Georgian PM Garibashvili and Azerbaijan’s Digital Development Minister discuss coordinated cooperation

In Tbilisi, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili met with Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, to explore coordinated collaboration for attracting freight in the Europe-Asia transport corridor.

The two officials discussed coordinated measures that will "ultimately have a favourable influence" on both nations' economies.

The success of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Black Sea-Caspian Sea transit route, the Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor, and green ports were emphasised during the summit. The parties also emphasised the need of peace and stability for the South Caucasus' growth and long-term prosperity.

Georgia supports peaceful cooperation in the South Caucasus region and is prepared to facilitate regional dialogue on issues such as economy, trade, and culture, according to Garibasvhili, who also noted that his "peace initiative," which calls for the establishment of a dialogue format and cooperation between Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, served the purpose.

The impact of the current fighting in Ukraine on the security situation in the South Caucasus was also discussed.

Saakashvili: “We are left without allies and there is no one to stand up for us”

Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili made a statement on his page on the social network regarding the intention of separatist South Ossetia to become part of Russia.

“This is exactly what I have been warning everyone about for the past year. All this borderisation, which the Georgian government did not notice, served to prepare the question of the annexation of Tskhinvali. They thought that if they did not notice, then Russia would not do it. Anatoly Bibilov threw many years of propaganda into the water with one of his speeches. Consequently, we were left with virtually no allies in the face of this great threat. Maybe now they will come to their senses and take steps towards unity and joint work with the international community,” Saakashvili writes.

Yulia Latynina called for sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili

Yulia Latynina, a well-known Russian journalist and oppositionist living abroad demanded that Bidzina Ivanishvili be sanctioned

“Why is Ivanishvili still not under sanctions? He is a Russian [billionaire]. He runs Georgia for Putin. He is more cautious than Lukashenka and more independent than Pushilin, but if sanctions are imposed on him, his regime will fall, Georgia will gain freedom, and Putin will suffer a serious defeat,” wrote Latynina.

Recall that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia, served as the country's prime minister and founded the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Gia Volsky categorically denied allegations that Bidzina Ivanishvili is an oligarch. “Bidzina Ivanishvili is not an oligarch. Oligarchs are people who abuse the situation in countries,” said Volsky.

Georgia unable to open Russia's "second front"

Reproaches from Kyiv that Tbilisi does not enter a confrontation with Russia are unfair. Mikhail Sarjveladze, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament Committee on Human Rights, told. He commented on the statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the final recall of the ambassador from Georgia, accusing him of not obtaining military assistance for the Kyiv regime. Sarjveladze noted that Kyiv itself takes a cautious position, for example, the Russian gas pipeline passing through Ukrainian territory continues to work to this day.

“From a military point of view, Georgia does not consider it reasonable to join the hostilities and open a second front,” the Georgian politician said. Sarjveladze added that Georgia is also unable to cause more economic damage to Russia without Georgia suffering even more.

It is worth noting that earlier the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, announced that the country would not impose anti-Russian sanctions. He noted that Russia and Georgia are bound by many economic ties, the rupture of which would primarily harm the Georgian side. At the same time, the Georgian branch of VTB Bank had to be sold, since the National Bank revoked its right to serve individuals, borrowers, and depositaries.

Georgia plans to de-occupy South Ossetia and Abkhazia in a peaceful way

Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, stated that the government is dedicated to peaceful de-occupation and will "stand against any provocation aimed at generating a new military conflict with our Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters."

"Any conflict in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali would be a fight not just between Georgians and Russian occupiers, but also between Georgians and Abkhaz, Georgians and Ossetians," the ruling party's chairman declared. "A new fratricidal war would be the worst, unforgivable crime in our country's history, which we will not let to happen," he continued. If the "present difficult scenario offers any windows of opportunity in this respect," according to Kobakhidze, Georgia might assist occupied region people in coping with heightened social concerns. He further stated that GD's arch-rival, the United National Movement, wants to "draw Georgia into the ongoing armed crisis in Ukraine and build a second frontline" in the nation. This, according to the GD chair, was proved by a recent UNM delegation's visit to Kyiv, following which "high officials of the Ukrainian Government openly began discussing creating the second frontline in Georgia and the plausibility of transferring the conflict in Ukraine to Georgia."

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defence Council, said on March 26 that Transdniestria and Georgia, being engaged in the return of their territories, would have helped Ukraine a lot. “The opening of additional fronts in the sphere of interests of the Russian Federation in the territories of other countries would greatly help Ukraine to fight the Russian attack,” he said.

United National Movement-era Defence Minister ordered to pay EUR 5 million

The Tbilisi City Court has ordered Davit Kezerashvili, the former Defence Minister of the United National Movement, and Aleksandre Ninua, the former Head of the Procurement Department during his time, to pay the Defence Ministry EUR 5,060,000 in compensation. The Defence Ministry announced that Kezerashvili and Ninua embezzled funds by funnelling them to an offshore business to do training for the Ministry. Kezerashvili is presently the primary stakeholder of government-critical Formula TV. However, as stated in the announcement, the service was not seized or had its assets frozen.

Following the news, Formula TV executives and Kezerashvili's lawyer stated that the Georgian Dream Government intends to freeze Kezerashvili's 51 percent interest in the government-critical broadcaster. While the asset freeze is not "on the table currently," according to Zurab Gumbaridze, General Director of Formula TV, it is the authorities' ultimate aim. Gumbaridze said the GD government is trying to silence critical media by resolving "internal concerns" while the public is focused on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Shota Mindeli, Kezerashvili's lawyer, predicted that the Defence Ministry will eventually "argue it was unable to collect compensation for the losses" and pursue the asset freeze.

According to the government-critical channel, its majority shareholder does not intend to pay the required compensation and will appeal the verdict to a higher court.

Georgian Dream: "United National Movement causes a hundred times more damage to the state than Alt-Info can”

MP Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party said that the largest opposition group, the United National Movement, "causes a hundred times more damage to the state than Alt-Info."

Alt-Info is a well-known anti-liberal outfit with ties to Russia that runs its own TV network and a newly formed far-right party called "the Conservative Movement."

The UNM's case, according to MP Kobakhidze, is "more serious" than Alt-since Info's the former "participates in elections, achieves assured success, [and] has more influential media resources."

When reporters inquired about the ruling party chair's position on the pro-Russian organisation, he quickly shifted the focus to GD's arch-rival, UNM. "The same can be said about television networks," the chair of the ruling party stated. "There are multiple TV networks in Georgia that broadcast violence, hatred, and divisive propaganda, and regrettably, the law is helpless to stop them," Kobakhidze said, referring to government critical Mtavari Arkhi TV, Formula TV, and TV Pirveli. "I believe they are also funded by Russia," he continued.