Day: December 27, 2024

On December 27, President Salome Zurabishvili appeared on The Rest is Politics, a British podcast hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. During the interview, she reaffirmed that the December 14 presidential election, held by the electoral college composed only of the Georgian Dream, is invalid, asserting she remains the legitimate president. Zurabishvili urged the Western partners to take a firmer stance on Georgian authorities, warning that Russia is testing its new hybrid warfare strategies in Georgia.

When asked about her plans after December 29, when GD plans to inaugurate Mikheil Kavelashvili as president, Zurabishvili stated: “This election and hence the inauguration of the president is not valid, so I remain president, and I continue to do my job—that is what everybody has to know. The details of that will be known on Sunday.”

President Zurabishvili criticized the GD government’s drift away from the EU, a shift she described as becoming increasingly evident over the past three years. “We have seen this Russian deviation of power that has never existed before. Even Shevardnadze [Georgia’s second president] did not try to accommodate with Russia the way Georgian Dream is accommodating,” she remarked.

Commenting about Bidzina Ivanishvili, Zurabishvili asserted: “He is central in everything,” despite trying to act from the shadows in a “non-formal” role. “The power is completely under the control of one person, Mr. Ivanishvili. Nobody else decides today”, she stressed.

Zurabishvili also warned that Russia is testing its hybrid warfare strategy not only in Georgia but also in Romania and Moldova, after having failed to succeed militarily in Ukraine. She emphasized that Georgia is at the center of a geopolitical battle between Russia and Europe, noting that the Georgian people recognize this existential threat and are responding with protests.

The President called on European and American partners to “tackle this new reality,” cautioning that “if Russia finds that its strategy in Georgia is successful, it will use it in a more sophisticated way” against EU countries.

Also Read:

• 22/12/2024 – Addressing Crowds, President Zurabishvili Summons Ivanishvili to Negotiate New Elections
• 22/12/2024 – GD’s Kobakhidze Threatens President Zurabishvili with Imprisonment
• 20/12/2024 – President Zurabishvili Addresses Italian Senate on Georgia’s Political Crisis and EU Aspirations

Azerbaijan and Bulgaria have strengthened their bilateral relations in the field of taxation and have engaged in a fruitful exchange of experiences, Azernews reports, citing the State Tax Service (STS) under the Ministry of Economy.

Georgia to inaugurate disputed president amid politica crisis  Hindustan Times

Azerbaijan National Library has hosted a closing ceremony for training sessions conducted by Turkish specialists aimed at improving the Koha Automated Library Management System, Azernews reports.

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan revealed the amount of banks’ interest income as of December 2024, Azernews

Central Bank of Armenia: exchange rates and prices of precious metals – 27-12-24  Armenpress

Another 139 million manats (81.76 million USD) from the export of agricultural products have been returned to the country, Azernews reports, citing the press service of the General Prosecutor’s Office.

The Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan held an educational event on December 27 titled “The role of local executive authorities in the protection of children’s rights,” Azernews reports.

1. Azerbaijan Airlines says plane crashed after ‘external interference’ as questions mount over possible Russian involvement  CNN
2. Azerbaijan Airlines blames deadly plane crash on ‘external interference’ as Russia speculation grows  Fox News
3. Photos from Azerbaijan jet crash suggest a missile strike, according to experts  NPR
4. Azerbaijani and U.S. officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire  The Associated Press
5. Exclusive: Survivors on Azerbaijani plane say they heard bangs before it went down  Reuters
6. Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Investigators Focus on Russian Defenses as Possible Cause  The New York Times
7. Azerbaijan probe finds Russian missile caused deadly crash, reports say  Al Jazeera English
8. Azerbaijan Airlines says doomed flight saw ‘external and technical interference’ before it crashed  NBC News
9. Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan “does not look like” bird strike as Russia suggested, experts say  CBS News

1. Azerbaijan Airlines says plane crashed after ‘external interference’ as questions mount over possible Russian involvement  CNN
2. Russian air-defense system downed Azerbaijan plane, sources say  Reuters
3. Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?  The Week
4. Aviation experts say Russia’s air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns  The Associated Press
5. Azerbaijan Airlines Crash Investigators Focus on Russian Defenses as Possible Cause  The New York Times
6. Authorities investigate cause of Azerbaijan Airlines crash that killed 38  The Washington Post
7. Azerbaijan probe finds Russian missile caused deadly crash, reports say  Al Jazeera English
8. Russian anti-aircraft system may have struck Azerbaijan plane that crashed: US official  ABC News
9. Probe Points to Russian Air Defenses Causing Azerbaijan Airlines Crash  The Wall Street Journal