Georgia
COMMENT: Embracing “Greater Central Asia” has become a strategic imperative for US
Wider region increasingly seen as arena in which major powers’ interests, such as in sourcing critical minerals, collide and converge.
Georgian government lashes out at EU after warnings of visa-free regime freeze
The EU has toyed with the idea of suspending visa-free travel privileges for Georgians in light of Georgian Dream's increasing authoritarianism and pivot away from European values.
INTERVIEW: Georgian opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze
Vashadze regards the incumbent Georgian Dream government as a “double-faced” Kremlin agent: ostensibly committed to Western integration, but in reality deliberately sabotaging Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future in favour of closer ties with Russia.
Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker denounces UK grant programme for local election watchdogs
Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Georgian Dream majority Parliament, has condemned a new UK grant programme which offers funding to Georgian NGOs working to safeguard democracy in the Caucasus country.
Measuring impact of US tariffs on Central Asia and South Caucasus
Little near-term pain, but lots of uncertainty about future.
Georgian ruling party moves to ban all opposition
The ruling Georgian Dream party seeks to ban opposition parties based on the impending conclusions of a temporary parliamentary commission the party set up to investigate alleged “crimes” of the previous government.
Critical response to Zourabichvili’s 'platform of resistance' signals rifts within Georgia's pro-Western opposition
Georgia's fifth president announced the creation of a “platform of resistance” during a mass demonstration in Tbilisi, but some pro-Western opposition politicians declined to participate.
Democracy nosedives as authoritarian grip tightens on Georgia
Brutal police crackdowns on pro-EU street protesters have given way to a targeted campaign of repression seemingly intent on throttling every dimension of the Georgian civil resistance movement.
US Senate committee passes MEGOBARI Act to sanction Georgian government officials
The bill reaffirms support for pro-EU protesters in Georgia and mandates sanctions on members of the governing Georgian Dream party.
Several EU countries back push to fund Prague-based RFE/RL in response to Trump axeing it
Member states want EU to fund Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at dismantling the Agency for Global Media.
Georgian authorities freeze funds of NGOs supporting pro-EU protesters
Ruling Georgian Dream party has introduced increasingly repressive legislation in recent months in an attempt to intimidate protesters and crush the resistance.
COMMENT: Rail and logistics firms bet on Middle Corridor as key Eurasian route
As the Trans-Caspian International Transport route grows in importance, rail operators and other companies have committed to boosting traffic along the route.
Former Georgian president Saakashvili gets a further 4.5 years in prison for illegal border crossing
Mikheil Saakashvili, president of Georgia from 2004-13, has been found guilty of illegally crossing the Georgian border in September 2021 and sentenced to four years and six months in jail by the Tbilisi City Court.
Southeast Europe erupts in weekend of protests
Protests in Serbia, Georgia and Hungary reflect mounting discontent over corruption and democratic backsliding, while Romanians turn out to show commitment to EU values in face of rising far right.
INTERVIEW: Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia’s fifth president
Zourabichvili lays out the complex reality of Georgia’s ongoing political crisis, and explains how the country has become a testing ground for both Russian hybrid interference and Western diplomatic intervention.
Georgian ex-president Saakashvili given nine years in prison for embezzlement
An extra three years are expected to be tacked onto Mikheil Saakashvili’s original six-year sentence, meaning he will now not be eligible for release until late 2030.
BALKAN BLOG: Being a Trump fan isn’t enough to get US support
Some right-wing Emerging European leaders have gained vocal backing from the US, but efforts by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and the Georgian Dream party to demonstrate their pro-Trump credentials have been largely ignored.
Georgian prime minister doubles down on commitment to develop Middle Corridor during visit to Central Asia
Irakli Kobakhidze's visits to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, with a particular focus on connectivity.
Council of Europe reports dramatic decline in press freedoms in Georgia
Georgia’s decline was characterised by “escalating violence against journalists, restrictive legislation and political interference” says 2024 press freedom report.
Central Asia and Caucasus are some of the most hazardous places to drive in the world
Traffic-related deaths and injuries taking an economic toll.