Day: February 16, 2024

The Russian occupation forces illegally detained two Georgian citizens near the village of Knolevi, Kareli municipality (near Tskhinvali occupation line), the Georgian State Security Service (SSSG) reported on February 16.

Upon receiving information about the incident, the State Security Service activated the “hot line” operated by the EU Monitoring Mission. International partners and the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions were immediately informed of the incident, said the Service.

All available mechanisms were activated in order to release the illegally detained Georgian citizen as soon as possible, according to the SSSG press release.

The SSSG stresses that the responsibility for all destructive acts committed in the occupied territories of Georgia and along the occupation line lies with the occupying power.

Also Read:

• 09/02/2024 – Georgian Citizen Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces Released
• 15/01/2024 – Georgian Citizen Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces
• 29/11/2023 – Georgian Citizen Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces Released
• 26/11/2023 – Three Georgians Abducted by Russian Occupation Forces

President Salome Zurabishvili left for Munich to attend the Munich Security Conference scheduled for February 16-18. In the meantime, Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, yet another time, tried to mock the president and diminish the importance of her foreign visits, saying that the president was representing only herself and not the country at the conference.

During the meeting with the local government representatives, the youth, and civic activists in Marneuli, EU Ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński spoke with journalists and stressed the importance of involving civil society organizations in the legislative and decision-making process, reminding the government of its responsibility to ensure their fullest possible engagement. He also alluded to PM Irakli Kobakhidze‘s planned visit to Brussels, expressing hope that Georgia and the EU will agree on concrete steps, enabling the country to move swiftly forward on the EU path.

At his first briefing as chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Garibashvili called President Salome Zurabishvili a “traitor” and “an opposition force” who has repeatedly violated the constitution. The newly appointed ruling party chair also brushed off all corruption allegations, slammed the opposition, and claimed to gain the constitutional majority in the 2024 parliamentary elections. According to Irakli Garibashvili, the GD party leadership plans to visit ten regions within 100 days starting in March as part of the pre-election campaign.

Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili is on an official visit to Turkey, where he has met with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. The Ministers discussed transit and energy projects, economic cooperation, and regional security challenges. According to the foreign ministry, the Turkish side reaffirmed its support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity during the meeting. While in Ankara, Foreign Minister Darchiashvili is also scheduled to meet with the Speaker of the Turkish parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş.

The newly appointed Defense Minister, Irakli Chikovani, participated online in the 19^th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The heads and high-ranking officials of the defense agencies supporting Ukraine from around 50 countries attended the meeting.

The Data of the Day

The National Bank of Georgia reported that in January 2024, the volume of money transfers from abroad decreased by 40.8%, amounting to USD 263.4 million US dollars, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. According to the NBG data, Russia still tops the list with the largest amount – USD 67.64 million transferred to Georgia. Despite that, the NBG suggests that the annual growth rate of inflow volume from Russia decreased by 74%.

Reuters:   Germany and France will sign bilateral agreements on security commitments with Ukraine on Friday during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to their respective capitals, both governments said on Thursday.

Zelenskiy will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin in the late morning on Friday, the…

Iran opposes the presence of foreigners in the region under the pretext of solving problems. Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi said this on Thursday while receiving Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan in Tehran, IRNA news agency reported.

Interference of outsiders in regional problems not only fails to solve them, but…