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.

Council of Europe: Georgia’s prison population is twice the European a...

According to the report, as of 31 December 2025, there were a total of 8,592 prisoners in Georgia (including those in pre-trial detention). This means that the country has 231.9 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, which is significantly higher than the European average of 110 prisoners and is classified as “very high”.Declining trend, amnesty and pardonDespite the high overall figure, the report highlights the dynamics of the reduction in the number of prisoners: The total number of prisoners decreased by 15.5% in 2015-2025 The decrease in 2024-2025 amounted to 11% The Council of Europe attributes this decrease, among other things, to humanitarian acts - according to the document, in 2024 Georgia declared 953 amnesties and 688 individual pardons. Demographic profile of prisonersThe study describes in detail the structure of those in Georgian prisons: Age: The average age of prisoners is 39 years. In addition, the share of convicts aged 50 or older is assessed as “high”. Juveniles: As of January 31, 2025, there were 74 juveniles in the system (0.9% of the total). Women: Only 4.4% (377 prisoners) of the total prison population, which is considered a “low” figure. Foreigners: 11.9% (1,020 prisoners) of convicted persons are foreign citizens. This figure is “very low” compared to the European median (17%). The report also addresses prison capacity. The Georgian penitentiary system has a total of 12,332 places. The current density is 69.7 prisoners per 100 places, meaning that the system is not overcrowded.There are a total of 2,918 cells in the country, with an average of 2.9 prisoners per cell. In addition, the Council of Europe notes that spending the night in individual (separate) cells is not a standard in Georgia.

Kobakhidze slams Copenhagen protest crackdown in open letter to EU lea...

The open letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, was published after the political dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels was unilaterally suspended. According to the head of government, the formats for discussion and cooperation proposed by Georgia were repeatedly rejected by the European bureaucracy, which forced the country’s leadership to resort to a public appeal.In the letter, the Prime Minister asks EU leaders how they assess the events in Copenhagen, where, according to him, peaceful demonstrators were beaten with batons and dogs were used against them. According to the head of government, these actions contradict the standards of democracy and human rights that Europe was considered a benchmark for protecting.“The current situation poses a danger that Europe may become a benchmark not for protecting these values, but for ignoring and grossly violating them,” the letter states.According to the Prime Minister, the EU is currently in a “deep crisis of values,” which is manifested in democratic decline, economic stagnation, a migration crisis, as well as the weakening of national and gender identities. According to him, Georgia, as a candidate country for EU membership, expects a clear answer from Brussels about the union’s plan for managing internal crisis processes and the final results.Chronology of Georgia-EU relations and the current crisis:July 2021 – Annulment of the “Charles Michel Agreement”: The ruling party “Georgian Dream” declared the document signed with the mediation of the President of the European Council, which aimed at political reforms, null and void.June 2022 – Postponement of candidate status: The European Council did not grant Georgia the status of candidate for EU membership (unlike Ukraine and Moldova). The country was given a 12-point recommendation for receiving the status.March 2023 – The so-called The first protest of the “Russian law”: The ruling team first introduced the draft law on “agents of foreign influence.” This was followed by large-scale protests in Tbilisi of thousands and a stern warning from Brussels, which led to the government withdrawing the draft law.December 2023 – Granting candidate status: Given the geopolitical context, the European Council granted Georgia the status of candidate for EU membership on the condition that the country fulfills 9 new recommendations.April - May 2024 – Protests of thousands in Tbilisi: The re-initiation of the “transparency law” was followed by one of the most popular and continuous protests in the country’s history. The demonstrations lasted for more than a month, while Western partners warned Tbilisi that if the law was adopted, it would “block the European path.”May 2024 – Final adoption of the law: Despite protests and vetoes, the parliament finally approved the law “On Organizations Representing the Interests of a Foreign Power”. Brussels stated that this step contradicts the fundamental values ​​of the European Union.June-July 2024 – Suspension of membership and sanctions: The European Council officially announced the suspension of Georgia’s integration process. 30 million euros of the Defense Fund (EPF) and direct budgetary support (121 million euros) were frozen. In October, Ambassador Pavel Herchinsky confirmed the termination of the high-level political dialogue.October 26, 2024 – Parliamentary elections: Parliamentary elections were held, which the European Union described as a “referendum on the European course”. The CEC declared the Georgian Dream party the winner, prompting accusations of fraud from the opposition and civil society and a new wave of protests. The EU and Western partners have called for an independent investigation into election irregularities and have refrained from legitimizing the results.Foreign policy review and diplomatic deadlock: The post-election political crisis has reduced the chances of resuming dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels. The Georgian government accuses the European bureaucracy of unilaterally blocking bilateral formats, which has led the Georgian side to resort to open letters to European leaders and public criticism.