Month: May 2025

On May 1, Russia has launched direct, regular flights to the occupied Abkhazia, drawing condemnation from Tbilisi for violating international norms and Georgian law. According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, UVT Aero operated the first flight from Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport to Sokhumi, two days ahead of schedule, “due to high demand.” The flight, originally scheduled for May 3, marks the first official air service between Russia and the occupied Georgian region.

Asked at a press briefing about the Georgian position on the launch of direct flights between Russia and the occupied region and whether GD had reacted sufficiently to this, Georgian Dream Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili commented that the government’s position is “clear,” further stressing that “Georgia condemns the operation of the airport in violation of international norms… This is also supported by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

Davitashvili also noted that flights between occupied Abkhazia and Russia breach both international aviation standards and Georgia’s Law on Occupation.

“In cases where our agency cannot ensure, in line with international norms, the compliance with ICAO safety standards, the ICAO will unequivocally not recognize such operations,” Davitashvili said.

Additional flights are expected from iFly Airlines and NordStar, operating routes from Moscow and Krasnoyarsk to Sokhumi, according to Russian media. All three airlines — UVT Aero, iFly, and NordStar — are under Western sanctions following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

When asked whether Georgia would retaliate against Russian airlines flying to Tbilisi, Batumi, and Kutaisi, Davitashvili said that companies violating the Georgian Law on Occupation are barred from operating in Georgia. “All tools at our disposal have been used,” he added.

Plans for the May 1 flights became public in late February, when Sergei Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration, announced the move. The first test flight to Sokhumi airport occurred on February 7, when a Russian passenger jet landed there from Moscow — the first aircraft to do so in 32 years.

The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency has stated that no airline can legally operate international flights to or from Sokhumi without the Georgian state’s permission, in accordance with international civil aviation law. Nevertheless, Russia has continued its efforts to strengthen its foothold in the region.

On March 26, the de facto Abkhaz authorities criticized the Georgian aviation agency’s stance that the operation of Sokhumi airport is illegal, urging Tbilisi to “abandon confrontational rhetoric.”

Beyond aviation, Russia has also pushed forward with rail integration in the region. On February 27, the Russian “Lastochka” electric train reportedly completed a test run from Sochi to Sokhumi. The service had before been operating only to Gagra since June 2023. The extension of this route is seen by Georgian authorities as further evidence of Russia’s effort to consolidate control over the occupied territory.

Statement by GCAA

The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency(GCAA) issued a statement reiterating that any international air traffic operated to the illegally opened airport in occupied Abkhazia constitutes a violation of both international aviation standards and Georgian legislation, including the Law on Occupied Territories.

The agency noted that the airport in Sokhumi is not certified by the Georgian authorities and that Tbilisi is unable to monitor safety and security compliance on the ground, as required by ICAO. “Accordingly, operating air traffic from an airport without an aerodrome suitability certificate issued by an authorized body is not only a violation of legislation, but also a threat to aviation and passenger safety,” the statement read.

Georgia, as a signatory to the Chicago Convention, “operates in accordance with the standards set by the organization, as well as adheres to the principles of the applicable bilateral and multilateral agreements,” the agency added, stressing that it has consistently raised the issue of illegal air traffic from occupied territory in all relevant international forums.

According to the agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already submitted a diplomatic note to ICAO, reaffirming that any flights conducted without Georgia’s authorization are inadmissible. However, no official statement has yet been released by the Georgian MFA.

This news was updated on May 1 at 16:45 to include GCAA’s statement.

Also Read:

• 03/03/2025 – Badra Gunba Wins “Presidential Elections” in Occupied Abkhazia
• 18/09/2023 – Sokhumi Wants to Open Airport in 2025
• 02/08/2023 – US State Department: “The United States Considers Sokhumi Airport to be Part of Georgia’s Airspace”

A member of the Azerbaijani national judo team, Murad Fatiyev, has been injured, Azernews reports.

At today’s session of the Baku Military Court, video footage was presented suggesting Davit Ishkhanyan had blocked Azerbaijani soldiers during the 1992 battles for Shusha, Azernews reports.

From April 15 to 17, the prestigious ECOSOC Youth Forum was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, organized around the theme “Advancing Sustainable, Inclusive, Science- and Evidence-Based Solutions for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.” The Forum brought together more than 105 youth delegates, 55 ministers, and 18 heads of National Youth Councils, Azernews reports.

The number and amount of mortgage loans issued through the Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund (MCGF) have been announced, Azernews reports, citing the MCGF.
The total amount of mortgage loans issued using the Fund’s resources reached …

A strategic outlier: Why Muslim-majority Azerbaijan stands by Israel amid the Gaza war  India Today

EPP resolution on Georgia

The European People’s Party (EPP) has adopted a resolution on Georgia, calling on EU member states and partners to impose sanctions on Georgia’s de facto leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and members of his family, and to freeze their assets within the EU. The resolution also urges the European Council to take steps to disconnect Ivanishvili’s Cartu Bank from the SWIFT system as well as from Visa and MasterCard networks.

Opinion: If EU decides to take drastic measures on Georgia, it will first consult with United States

Georgian political analyst on European Parliament’s new resolution against Georgian Dream government

What EPP resolution says

• The European People’s Party (EPP) condemns Georgian Dream’s continued drift toward authoritarianism and closer alignment with Russia, and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners.
• The EPP calls on Georgian Dream to immediately end the use of repressive laws and cease its campaign of terror against its own citizens.
• The EPP urges Georgian Dream to set a clear deadline for holding new parliamentary elections that are free, fair, and competitive, with all state institutions — including the Central Election Commission — operating free from political interference.
• The EPP welcomes the decision by the Council of the European Union to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats and officials as a first step, and stresses that Georgian Dream bears full responsibility for the consequences of any suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian citizens.

EU Commissioner Marta Kos: ‘We can revoke visa-free travel, but it would hurt Georgian people’

“Brussels is considering freezing Georgia’s EU candidate status”

• The EPP calls on EU member states and like-minded international partners to immediately impose coordinated bilateral personal sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family members, affiliated companies, and his network of supporters, as well as to freeze all of Ivanishvili’s assets in the EU;
• The EPP urges the European Council to take steps to disconnect Ivanishvili’s Cartu Bank from the SWIFT system and Visa/MasterCard networks, and to introduce sectoral sanctions against businesses supporting the regime — particularly those involved in copper ore and non-ferrous metals;
• The EPP calls on the EU and its member states to impose coordinated bilateral personal sanctions on officials and political leaders responsible for democratic backsliding, election fraud, human rights violations, and the persecution of political opponents and activists. The EPP also calls for the expansion of sanctions to include judges delivering politically motivated rulings, law enforcement personnel, financial sponsors who tacitly or openly support the regime, and media owners connected to the authorities.

The European People’s Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, adopted a resolution at its congress in Valencia, urging coordinated sanctions against the GD party founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, including cutting off Kartu Bank, of which he is the owner, from the SWIFT and Visa/MasterCard networks. It also called on international bodies not to recognize the legitimacy of Georgian Dream’s one-party parliament or its “appointed president,” instead naming President Salome Zurabishvili as “the only legitimate representative of the Georgian people” and called on GD government to set a specific date for the holding of new parliamentary elections.

Calls for Coordinated Sanctions against Ivanishvili and the GD

The resolution entitled “Expressing solidarity with the Georgian people and demanding new, free and fair elections” calls on EU member states to impose “coordinated bilateral personal sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili” and his family members, companies, and network of enablers, and to freeze his assets within the EU. It urges the European Council to “cut off Ivanishvili’s Kartu Bank from SWIFT and Visa/MasterCard networks” and to impose sectoral sanctions targeting businesses that support the regime, particularly in copper ores and non-ferrous metals.

EPP’s call for coordinated action extends beyond Ivanishvili. It demands sanctions on Georgian officials and political leaders responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral fraud, human rights violations, and the persecution of political opponents and activists, and explicitly includes “judges passing politically motivated sentences.”

Also, the party calls on the European Council to adopt a clear and coherent policy on Georgia and to cut the “regime’s financial lifelines,” by instructing EU member-states governments and institutions to suspend financial cooperation with the GD authorities until new free elections are held and sanction the “regime’s ruling, financial and propaganda elites.”

Possible Visa-Free Suspension

The EPP expresses “deep regret” over Georgian Dream’s failure to use the country’s EU candidate status as a “historic opportunity,” and blames the party for derailing Georgia’s European path, despite widespread public support for EU integration.

It applauds the EU Council’s January 27 decision to suspend parts of the visa-facilitation agreement for Georgian diplomats and stresses that the “Georgian Dream is fully responsible for the consequences regarding the possible suspension of the visa-free regime for Georgian citizens,” if the relevant benchmarks and standards are not met.

Full-Fledged Crisis of Georgia

The EPP says the situation in Georgia has dramatically accelerated into a “full-fledged constitutional, political and human rights crisis,” citing the Georgian Dream government’s November 2024 announcement that it would suspend the EU accession process.

The resolution points to excessive fining of protesters, asset freezes targeting civil society, and the dismissal of public servants for supporting pro-EU rallies as evidence of a deepening crackdown. “A new wave of financial terror has been initiated,” the text reads, estimating the total fines imposed on demonstrators and activists to exceed 18 million GEL.

The EPP also condemns what it describes as the instrumentalization of Georgia’s legal system against opposition forces, specifically naming the United National Movement as a target of a politically motivated GD parliamentary commission. The current GD parliament is described as an “illegitimate one-party parliament,” and acknowledges that the authorities are holding 52 individuals as political prisoners, including journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli.

It adds that former President Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison by “Mikheil Jinjolia, a member of Georgia’s globally sanctioned judicial clan,” and that “an outdated measure of staggered sentences” was used against Saakashvili.

Calls for New Elections and GD’s Non-Recognition

The resolution calls on the GD government to “set a specific date for the holding of new, free, fair and competitive parliamentary elections” and calls on the European Commission to reassess the EU-Georgia Association Agreement in the light of possible violations of democratic principles.

The resolution also calls on international bodies “not to recognise the legitimacy of Georgian Dream’s one-party parliament or its appointed president,” and to instead recognise President Salome Zurabishvili as “the only legitimate representative of the Georgian people.”

The resolution was approved following the party’s congress that took place in Valencia, Spain, on 29-30 April. Speaking to Formula TV, UNM Chair Tina Bokuchava said that the congress brought together the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, to whom she met “to defend Georgia’s European future.”

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The European People’s Party (EPP) is a center-right political alliance in the European Parliament, comprising conservative, Christian-democratic, and center-right parties across Europe. It advocates for policies promoting European integration, economic growth, democratic values, and the protection of fundamental rights. As one of the largest political groups in the EU, the EPP plays a key role in shaping EU legislation, focusing on areas like economic stability, security, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion. The United National Movement, the party of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, is a member of the EPP.

Also Read:

• 14/01/2025 – EPP Emergency Resolution Calls For No Recognition of GD Government, Continuation of Sanctions
• 14/11/2023 – EPP Calls on Authorities to Take Urgent Measures to Protect Health of Mikheil Saakashvili
• 20/11/2022 – EPP Resolution Urges EU, Partners to Sanction Ivanishvili