The Daily Beat: 23 February
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze held his first press conference since returning from his visit to Brussels, where he met with EU and NATO leaders. At the press conference, PM Kobakhidze answered questions about strained EU-Georgia and US-Georgia relations, Ivanishvili’s involvement in the election campaign, ex-President Saakashvili, CSO’s foreign funding, and GD’s anti-western rhetoric. Kobakhidze stressed that by 2030, Georgia will be among the candidate countries “best prepared to join the EU, both from a democratic and an economic point of view.”
In the capacity of the Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze held his first meeting with the US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan, discussing the strategic partnership and ways to bolster bilateral cooperation between the countries. According to the official press release, the Georgian side reaffirmed its commitment to further democratic reforms, institutional empowerment, and the country’s democratic development. The US Embassy described the meeting as “excellent,” saying that, among other important issues, the sides discussed the development of the Middle Corridor and military partnership.
The Government announced that the loan rates will be reduced for more than 150,000 pensioners who received loans at higher rates before 2023. According to the government, the rates will be adjusted to those set in 2023. This decision was reached following the consultations involving the PM Kobakhidze, the Acting President of the National Bank, Natia Turnava, and the General Director of “Liberty Bank” Beka Gogichaishvili. Following the consultations held at the government administration, Natia Turnava claimed that pension loans, including overdraft loans, taken out before 2023 are “loans with a particularly high-interest rate…on average over 30%,” will be reduced.
As part of the Pre-Election Assessment Mission, the NDI representatives met with the Prime Minister and President to discuss and evaluate the electoral landscape in Georgia. According to the official press releases, the meetings focused on preparations for the upcoming 2024 parliamentary elections, including electoral reform, potential hybrid threats from Russia, and diaspora participation. On February 20, the NDI launched its Pre-Election Assessment Mission, holding a series of high-level meetings with the representatives of the government, parliament, opposition politicians, media, diplomatic corps, and the Central Election Commission.
A local watchdog, Transparency International-Georgia (TI-Georgia), claims that the Georgian government’s action plan to meet the nine conditions for opening EU accession talks falls short of the requirement to strengthen Parliamentary control over the security sector. The watchdog stresses that the Parliamentary Group of Trust “lacks the necessary mandate and authority to ensure effective oversight of the security sector” and that the opposition’s role in the oversight process is a “mere formality.”
The trial of Lazare Grigoriadis, scheduled for February 26, was postponed due to the judge’s vacation, Grigoriadis’ lawyer and family members told Radio Tavisupleba. Lazare Grigoriadis, 22, who was arrested in connection with March protests for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police and setting fire to a police car, remains in custody awaiting the final verdict of the Tbilisi City Court, which was scheduled for February 26.
On 23 February, Georgia officially commemorates the sacrifice of the military cadets (Junkers) and all those fighters who fell defending Tbilisi and Georgia’s independence from Soviet Russia’s invading army in February 1921. In this piece, Civil.ge explores their role in the defense of the country, political undertones in the loss of independence narrative, and the government’s response in critical days of February-March 1921.
