MIA tightens migration policy: fictitious marriages will be criminaliz...

According to the ministry, the changes mainly concern the regulations for the admission of foreign students and their residence permits, as well as the rules for legal stay in the country based on marriage between Georgian citizens and foreigners.According to the legislative package, the enrollment of foreign students in higher and vocational educational institutions will be subject to the submission of an international language certificate or passing an exam organized by the National Assessment and Examination Center (NAEC). With this regulation, the state aims to exclude the enrollment of those individuals who do not actually possess the appropriate language competence.In addition, a government resolution will establish a maximum quota for the admission of foreign students for educational institutions. Universities will be obliged to reflect any information related to the status of students in a unified information system, to which state agencies will have access. For violation of the rules, educational institutions will be held administratively liable, which, in addition to a fine, also provides for restrictions on the admission of foreigners or cancellation of authorization.A study residence permit will be issued to adults only if they are studying at authorized institutions, and in case of failure to meet academic requirements, violation of labor conditions, or absence from the territory of the country, the residence permit will be revoked.The legislative package tightens the rules for obtaining the right of residence on the basis of marriage. A new legal status is established - “Residence permit for the spouse of a citizen of Georgia”, which is issued before the right of permanent residence. Before issuing the permit, a special commission will verify the validity of the marriage.The draft law makes fictitious marriages for the purpose of obtaining residence or citizenship punishable under criminal law. The sanction is the expulsion of a foreigner from Georgia and a ban on entering the country for a period of 2 to 10 years, or a fine, or house arrest for a period of 1 to 2 years, or imprisonment for a period of up to 2 years.In order to combat illegal migration, the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is granted the authority to carry out operational-investigative measures. In addition, foreign convicts may have their unserved sentence commuted to deportation from Georgia.Changes are also being made to judicial proceedings: the deadlines for appealing immigration decisions and reviewing cases are being significantly reduced, and in some cases the court will be able to consider cases within tight deadlines without an oral hearing.

EU: Withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia considered as condition...

As Reuters reports, citing a European official, the package prepared by Kallas for the meeting planned in Cyprus also includes a demand that Russia stop cyber attacks, the use of drones and disinformation campaigns against Europe.The EU’s strategic discussions have intensified after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Europe to become more involved in the peace process. Kiev fears that the United States, currently focused on the conflict with Iran, could distance itself from the talks with Russia, which is why the Ukrainian side wants to keep Europe involved.Despite the plan, according to Reuters sources, there is still no consensus among EU members on the format of future relations with Moscow.“Support for Ukraine remains strong, ⁠but there is no unity on how to approach future relations with Russia, that is more difficult,” said a senior European diplomat. “Some believe there should be no engagement at all, no bargaining - it’s complicated,” they added.According to diplomatic sources, at the same time, Moscow is not ready to start real negotiations at this stage. In February, the diplomatic adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron visited Moscow for this purpose, but did not find any signs of changes in the Kremlin's positions. Against this background, part of the European Union believes that now is the time to increase pressure on Russia and that any diplomatic test should be considered only in parallel with military assistance to Ukraine.

German Embassy Calls on Papuashvili to Check Facts

The controversy was sparked by Shalva Papuashvili’s statement that German Ambassador Peter Fischer “would not personally have the desire to attend the Independence Day event” because he “takes the oath of the squadrons of contempt.”“As for the statement of the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, we recommend checking the facts. The facts are that Germany has been a large and leading supporter of the Georgian Defense Forces for decades. This can be easily verified with the Ministry of Defense. Everything else is disinformation,” the embassy said in a statement.The embassy did not specify whether the ambassador attended the May 26 event, although according to available information, Peter Fischer was not at the ceremonial ceremony. At the same time, the speaker of the parliament stated that an official invitation had been sent to all diplomats.The German mission emphasizes that the country’s goal is to continue friendly cooperation with Georgia and that the diplomatic mission avoids getting involved in any domestic political discussions.

Restrictions on unscrupulous companies on state procurement blacklist...

According to the Government’s Parliamentary Secretary, Vakhtang Bachiashvili, the new legislation will distinguish between improper fulfillment of obligations and dishonest actions committed in order to obtain a contract.Under the current law, being on the blacklist restricts access to state contracts for a period of one year. According to the new draft, in case of detection of dishonest actions, the period of prohibition from participating in procurements will be increased to two years. In addition, this restriction will apply not only to the company itself, but also to its founder and partner.The second part of the legislative amendments concerns the promotion of the development of small and medium-sized businesses, which involves the institutional introduction of the concept of a subcontractor and the creation of a legal framework for its use.After the adoption of the draft law, the rules for relations with subcontractors will be established, including the mechanisms for their selection, distribution of responsibility and control. According to the government, the reform is expected to increase the economic capabilities of both small and medium-sized businesses and the efficiency of the public procurement system as a whole.

Pashinyan: Georgia plays a key role in Armenian-European relations, we...

According to the Armenpress agency, Pashinyan made this statement at a briefing in response to a question asked by a journalist regarding comments made by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. According to Kobakhidze, foreign patrons and local groups are trying to set Georgia against Armenia.“As for Georgia, I have clearly stated that Georgia plays a very important and key role in Armenian-European relations and we are very concerned about the current situation. We believe that this situation must be resolved,” the Armenian Prime Minister said.Pashinyan stressed that the partnership between Tbilisi and Yerevan is independent of any external factors and cannot be determined by third parties.“The relations between Armenia and Georgia have nothing to do with relations with third parties. Naturally, these relations are strategic, long-term, historical and fraternal in nature and will remain so. Any other scenario is simply impossible,” Nikol Pashinyan said.