Black Sea submarine cable project enters technical preparation stage

During the meeting, the project’s legal consultant and mediator presented potential organizational and membership fee models, drawing on examples from other countries and local associations. By the end of the meeting, the participants agreed on the best model to ensure the sustainable development of the meat sector.The Georgian Meat Producers' Association aims to facilitate communication between farmers, consumers, state agencies, and international or local partners, while prioritizing the best interests of sector representatives and adhering to international standards. Ultimately, this will contribute to food safety, product traceability, and the sustainable development of the meat sector in the country. The Association actively cooperates with state and international organizations to help refine sector policies and legislation. Its priority is to increase access to financial instruments, investment projects, and various support programs for sector representatives."Meat suppliers represent different sub-sectors and are often competitors, yet they all share a common goal: supplying retail chains with safe products that meet consumer demands. The sector is quite fragmented, which is why our objective is to consolidate them around their shared interests. This will help them find common ground, develop action plans, and focus on addressing existing challenges. Furthermore, the presence of the Association will assist the government in identifying issues within the meat sector and responding to them efficiently. In establishing this Association, we drew upon leading European Union practices, which we believe will significantly support the organization’s future operations and development," said Mikheil Sokhadze, FAO Project Manager.The NAITS project is implemented by the FAO in cooperation with the National Food Agency, with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), as part of International Partnerships Austria. 

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According to the Presidential Administration, Kavelashvili stated that Berdimuhamedow’s first state visit to Georgia marks an important milestone in the development of bilateral relations and serves as a clear indication of strengthened high-level political dialogue between the two countries.During the meeting, the sides discussed prospects for expanding cooperation between Georgia and Turkmenistan. Particular attention was paid to deepening trade and economic ties, promoting investments, and enhancing cooperation in the fields of energy, transport, and logistics, as well as making more effective use of the strategic potential of the Middle Corridor.“The parties noted that Georgia, as a key link connecting Europe and Asia, is interested in further developing transit connections, including through the future opportunities offered by the Black Sea ports and the Anaklia Deep Sea Port,” the Presidential Administration said.The presidents also discussed strengthening cooperation in the fields of culture, education, and science. The importance of people-to-people contacts, the development of youth and academic exchange programs, and support for joint cultural initiatives were highlighted.According to the Presidential Administration, Mikheil Kavelashvili thanked President Serdar Berdimuhamedow for Turkmenistan’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.The official visit of President Berdimuhamedow to Georgia began today. A face-to-face meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Berdimuhamedow, as well as bilateral meetings with Georgian ministers, are scheduled for tomorrow.

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According to Georgia’s Ministry of Finance, the meeting focused on trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, as well as projects of regional importance.The parties emphasized the importance of deepening partnership in the transit and logistics sectors. Discussions also covered the development prospects of the “Middle Corridor” and the need to further enhance connectivity opportunities.The Finance Minister briefed the guest on Georgia’s current macroeconomic indicators and medium-term forecasts.“For his part, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan spoke about Turkmenistan’s key economic indicators. At the end of the meeting, the sides expressed hope that the visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Georgia would contribute to promoting trade and investment between the two countries,” the Ministry of Finance said.

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Previously, customers had to visit the websites of individual banks to compare payment service fees, exchange rates, and deposit offers. The new platform consolidates this information, reducing the time and effort required to evaluate different products.The platform enables users to: Compare fees for payment account services offered by different commercial banks; Filter products based on selected criteria and compare banking offers; Access up-to-date exchange rates published by commercial banks; Use calculators for payment services, deposits, card transactions, and currency exchange to estimate costs; Compare effective deposit interest rates and identify the most suitable savings option.Speaking at the presentation of the platform, NBG Governor Natia Turnava said the initiative represents another important step toward improving consumer access to financial information and promoting informed decision-making.“The new functionality allows consumers to compare the terms offered by different banks in one place and make informed choices. This initiative will improve access to information while strengthening transparency and healthy competition in the banking sector,” Turnava said.The presentation was attended by representatives of commercial banks, microbanks, microfinance institutions, payment service providers, project partners, and invited guests.According to the central bank, the platform allows users to compare both individual payment service fees and bundled service packages. It also displays the cost of related services and separately calculates recurring charges, making it easier to assess the total cost of banking services.Users can search for information using various filters, including the type of service, delivery channel—such as a branch, internet banking, or mobile banking—and the preferred currency. The platform is designed for both individual and corporate customers.The website also includes several financial calculators. A basic calculator estimates the fee for a specific transaction, while an advanced calculator projects a user’s total annual banking costs based on selected services and usage patterns.A dedicated card transaction calculator estimates the cost of using a bank card abroad by taking into account foreign exchange conversions, exchange rates, applicable commissions, and the card issuer’s conversion fees, helping users identify the most cost-effective payment card.The platform also provides real-time comparisons of commercial banks’ exchange rates. Users can enter a desired amount to compare offers from different banks, while the currency conversion calculator estimates the outcome of a transaction and helps identify the most favorable exchange rate.In addition, the website provides information on the effective interest rates offered on commercial bank deposits, reflecting both the interest earned and all associated mandatory costs. Users can compare deposit products using a range of filters to find the option that best suits their needs.The National Bank noted that all information displayed on the platform is based on data submitted by commercial banks and may be updated at any time. Consumers are therefore advised to verify current exchange rates and service conditions with their chosen financial institution before completing any transaction.

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This is an important innovation, because last year only one price was set for Saperavi and other grape varieties. In accordance with the Law “On Vine and Wine”, in the case of grapes of permitted varieties, price differentiation will be carried out by the percentage of sugar content.What will the subsidy for the 2026 harvest cost the budget?The government has so far issued only one decree for the 2026 harvest, according to which GEL 60 million should be spent on subsidies. However, the experience of past years shows that the actual expenditure, as a rule, is much higher than the original plan.For comparison, the government had initially also set GEL 60 million for subsidizing the 2025 harvest, although in the end the actual expenditure turned out to be 3.5 times higher – GEL 220 million (in total, GEL 241 million was spent from the budget to purchase grapes that remained outside the private sector).It should be recalled that within the framework of the 2025 harvest, due to a surplus harvest and low demand from the private sector, the state had to purchase 145,742,918 kilograms of grapes from the budget.

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Despite the positive dynamics in June, a slight decline is recorded in the tourism sector in the first half of this year. In particular, in the first half of 2026, tourism receipts totaled $2 billion, which is 0.2% less than in the same period last year.As for expectations, according to the investment bank’s forecast, the sector will return to growth - tourism revenues will reach $4.9 billion in 2026, and $5.3 billion by 2027.The review also focuses on official statistics from the National Bank of Georgia. According to the National Bank, in June 2026, official international reserves increased by 51.9% year-on-year and reached a new record level of $7.1 billion.Compared to the previous month (May), reserves increased by 1.7% in June, which means an increase of $115.8 million in absolute terms.“The change in reserves is related to foreign exchange operations of the government and/or the banking sector, as well as the purchase of foreign exchange by the NBG using the BMatch platform (information will be available on July 27). It is worth noting that as of June 2026, monetary gold accounts for 14.2% of total international reserves,” the Galt & Taggart review states.

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China Eastern Airlines will implement the flights three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.China Eastern Airlines is the third Chinese airline to operate regular flights between Georgia and China.“The new route will help strengthen tourism, business, and trade-economic ties. Combined with the visa-free regime, travel between the two countries will become easier,” the Union of Georgian Airports said.Tickets can be purchased on the airline's official website: www.ceair.com

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The company attributes this growth to the increase in economic activity in the country and the number of new subscribers.In particular, as of June 2026, the number of Telasi subscribers increased by 4.5% (35.5 thousand subscribers) compared to the same period in 2025 and amounted to 833.4 thousand subscribers, of which 746.6 thousand are individuals, and 86.8 thousand are legal entities.During the same period, the total length of the company's power transmission lines amounted to 7,810 km, which is 7% (510 km) higher than the figure for the first six months of 2025. The total length of the company's power transmission lines increased as a result of network development, reconstruction and modernization works.

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