The Daily Beat: 27 October
PM Irakli Garibashvili hosted a trilateral meeting with the participation of the Prime Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Tbilisi, reiterating Georgia’s role as a neutral mediator interested in regional peace and stability. “Georgia is interested in establishing lasting peace and stability in our region, and we are ready to participate in peace efforts,” said Irakli Garibashvili at the construction site of the Azerbaijan State Drama Theatre. Armenian and Azerbaijani Prime Ministers Nikol Pashinyan and Ali Asadov visited Georgia, attending the opening of the 4th Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.
The First Vice-Speaker of the Parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party, Gia Volski, decried the statement of the US Assistant Secretary, James O’Brien, voiced during a senate hearing on Black Sea security, saying, “his statements have always been hostile to Georgia.” On October 25, the Assistant Secretary told the senate subcommittee that the majority of Georgians want to be in the EU, but “the question is whether a small group of businesses and others, who do have some political influence, prefer being in a grey area, sort of between Russian and the West.”
The Russian airline “Red Wings” announced the expansion of the geography of flights to Georgian cities. According to information published on the website, from December, “Red Wings” will operate 23 weekly flights to Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi. “Red Wings” plans to operate flights to Georgian cities from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Samara, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, and Sochi.
The imprisoned ex-President, Mikheil Saakashvili, appeared at a court hearing via video link, addressing his supporters about the property owned by Russian citizens in Georgia. In his video address, jailed ex-president Saakashvili claimed that Russians living in Georgia should be given a one-year period to sell the apartments they own, and under a special state program, Georgian citizens living abroad should purchase this real estate on preferential terms. In a video appearance, Saakashvili seemed slightly refreshed and in better health than a few months ago. In recent weeks, Saakashvili has been actively commenting on Georgian politics.
Formula TV revealed an alleged business link between the Georgian Railway and the US-sanctioned Russian company. According to Formula TV, on March 30, 2023, the Georgian Railway signed a GEL 3 million contract with the intermediary company TAVRIDA ELECTRO SYSTEMS, which, according to the tender documents, is due to purchase equipment manufactured by the Russian plant V. VOROVSKY TIKHORETSK MACHINE CONSTRUCTION. On September 14, the TIKHORETSK plant was put on a sanctions list by the US.
The EU Delegation to Georgia confirmed to the local online media outlet “Netgazeti” that consultations with the Georgian government had taken place prior to the adoption of the controversial amendments to the Broadcasting Law. In its comment to “Netgazeti,” the EU Delegation also addressed the “obscenity” element of the new legislation, saying “it is not part of the Directive” and “there is no need to regulate it under the Directive,” pledging to continue close monitoring of the Broadcasting Law.
The Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) published another study examining the gifts received by judges in 2020-2022, shedding light on the recipients of high-value gifts in the judiciary. The study revealed that 49 judges received gifts worth GEL 5 million in 2020-2022. An earlier report released on October 25, 2023, titled “Gifts Received by Officials 2020-2022,” meticulously analyzed gifts received by executive branch officials and their family members.
