Day: April 30, 2026

Georgia’s real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 10.7% year-on-year in March 2026, according to rapid estimates released by the National Statistics Office (Geostat) on April 30. Average real GDP growth of the first quarter of 2026 stood at 9.1%.

According to Geostat, the increase was primarily driven by growth in manufacturing, information and communication, professional, scientific, and technical activities, mining and quarrying, construction, and transportation and storage. In contrast, administrative and support service activities, as well as accommodation and food service activities, recorded declines.

Georgia’s economy is projected to grow by 5.4% in 2026, according to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 report. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) both forecast growth of 5% in 2026.

The World Bank’s report estimates Georgia’s economic growth at 5.5% in 2026, and forecasts average growth of 3.5% across the South Caucasus in 2025–2026, “as spillovers from trade intermediation, labor and capital inflows continue to diminish.”

Also Read:

• 20/04/2026 – Georgia’s Foreign Trade Up 0.2% to USD 5.867 Billion in January–March 2026
• 16/04/2026 – Money Transfers to Georgia Up 9.8% in March, EU and US Lead
• 07/04/2026 – IMF Lauds Georgia’s ‘Robust’ Performance, Points to Uncertainty Amid War in Middle East
• 31/03/2026 – Georgia’s GDP Up by 8.8% in February 2026

Waiting for a free Iran: the exiles who found a home in Armenia  OC Media

The de facto security service of occupied Abkhazia said it had detained three Russian citizens on terrorism-related allegations and transferred them to Russian authorities.

According to the de facto agency, the detainees – Anastasia Kaushan (born 1986), Anton Kaushan (born 1986), and Yegor Grishin (born 2006) – are suspected of forming a terrorist group to commit “serious” and “particularly serious” crimes in Russia’s Krasnodar region. It added that the operational activities were conducted jointly with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Anastasia Kaushan, who is suspected of forming the group “with the aim of forcibly seizing administrative buildings” in Krasnodar, used the Telegram app to maintain contact with her accomplices, the local news agency Apsnypress reported. Citing operational data, the news agency said Kaushan had left Russia and arrived in Abkhazia “to avoid possible criminal prosecution” and informed members of the group that “the activities of the terrorist formation she created had not ceased and that, once the danger had passed, she would resume implementing her plans.”

The de facto security service also said that all three Russians were handed over to Russia’s FSB on April 27. It added that a criminal case has been opened against Kaushan under the Russian Criminal Code for “organization of a terrorist community and participation in it,” while investigative actions concerning the other two individuals are ongoing.

Also Read:

• 24/04/2026 – RFE/RL Identifies Arrested Man Who Pro-Government Media Says Spied for Russia

On April 30, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestlers who became European champions in the team standings at the European Championships held in Tirana, the capital of Albania, as well as medal-winning athletes in women’s wrestling and their coaches.

An opening ceremony for a chess pavilion has been held in Tasmajdan Park in Belgrade, initiated by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia and financially supported by AzVirt, AzerNEWS reports.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon said the Israeli military intercepted what he described as “another provocative flotilla,” seemingly referring to the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), AzerNEWS reports.