEL 3,000. TV company reported that the prosecutor’s office demanded bail of GEL 5,000. Reportedly, Salomea Bokuchava was covering the rape case of a 13-year-old girl when she was attacked and interfered with her journalistic activity.
National Tourism Administration reported that the number of international visitors in the first half of the year is up by 75.9% compared to the same period of the previous year. According to the Tourism Administration data, 2.86 million international travelers visited Georgia in January-June, indicating a 74% recovery of pre-pandemic data.
