Day: May 8, 2025
As Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares for a high-profile visit to Moscow this week – coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany – the timing and symbolism are too important to overlook. Amid an intensifying geopolitical rivalry and an ongoing war in Ukraine, this visit encapsulates not only a moment of remembrance but also a carefully choreographed performance of strategic alignment.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to roll back the export rules on artificial intelligence (AI) chips that were introduced under President Joe Biden. The move comes as the Trump administration aims to adjust export controls related to chips manufactured in the United States, a key component for AI technologies, Azernews reports.
The College of Cardinals gathered at the Vatican in Rome to elect a new pope who will lead the Catholic Church’s 1.4 million members. Their decision was announced on Thursday with the appearance of white smoke rising from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, a traditional signal marking the election of a new pontiff, Azernews reports.
The MEGOBARI Act Against the “Georgian Dream”
The founder of the public organization Chavchavadze Center, Nino Kalandadze, believes that the adoption of the MEGOBARI Act by the U.S. Congress regarding Georgia is a hostile act against the regime established by the oligarch Ivanishvili, but a friendly one towards the people of Georgia.
Nino Kalandadze shared this opinion in a TV interview, commenting on both the law itself and the predictably negative reaction from the Georgian authorities.
On May 6, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI Act, which requires the U.S. president to impose sanctions on high-ranking Georgian officials responsible for democratic backsliding, as well as their supporters and family members. The law now needs to be approved by the U.S. Senate. The final step is President Donald Trump’s signature.
Commentary
The founder of the public organization Chavchavadze Center Nino Kalandadze: “I rarely agree with [Georgian Dreanm’s Prime Minister] Kobakhidze, but this is one of those cases where I have to agree — yes, this is a hostile act against the regime of Bidzina Ivanishvili.
It is a hostile act against the establishment of a dictatorial regime by Bidzina Ivanishvili. But it is a friendly act aimed at helping the Georgian people and a friendly act that should give Georgia the opportunity to develop in the future.
Georgia has maintained strategic relations with the United States for many years, and these relations have been questioned not by the Georgian people, but by Bidzina Ivanishvili. He is the one who decided to replace democratic governance with authoritarian rule.
A clear manifestation of these actions, among others, was the anti-Western rhetoric that intensified after the Russia-Ukraine war. The goal of the “Georgian Dream” party is to establish a dictatorship in Georgia and retain power. And the only way for them to maintain power is by preventing democracy from taking root in the country.
Authoritarian rulers need authoritarian allies, such as Russia, China, Belarus, and Iran, rather than democratic states.
For its part, Russia needs a regime in Georgia that will defend its interests, particularly those related to the Black Sea.”
News in Georgia