Day: March 30, 2026

Nel 2008 l’Occidente rinunciò a garantire la sicurezza di Tbilisi dopo l’invasione di Putin, e ora è un protettorato del Cremlino. Kyjiv sa che la soluzione georgiana non è plausibile, e …

French artificial intelligence company Mistral announced on Monday that it has secured $830 million in debt financing to build a state-of-the-art data center near Paris. The facility, which will operate using 13,800 Nvidia GB300 chips, is expected to become fully operational in the second quarter of 2026, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on the phone with Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze about “areas of mutual interest including security in the Caucasus and Black Sea region,” according to the information published by the State Department on March 30.

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze today. They discussed areas of mutual interest including security in the Caucasus and Black Sea region,” reads the statement, attributable to Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.

Kobakhidze wrote in an X post on March 30 that he had a “productive phone conversation” with Rubio. “We [emphasized] the importance of resetting our partnership and reinforcing Georgia’s role as a strong partner in the South Caucasus. Committed to strengthening Georgia–U.S. ties and advancing regional stability and connectivity,” Kobakhidze wrote.

The call comes amid a continued freeze in bilateral relations, with the United States, a traditional ally, having suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia in November 2024 under the Joe Biden administration. Ties have remained frozen since, despite repeated appeals from Tbilisi to reset relations, with Georgian Dream officials frequently pointing to what they see as ideological alignment with the Donald Trump administration.

The call also follows a recent visit by Peter Andreoli, a representative of the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, who met with Georgian officials and opposition members in Tbilisi and visited the Anaklia Deep Sea Port construction site, among other engagements. The controversial port project, initially slated for development by a Georgian-American venture, was later awarded to a Sino-Singaporean consortium but is said to have stalled since.

More to follow…

A Russian oil tanker has entered waters off Cuba, marking the first such delivery since January and offering potential relief to the island’s worsening energy crisis.

Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University have created a system that allows a robot dog to be controlled without joysticks or buttons—just by thinking about the desired action, combining brain-signal reading technology with autonomous navigation, Xu, one of the project leader, AzerNEWS reports.

Belgium has set new records in its wine industry, with production reaching historic highs, according to the latest data, AzerNEWS reports.

Georgia’s National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC) approved new electricity tariffs at its March 30 session, increasing household rates by 5 tetri in both Tbilisi and the regions, which translates into a roughly 17% to 34% rise depending on consumption levels. Commercial rates were also raised by 4–6 tetri.

While GNERC said the increase was “mainly” driven by Georgia’s reliance on electricity imports and rising purchase prices, it added that the planned investments of “more than GEL 1.5 billion” are expected to ensure better electricity supply and fewer outages.

Critics warn that the new rates will particularly affect low-income households and could simultaneously drive up costs for goods and services, amid the Georgian Dream government’s stated efforts to address high prices for groceries, medications, and gas, including through government and parliamentary commissions.

GNERC had signaled a possible tariff increase in December, but decided at the time to keep electricity prices unchanged for three months and natural gas prices unchanged for one year, following consultations with the government.

Below are the old and new electricity prices by consumption level for households and small enterprises, along with the corresponding percentage increases. The new rates will take effect in April.

Household Tariffs – Tbilisi

• 0-101 kWh: from 15.041 to 20.041 tetri per kWh (33.2% increase)
• 101-301 kWh: from 19.053 to 24.053 tetri per kWh (26.2% increase)
• 301+ kWh: from 23.537 to 28.537 tetri per kWh (21.2% increase)
• 10-6-3.3 kV: from 26.647 to 31.647 tetri per kWh (18.7% increase)
• 380-220 V (small enterprises): from 29.932 to 35.261 tetri per kWh (17.8%)

Household Tariffs – Regions

• 0-101 kWh: from 14.731 to 19.731 tetri per kWh (33,9% increase)
• 101-301 kWh: from 18.708 to 23.707 tetri per kWh (26.7% increase)
• 301+ kWh: from 23.227 to 28.227 tetri per kWh (21.5% increase)
• 10-6-3.3 kV: from 25.267 to 30.322 tetri per kWh (20% increase)
• 10-6-3.3 kV: from 27.880 to 32.880 tetri per kWh (18% increase)
• 380-220 V (small enterprises): from 28.961 to 35.713 tetri per kWh (23.3% increase)

Commercial Tariffs – Tbilisi

• 110-35 kV: from 24.371 to 27.762 tetri per kWh (13.9% increase)
• 10-6-3.3 kV: from 26.647 to 31.976 tetri per kWh (20% increase)
• 380–220 V: from 29.932 to 35.261 tetri per kWh ( 17,8% increase)

Blaming the “treacherous policy” of the Georgian Dream government, Roman Gotsiridze, an economist and former president of the National Bank of Georgia, said, “This is a particularly heavy blow for low-income citizens who consume up to 100 kilowatt-hours of energy per month, and their tariff increase reaches nearly 35 percent.”

Tazo Datunashvili of the opposition Lelo–Strong Georgia party warned of broader inflationary effects, saying, “When prices rise for electricity and fuel, the cost of everything else, whether food, services, or everyday consumption goods, will significantly increase.”

Georgia’s annual inflation rate stood at 4.6% in February.

Also Read:

• 19/03/2026 – Georgia’s Foreign Trade Falls 6.9% in January-February 2026
• 20/02/2026 – Spike in Georgia’s Oil Exports Raises Questions
• 29/12/2020 – Electricity, Water Rates Hike, Gov’t to Roll Out Subsidies

A ballistic missile launched from Iran and detected entering the airspace of Türkiye has been successfully neutralized, according to a statement by the Turkish Ministry of National Defense.