Day: January 16, 2026
For the second year in a row, Georgian Dream government officials have not been invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the government administration confirmed to Civil.ge, adding that it had not planned to attend the event.
This year’s World Economic Forum runs from January 19 to 23 under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue” and will bring together political, business, and civil society leaders from around the world.
Georgia was last represented at the forum in 2024, when then-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili attended the event one month before leaving office.
After the widely disputed October 2024 elections and Georgian Dream’s subsequent November decision to abandon the EU accession process, followed by mass protests and a crackdown, Georgia was no longer invited to Davos in 2025.
Georgia’s absence from major Western political and economic venues has since continued amid deteriorating relations with its traditional Western partners and Georgian Dream’s growing international isolation.
In 2025, Georgian Dream officials were also absent from the Munich Security Conference. Salome Zurabishvili, whose term as Georgia’s fifth president had already expired, attended instead.
For his first official visit of 2026, Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, accompanied by several cabinet ministers, visited the United Arab Emirates and participated in Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week on January 13-15.
Also Read:
- 07/11/2025 – EU Leaves Out Georgian Dream From Enlargement Forum After Commission’s Critical Report
- 23/09/2025 – Georgian FM Not Invited to EU Ministerial in Luxembourg
- 05/08/2025 – Georgia Not Invited to Informal EU Meeting in Denmark
- 09/05/2025 – Georgia Not Invited to Informal EU Meeting in Warsaw
The US Embassy in Georgia has issued a statement on the temporary suspension of immigrant visa issuance and answered frequently asked questions on the matter.
On 14 January, the US Department of State announced a temporary suspension of immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, including Georgia.
Frequently asked questions:
What will happen to my immigrant visa interview date if it has already been scheduled?
Applicants can still submit visa applications and attend interviews. The consulate will continue to schedule interview appointments. However, it will not issue immigrant visas during the suspension period.
Are there any exceptions?
The suspension does not apply to dual nationals who apply using a valid passport from a country that is not on the list.
Will this suspension affect my current visa?
No. Authorities have not cancelled valid immigrant visas. For questions related to entry into the United States, applicants should contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Does the suspension apply to tourist visas?
No. The pause applies only to immigrant visas. Tourist visas do not fall under this category.
“President Trump has made it clear that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and must not become a financial burden on American taxpayers,” the statement from the embassy says. “The US Department of State is conducting a comprehensive review of all policies, regulations and guidance. The aim is to ensure that immigrants from high-risk countries do not rely on public assistance in the United States and do not become a burden on society.”
The embassy says the suspension will take effect on 21 January 2026. It will apply to citizens of 75 countries, including Georgia.
The list includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, the Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
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Georgian Dream files complaint with the BBC
The Georgian government has filed an official complaint with the British public broadcaster BBC, demanding the removal of a previously published article and documentary, as well as a public apology.
Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, says the BBC breached editorial standards and the principles of accuracy and impartiality. It argues that the broadcaster presented unsubstantiated claims as established facts.
The complaint concerns a BBC report that suggests Georgian authorities used “kamite” — a First World War-era chemical weapon — during the dispersal of protests in Georgia in 2024.
According to Georgia’s parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili, the government sent the complaint to the BBC on 14 January. He said the complaint relies entirely on the BBC’s own editorial guidelines, the broadcasting code of the UK communications regulator Ofcom, and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
Papuashvili said claims about the use of “camite” do not rest on any independent or credible sources. He added that an investigation carried out by the Georgian authorities found that the substance had never been used and had never been in the possession of the country’s interior ministry. On this basis, Papuashvili accused the BBC of a “gross violation” of its obligations to ensure accuracy.
The ruling party also says the BBC portrayed events as if protesters did not use violence against law enforcement officers and as if the dispersal of rallies lacked any justification. Shalva Papuashvili said this amounted to a “misinterpretation of the facts” and failed to reflect the full picture.
Papuashvili also said the BBC “falsely and without reliable evidence” claimed that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, took part in decision-making over the dispersal of what the authorities describe as “violent gatherings” in 2024.
“A serious problem is also the breach of the principle of impartiality,” Papuashvili said. “The programme promotes a clearly one-sided narrative. It presents the Georgian authorities as organisers of violence and portrays them as ‘pro-Russian’ and ‘acting in Russia’s interests’.”
He added that the coverage ignored the government’s position, official explanations from law enforcement agencies and the broader context required for an objective assessment of the events.
Shalva Papuashvili also accused the BBC of breaching the right to a fair reply. He said the broadcaster contacted the Georgian authorities only a few days before publication. According to Papuashvili, this left insufficient time to provide a full response.
He also pointed to what he described as “elements of defamation”. Papuashvili said the programme relied on statements by specific individuals without disclosing their credibility, possible conflicts of interest or background to the audience.
“As a result, viewers receive a distorted picture in which assumptions and hypotheses are presented as established facts,” Papuashvili said.
He added that if the BBC fails to correct the alleged violations, the next step will involve a complaint to the UK communications regulator Ofcom, followed by legal action in British courts. Papuashvili also said he does not rule out an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
Georgian Dream files complaint with the BBC