The Daily Beat: 20 November
The imprisoned ex-President, Mikheil Saakashvili, is becoming increasingly involved in Georgian politics, most probably trying to set the stage for the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections. In his last video appearance at the court hearing, Mikheil Saakashvili addressed the “outcast members” of the United National Movement, like Nika Melia, calling for unity and reintegration under his personal leadership. Saakashvili also said that the expulsion of some prominent UNM members from the party’s political council was unfair, pledging to take responsibility for chairing and coordinating the party’s main decision-making body.
On Saturday evening, police detained 13 activists who were trying to set up tents near the environment ministry, protesting against issuing a 49-year forestry license to Russia-based businessman David Khidasheli. Most protesters came down from the mountainous Georgian region of Racha, where the rallies calling for the cancellation of the license have been ongoing since late September. The protesters say the license was granted without public consultation, requesting a response from the environment ministry.
During the meeting with Abkhaz students, the de facto leader of occupied Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, expressed his readiness to accommodate Vladimir Putin by putting the Soviet-era “dacha” property in Bichvinta (the so-called Pitsunda “state dacha”) at his disposal. Speaking with students, Bzhania further clarified that the Bichvinta complex covers just 4,000 sq. meters of land with some buildings and structures, and the ownership transfer does not involve the land. The “dacha” transfer has long been a hotly debated issue in Abkhazia, sparking controversies and protests.
The foreign ministry confirmed the killing of another Georgian fighter, Nika Gelenidze, in Ukraine, bringing the unofficial death toll of Georgian citizens killed while fighting in Ukraine since the Russian invasion to 42. According to media sources, Nika Gelenidze was killed near Bakhmut.
Data of the Day
National Statistics Service (Geostat) published preliminary data indicating the increase in foreign trade by 16.2% in January-October 2023, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, amounting to USD 17.8 billion. During the same period, exports from Georgia increased by 12.5% to $5.1 billion, while imports rose by 17.8% to $12.7 billion. According to Geostat, in January-October 2023, Turkey was Georgia’s largest trade partner with $2.46 billion in trade volume, followed by Russia with $2.04 billion, United States with $1.67 billion, China with $1.4 billion, and Azerbaijan with $1.23 billion.
