Georgia Strongly Protests New So-Called Agreement Between Moscow and T...

The Georgian side stressed that such illegal actions are null and void, constitute a gross violation of international law, and undermine efforts to achieve constructive dialogue.During the talks, the Georgian delegation reiterated the need for the full implementation of the August 12, 2008 ceasefire agreement and the safe, dignified return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes. The delegation also raised concerns over the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in the occupied regions and called for the unconditional restoration of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Gali.According to the Ministry, representatives of Russia and the occupation regimes once again left the negotiating table when the issue of the return of refugees and IDPs was raised, continuing what Tbilisi described as their longstanding destructive approach.The 68th round of the Geneva International Discussions is scheduled to take place on November 10–11, 2026.Russian President Vladimir Putin and the so-called South Ossetian leader Alan Gagloev signed the so-called agreement on deepening cooperation on May 9, 2026, and Russia’s State Duma ratified the document just four days later, on May 13.Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili condemned the move during the 135th Session of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on May 15, stating that the Kremlin was once again disregarding its international obligations and taking further steps toward the annexation of Georgia’s occupied regions.Shortly after the signing of the so-called agreement, it was announced on June 23 that Alan Gagloev had stepped down as the so-called president of the occupied Tskhinvali region and had been appointed an adviser to the Russian president. Earlier, the so-called prime minister had also been replaced by Marat Kambolov, a representative of Russia’s Republic of North Ossetia. According to some analysts, these appointments indicate Moscow’s efforts to tighten its direct control over the occupied region.

Uniform textbooks and mandatory school uniforms made in China to be in...

According to the Minister, completely new textbooks will be published in humanitarian and STEM subjects at all levels by September 15, 2028. According to the Ministry's decision, one and the same textbook will be used in the same level and subject, both in public and private schools. As a result of the ongoing work, first-graders, 7th and 10th graders will already have new books by the start of the new academic year.According to the new concept, visuals carrying national values ​​will be placed on the covers of textbooks. In particular, the cover of the chemistry textbook will depict the traditional winemaking process, and its chemical description on the back cover. The physics textbook will include Elguja Medzmariashvili's invention - the launch of the first Georgian satellite into space. In addition, the books include more than 500 new illustrations that concern Georgian architectural monuments.In addition, the Ministry is starting to introduce the culture of wearing uniforms in schools, which will be extended to grades one through six this year, and then one grade will be added each year. The provision of uniforms will be carried out in three stages: on September 15, all first-graders will come to school in new uniforms decorated with the state emblem, and during the first semester, all students from grades one through six will be provided with uniforms.As a result of market research and a tender, an agreement was signed with the number one manufacturer of school uniforms in China after the first identified company failed to submit complete documentation. According to the Minister, the price of uniforms will be several times cheaper than uniforms of private schools, and all families that are rated by the Ministry of Health with 65,000 or less rating points and have a primary school student will receive uniforms completely free of charge.The first samples presented by the company have passed international quality testing and will also be tested in Georgia. According to the Minister, the polyester in the fabric is mixed with natural materials, which increases durability, and all jackets, trousers and skirts have anti-allergic lining. The models fully comply with international standards, and sales points will be opened in regions and cities in advance.

Strasbourg Court Begins Substantive Review of Case on Seizure of Bank...

The authors of the joint lawsuit sent to Strasbourg are: “Social Justice Center”, “Civil Society Foundation”, “Fair Elections”, “Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information” (IDFI) and “Safari”. The organizations applied to the European Court for legal response on October 15, 2025.According to “Fair Elections”, the European Court granted the aforementioned lawsuit the status of a case with significant impact (Impact Case). This decision means that the Strasbourg Court is assessing the scope of the case in advance and believes that it can have a significant impact on the practice of the Court itself, national legislation and broader human rights and public issues.“The commencement of the substantive examination of the case in this mode is an important message to the Georgian authorities that any action aimed at restricting civil society activities, criminalizing human rights activities and persecuting independent organizations will be subject to international legal assessment and cannot remain without an appropriate response,” the organization said in a statement released on Monday.

Former senior officials of the Regulatory Agency exposed in the GEL 53...

As a result of more than 1,000 investigative actions conducted in the case, 17 members of the organized group have been detained at this stage, and 3 individuals who are in hiding will be declared wanted. In addition, charges have been brought against 11 individuals who are cooperating with the investigation, and criminal prosecution has been initiated against 24 legal entities.According to the agency, former high-ranking officials of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency are among the accused. They have been abusing their personal interests and official position to facilitate the functioning of the criminal scheme for years.The investigation revealed that a large-scale network of so-called “pharmacy drug trafficking” operated in the country in 2018–2025, and the process was organized by the heads of companies importing psychotropic drugs. To cover up the crime, the drugs were documented in the names of fictitious pharmaceutical companies, but in reality, without any prescriptions or permits, they were sold at high prices throughout the country in facilities that did not even have the status of pharmacies.It has been established that the income from illegal trade amounted to 53,833,723 GEL. In order to legalize the funds, a significant part of the criminal income was recorded in the form of salaries and dividends, after which the defendants acquired a large amount of real estate and movable property. The mentioned assets have been fully seized, from which the damage caused to the state will be compensated in the future.According to the statement of the Deputy Head of the Investigation Service, Guga Tavberidze, the investigation is underway under Articles 192 and 194 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for imprisonment for a term of 9 to 11 years. The agency warns all individuals and legal entities operating in the field that the state will be particularly strict towards such crimes, which damage the budget and endanger the lives of citizens.The mentioned large-scale event was carried out by the Investigation Service under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, as well as with the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service and the Revenue Service.

State Audit Office to Inspect Communications Commission and State Audi...

The need for legislative amendments arose after the decision taken in December 2025 transferred the functions of the Personal Data Protection Service and the Anti-Corruption Bureau to the State Audit Office from March 2026.According to the rapporteur of the draft law, First Deputy Chairman of the Finance and Budget Committee, Irakli Kheladze, the main novelty is the subordination of the regulatory commissions - the Communications Commission and the State Commission for Electronic Communications, which were not subject to inspection until now - to the Audit Service. Their audit will be carried out on a similar principle to the National Bank, which means that the agency will only inspect administrative and capital expenditures and will not interfere in the substantive decisions of the regulators.Within the framework of the reform, auditors are also granted exceptional powers, which will allow them to request information related to state procurement directly from private individuals participating in tenders. In addition, in order to speed up operational work, the Audit Service will receive direct access to the electronic databases of other administrative bodies based on memoranda.At the same time, sanctions are being tightened, and the amount of the fine for failure to provide documentation or submitting false information to the agency is increasing from the current 1,000 GEL to 5,000 GEL. The draft law also specifies that financial compliance and efficiency audits include control of both ongoing and already implemented activities.From a structural point of view, the law adds a new position - the Secretary of Public Relations. He ensures coordination and communication with other agencies under the instructions of the Auditor General, although the addition of this position does not require additional financial expenses from the budget.