TBILISI, DFWatch–EU-mediated negotiations to end the political crisis in Georgia have once more ended in failure. The compromise proposed by EU envoy Christian Danielsson was rejected Tuesday evening by both the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) and the group of opposition parties led by United National Movement (UNM). Currently, the fate of the negotiations is unclear. … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s vaccination effort has run into a roadblock, as many people are skeptical of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is believed to have caused the death of a 27-year-old nurse a week ago. The attitude toward the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech is more positive, although the available supplies of it are limited. A … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia is not halting its use of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine after a 27-year-old female nurse suffered anaphylactic shock and went into a coma on Thursday after receiving the jab. “We recently heard a report about AstraZeneca from a strict European regulator. It is recognized as a safe vaccine that has far more benefits than … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s prime minister on Tuesday rejected the two main demands put forth by the opposition, thus prolonging the country’s four and a half months long political crisis. “The next parliamentary elections will be held in 2024,” Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said at a meeting of the EU-Georgia Association Council in Brussels. Based on what … Read more
GALI, DFWatch–Gali residents demand the opening of the checkpoint on Enguri Bridge and the lifting of the five-day quarantine for travelers that have been tested for Covid-19. Locals told DFWatch that because of the quarantine requirement, many people have resorted to a dangerous route, wading through the surging Enguri river at the so-called black crossing, … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The two armed Russian service members advanced 500 meters into territory controlled by Georgia and fired warning shots in an attempt to seize a local resident in the village Khurvaleti, about 50km northwest of Tbilisi, an eyewitness told Radio Tavisupleba. Khurvaleti is located at the southern tip of the breakaway region South Ossetia, whose … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Audio recordings aired by an opposition TV channel in Georgia have caused outrage and demands for the prime minister’s resignation. The recordings, aired Saturday on TV Pirveli, appear to show Georgia’s current PM Irakli Garibashvili and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili’s rapper son Bera discussing with Anzor Chubinidze, head of the Special State Protection … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia expects air traffic to increase sharply as Covid-19 related restrictions on regular flights are lifted, to reach a level this month seven times what it was in August last year. By summer, the number of flights per week may reach 200, a 20-fold increase, the Minister of Economy Natia Turnava said Thursday at … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s opposition have decided to scale back their protest rallies, citing a wish to not give the ruling Georgian Dream party an excuse to stall the talks initiated by the President of the European Council. The decision was made at a meeting on Wednesday between opposition parties that are boycotting parliament. Along with them, … Read more