Day: September 25, 2025
Italian luxury brand Lamborghini has revealed plans for a stunning new yacht called the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 101FT. The name reflects the vessel’s length—101 feet (just over 30 meters). This spacious and strikingly designed yacht draws clear inspiration from Lamborghini’s supercars, boasting a powerful engine setup with a combined output of 7,600 horsepower. Deliveries to customers are expected to begin in 2027, Azernews reports.
Kavelashvili’s speech at the UN
Georgian Dream-installed president Mikheil Kavelashvili said in his speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly that “the people of Georgia will not tolerate ultimatums, blackmail, or intimidation,” although he did not specify who, in his view, is carrying out such actions against Georgia.
“Georgia is open to any dialogue and cooperation, but we ask for respect, fairness, and dignified treatment,” Kavelashvili added.
Notably, he did not mention Russia at all in his speech. He referred to the occupation only once but did not specify which country has occupied Georgia.
From the UN podium, Kavelashvili addressed “Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers” and called on them to rebuild the “destroyed bridges.”
According to him, the “fundamental philosophy” of the Georgian government remains the preservation of peace in the country:
“My Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters, our cultural code has not changed – for us, diversity is not a problem but a necessary formula for existence. That is why we will always meet our brothers and sisters across the line of occupation with an open heart and an outstretched hand.
It is our duty, through joint efforts, to overcome artificially created obstacles, rebuild the destroyed bridges, and, as respected, long-suffering peoples, leave past grievances behind,” said Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia (the Tskhinvali region) are regions of Georgia that declared independence in the early 1990s amid bloody conflicts. After the Russia-Georgia war over South Ossetia in August 2008, Russia recognized both territories as independent states. Later, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Nauru, and Syria followed suit. Georgia considers these territories to be occupied by Russia, and the rest of the world, including the UN, shares the same position.
In his speech, Kavelashvili also emphasized the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
“In Ukraine, a terrible, bloody war has been raging for four years, causing catastrophic consequences and massive human losses. Given the bitter experience of the 2008 war, the wounds of which have not yet healed for the people of Georgia, we understand better than many the pain that the Ukrainian people are experiencing today.
Today, as always, Georgia expresses its firm and unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.”
Kavelashvili also welcomed the peace initiative by President Donald Trump between Armenia and Azerbaijan:
“Deeply understanding the importance of peace, Georgia contributes to the transformation of the South Caucasus and seeks to turn it from a region of conflicts into a space for dialogue and economic prosperity.
We welcome the peace initiative of President Donald Trump between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as his efforts to bring a swift end to the bloody war between Russia and Ukraine.
For centuries, our country has been a crossroads of civilizations and a space for dialogue between different cultures. Today, Georgia is once again reclaiming its historical role.”
Mikheil Kavelashvili claimed that “the government’s pragmatic and rational policies have allowed Georgia to maintain peace and economic growth”:
“Georgia is committed to the fundamental principles and values of the UN and is a worthy and responsible member of the international community, as evidenced by the current government’s significant efforts to improve the protection of human rights.
It is precisely the government’s pragmatic and rational policies that have preserved peace and economic growth and significantly improved the quality of life for our citizens.
In recent years, despite numerous challenges, Georgia has demonstrated impressive resilience to external shocks.
The positive trajectory of Georgia’s development is reflected in and confirmed by international rankings and indicators from the world’s most respected organizations.”
News in Georgia
Categories
Car sales in Europe increase
Armenia defense spending 2026
Armenia’s government has approved the state budget for 2026, setting spending at 3.63 trillion drams (around $9.5bn), 5% more than in 2025.
However, defence spending has been cut by 15.2%. In 2026, the defence ministry will receive 563.1bn drams (nearly $1.5bn) — about $265m less than the previous year.
Military analyst Leonid Nersisyan said defence funding should continue to grow in the coming years.
“At this stage we cannot afford to cut the budget. The army is in a phase of transformation — both in terms of reforms and procurement. Growth should remain strong for at least a few more years. It is important that the budget increases, even gradually, every year,” he argued.
- 18 months instead of 24: Armenia debates shorter mandatory military service
- “Azerbaijan has always been as much a brotherly state for the CSTO as Armenia,” says Pashinyan
- “Armenia without Russian boots”: calls grow for withdrawal of Russian military base
Pashinyan explains defense cuts
Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan told parliament that the government had “disproportionately, sharply” increased defence spending in 2025, so no further rise is planned for next year.
“In 2025 we had significant defence expenditures. Part of that spending was used to pay off debts and obligations, including in the defense sector,” Pashinyan said.
He explained that the government considered it reasonable to repay debts scheduled for later — in 2030 or 2035 — in advance, in order to reduce the debt burden. He added there were other factors behind the cuts, which he was ready to discuss with MPs in a closed session.
“Our policy not only poses no threat and does not make our security system vulnerable or cause problems, but on the contrary allows for natural development. And that development will continue,” the prime minister assured.
Comment
Military analyst Leonid Nersisyan said Armenia’s defence budget has reached about 6% of GDP, which he described as high, warning that exceeding this level could even be ‘risky’ for the country’s economy.
He noted he had not expected defence spending to grow by 20% as it did in 2025, since projected economic growth was not as strong as in previous years.
Still, he argued that with army reforms under way, the budget should not be cut. Growth should be maintained to allow the sector to develop, he said.
“Armenia could raise defence spending by 5% without major disruption and without harming the economy, since growth would offset it,” Nersisyan said.
According to the analyst, defence spending should have been raised by at least 3%, matching “the level of projected inflation”.
He argued that increasing the defence budget also helps boost the army’s standing:
“The more money the army has, the more it develops and the more opportunities appear. Naturally, it also becomes more attractive to people.”
Nersisyan stressed that how the money is spent matters — whether it benefits the economy:
“We need to make sure most of this money stays in the country. Buying weapons abroad cannot drive economic growth, it is just spending. But purchases from local producers bring no losses.”
He added that Armenia’s defence industry is “only just getting on its feet” and it would take years before it becomes “a functioning mechanism” with the capacity to enter foreign markets.
As for Azerbaijan’s defense spending, the expert said Baku plans to raise it by 3% in 2026:
“This means that in a sense Azerbaijan is reducing defense spending. Inflation there is about 5.5–6% a year, so the increase will be lower than expected inflation.”
He noted that in 2025 Baku had not planned to increase defense spending, keeping it at $3.7bn, but later changes were made:
“Azerbaijan’s defense budget was initially set at twice the size of Armenia’s. President Aliyev decided to add another $1bn from the oil fund. There was no other way to boost it. That means in 2026 They will have to dip into reserve funds.”
Armenia defense spending 2026