Day: March 15, 2024

Davit Khidasheli, a key figure in the controversial “cartographers’ case” over the alleged ceding of Georgian land to Azerbaijan and a close associate of sanctioned Russian tycoon Vladimir Yevtushenkov, held the position of Adviser to the Georgian Defense Minister from 2020 to February 2024, the Georgian MoD confirmed in its March 15 statement.

A day earlier, opposition-leaning Mtavari TV reported this information based on the document it said it had received from undisclosed sources, raising public concerns that a Russian-linked businessman may have had access to the classified state documents, including those related to national security issues, while working in the MoD as an Advisor to the Minister. Although the Georgian MoD confirmed the fact, it denied that Khidasheli had access to classified information. “Davit Khidasheli did not have access to state secret information during his work in the Ministry of Defence,” the MoD said.

Who is Davit Khidasheli ?

Davit Khidasheli is a Georgian businessman known for his close ties to Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, including the sanctioned Vladimir Yevtushenkov, one of the richest men in Russia, who supported the annexation of Crimea. From 2007 to 2014, Khidasheli served as the executive vice-president of AFK Sistema PAO, a Russian conglomerate owned by Yevtushenkov.

He is also known for the key role he played in the controversial “Cartographers’ Case” being the person who, at the request of the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili, located and delivered the larger-scale maps from Russia. The Prosecutor’s Office claimed that the maps obtained by Khidasheli most accurately define the historical borders of Georgia and that the defendants intentionally concealed these maps to avoid their use.

In another controversial case in 2022, Khidasheli’s private company was granted by the Georgian government a 49-year hunting license for 104,712 hectares of Racha forest leading to protests from local residents. The hunting license was auctioned for GEL 1,151,832 (about USD 420,000). The license has since been revoked due to the protests.

Reactions of the Political Spectrum

Although the Defense Ministry has dismissed allegations fanned by Mtavari TV about Khidasheli’s possible access to state secrets, some in the opposition don’t seem to be reassured.

Opposition representatives, emphasizing Khidasheli’s Russian connections, raise concerns about his possible access to the secret information. Some of them also question Khidasheli’s official appointment as an Advisor to the Defense Minister, saying that Khidasheli could have communicated with state authorities without holding a public position. Adding to these question marks is the information reported by Mtavari TV which shows that Khidasheli’s salary was only GEL 1,000 (about USD 370), which is very low even compared to the average positions.

Meanwhile, members of the ruling Georgian Dream party dismissed concerns about Khidasheli’s Russian ties, instead praising his role in the “cartographers’ case,” and even praising his appointment as the Minister Adviser.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Defense, Davit Khidasheli held the post in the Ministry of Defense until February 9 this year, when the new Government was confirmed, with only Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze being replaced by the new minister Irakli Chikovani.

On March 15, Baku hosted the tripartite foreign Ministerial between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. According to the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs the parties discussed a range of issues including politics, trade, economy, energy, agriculture, transport as well as cultural and humanitarian issues. At the end of the ministerial meeting, the parties signed the Baku Declaration.

According to the Georgian MFA, during the meeting the parties focused, inter alia, on the implementation and progress of the joint transit and energy projects. The MFA says the counterparts also stressed the need for the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway to become fully operational “in the near future” and underlined the importance of trilateral cooperation in view of the “increased international relevance” of the Middle Corridor.

The sides also commended “the successful sectoral cooperation within the tripartite format and regular meetings in the parliamentary, defense, economic and other sectors.” “The parties once again positively assessed the wide range of cooperation based on the principles of friendship, mutual understanding, respect and support for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Georgian MFA said. Turkish and Azerbaijani sides congratulated Georgia on the EU candidacy.

Georgian FM Darchiashvili also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts.

“This is a great comprehensive platform based on friendship, which is hugely contributing to strengthening peace, security and prosperity across the region,” Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili tweeted following the meeting.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov noted that “adopting the Baku Declaration, we reiterated commitment to further enhance regional cooperation based on mutual respect and trust.”

“From our last meeting until now, there is a whole new perspective ahead of us. In today’s meeting [we discussed] this new state of our region and explored the ways to further develop our cooperation. We have a real opportunity ahead of us to transform the South Caucasus into an area of peace, stability, and shared prosperity,” Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted at the joint press conference, adding that an agreement was reached with Georgia and Azerbaijan regarding “deepening successful cooperation” in the fields of energy and connectivity.

Turkish FM reiterated support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders, as well as for the Georgian government’s policy of peaceful conflict resolution. “We will continue to support Georgia’s aspirations for further integration into Euro-Atlantic political and security structures.,” Turkish FM added.

The next ministerial will be held in 2025 in Turkey.

More to follow…

Also Read:

• 13/03/2024 – Azerbaijan Security Council Secretary Visits Georgia
• 28/11/2023 – Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Trilateral Defense Ministerial
• 22/12/2022 – Georgian Defense Minister Visits Turkey for Trilateral Ministerial

In February 2024, money transfers from Russia decreased by 66.8% compared to the corresponding period of last year and amounted to USD 62.2 million, according to the statistical data released by the National Bank of Georgia on March 15. Despite the decrease, Russia still leads the list of countries from which money is transferred to Georgia.

Source: National Bank of Georgia

In total, money transfers in February this year have decreased by 26.9% compared to February 2023 and amounted to USD 272.3 million. 38.79% of remittances come from EU countries and 61.22% from other countries.

The list of the top five countries from which money is transferred to Georgia includes: Russia – $62.2 million (-66.8%); Italy – $43.97 million (13.08%); USA – $41.21 million (35.33%); Israel – $20.43 million (24.54%); Greece – $18.99 million (9.28%).

Notably, during the same period USD 29.0 million were sent abroad from Georgia, which is 5.1% more than the similar indicator of February 2023 (USD 27.6 million).

Also Read:

• 16/02/2024 – NBG Eases Liquidity Requirements for Deposits of Russian Citizens
• 26/07/2023 – Georgian Banks Cease Money Transfers Through Unistream
• 28/04/2023 – Russian Bank Launches Currency Transactions in Lari

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