Azerbaijan National Art Museum has hosted lecture on Mirza Gadim Iravani’s artistic legacy, Azernews reports.
Day: January 23, 2026
Categories
Жесткие требования Москвы
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has praised the Georgian Dream government for what she described as their readiness not to break off cooperation with Russia at the behest of “external powers,” stating that Moscow aims to build “pragmatic relations” with Tbilisi.
Zakharova’s remarks come amid Russia’s ongoing calls to “normalize relations” with Georgia, while Georgian authorities maintain that the occupation is a “red line” for any restoration of diplomatic ties.
“Despite immense pressure from the West, the Georgian authorities declare their readiness to defend their national interests rather than follow the suggested path that leads to implementing the Ukrainian or Moldovan scenario,” Zakharova said at a January 22 press briefing when asked to comment on relations between the two countries.
“They do not want to break ties with Russia to appease external powers, as these ties allow the republic to achieve record GDP growth, higher citizen incomes, and other benefits,” she added.
She went on to say that Tbilisi “seems to be beginning to realize” what she described as the “false hopes” of joining NATO and the “deceitfulness of the promises of ‘golden mountains’” in EU rapprochement. “They are realistically assessing how they were misled,” she added.
Zakharova then said that Moscow is “interested in Georgia being sovereign and independent” and “not becoming a tool or a ‘toy’ in others’ hands,” adding that Russia understands Georgia’s “efforts to limit external interference in its internal affairs.”
“We aim to build pragmatic relations with Georgia,” she stated, describing ties between the two nations as “natural.” She also praised what she called steps by the Georgian authorities to protect “traditional values” from “neoliberal attitudes imposed from outside,” which she said were aimed at “eroding” Georgia’s national identity.
She then praised the economic relations between the two countries, noting that trade turnover grew 6% in 2025 to USD 2.7 billion, that Russia and CIS countries remain Georgia’s “main trading partners,” and that the number of Russian tourists increased 11% to 1.6 million.
“As for the resumption of political dialogue with Tbilisi, the prerequisites are currently absent,” Zakharova said, blaming Georgia’s previous government under Mikheil Saakashvili for cutting diplomatic relations. She added that it was “their choice, the ideology of that time and those people,” and noted that “more and more citizens and politicians in Georgia understand that the key to the country’s well-being lies not in confrontation, but in cooperation and dialogue with Russia.”
Zakharova also recalled the resumption of direct flights between the two countries, describing it as “the triumph of common sense,” saying, “Families, friends and businesspeople regained the opportunity to communicate with one another […] the way they had done for decades,” she said.
Also Read:
- 03/12/2025 – Russia Open to Normalizing Ties With Georgia, Sees No Ground for Political Dialogue
- 09/10/2025 – Russian MFA Praises Georgia’s October 4 Vote, Accuses Western ‘Actors’ of Interference
- 06/10/2025 – Russia Feels its Worldview Vindicated by Tbilisi Events
- 08/08/2025 – On War Anniversary, Zakharova Calls for ‘Concrete Practical Steps’ from Tbilisi
Opinion on political debates in Georgia
Political analyst Dimitri Tskitishvili has responded to a statement by Irakli Kobakhidze, the prime minister from Georgian Dream, on the importance of political debates.
He says that democratic debates are not simply a television show built around a single issue. In his view, debates can take place even when the sides do not meet in the same physical space, as is the case in Georgia today.
On 22 January 2026, Irakli Kobakhidze spoke about the importance of public discussion and the need to restore a culture of political debate in Georgia. In a post on social media, Kobakhidze said citizens must be able to hear the positions of all political forces seeking power in public. He added that this would allow voters to make choices based on informed analysis.
Dimitri Tskitishvili said: “Democratic debates are not just a television show organised around a single issue.
Debates can take place even when the sides do not meet in the same space, as happens in Georgia today. Everyone speaks on their own platform, and virtual debates unfold on all major issues.
Does this create a democratic political climate in the country? Absolutely not.
When the government closes the media space it controls to the opposition, when it avoids critical media, when it demonises opponents through false propaganda, when it fines or jails people for expressing alternative political views, and when it captures all democratic institutions, calls for debates serve only one purpose.
Initiating debates under such conditions attempts to imitate a pluralistic democracy. It does nothing more. It is deception.”
“Genuinely democratic debates cannot return simply because some people have grown tired of monologues and now want to watch political sitcoms.
If Georgian Dream truly wants to restore a culture of democratic political debate, several minimum conditions must be met:
- Debates must become an integral part of the political process.
- The ruling authorities must not hand-pick debate participants.
- Debates must focus on critical engagement with issues and arguments.
- The political process must be inclusive.
Above all, the political climate in the country must be normalised.
Otherwise, this will amount to a simulation. In that case, even the debates we have today — including virtual ones — are better than this.”
Opinion on political debates in Georgia