Azerbaijan and Türkiye are jointly advancing efforts to establish a simplified customs corridor as part of broader initiatives to facilitate trade and strengthen connectivity along the Middle Corridor, Chairman of the State Customs Committee (SCC) Shahin Bagirov has said, AzerNEWS reports.
Day: June 26, 2026
Today, with active involvement of #US, #Armenia and #SouthCaucasus entered new era of peace and stability: #MherGrigoryan
https://t.co/l8ZkOx0yxb
https://t.co/l8ZkOx0yxb
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze delivered his annual report to the disputed parliament at the plenary session on June 26, marking the end of its spring session.
The presentation was attended predominantly by ruling party MPs, along with government members and the country’s newly enthroned Patriarch Shio III, among others.
A large part of his nearly one hour and forty-minute address focused on the economy, as Kobakhidze cited a range of macroeconomic figures and described many of them as “impressive.” He also praised the government’s performance across multiple areas, including infrastructure, trade, tourism, culture, sport, education, defence, and crime.
Below, we focus on key takeaways from his opening and concluding remarks, as well as on Georgia’s foreign policy.
Opening Remarks
In his opening remarks, Kobakhidze said the past year was a “turning point” in the government’s work, noting that cabinet reshuffles and institutional changes paved the way for a “new stage” in governance and “substantially improved the governance system.”
Asserting that the GD government “works completely transparently,” he said it “abandoned a number of wrong practices.”
In particular, he focused on corruption, saying a key government goal was “the fundamental eradication of corrupt practices in the governance system,” and claiming this had been “substantially achieved,” adding that “corruption in the upper echelons of government has been fundamentally defeated,” while stressing that the fight against corruption must continue on a permanent basis, particularly at lower levels.
Foreign Policy
On foreign policy, Kobakhidze briefly addressed relations with neighbouring and Central Asian countries, as well as with China, the United States, and the European Union.
“We are doing everything possible to strengthen cooperation and we had very important visits to our neighbouring countries during the reporting period: Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey,” he said, adding, “We are also placing special emphasis on Central Asia and on developing cooperation with Central Asian countries,” noting that it has “substantial importance” for the country’s “economic potential” and “political resources.”
He also addressed Georgia’s upgrading of relations with China to a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” noting that the strategic partnership between the two countries is reflected in “concrete, tangible results,” highlighting trade as well as tourism.
He then turned to the United States, saying that restoring a strategic partnership with Washington “from a clean slate” and with a “specific roadmap” is “very important” for Tbilisi. “Recent developments have maintained our optimism that the strategic partnership will be restored,” he said, recalling, among others, his phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and describing the talks as “friendly” and “interesting.”
Kobakhidze then addressed relations with the European Union, saying, “You know they [relations] are full of challenges but we are doing everything to properly fulfil the obligations under the Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA),” adding that most of them are being met. He again accused Brussels of having “unfair attitudes” towards Tbilisi.
Concluding Remarks
“Overall, over the past year, we managed to calm the country down,” Kobakhidze said in his concluding remarks, reiterating what Georgian Dream members have repeatedly insisted: that the country went through “five attempts at revolution” over the past four years.
He praised the work of the disputed parliament, focusing on widely contested legislation targeting civil society and media organizations, including the Foreign Agents Law, which he referred to as the “Transparency Law,” and the Grants Law. “These were precisely the laws that gave us the opportunity to stabilize the situation,” he said, claiming that foreign grants to local NGOs were being used for “destabilizing the country,” “attacks on state institutions,” “attacks on the Orthodox Church,” and “attempts at sabotage.”
Kobakhidze then singled out several steps he said helped the ruling party “calm the country down.” The first, he said, was “telling the truth to the citizens,” referring to the “vices” in the “European bureaucracy” and the former U.S. administration, as well as to those people “serving not their homeland but foreign powers,” referring to local opposition parties, NGOs, and media.
The second, he said, was legislation, while for the third he added, “We have enforced justice against violent actors.” Kobakhidze said that “everyone who attempts violence against the state and the national interests of the country will be held accountable before the law,” pledging a continued “uncompromising” approach.
As the final point, he spoke about corruption, stressing that the government has adopted, and will continue, an “uncompromised” approach to fighting it.
He then delivered special thanks to Georgian Dream founder and its billionaire honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, saying, “The achievements of the Georgian government […] are ultimately the result of the direction and the sound principles that Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili established in Georgian politics after 2012.” He added, “The fact that we have had uninterrupted peace for 14 years, that the country preserves its sovereignty and independence, and that it has made economic progress is primarily the result of this man, Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili.” MPs responded with applause to these remarks.
At the end of his speech, the Georgian Dream prime minister pledged before the same party-dominated parliament that the government “will continue to do its utmost for the prosperity of Georgia and its people.”
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has reacted to the report behind the critical resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on June 24, saying it contains “one-sided political evaluations” and “misleading narratives,” and questioning the “impartiality” of the process.
On June 24, PACE adopted a resolution titled “The Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Georgia”, based on a report by co-rapporteurs Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) and Sabina Ćudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE). Among others, the resolution warned that the conditions for holding “genuinely democratic elections” do not currently exist in Georgia and pointed to the country’s “continuing breakdown of democracy.”
“The report in question is not based on an objective, fact-driven assessment. It contains biased interpretations, one-sided political evaluations, and the repetition of misleading narratives about Georgia, raising serious concerns regarding both its impartiality and the process through which it was prepared,” the Foreign Ministry said in its late-night statement on June 25.
The Ministry described it as “particularly alarming” that an international institution established to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law is “increasingly being used as an instrument for political pressure.” It said “such practices undermine the credibility of the Council of Europe” and raise “legitimate concerns about the impartiality of certain bodies within the organization.”
The statement also condemned what it described as “attempts to discredit a democratically elected government in the name of democracy, to deliberately criticize lawfully functioning state institutions, and to encourage political groups that seek to disregard the public mandate obtained through elections.” According to the Ministry, “such an approach does not strengthen democracy” but instead “deepens political polarization and fuels radicalization.”
The Foreign Ministry also criticized what it called “a biased approach to the internal political and legal processes of a sovereign state,” including “political criticism of legislative decisions adopted in accordance with national interests and in full compliance with constitutional procedures.” It said calls to repeal laws “without proper legal justification or objective assessment” exceed “the boundaries of an institutional mandate and bear the hallmarks of political interference.”
The statement added that Georgian government “remains firmly committed to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, constitutional order, and the democratic choice of the Georgian people,” arguing that “no external political pressure, disinformation campaign, or unfair assessment can justify disregarding Georgia’s national interests, state independence, or democratic legitimacy.”
Describing Georgia as “a responsible member of the Council of Europe and a steadfast advocate of its core values,” the Foreign Ministry said the country remains ready for “constructive, mutually beneficial cooperation based on respect and trust,” while expecting a “constructive and fair approach” from the CoE’s institutions.
The statement follows comments by Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, who denounced the recent critical resolutions adopted by both the European Parliament and PACE, saying they had “ultimately crossed the red lines set by the Georgian people” and “grossly violated Georgia’s sovereignty and the principles of national independence.”
The Georgian Dream parliamentary delegation to PACE has suspended its participation after the 2025 winter session, during which PACE conditionally ratified the credentials of the delegation on the understanding that new parliamentary elections would be set and “all political prisoners” released.
Also Read:
- 19/06/2026 – CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Calls for Progress on Police Accountability, Reversal of Freedom Restrictions in Georgia
- 24/02/2026 – Botchorishvili Meets with CoE Secretary General Berset at UNHRC Session
- 19/11/2025 – MFA: Brussels’ Postponement of Human Rights Dialogue ‘Unacceptable and Unjustified’
Labour migration from Armenia to Russia declines
Fewer people from Armenia‘s regions, particularly border communities, are leaving to seek work abroad, especially in Russia. This article explores the reasons behind the trend through the experiences of residents of one border village.
- Village from which Armenia begins. Photos and video
- Shortage of sign language interpreters leaves deaf Armenians without access to education
- Emergency medical service in Yerevan: stories and video
“This fairytale forest also feeds us”
The village of Nerkin Tsakhkavan lies in a gorge surrounded by forest-covered mountains. Its winding green paths gradually merge into the woodland, from which Seda Ghazaryan makes her way home carrying several bags filled with wild greens she has gathered in the mountains.
Her face is sunburnt and her hands are rough from working the land. She looks tired but content, her eyes smiling. At home, she is greeted by her daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
“This fairytale forest also feeds us. We gather sorrel, wild asparagus and mushrooms. We sell them — we have to make a living somehow. I also keep chickens. Today I sold 20 eggs. Yesterday I sold three kilos of cheese. People also buy milk from me. I don’t take my products anywhere; customers come to our village themselves. We do whatever we can to earn an honest living,” says the 61-year-old woman.
Seda lives with the family of her younger son, who has four school-aged children. Her daughter-in-law, Marine, works in a greenhouse growing roses. The greenhouse is in a neighbouring village, however, so of the 4,000 drams (about $11) she earns each day, 1,000 drams (around $2.70) goes on taxi fares.
“This month has been a bit better. My husband and I gathered almost 100kg of wild asparagus in the forest and have already sold it all. We also planted beans, which we’re now harvesting and selling to traders. We have two cows. In short, we’re trying to build a life for ourselves, but we never have enough money for groceries. By the end of the month, we usually owe the local shop about 70,000 drams (around $190). We receive support under the state’s Paros social assistance programme as a low-income family, and use it to pay off the debt,” Marine says.
The village of Nerkin Tsakhkavan lies 4.5km from Armenia’s northern border and has a population of 530.
Most residents make a living from horticulture, livestock farming and beekeeping. For many years, however, men routinely travelled to Russia for seasonal work. In recent years, that flow has steadily declined.
Marine says her husband, like many other men in the village, now works on construction sites in their own community. According to her, work has been consistently available both in their village and in neighbouring settlements over the past two years.
Housing programme transforms life in border villages
The Armenian government offers residents of border communities the opportunity to benefit from a housing support programme. Both local residents and people wishing to settle in these areas can receive up to 16 million drams (more than $43,000) to build a home. The funding is used to cover the principal repayments on a mortgage.
The programme was launched in 2022 and was initially due to end in 2024. However, it resumed in March this year. As a result, another 1,417 families will join the 2,319 beneficiaries who received support during the first phase. By the end of 2027, a total of 3,736 families are expected to own their own homes under the scheme.
Under the programme, 50 houses have already been built in Nerkin Tsakhkavan.
The scheme has also created construction jobs for local residents, who earn around 8,000 drams (about $22) a day.
Construction is under way next to Seda Ghazaryan’s home. The voices of builders break the village’s usual silence. Three of the workers had spent many years travelling to Russia for seasonal work but have now decided to stay and work in their own village.
“As long as there’s work here, we’ll stay. Of course, the political crisis in Russia, the rouble’s depreciation and tighter migration rules have all played a part. But it’s also true that working in Armenia is now more profitable than going to Russia,” says Pavlik Muradyan.
Seda regrets that her elder son has been unable to benefit from the programme.
“My son, his wife and their children live in rented accommodation. But they couldn’t join the scheme because of a poor credit history.”
Will decline in labour migration continue?
Armenia’s regions of Gegharkunik, Shirak and Lori have traditionally seen the highest levels of labour migration.
According to Tatevik Bezhanyan, a migration programme expert at the NGO Armenian Caritas, more people are choosing to stay and work locally, helped in part by the construction of schools and kindergartens across the regions:
“However, it’s difficult to say what will happen once the construction work is finished. Will people stay in Armenia or go back to Russia? We used to say that labour migration had become a sector of the economy in its own right because, in some years, remittances from migrant workers amounted to around 20% of GDP. That share has now fallen.”
Bezhanyan says that 89% of all migration from Armenia, and 95% of labour migration, is directed towards Russia. As a result, any changes in Russia have a direct impact on migration flows from Armenia.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, Russia has gradually tightened its migration policy, with labour migrants among those most affected.
“The biggest waves of restrictions came into force on 1 January, 5 February, 1 April and in September 2025. When Russia launched its Register of Controlled Persons last year, 46,000 people appeared on it within just two days. Around 40% of them had committed no violations.
Our team stepped in to help these people because they had no idea what to do. The system had been introduced, but even the relevant Russian authorities did not fully understand how it was supposed to work. People would queue for days, only to find they had done nothing wrong. All that was needed was to remove a ‘flag’ from their record to prevent further problems,” Bezhanyan explains.
The Register of Controlled Persons is a database maintained by Russia’s Interior Ministry containing foreign nationals and stateless people deemed to be in the country without legal grounds.
Until the end of 2023, the Russian police published statistics on the number of people entering the country, including the purpose of their visit, the number of employment and civil contracts signed, and the number of temporary residence permits and citizenships granted. According to Bezhanyan, Armenia relied on these figures because it did not collect comparable statistics of its own.
“Once the Russian data became unavailable, we had to conduct our own small-scale research to understand the situation. Our estimates suggest that the number of labour migrants leaving Armenia for Russia fell by around 30% in 2025. Before Russia tightened its migration rules, there were about 100,000 legal Armenian labour migrants in the country. After several waves of restrictions, that number dropped to around 70,000,” she says.
At the same time, Russia remains the largest source of remittances to Armenia.
Village nurse is more concerned about falling birth rate
The village nurse, Sona Melikyan, says that many local families have relatives living in Russia – people who left and never returned.
“They’ve settled there now and have become what we jokingly call ‘summer residents’. They come back to the village whenever they can. My sister moved there too. My son doesn’t live here either. His job means he can’t visit very often. Very few people are leaving now. Those who wanted to leave have already done so. Hardly anyone is moving away these days.”
She proudly says that, before her, her mother served as the village nurse for nearly 40 years.
“We know every family’s medical history by heart – their illnesses and health problems. As the saying goes, we’re the midwives, the doctors and the nurses all at once. The village has a medical centre, but if something happens, people can come straight to my house at any time of the day or night. Or I go to them if someone needs help.“
The village nurse says her biggest concern is no longer migration but the falling birth rate.
“Life wasn’t bad in Soviet times. Tobacco used to be grown here, but not anymore. Back then, money had real value; now it has lost much of its worth. But what worries me most is the low birth rate in the village. Some years, only two babies are born. We have many men, even in their 40s, who are still unmarried. I don’t know why. Perhaps they can’t find suitable partners in the village, or maybe women don’t want to marry local men. But it’s a serious problem for us.”
This article was produced as part of a media tour organised by Armenian Caritas under the Support to Migrants in the South Caucasus and Central Asia programme.
Labour migration from Armenia to Russia