Friday, December 5, 2025

Work begins on Georgia’s long-delayed Anaklia port as talks with China’s CCCC drag on

TBILISI, October 22 – Georgia’s long-awaited Anaklia deep-sea port will receive its first ships by 2029, according to Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tamar Ioseliani, who spoke during a panel discussion at the Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi. Ioseliani described the project not just as a port, but as “a platform for services … Read more

Is Georgia’s tourism boom built on misleading numbers?

TBILISI, October 21 – Georgia’s tourism revenue rose 6.5% in the third quarter of 2025, reaching USD 1.67 billion, according to the country’s central bank. But behind the headline figure lies a growing distortion: many of the biggest spenders are no longer tourists at all, BPN reports. The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) reported that … Read more

Russia, Turkey and China top list of buyers of Georgian goods in 2025

TBILISI, October 20 – Georgia’s locally produced exports, excluding re-exports, hit USD 2.35 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 7.5 percent year on year, according to new data released Monday by the National Statistics Office (GeoStat). The strongest rebound came in September, when export values jumped 44 percent compared with the same … Read more

Georgia’s trade grows 9% as Central Asia overtakes Russia among top markets

TBILISI, October 20 – Georgia’s foreign trade is quietly setting new records. From January through September, the country traded goods worth USD 18.5 billion, a 9 percent rise from last year, according to fresh data from the National Statistics Office (GeoStat) released Monday. The growth was powered by exports of USD 5.15 billion, up 7.7 … Read more

Russia receives first shipment of Abkhazian tangerines of the season

TBILISI, October 20 – Abkhazia has started shipping its new tangerine crop to Russia, marking the opening of this year’s citrus export season, according to Marina Zhupanova, spokesperson for the Sochi customs office, who spoke to Interfax on Monday. Zhupanova said that the “tangerine season has opened on the Russia–Abkhazia border,” and that the first … Read more

Why are Uzbek tourists flocking to Georgia?

TBILISI, October 16 – Georgia is seeing a surge in visitors from Uzbekistan, with the number of arrivals rising by nearly 23 percent this year, according to data released by the tour operator Check-in Travel and figures cited by BMG. Between January and September, 61,949 tourists from Uzbekistan visited Georgia, placing the Central Asian nation … Read more

Lukoil Georgia doubles profits despite sanctions on parent company

TBILISI, October 16 – The British government has imposed new financial sanctions on Russia’s Lukoil, but the company’s Georgian subsidiary has reported its best results in years, according to recently published financial statements. The sanctions, introduced by the United Kingdom on September 15, target Lukoil’s global operations but make specific exceptions for its participation in … Read more

A look into the visitor surge in Georgia’s remote mountains

TBILISI, October 11 – Georgia’s remote mountain regions are seeing a solid tourism comeback this year, with nearly all visitors coming from abroad, according to local operators. “The season was quite good,” said Nino Barnabishvili, co-owner of the Khakhabo agro-tourism guesthouse in Khevsureti, one of Georgia’s most rugged and scenic highland areas bordering Chechnya. Speaking … Read more

Experts warn of challenges in Tbilisi’s ambitious metro project

TBILISI, October 9 – The Georgian capital is set to expand its metro network for the first time in years, with two new deep-level stations planned in Gldani and Varketili, Mayor Kakha Kaladze said Wednesday, affirming a promise he made ahead of being re-elected. The project, aimed at easing congestion and meeting surging passenger demand, … Read more

Russian tax hike threatens Georgian wine export

TBILISI, October 8 – A new round of planned tax increases in Russia could make imported wines, especially those from Georgia, significantly more expensive for Russian consumers, industry experts warn. Under a proposal submitted to the State Duma on September 29, the Russian government plans to raise excise taxes on all alcoholic beverages starting in … Read more