The Daily Beat: 15 March
Opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV revealed that a businessman with ties to the Kremlin and a key figure in the controversial “cartographers’ case,” Davit Khidasheli, held the position of Adviser to the Defense Minister from 2020 to February 2024. Defense Ministry confirmed the fact but denied that he had access to classified information.
Opposition representatives reacted to Davit Khidasheli’s “appointment” as the Defense Minister Adviser, emphasizing his Russian connections and raising concerns about his possible access to the secret information. Meanwhile, the ruling Georgian Dream party lawmakers dismissed concerns about Khidasheli’s Russian ties, praising his role in the “cartographers’ case.”
President Salome Zurabishvili claims that the folk ensemble from Shuakhevi “Pesvebi,” which was supposed to attend the event at the presidential palace, was not allowed to travel to Tbilisi and was turned off the road. The President regretted this development, describing it as “cultural bolshevism.” “Our cultural center did not permit us to participate in the event,” the head of the ensemble, Badri Darchidze, told reporters.
The Administration of Muslims of All Georgians urged the Muslim population of the municipality of Adigeni, Samtskhe-Javakheti region, to refrain from large gatherings for Friday Jum’ah prayers. The warnings come after local Orthodox Christians cursed and insulted Muslims during a prayer on March 8 over their opposition to the opening of a mosque in a house. The restrictions on local religious activity come during Ramadan, which Muslims worldwide observe as a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection.
A local media outlet, Netgazeti, reported that two Supreme Court judges, Nino Bakakuri and Ekaterine Gasitashvili, disagree with the Supreme Court’s statement, denouncing the EU-proposed integrity checks of judges through an extraordinary “vetting” mechanism. According to Netgazeti, some other judges also have nothing against the “vetting” and are ready to undergo integrity checks.
Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili participated in the tripartite foreign ministerial between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey, which was held in Baku. According to the Foreign Ministry, the ministers stressed the need for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway to become fully operational “in the near future” and underlined the “increased international relevance” of the Middle Corridor.
State Security Service reported that two Georgian citizens, Dito Korinteli and Giorgi Meladze, who were illegally detained by Russian occupation forces in the occupied territory near the Adzvi village of the Gori municipality (in the vicinity of Tskhinvali occupation line), have been released and are now safe in the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
The Data of the Day
National Bank of Georgia released statistical data indicating that in February 2024, money transfers from Russia decreased by 66.8% compared to the corresponding period of last year and amounted to USD 62.2 million. According to the NBG, despite the decline, Russia still tops the list of countries from which Georgia receives the most remittances.
