Month: March 2026
Georgia’s annual inflation rate stood at 4.6% in February, while consumer prices rose by 0.2% compared to the previous month, according to data released by the National Statistics Office (Geostat) on March 4.
Annual inflation was mainly driven by price increases in miscellaneous goods and services (9.8%) and in food and non-alcoholic beverages (9.5%). On a monthly basis, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages declined by 0.3%.
Within the category, the sharpest annual price increases were observed for fish (23.1%), bread and cereals (13.8%), fruit and grapes (13.3%), vegetables (10.2%), meat (9.6%), sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (9.4%), oils and fats (7.1%), coffee, tea and cocoa (5.9%), mineral waters, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices (5.3%), milk, cheese and eggs (5.3%).
The figures come amid the Georgian Dream government’s stated efforts to address high prices on food, medications, and gas, with one commission under the government and another under parliament set to examine the issues, alongside an investigation by the State Security Service.
Other contributors to annual inflation included restaurants and hotels (7.2%), health services (5.9%), and alcoholic beverages and tobacco (4.3%), while communication prices fell by 4.6%.
On a monthly basis, the largest price increases were recorded in miscellaneous goods and services (2.9%), transport (1.5%), and alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.3%). Prices for furnishings, household equipment, and maintenance declined by 1.6%.
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Georgian MPs Visit Washington
Georgian Dream MPs Nikoloz Samkharadze, Mariam Lashkhi, and Lika Shartava, together with People’s Power MP Eka Sepashvili, are visiting the United States to attend the inaugural summit of the Alliance of Sovereign Nations on March 4-5, at the invitation of controversial U.S. Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna. Led by Samkharadze, the delegation is also meeting with U.S. officials.
The visit comes amid continued uncertainty in bilateral relations. The U.S. under President Joe Biden suspended the strategic partnership with Georgia in November 2024, and a month later, sanctioned Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Washington under President Donald Trump has remained largely silent toward Tbilisi, despite Georgian Dream’s repeated claims about “shared values” and stated efforts to reset relations “from a clean slate.”
Meeting with Senator Steve Daines
The delegation, joined by Georgian Ambassador Tamar Taliashvili, met on March 3 with Senator Steve Daines, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Daines visited Georgia in May 2025 and met with representatives of both the Georgian Dream government and the opposition.
“The primary focus of the meeting was the improvement of Georgian-American relations and the restoration of the strategic partnership between the two countries,” the Georgian Parliament press release said. According to it, MP Nikoloz Samkharadze, who heads the delegation, noted that the Georgian side is “committed” to restoring the strategic partnership and to beginning a “new chapter in developing even deeper and mutually beneficial relations.” According to the press release, the parties paid particular attention to strengthening the “economic component” of bilateral relations.
The meeting also covered the “security environment” in the South Caucasus, with the MPs underscoring the “threats arising from the occupation.” The sides also discussed the importance of the Middle Corridor and “Georgia’s strategic role within it.” According to the press release, they additionally discussed ongoing developments in the Middle East and “their potential impact on regional security.”
MP Nikoloz Samkharadze said the meeting was held in “a very engaging” and “friendly” atmosphere.
Meeting with Brendan Hanrahan
On March 3, the Georgian Parliament also reported on MP Nikoloz Samkharadze’s meeting with Brendan Hanrahan, the U.S. State Department’s Senior Bureau Official for European and Eurasian Affairs. In early February, Hanrahan met with Georgian Dream Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia.
The release said the sides paid particular attention to the “alignment of values” between the Georgian Dream government and what it still calls the “new” administration in the U.S. It added that they discussed the “areas of cooperation” aimed at delivering “mutual benefits” to both countries. Samkharadze also said the sides identified “several areas that will strengthen our renewed cooperation.”
The press release further said the discussions addressed Georgia’s “security challenges” and the “threats arising from Russia’s occupation.” The sides also discussed the development of the Middle Corridor, including the Trump Route, with Samkharadze welcoming the project’s implementation, saying, “We consider it not an alternative to the Middle Corridor and Georgia’s route, but rather a complementary factor.” According to the press release, they also discussed issues of “economic cooperation and the participation of American companies in major economic projects.”
“Great exchange with Brendan Hanrahan about Georgia-USA relations, threats stemming from occupation of Georgian territories by Russia, security challenges in wider Black Sea region, Middle Corridor/TRIPP and bilateral economic cooperation,” Nikoloz Samkharadze wrote on X.
The meeting came amid concerns over Georgia’s transit role following the announcement of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a proposed transit connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through southern Armenia, that could bypass Georgia.
More to follow…
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Had a constructive meeting with @PM_Kobakhidze . Discussed advancing the 🇦🇲 🇬🇪 strategic partnership, strengthening economic cooperation & exchanged views on regional developments, underscoring the importance of peace & stability in the region.
— Nikol Pashinyan (@NikolPashinyan) Mar 4, 2026