Day: February 13, 2024

A newly confirmed Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, held his first cabinet meeting, appointing Vice Prime Ministers and pledging to step up anti-corruption efforts and demonstrate inclusiveness. The Economy Minister, Levan Davitashvili, is set as the First Vice Prime Minister. At the same time, the Culture Minister, Tea Tsulukiani, and Defense Minister, Irakli Chikovani, are appointed as the Vice MPs. In addition, Kobakhidze confirmed the appointment of Misha Peikrishvili, the head of the information service of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s mouthpiece, Imedi TV, as the director of the government’s strategic communication department.

Opposition-minded media outlets, citing government sources, claim that Deputy Ministers of Defense and Economy linked to corruption scandals are sacked. According to media outlets, the First Deputy Minister of Defense, Lela Chikovani, and two other Deputy Defense Ministers, Giorgi Bubunauri and Giorgi Khaindrava, left their posts. Kaindrava will be replaced by Sergo Janelidze from the State Security Service. At the same time, the First Deputy Minister of Economy, Romeo Mikautadze, is replaced by Nino Enukidze, who previously held the position of Deputy Economy Minister.

In an interview with the Russian news agency TASS, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that “Russia intends to further facilitate the normalization of ties with Georgia” despite the absence of diplomatic relations.  The Deputy Foreign Minister also noted “the positive dynamics of trade and economic interaction” between the countries, praising the pragmatism of the Georgian authorities that helped to overcome “the difficult period” in Russia-Georgia relations caused by “the well-known” provocations of Georgian radicals in 2019.  

RFE/RL’s Russian-language Ekho Kavkaza reported the arrest of two employees of the occupied Gali police department, Albert Zarkua and Vianor Abshilava, in connection with the brutal murder of Georgian citizen Temur Karbaia in late 2023. According to the report, the de facto Abkhaz prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation against three individuals. These include the two detainees and another person, David Kvekveskiri, whose whereabouts are still unknown. On December 10, 2023, a 43-year-old Georgian citizen, Temur Karbaia, was beaten to death in Gali by three occupation forces (the so-called “Militia”) representatives of occupied Abkhazia.

Democracy Research Institute (DRI) issued a statement saying that the part of the Government’s action plan addressing the parliamentary oversight of the security sector “does not envisage any real measures in this direction.” According to the DRI, the government’s plan to fully staff the Group of Trust, which oversees classified defense and security activities, in February 2024 is insufficient to meet the steps defined by the European Commission. The government Action Plan published on December 25 addressed implementing the nine conditions the European Commission put forward to open accession negotiations with Georgia, including the security sector oversight part.