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Month: March 2026
For decades, Azerbaijan’s economic narrative has been written in oil and gas. The silhouettes of derricks against the Baku skyline served as the primary symbols of a nation fueling regional energy security. However, as the global energy landscape undergoes a seismic shift toward decarbonization, Azerbaijan is pivotally rewriting its script. The recent announcement that a major solar panel manufacturing facility will be established in the Alat Free Economic Zone (AFEZ) marks more than just an industrial contract; it signals the birth of a high-tech manufacturing ecosystem that could redefine the country’s non-oil GDP.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has published its 2025 report on the implementation of judgments by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The report shows that while some countries have made notable progress, systemic problems persist, including in Georgia.
In 2025, Georgia paid €748,817 in compensation under ECHR rulings, a sharp increase compared with the previous year, when the figure stood at just €85,512.
Georgia’s cases at the ECHR: statistics and trends
Since ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights in 1999, a total of 202 cases have been brought against Georgia before the ECHR in Strasbourg.
Of these:
- 82 are classified as leading cases
- 120 as repetitive cases
Of the total, 125 cases have now been closed, meaning the judgments have been implemented:
- 53 leading cases
- 72 repetitive cases
New cases: types of violations identified
In 2025, 11 new cases against Georgia moved to the supervision stage for the execution of judgments. This marks a slight decrease compared with previous years (13 in 2024 and 15 in 2023), but the nature of the problems remains unchanged.
The main issues include:
- Excessive length of judicial proceedings
- Restrictions on freedom of assembly
- In one case, excessive use of force by police against protest participants
Pending implementation: accumulated cases
By the end of 2025, Georgia still had 77 unimplemented judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.
Among them:
- 9 leading cases under enhanced supervision (5 of these have been pending for more than five years)
- 20 leading cases under the standard procedure (9 of these have also remained unresolved for over five years)
The report notes that the authorities have submitted:
- 7 action plans
- 15 action reports
However, updated information is still awaited in four cases.
Compensation and financial obligations
In 2025, Georgia fully paid compensation in nine cases. However, overdue obligations remain an issue:
- In five cases, compensation payments or their confirmation are delayed
- The deadlines set by the European Court have expired more than six months ago
Closed cases and signs of progress
In 2025, the Committee of Ministers closed seven cases:
- 2 leading cases
- 5 repetitive cases
One notable achievement was progress in the area of the right to respect for family life. Courts have increasingly relied on the “best interests of the child”, which allowed a specific case to be closed.
The remaining closed cases largely fell into categories where no further individual measures were required.
Systemic problems: key challenges remain
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe highlighted five key cases (or groups of cases) under enhanced supervision, reflecting systemic shortcomings in the legal system:
- Ineffective investigations into ill-treatment and violations of the right to life, including excessive use of force by police
- Unjustified extension of pre-trial detention and insufficient reasoning by courts
- Lack of a legal gender recognition mechanism
- Weak protection against homophobic and religiously motivated violence
- Violations related to demonstrations and arbitrary administrative detentions
Additional concerns include:
- Insufficient mechanisms to prevent domestic violence
- Excessive length of judicial proceedings
- Challenges in ensuring impartial justice
Russia’s obligations and unimplemented judgments
The report also addresses Russia, particularly in relation to inter-state cases involving Georgia.
According to the Committee of Ministers:
- Russia has not implemented the judgment concerning the mass arrests and deportations of Georgians in 2006–2007
- Compensation has not been paid for human rights violations linked to the August 2008 war
The Committee stresses that the lack of cooperation from Russia, as well as insufficient information, remains one of the key systemic obstacles. Despite being expelled from the Council of Europe in 2022, Russia is still obliged to comply with court judgments concerning violations that occurred before its expulsion.
European picture: progress and systemic risks
In 2025, the Committee of Ministers closed a total of 949 cases—an increase of 6.2% compared with the previous year. Of these, 194 were leading cases, a category that often requires systemic reforms.
The report highlights several positive examples:
- Ukraine — 97 cases closed (including 11 leading cases)
- Romania — which recorded the sharpest reduction in both the total number of cases and leading cases
Significant progress was also noted in Austria, Estonia, France, Germany and Lithuania.
However, the overall picture remains challenging. Key issues include:
- Increasing complexity of cases
- A growing number of long-standing cases
- More than 500 leading cases pending execution for over five years
Georgia remains in this category, indicating that despite some progress, the need for systemic reforms persists.
How Georgia implements ECHR judgments
The opposition alliance of nine parties announced on March 31 the launch of a two-month “national mobilization campaign,” to be symbolically culminated in a large rally in Tbilisi on Independence Day, May 26.
The March 31 announcement came on the 35th anniversary of the 1991 Independence Restoration Referendum, in which around 99% of Georgians who voted chose to restore independence from 70 years of Soviet rule. The referendum led to the proclamation of independence on April 9, 1991, on the second anniversary of the April 9, 1989, Tbilisi massacre. The restoration was based on the May 26, 1918, Act of Independence, which had established the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921). May 26, the date of the planned rally, is now celebrated as Georgia’s Independence Day.
“Both of these dates, March 31 and May 26, are among the most important in the history of independent Georgia. Both are linked to the Georgian nation’s most critical challenge – state independence. We believe that today Georgia faces the same challenge,” said Zurab Japaridze, leader of the Girchi-More Freedom opposition party, reading a joint statement of the alliance while standing alongside other leaders.
“For this reason, today, March 31, the opposition alliance announces the launch of a joint national mobilization campaign,” the statement added, inviting all political and civic groups to participate, not just the nine parties of the alliance.
According to the statement, the campaign has five main objectives: “increase direct, face-to-face communication with citizens; counter regime propaganda; transform public anger, protest, and the desire for change into real political action; overcome fear deliberately instilled by this [Georgian Dream] regime over the years; increase the number of people participating in protests.”
“Change does not happen through words alone – it happens when many people stand together, just as it did 35 years ago in the March 31 referendum,” the statement added.
“The campaign will run for two months and will culminate symbolically on May 26 – Georgia’s Independence Day – with a large, mass rally planned in Tbilisi.”
The Facebook event for the planned rally states that gatherings will be held in regional cities and towns, including Kutaisi, Batumi, and Zugdidi, ahead of May 26. The main rally in Tbilisi is scheduled to start at 19:00, proceeding from Tbilisi State University to Parliament.
The opposition alliance, made up of nine parties, was formed on March 2, when the parties signed a coordination document pledging to work together to “save national independence and statehood,” amid a protracted political crisis marked by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s crackdown on dissent and ongoing anti-government protests.
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Abkhazia’s economy is moving towards a market-based model, but with limited success so far and remains largely regulated. The government retains control over most sectors and processes while at the same time attempting to stimulate investment activity—an approach that appears to be falling short.
These assessments point to systemic, rather than isolated, problems in the economy. They were voiced during a major parliamentary discussion attended by MPs, the economy minister, and representatives of the academic and business communities.
Economic model: between market and control
The effectiveness of this model is being questioned. On the one hand, the authorities declare support for business and investors; on the other, many such projects fail to deliver the expected results. As MPs stressed, the situation is further aggravated by a lack of personal accountability for unsuccessful decisions.
Economy Minister Teimuraz Mikvabia effectively acknowledged that a significant share of the problems stems from mistakes made in previous years, when the government lacked sufficient oversight mechanisms.
“Functions related to oversight were not assigned to state bodies, and government agencies did not take part in the selection process. I am not saying this is necessarily bad, but there is a factual outcome. There are a number of projects that are not servicing the loans they received,” the minister said.
To prevent this from happening again and to ensure that projects receiving budget support become profitable, the Ministry of Economy is increasing its role in the selection process.
“A procedure for selecting projects eligible for preferential loans has been approved. Under this framework, the Ministry of Economy has been tasked with maintaining constant interaction with both creditors and borrowers.”
We also assist lenders if borrowers fail to respond. On a regular basis, we request information on financial and economic performance, obtain balance sheets, and track whether loans are being serviced,” Mikvabia explained.
This signals a shift towards a more managed economic model. However, questions remain as to whether these new mechanisms can offset accumulated losses.
From asset to burden
Particular attention was paid to state-owned enterprises. The example of bakeries highlighted a typical issue—low competitiveness.
Parliament Speaker Lasha Ashuba pointed to another problem: the administrative factor.
“At different times, contracts for supplying bakery products were handed over to private companies on the recommendation of officials. This is what has led to the current results. A large factory with significant capacity is now producing minimal output,” he said.
The minister also mentioned profitable enterprises, including Abkhazian Railways and the state shipping company. However, a significant portion of the state sector remains loss-making.
“If investments do not generate returns and become a burden, they should be disposed of—sold, even at a discount,” one MP suggested.
The government, however, is taking a more cautious approach.
“In a sense, this serves as a mechanism to protect assets from looting and inefficient use,” the minister responded.
Airport as an indicator of economic policy
One of the key cases in Abkhazia’s economic policy is Sukhum airport.
On the one hand, it is a large-scale infrastructure project that has already required significant investment from Russia.
“About 70 million roubles (around $861,000) has already been returned to the investor. The total amount is much higher. The debt is expected to be repaid in stages as budget revenues grow,” the minister said.
On the other hand, questions remain about its efficiency. High ticket prices and low passenger traffic are limiting demand.
“How can prices be made affordable for citizens?” asked MP Rezo Zantaria.
He also pointed to the low level of comfort at the new airport:
“It takes at least an hour and a half to get from the plane to the terminal. This is unacceptable.”
The minister explained the situation in economic terms:
“The more passengers there are, the more flights, the higher the investor’s revenues, and the greater the likelihood of moving to the second phase of the project.”
In practice, however, this model is constrained by infrastructure limitations and external factors.
Legislation and reality
A separate part of the discussion focused on the effectiveness of legislation.
“At present, not a single investment partnership has been registered in Abkhazia, but this does not mean that such a law will not be in demand in the future,” the minister said.
The problem is largely linked to the fact that businesses often fail to meet formal requirements.
“Business plans, land documents, and project documentation are often missing. This makes it impossible to access preferential schemes,” Mikvabia explained.
As a result, a paradox emerges: support mechanisms exist, but are not being used.
Balancing investment and national interests
A key topic was the balance between domestic and foreign capital.
“We are increasingly importing products that we could produce ourselves,” MP Rezo Zantaria noted.
Another MP, Badrik Piliya, linked the issue to security:
“This is not only an economic issue, but also one of food security.”
Experts also stressed the need for balance.
“National businesses need to be developed, but large-scale projects also require foreign investment,” said Fatima Kamkia, director of the Institute of Economics and Law at the Academy of Sciences.
Overall, the discussion showed that Abkhazia’s economy is still searching for a sustainable development model. A clear tension remains between government control and market mechanisms, as well as between the need for investment and the weakness of institutions responsible for implementing it.
The main challenge lies not so much in a lack of resources as in how effectively they are used. Without systemic accountability, functioning institutions, and legislation adapted to real conditions, even large-scale projects risk remaining little more than empty declarations.
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Abkhazia’s economy: Between control and the market