Friday, December 5, 2025

Former investment fund chief faces new trial over Mtkvari hydropower project

TBILISI, November 4 – Tbilisi City Court held a preliminary hearing Tuesday in a new criminal case against Giorgi Bachiashvili, the former head of Georgia’s Co-Investment Fund, over alleged mismanagement connected to the Mtkvari hydropower plant project. At the hearing, the court reviewed the admissibility of evidence and is expected to decide whether the case … Read more

Critics warn of “cheap labor” risk as Georgia shortens school education

TBILISI, November 4 – Georgia’s government is launching a new education reform that will allow public schools to switch from a 12-year to an 11-year system, letting students graduate and enter the workforce one year earlier. Those who wish to continue studying abroad or pursue a full 12-year education will still be able to do … Read more

EU to unveil 2025 enlargement report

TBILISI, November 4 – European Union leaders and candidate countries are gathering in Brussels today, Tuesday, November 4, for an “Enlargement Summit” focused on the bloc’s next wave of potential members. The summit coincides with the release of the European Commission’s 2025 enlargement package, which assesses the progress of aspiring member states, including Georgia, Ukraine, … Read more

Swedish investor to buy Lukoil’s foreign assets after U.S. sanctions

TBILISI, November 3 – Swiss-based trading company Gunvor has agreed to purchase the foreign assets of Russian oil major Lukoil, according to Reuters via BPN. The deal comes just days after the United States imposed sweeping sanctions on Lukoil, Rosneft, and dozens of their subsidiaries. Lukoil said in a statement that it had received and … Read more

Long queues at Russian border choke Georgia’s key transit corridor

TBILISI, November 3 – Freight traffic through Georgia’s main transit corridor has fallen sharply this year, with thousands of trucks bypassing the country due to long delays at its northern border crossing with Russia. According to data from Georgia’s Transport Corridor Research Center, the number of trucks passing through Georgia dropped by more than 22,000 … Read more

Georgia bans public employees from holding two paid jobs

TBILISI, November 2 – Starting November 1, a new anti-corruption law in Georgia has come into effect prohibiting public sector employees from holding two or more paid positions at the same time. The ban includes teaching and academic jobs, meaning thousands of educators who previously worked in multiple schools will now have to choose just … Read more

Georgia pulls out of EU-linked parliamentary forum

TBILISI, November 2 – Georgia has withdrawn from the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, a forum connecting the European Parliament with countries in the EU’s Eastern Partnership, after the body adopted a resolution accusing Tbilisi of democratic backsliding and calling the 2024 parliamentary elections fraudulent. The decision marks the latest step in Georgia’s cooling relations with European … Read more

Divided Georgian opposition helping ruling party stay in power: Opinion

The country’s opposition parties are repeating strategic mistakes that have allowed the ruling Georgian Dream party to entrench its rule, according to Nino Lomjaria, executive director of the non-governmental group Georgia’s European Orbit and former public defender (ombudswoman). Outlining her criticism in a social media post on Saturday, Lomjaria said opposition groups have failed to … Read more

Defense accuses investigators of coercing testimony in high-profile corruption case

TBILISI, November 2 – The lawyer for Georgia’s former deputy minister of regional development and infrastructure, Koba Gabunia, has accused prosecutors of relying on witness statements allegedly made in exchange for freedom. Gabunia was arrested earlier this week on charges of abuse of power connected to a public infrastructure fund. In comments to Georgian media … Read more

Georgia doubles power imports, mainly from Russia

TBILISI, October 31 – Georgia’s electricity imports more than doubled in the first nine months of 2025, while exports fell sharply, according to new figures from investment firm Galt & Taggart. Between January and September, Georgia imported 1.1 terawatt-hours of electricity, a year-on-year increase of 129.3 percent, BNP reports. Nearly 60 percent of that power … Read more