The Daily Beat: 12 March
Grigory Karasin, Head of Russia’s Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, praised the work done in the Russia-Georgia dialogue format, saying that “the positive results” achieved over the past 11 years will continue to be in demand after the appointment of Giorgi Kajaia to this post. He is further quoted as saying: “Russia is interested in pragmatic dialogue and a return to full-fledged mutually beneficial cooperation with Georgian partners.”
The Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the competent authorities of Germany and Belgium to arrest and extradite UNM-era former Chief Prosecutor and Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili, sentenced in absentia in Georgia on several criminal charges. The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Civil.ge the extradition request. Zurab Adeishvili has recently been included in the Ukrainian delegations to Brussels and Berlin, leading to harsh criticism of Ukraine, Germany and the EU from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the Georgian government.
In response to the Georgian government’s criticism over the inclusion of Zurab Adeishvili in the Ukrainian delegation to Brussels and Berlin, David Arakhamia, leader of the “Servant of the People” faction in the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, outlined a three-step plan that Georgia must take to “normalize relations” with Ukraine, including releasing of Mikheil Saakashvili, suspending direct flights with Russia and stopping “helping the aggressor to evade sanctions.” “Then the normalization will be easy,”- noted Arakhamia in a Telegram post.
As Saakashvili-era prosecutor general Zurab Adeishvili continues to dominate the country’s foreign policy agenda, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also found time in his busy schedule to comment on Arakhamia’s position, calling it “regrettable” and adding that due to the state of war and the very difficult situation in Ukraine, the Georgian authorities are not going to enter into controversy with Arakhamia and other politicians.
A coalition of twelve local civil society organizations met with representatives of political parties, except the ruling Georgian Dream party, which did not attend the meeting, to discuss the implementation of the nine conditions set by the European Commission for Georgia. “They had invited us, and we did not go. Every time an NGO starts talking about the nine conditions and holds a meeting, if we run to attend these meetings, the nine conditions will remain unfulfilled,” said Mamuka Mdinaradze, the leader of the parliamentary majority, urging the NGOs instead to “go and work where the real work is being done.”
U.S. President Joe Biden’s Administration requested USD 116.5 million in assistance to Georgia through multiple programs under the fiscal year 2025 budget project for the Department of State and USAID. The largest portion of this amount, USD 80 million, is requested to be disbursed to Georgia under Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia, making it the second largest potential recipient in the Europe/Eurasia region after Ukraine (USD 250 million).
