After joint US–Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and senior officials, Tehran responded within hours. Missiles and drones were launched towards Israel and US-linked sites across the Gulf, signalling that this would not be a symbolic exchange, but the opening phase of something potentially longer.
Day: March 6, 2026
🔥Drone attacks near Nakhchivan trigger security shutdowns:
Flights suspended, airport closed, airspace restricted near the Iran border.
The crisis revives memories of the region’s past isolation.
#Azerbaijan #Nakhchivan #Iran #SouthCaucasus #DroneAttack #Geopolitics— News.Az (@news_az) Mar 6, 2026
State Department on Georgia–US relations
The US State Department says it is reviewing “concrete steps” the Georgian government could take to demonstrate a “serious position” on developing relations between Washington and Tbilisi. The statement came after a visit to the United States by a parliamentary delegation from the Georgian Dream party.
In response to a question from the Georgian TV channel Formula, the State Department said the United States has been the “partner of choice” for Georgia and the Georgian people for 33 years and continues to strongly support the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Washington said it wants to maintain constructive relations with Georgia but stressed that the development of bilateral ties also requires concrete steps from the Georgian government.
The State Department added that processes unfolding in the South Caucasus could have broader regional significance. It pointed to a peace agreement which, it said, was reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the mediation of US President Donald Trump.
According to Washington, the agreement opens “transformational opportunities” for the entire region, and Georgia could both contribute to this process and benefit from the stability and economic opportunities such a deal could bring.
The State Department also said the United States will continue to engage with the Georgian government on issues affecting bilateral relations and the country’s domestic political situation.
A parliamentary delegation from the Georgian Dream party visited the United States on 4–5 March. According to the state-run TV channel Imedi, members of the delegation — Nikoloz Samkharadze, Mariam Lashkhi and Lika Shartava — took part in the “Alliance of Sovereign Nations” event in Washington organised by Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.
Luna is known for opposing continued military aid to Ukraine and for supporting the development of “peaceful and trade relations” between Russia and the United States. She has repeatedly voted against aid packages for Ukraine and, in October 2025, met a representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As part of the visit, on 4 March the chair of the Georgian parliament’s foreign affairs committee, Nikoloz Samkharadze, met Andrew Baker, deputy secretary of the US National Security Council.
According to Samkharadze, the Georgian delegation asked members of Congress to carefully review legislative initiatives with what he described as an “anti-Georgian character” introduced by “individual congressmen”.
State Department on Georgia–US relations
The EU issued guidelines warning of entry bans if Georgian officials fail to use their diplomatic or service passports when travelling to the bloc for “official and diplomatic purposes,” as visa-free suspension for Georgian diplomatic passport holders under the new mechanism takes effect on March 6.
The suspension, approved by the EU member states in February, follows a new legal mechanism that ensures the unified application across all EU member states without any bilateral visa exemptions, and has been triggered after Brussels warned of “appropriate measures” citing Georgia’s “backsliding” on key commitments in December.
“Today, the European Commission is suspending visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports. They are now required to be in possession of a visa when entering the Schengen area for official purposes,” the EU Commission announced in its March 6 press release, noting that it’s the first time that the new “reinforced visa suspension mechanism” is applied.
The commission further issued guidelines for member states for “effective” implementation of the decision. It recommended “heightened scrutiny of all Georgian nationals crossing the EU’s external borders,” noting that “representatives of Georgian authorities have to use their diplomatic or service passport when travelling to the EU for official and diplomatic purposes” and that “not doing so, may result in the issuance of an entry ban.”
“Member States should also ensure that all Georgian nationals are checked against national and European databases,” the Commission said, citing an “additional layer of security screening” like the gradually implemented Entry/Exit System.
“In addition, when holders of Georgian diplomatic, service, and official passports apply for a Schengen visa, Member States are encouraged to carry out a thorough screening, conducting an interview and requesting supporting documents from these applicants,” the Commission said, noting that the member states should refuse visas “in case of any doubts about the reliability of the information provided by the applicants.”
According to the Commission, the temporary suspension will last 12 months, and can be extended for another two years “if the governance and rule of law issues are not addressed by the Georgian authorities.”
The Commission said it “can also decide to extend the measure to all Georgian citizens,” adding that “it is up to the Georgian authorities to redress the situation” during this time and “strongly” encouraging Georgian authorities “to engage constructively in this process.”
‘Deliberate and Persisting Violation of Commitments‘
According to the Commission, the new mechanism “is activated in response to Georgia’s deliberate and persisting violation of the commitments taken under its visa-free regime in key areas of democracy and fundamental rights.”
The Commission said that the visa liberalisation “aims to foster people-to-people contacts and promote shared values, including respect for human rights and democratic principles.”
It also said that the actions of the Georgian authorities since October 2024, “including crackdown on protesters, opposition politicians, and independent media, have negatively impacted the situation in Georgia and resulted in breaches of several fundamental rights and international legal standards.”
According to the press release, Tbilisi “also refused to align with the EU visa policy, which is an essential condition of maintaining visa-free travel.” The Commission said it considers “that the actions of Georgian authorities undermine the principles on which visa liberalisation is based.”
The bloc and EU member states started considering suspending the visa-free regime, which Georgians have enjoyed since 2017, amid anti-democratic moves by the Georgian Dream government over the past two years. While Brussels decided to initially suspend the visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders, the Commission warned in December that “ultimately, Georgia could lose its visa free status entirely.”
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Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with Masato Kanda, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the government administration reported on March 6. Kanda praised Georgia’s “strong macroeconomic performance,” reaffirming the Bank’s commitment to supporting the country’s economic development.
“During the meeting, the parties discussed the fruitful cooperation between the government of Georgia and the Asian Development Bank,” the press release said, adding that “the importance of ADB’s support as one of Georgia’s most reliable partners in the country’s economic sector was highlighted.”
The press release said the meeting also covered ADB’s investment portfolio in Georgia, noting that the bank’s investments in both the public and private sectors “exceed USD 5 billion,” and support programs aimed at developing “tourism infrastructure, water supply systems, transport connectivity, energy, as well as regional and municipal sectors.”
“It was also noted that the inauguration of the new representative office of the Asian Development Bank in Tbilisi is yet another clear confirmation of the long-term partnership between Georgia and ADB,” the press release added.
“It was an honor to meet Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi. Georgia’s strong macroeconomic performance and continued reform efforts reflect resilience and forward momentum,” Kanda wrote on X.
Kanda congratulated Kobakhidze on Georgia’s “strengthening national and regional connectivity,” including through the Rikoti pass highway, which he said reinforces “Georgia’s position along the Middle Corridor.” The highway, inaugurated in December, was financed through loans from the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
“This evening, we will inaugurate ADB’s new office in Tbilisi, reinforcing our long-term partnership and expanding our engagement on the ground to deliver greater impact for the people of Georgia,” Kanda wrote.
“ADB is committed to supporting Georgia’s economic development and improving the quality of life for all Georgian people,” Kanda said, according to the ADB’s press release. “Our partnership is strong, and we are committed to scaling for impact. From critical infrastructure to pioneering private sector investments, we will continue to support Georgia’s ambition to become a regional gateway linking Asia to Europe.”
On March 5, Kanda met separately with Georgian Dream Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili. According to the Finance Ministry, Khutsishvili briefed the ADB President on Georgia’s “macroeconomic and fiscal parameters,” as well as on Georgia’s efforts to strengthen “energy security, enhance competitiveness, and accelerate regionally significant transport infrastructure.”
The ministry noted that ADB was the first international financial institution to provide Georgia “with a sovereign loan in the local currency.”
“Encouraging to hear the significant results of Georgia’s reforms and sound macroeconomic management – these are the best ‘insurance’ against external shocks,” Kanda wrote on X, adding that discussions covered strengthening Georgia’s position along the Middle Corridor via “connectivity in energy, transport, and digital” infrastructure.
Kanda said that since Georgia joined the ADB in 2007, the bank has provided nearly USD 6 billion in financial assistance, and “remains one of the country’s largest development partners.”
He added that it was “gratifying to hear of innovative and game-changing projects positioning ADB as a leading development finance institution in Georgia, including local currency financing,” noting that “together, we will continue to strengthen our partnership in support of Georgia’s economic progress and improved quality of life for all Georgian people.”
Also Read:
- 29/07/2025 – NBG Replenishes International Reserves as IMF Praises Georgia’s ‘Resilience’
- 12/11/2021 – ADB Approves EUR 101 Mln Loan for Georgia
- 21/09/2021 – ADB Approves USD 100 Mln Loan for Georgia