A senior U.S. official has arrived in Georgia, renewing attention on the country’s strategic infrastructure and its growing role as a regional transit hub.
Georgia bid farewell to Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II on Sunday (22 March). He was considered one of the most influential spiritual leaders in the country’s modern history.
Georgia’s relationship with the European Union is coming under increasing strain, as Members of the European Parliament openly criticise both the country’s political direction and the EU’s response.
Russia has once again signalled its willingness to restore relations with Georgia, with a senior official claiming that support for renewed ties is growing within the country.
Georgia is in national mourning following the death of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, who has died at the age of 93. His passing marks the end of a nearly 50-year era during which he became one of the most influential spiritual and public figures in the country’s modern history.
The European Union has removed Georgia’s Kulevi oil terminal from its sanctions list after receiving assurances from both the Georgian government and Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR that the facility will no longer be used in ways that could bypass sanctions on Russian oil.
When the current confrontation around Iran eventually fades into history, the real story for the South Caucasus may not be about missiles or military balances. It is likely to be about ports, railways and trade routes.
Georgia has cancelled international tenders for the construction of major road sections that form part of a regional highway linking the country with the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
A senior delegation from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has been holding meetings with Georgian government officials, opposition leaders and security authorities this week, as international observers attempt to gauge the country’s political climate following last year’s contentious elections.
A delegation from Georgia's ruling party visits Washington for a Congress and sovereignty summit this week, however analysts say Georgia remains largely absent from current U.S. regional priorities.
Seven opposition parties in Georgia have formed a coordinated alliance ahead of upcoming elections, saying it aims to challenge the dominance of the ruling Georgian Dream party. The government has dismissed the move as a rebranding of familiar political figures.
Georgia’s path towards European Union membership is facing its most serious crisis to date, with senior European lawmakers warning that the country is now a “candidate in name only” and accusing the ruling government of reversing democratic progress and drifting away from Europe.
Georgia faces rising diplomatic pressure as Western partners urge alignment against Russia. Tensions grew after the UK sanctioned TV channels Imedi and POSTV, prompting Georgia to summon the British Ambassador for clarification.
The European Union has formally declared that Russia must withdraw its troops from occupied territories - including those inside Georgia - as part of the conditions for achieving lasting peace in Europe.
Georgia says it's increasing its focus on regional connectivity and infrastructure cooperation with Armenia, as competition over new transport routes and changing political dynamics reshape the South Caucasus.
Georgia is facing renewed scrutiny over alleged police ill-treatment and lack of accountability after the Council of Europe’s anti-torture body raised serious concerns in findings published on 18 February.
Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, is moving to criminalise what it calls “extremism against the constitutional order”, introducing a new article to the Criminal Code that could lead to prison sentences of up to three years.
Georgia’s Foreign Ministry has raised concerns over reports that the Kulevi oil terminal on the country’s Black Sea coast could be included in a future European Union sanctions package against Russia.
Plans to merge Tbilisi State University and Georgian Technical University have been scrapped by Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, who backed down on the proposed move after days of backlash from lecturers and students.
The U.S. Helsinki Commission is set to refocus attention on Georgia’s domestic political crisis and its faltering relationship with Washington with a 11 February briefing titled “Georgian Dream’s Growing Suppression of Dissent.”
Tensions flared on X this week after German MEP Michael Gahler called leaders of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party “Moscow creatures”, criticising recent legislation he says threatens the country’s democratic path.
Georgia is facing one of the most significant and controversial changes in its modern educational history after the government announced plans to merge the country’s two largest public universities - Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and the Georgian Technical University.
Russia says it sees no preconditions for resuming political dialogue with Georgia. However, it has simultaneously praised the Georgian government, expanded economic ties, and openly questioned Georgia’s Western-looking aspirations.
The recent peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan has reignited a sensitive debate in Georgia: does regional normalisation strengthen Georgia’s position or threaten its long-standing role as the South Caucasus’ key transit hub?
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