Estonian Ambassador to Georgia Marge Mardisalu-Kahar was summoned to the Georgian Foreign Ministry on February 24 following a social media post by the Embassy expressing support for Ilia State University (IliaUni), Georgia’s leading academic institution, which is facing significant cuts under controversial higher education reforms. On February 22, the Estonian Embassy in Tbilisi published a…

The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) said it purchased USD 86.6 million on the Bmatch trading platform in January, bringing the country’s international reserves to USD 6.3 billion. The move continues a steady increase of reserves over the past year, with the central bank reporting similar purchases almost every month. The NBG reiterated that “international…

Flags on government buildings have been lowered to half-mast, as Georgia commemorates the 105th anniversary of the Russian army’s capture of Tbilisi on February 25, 1921, a date that marked a milestone in the Soviet occupation ending of the brief independence of the First Republic of Georgia (1918-1921). The occupation came despite Russia’s formal recognition…

Georgian Dream leaders, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, have expressed support for Imedi TV and POSTV, the two major pro-government channels sanctioned by the United Kingdom on February 24 over “Russian disinformation,” as uncertainty persists over what specific effects the sanctions may have on the broadcasters. Calling the UK’s decision to sanction the two channels…