Latest Articles about Georgia
Can Channel Rustavi 2 Remain the Voice of the Opposition?
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has temporarily suspended the execution of the Georgian Supreme Court’s decision to return opposition television broadcaster Rustavi 2 to its former owner, the businessman Kibar Khalvashi (Civil Georgia, March 4). Khalvashi is affiliated with the ruling party Georgian... MORE
Russia Progressively Pulls Georgia Tighter Into Its Orbit by Way of New Transit Routes
After Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili met with his Armenian counterpart, Karen Karapetyan, in Tbilisi, on February 23–24, the initial reports in the Georgian media were vague. Kvirikashvili provided general statements on the meeting’s purpose: “Armenia is a country with which we share centuries-old good-neighborly... MORE
Rustavi 2 TV Channel Fights for Its Survival as Supreme Court Decision Approaches
Some 78,000 Georgians, led by several opposition political parties and civic activists, marched in the streets of downtown Tbilisi, on February 19, to protest against the alleged government attempt to take over the Rustavi 2 TV station (Channel 1 TV, February 19). Rustavi 2 has... MORE
Georgian Authorities Reinstate Military Conscription
The Georgian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has reintroduced compulsory military service in the army, eight months after then–defense minister Tina Khidasheli abolished military conscription (Civil Georgia, February 15). As early as November 2016, Georgian Minister of Defense Levan Izoria announced his plans to ultimately restore... MORE
Armenia and Georgia Hold Joint Exercise With NATO Soldiers
For the past several weeks, a group of Armenian soldiers have been taking part in a joint exercise with their Georgian counterparts at the Sachkhere Mountain Training School—a training facility in Georgia established with assistance from the United States and France. Since 2010, the school... MORE
Georgia to Skip NATO Summit as Russia Flexes Military Muscle in South Caucasus
On January 26, Viktor Dolidze, Georgia’s state minister on European and Euro-Atlantic integration, declared that his country will “probably” not participate in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) upcoming May summit at the new Headquarters, in Brussels (iPress.ge, January 26). Dolidze’s vague clarification raised eyebrows... MORE
Georgia Trusts Donald Trump Will Not Change US Policy Toward Tbilisi
After the election of Donald Trump to the White House, Georgian leaders have expressed hope that relations between the United States and Georgia will still continue to deepen in all areas. “Georgia remains America’s strong partner, and the historic friendship of the two countries is... MORE
Terrorist Threat in Georgia Shifts From Exporting Militants to Homegrown and Returning Fighters
Mukhammad Khangoshvili, a 24-year-old inhabitant of the village of Duisi, in Pankisi Gorge, Georgia, was killed, on November 7, 2016, in a bombing of the Islamic State’s (IS) positions in the Iraqi city of Mosul (News.ge, November 8, 2016). Khangoshvili previously served as a bodyguard... MORE
Georgia Signs Unfavorable New Natural Gas Transit Deal With Russia
Following months of negotiations, on January 11, Russia and Georgia finally concluded a deal over the transit of Russian natural gas to Armenia via Georgia. According to the new, two-year-long contract, Russia plans to deliver 2.0–2.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to Armenia within... MORE
Saakashvili’s Party in Georgia Splits in Two
In a January 12 press briefing held at the United National Movement’s (UNM) central offices, the majority of the party’s leaders and most of its popularly recognizable members collectively declared their decision to leave UNM. The defectors from Georgia’s largest opposition party said they lost... MORE