The Daily Beat: 4 December

In a document on the EU Commission Enlargement Package addressed to the newly elected Dutch Parliament, the Dutch government expressed its caution about endorsing the EC’s recommendation to grant Georgia EU candidate status “given the limited progress on most of the twelve priorities set out by the Commission.” According to the document, the cabinet acknowledges the European Commission’s geopolitical considerations against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine; however, it stresses the importance of a merit-based approach to the enlargement process.

The government of Ingushetia, Russia’s North Caucasus Republic, reported on the meeting dedicated to strengthening tourism and cultural ties between Georgia and Russia’s Ingushetia region. According to the government of Ingushetia, the meeting was held under the umbrella of the “Russo-Georgian Business Council,” bringing together representatives of authorities and tourism industries, including Russia’s economy ministry. While mentioning the participants from the Russian side, the news item missed any specifics of the Georgian delegation attending the meeting.

According to TV Pirveli, the US-sanctioned former Prosecutor General, Otar Partskhaladze, emerged at Tbilisi airport, allegedly arriving from Russia. The US-sanctioned former Prosecutor General and his accompanying persons left the airport without comments, heading to the native city, “bringing best regards from Russia.” The Speaker of the Parliament and other ruling party representatives downplayed the importance of his visit, saying that he could freely visit Georgia as a Russian citizen.

In September, the US State Department sanctioned former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze for exerting Russian influence in Georgia in coordination with an FSB officer. Later, the President, upon the Justice Ministry’s suggestion, revoked Partskhaladze’s Georgian citizenship.

One of the most prominent Russian propagandists and the editor-in-chief of “Russia Today,” Margarita Simonyan, visited the occupied Abkhazia, holding a meeting with the students of the de-facto Abkhaz State University. Speaking at the university meeting, Margarita Symonyan criticized international and non-governmental organizations, particularly pointing to the undermining role of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Earlier, the USAID was criticized by Inal Ardzinba, the top diplomat of occupied Abkhazia.

The de-facto head of the administration of the predominantly Georgian-populated Gali district of occupied Abkhazia, Konstantin Pilia, spoke of the possible resumption of Gali IPRM, suspended in 2018 over the assassination case of Giga Otkhozoria. According to Konstantin Pilia, preparations are underway to set up a new place for holding the Gali Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism/IPRM meetings. Pilia claimed that the de facto authorities favor “equal” dialogue as Tbilisi signals its unwillingness to open a “second front” and confront Russia.

According to the U.S. State Department’s 2022 Country Reports on Terrorism, “the terrorism situation in Georgia remained quiet and stable” last year. The document describes Georgia as a “strong U.S. security partner,” noting the country’s significant counterterrorism successes, including the foiled November assassination attempt on an Israeli citizen in a plot allegedly led by Iranians linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The report also notes the convictions of five Georgian citizens who had been detained in 2021 for affiliation with ISIS and arrested another individual on similar charges.

A member of the United National Movement faction of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Giorgi Kirtadze, as well as some other members of the party’s Batumi office, left the United National Movement party amid tensions between the current leader, Levan Khabeishvili and the ousted UNM chairman Nika Melia. Kirtadze and others are believed to be on Nika Melia’s side, who himself has repeatedly indicated that he will leave the party. At the briefing, Kirtadze claimed they continue to fight for dismantling the Bidzina Ivanishvili’s regime.