The predictability is obvious. Russia restricts flower imports from Armenia, while a team of the Russian Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance is in Armenia to conduct joint inspections at Armenian companies producing plant- and animal-based products. www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/05/21/r...

Levan Khabeishvili, former leader and current chair of political council of Georgia's main opposition party UNM, has been sentenced to 2.5 year prison for "bribery of an official to commit an illegal act" and for "calling for the overthrow of the government". www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/8...

More details were released today about the resumption of the Baku-Tbilisi night train, which was suspended since the covid pandemic. It seems that - unlike last year - it is seriously going to happen. www.bpn.ge/article/1525...

Ukraine actively seeks to reset relations with both Hungary and Georgia. On the initiative of Zelensky, a short meeting took place with the Georgian government in Yerevan, after which both governments have started to work on unfreezing the relationship. www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33760217.h...

Georgian Dream proposes to exempt non-news/politics broadcasters from the foreign funding restrictions. Seems GD is trying to find new in-roads to the EU by making concessions on repressive legislation. civil.ge/archives/735...

Georgia's new patriarch opened a new pandora's box with his first public speech at "Family Purity Day" on 17 May - on IDAHOT. He openly called abortion a sin, together with all the other things he sees cross with "family values" and demographic trends. www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33760093.h...

After 51 years, the German city of Saarbrücken is set to cancel the twinning-partnership with the Georgian capital Tbilisi, due to democratic erosion under Georgian Dream and the shared responsibility of mayor Kaladze, as secretary-general of the party. www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/saa...

So there, Georgian Dream is frustrated about being treated unfairly compared to EU members regarding police handling of protests. The Geo PM just briefed about an open letter to the EU in relation to police repression against peaceful protests in Denmark. www.interpressnews.ge/ka/article/8...

Deja-vu met Georgië in 2012, toen oprichter en leider Ivanishvili van Georgische Droom president Saakashvili vroeg voortijdig op te stappen, die dat ook weigerde. Maar daar was maar een jaar cohabitation. www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/p...

Reportedly, the Baku-Tbilisi passenger railway service will resume after 6 years from 26 May, the Georgian independence day. But, I only believe it when it is 26 May and the train is actually running. A year ago, a similar announcement and futile promise was made. bm.ge/news/6-tslia...

Los van wat je van het voorstel zelf vindt om in de nieuwe wet op politieke partijen op te nemen dat partijen een interne democratie moeten hebben, is het goed dat de discussie hierover gevoerd wordt. Hopelijk leidt eea to aanscherping van de wet op details. nos.nl/artikel/2614...

Georgian interior mininstry going to monotor and legally respond to "hate speech" in the public space. As per usual, Georgian Dream mofivates this step that this is a practice in established democracies such as the UK, France and Germany.

PVV-dissident Markuszower overstemt Wilders, dus krijgen we dit. Een quasi competitie tussen anti-democraten om hun achterban nog wat meer op te hitsen. Geweld is niet meer uit te sluiten.

Fact Investigation Platform in Armenia writes about leaked documents of a major coordinated project of Russian hybrid warfare against a range of European countries, including Armenia. fip.am/48699

While liberal societies maintain an open space for celebrating IDAHOT day on 17 May, Georgian Dream holds the "Family Purity Day" on the instigation of the church, as a direct assault on the "sinners". To have them reminded there's no space for them in Georgia. www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/1...

Georgian Dream lays blame with the EU for Georgia not participating in the Ukraine Tribunal. Typical deflection by GD. It's always someone else who is at fault for an independent decision by the GD gvmnt. It just doesn't want to provide full transparency on the "why". civil.ge/archives/734...

Georgian Dream government agrees with me.🙃 (the Georgian FM can't tell me now "why are you always so critical [of us]?")😗 oc-media.org/tbilisi-says...

Nee.

Passenger transport by sea from Sochi (Russia) to occupied Sokhumi, Abkhazia, started today, after test runs last year. The high speed service will be done by a modern version of the classic Soviet-era Comet/Meteor hydrofoils. www.bpn.ge/article/1523...

Georgian government pushes through all kinds of "reforms" in economic sector. But is it all good, and who does it serve? A while back, Georgian Dream took on the wine cultivation. Commercial vineyards have to be government approved, which hurts small boutique farmers. oc-media.org/georgias-new...

Politiseren van de rechtspraak en het politiek bijsturen van de interpretatie van verdragsartikelen naar de door regeringen voor politieke doeleinden bedoelde resultante. Om de rechtspositie van het onderwerp te verzwakken ten faveure van de politieke wind. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

Buka Petriashvili, former minister of European Integration in the first Georgian Dream government for the Free Democrats, sentenced for standing on the sidewalk in front of parliament and thus "obstructing" pedestrians. An example of the Kafkaesk legislation GD introduced. bm.ge/news/buka-pe...

Georgian propaganda outlet for ruling party has been banned temporarily from the European parliament for violating the rules of recording by broadcasting their approach of a critical MEP, who refused to be interviewed. oc-media.org/pro-governme...

The Swedish SILC democracy promotion foundation if the Liberalerna party has been declared an "extremist organization" by Belarus. This means that all involved will be considered akin terrorists. reform.news/en/swedish-i...

After many years, things are on the move between Turkey and Armenia. Turkey allows bilateral trade, which is considered a ramp towards reopening the borders. jam-news.net/armenia-welc...

Alsof ie het zelf gelooft. Ja, het is nog waar ook, maar dat is natuurlijk niet de reden dat deze vlag bij deze protesten wordt gedragen. Niemand die hier in trapt.

The parliament of France adopted a resolution in which it criticizes the Georgian government, but keeps the door to the EU open under the conditionality of meeting political conditions and stopping suppressing fundamental human rights. jam-news.net/french-natio...

Dit zat in het vat. Het is wachten op de eerste slachtoffers van fysiek geweld. De ophitsers op rechts zijn weer eens muisstil of willen hun verantwoordelijkheid niet zien "dit hebben we nooit bedoeld". Nee, allicht. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

Het was natuurlijk ook ongehoord dat een desinformatieclub een platform kreeg op de publieke zenders. Met belastinggeld gesubsidieerd nepnieuws. Een ongelooflijke fout destijds die eigenlijk iedereen wel kon zien die het wilde zien. www.ad.nl/show/commiss...

Justitie beschouwt de vuurwerkbom in het partijkantoor van D66 afgelopen week als een terroristische daad. Dit is ook de aanklacht tegen de verdachte/dader die nog steeds geen verklaring heeft afgegeven. www.nu.nl/binnenland/6...

Voting has begun for a new patriarch of the Georgian orthodox church, after Ilia II passed away two months ago at the age of 93. Today is the 2nd round, with a narrowed down selection of candidates to three. Biship Shio seems most likely to be voted in. www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/1...

After Orban dropped out as best buddy of Georgia, the Georgian Dream leaders singled out Slovakia as their next anchor and sponsor in the EU. Parliament speaker Papuashvili pays a visit to his Slovakian counterpart. www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/1...

Seems Georgian Dream riled authorities suddenly take an interest in investigating molest of opposition and media figures. This may be connected to overtures to get the EU back to high level bilateral meetings, without truly offering change.

Just a one-time announcement and promotion 😍. Our house in Georgia is available for guests. Admittedly "only" the guest annex as visible on the main image, and not the whole house. Nonetheless, a great place for an escape in Kakheti. www.booking.com/hotel/ge/nuk...

The "soft (formal) annexation" of Georgia's "South Ossetia" territory into Russia continues with a next integration treaty. Various sectors, such as telecom, energy and transport will be fully unified, with more integration lined up. www.eng.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/75134

Hoe een volk in zee te drijven. Israël doet momenteel aan alle kanten aan ordinaire landjepik, waarbij ze de bevolking van huis en haard verdrijft. In het geval Gaza zijn de intenties overduidelijk. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

German ambassador to Georgia sends a poignant message to Georgian citizens in his Europe Day address. He noted that the strangest thing is that Georgian Dream befriends those in the EU that argue against enlargement. www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/1...

Despite being the target of relentless Georgian Dream smear, the EU ambassador stands strong with a clear message on Europa Day in Tbilisi: "we are waiting for Georgia". They are "wasting a lot of time", while "time is running out". www.interpressnews.ge/en/article/1...

Georgian orthodox leaders divided over whether the seemingly most likely successor to patriarch Ilia II is suitable for the job. Suitable as in "with enough distance to Russia". In the first round of voting Shio was most popular. Final voting continues on the 11th.

Poetin is verzwakt. En bovenal paranoide. Niet zozeer door de dreiging van Oekraïense aanvallen, maar voor afzetting of moordaanslag vanuit eigen kring. www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2026/...

Same recipe as in Georgia 14 years ago.

Georgian Dream uses the same framing in its posing towards the EU as it did when the European social democrats kicked them out in 2023. GD didn't change, but the other side moves away from their original values,"betraying" them even. jam-news.net/perhaps-euro...

Georgian Dream rather reluctant towards Ukrainian efforts to mend ties. Georgian FM Bochorishvili highlights it was the initiative of Ukraine in full recognition of this. oc-media.org/georgian-and...

Dus... www.nu.nl/binnenland/6...

Even the great Bill Browder effectively admits Georgian Dream is not necessarily a Russian project as such, but that its founder oligarch Ivanishvili is (likely) compromised and coerced into submission to Russia. jam-news.net/author-of-ma...

Ten Georgian opposition politicians and activists sentenced to seven years in prison for charges of a foreign sponsored coup attempt (or something to that effect) on the night after the local elections last year. civil.ge/archives/733...

Ik snap werkelijk niet waarom hier niet meer aandacht voor is. Dit pensioengat geldt niet alleen voor deze overstappers, maar iedere ABP deelnemer die een baanwissel overweegt. Die worden hiermee feitelijk op een carrierestop gezet tenzij ze dit grote verlies nemen. nos.nl/artikel/2613...

Petrol prices in Georgia keep on rising. Most grades at A-brands are over 4 lari per liter now (€1.30), especially the diesels (max 4.39 lari), an increase of up to 1.24 lari. Government declined to reduce the excise tax, which is relatively low (up to 0.38). www.bpn.ge/article/1520...

Indicators Georgian economy is hitting bad waters, despite glossy good weather talk of the government. Refinancing rate up for the first time in years, to curb rising inflation (6%). Numerically the economy seems resilient, but persistent cracks appeared in sectors. oc-media.org/georgian-nat...

Banned by many western countries for his outright antisemitic and pro-nazi statements, but welcome in Tbilisi: Kanye West. Crucially, the event and organizing project is government controlled through the ministry of culture no less. civil.ge/archives/733...