The Daily Beat: 13 March

Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili visited Finland, where he held meetings with the country’s President, Alexander Stubb, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, Minister for European Affairs Anders Adlercreutz, as well as representatives of the Grand Committee of Parliament. During the meetings, the parties discussed bilateral cooperation, security challenges, and European integration. “We discussed many topics, also recent history. In 2008, we should have seen what was coming. Let us not repeat our mistakes,” Alexander Stubb posted on internet platform X after the meeting with Minister Darchiashvili.

A parliamentary delegation headed by the Speaker Shalva Papuashvili is visiting Switzerland and Liechtenstein. During the visit, Speaker Papuashvili has already met with the President of the Swiss National Council, Eric Nussbaumer; the President of the Swiss Council of States, Eva Herzog; the Head of the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, Ignazio Cassis; and the Director of the Swiss Agency for Development, Patricia Danzi. Speaker Papuashvili is also scheduled to meet with other representatives of the Swiss government, the Prime Minister, and the President of the Parliament of Liechtenstein.  

Secretary of the Security Council of Azerbaijan, Ramil Usubov, paid a visit to Georgia, meeting with the leadership of the country, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Defense Minister Irakli Chikovani, and Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri. According to the official press releases, security challenges, regional developments, and security and defense cooperation topped the discussion agenda during the meetings in Tbilisi. “Georgia remains committed to promoting peace in the region, fostering stability and cooperation for the benefit of all,” PM Kobakhidze posted on X following the meeting with high-level Azerbaijani official.

In a joint statement released by five local watchdogs, it was said that the government’s refusal of the EU-proposed “vetting” system in the judiciary hinders the country’s EU integration. According to the statement, establishing a system of extraordinary integrity checks for judges is “in full compliance with international standards, and the European Court of Human Rights has already recognized this fact.” The watchdogs stress that the Government’s rhetoric against such an integrity check system has also been shared by the very judges whose integrity is highly questioned in society.

As Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili approves the controversial appointment of Russia-linked businessman Mamuka Merkviladze as the new Head of the Georgian Interests Section at the Embassy of Switzerland in Russia, succeeding Giorgi Kajaia in this post, Civil.ge delves into details of Merkviladze’s alarming ties to Russia.

The Data of the Day

The Monetary Policy Committee of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG) reduced the key refinancing rate by 0.75 to 8.25%, saying inflation remains low in the country. “In February, headline inflation increased by 0.3% annually, while core inflation was 2.4%,” the NBG said in an announcement. According to the NBG, Georgia’s low inflation results from tight monetary policy, lower inflation expectations, and a significant decline in external shocks, such as those caused by the war and the pandemic.

National Statistics Service (Geostat) published express data indicating that the country’s external merchandise trade (excluding non-declared trade) decreased by 5.0% in January-February 2024 compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, amounting to USD 2,941.5 million. According to the same data, external merchandise trade saw exports decrease by 12.2% to USD 803.2 million, while imports declined by 2.0% and totaled USD 2,138.2 million.