Foreign exchange reserves serve as a vital safeguard for the country’s macroeconomic stability. Consequently, the NBG remains steadfastly focused on rebuilding its reserves, as reflected in the bank’s stated policy. Whenever market conditions permit, the central bank actively boosts the country’s international reserves.Specifically, during August, the NBG replenished foreign exchange reserves by USD 555.6 million through interventions on the Bmatch platform. Total net purchases from January to August 2026 reached USD 3,122.2 million.Foreign exchange interventions conducted by the NBG in 2026 began in January with net Bmatch purchases of USD 86.6 million, rising sharply in February to USD 429.3 million. March recorded net sales of USD 16.2 million, before returning to net purchases in April at USD 333.3 million, May at USD 632.9 million, June at USD 612.6 million, July at USD 488.2 million, and August at USD 555.6 million.The National Bank of Georgia will release updated data regarding its foreign exchange market operations on 26 October 2026.

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Ekaterine Mikabadze, First Vice-Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, congratulated Rico Express, TBC Capital, all involved parties, and the investors on the successful transaction. She noted that investors are gaining increasing opportunities to securely allocate their savings, while the private sector is gaining access to alternative sources of financing."Every successful market transaction is significantly driven by both capital market conditions and general macroeconomic stability. Stable economic development substantially lowers the country's risk premium, which, of course, enables the private sector to raise financial resources on more favorable terms. Positive trends are evident in the development of the capital market; the past year saw significant market activity, and market participants continue to demonstrate a high level of engagement this year," noted Ekaterine Mikabadze, First Vice-Governor of the National Bank."I congratulate 'Rico Express' Microfinance Organization on the successful placement of its first foreign-currency bond. There was significant interest in the securities, enabling the company to place the bond on competitive terms. I am pleased that they chose TBC Capital as their partner for raising funds in foreign currency. As a result, 'Rico Express' was able to secure financial resources on improved terms, which is crucial for the development of their business. Through such transactions, we assist companies in diversifying their funding sources, expanding their investor base, and raising capital on competitive terms," stated Otar Sharikadze, Director of TBC Capital.Lasha Nikolaishvili, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of "Rico Express," noted that this is a very significant day for the company. He expressed gratitude to the National Bank for its support and highlighted the role of the NBG in achieving this result. "The role of the National Bank is noteworthy, as the country's reserves have reached unprecedented levels in recent years. These very factors have led to a decline in interest rates within the country," noted Lasha Nikolaishvili. He added that in the current climate, where global refinancing rates are rising the company successfully issued 3-year bonds at a rate of 7%. This achievement is unprecedented in the recent market landscape and signals both a stable domestic environment and strong investor confidence in the country and Georgian companies alike."Riko Express" has been operating in the Georgian market for nearly 30 years and holds a 47% market share, making it the leader in the microfinance sector.

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The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Regional Central Bank Governors’ Roundtable.The parties discussed prospects for further deepening cooperation between the two central banks. Particular attention was devoted to the development of payment systems and opportunities for sharing knowledge and practical experience in this area.The parties noted that continued dialogue and the exchange of information would contribute to the development of modern, efficient, and secure payment systems and financial services. During the meeting, the parties agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding.Ekaterine Galdava, Vice-Governor of the National Bank, attended the meeting with the Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

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The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Regional Central Bank Governors’ Roundtable held in Tbilisi.The parties discussed prospects for further deepening cooperation between the two central banks. During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed, establishing a new framework for the exchange of expertise and best practices.The Memorandum provides for cooperation and knowledge sharing in the areas of monetary policy, international reserve management, payment systems, financial services development, and the regulation and supervision of financial institutions.

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The Global Fintech Fest is a major international fintech event that brings together representatives of financial technology, the banking sector, regulatory institutions, investors and technology companies from around the world.As part of the event, Ekaterine Galdava participated as a speaker in the panel discussion titled “Building Trust in Cross-Border Payments.” The discussion focused on the development of secure, reliable, and efficient cross-border payments, including the interoperability of payment systems and improving the speed and transparency of payments. It also addressed strengthening links between payment infrastructures across different jurisdictions.Ekaterine Galdava presented Georgia’s experience and the implemented and ongoing reforms aimed at modernizing the country’s payment infrastructure. The discussion highlighted the implementation of the modern RTGS system, the transition to the ISO 20022 standard, the development of the instant payment system, and prospects for the future connectivity and interoperability of Georgia’s payment infrastructure with international systems.Natalia Chkoidze, Head of the Payment Systems Department of the NBG, and Natia Chkonia, Deputy Head of the Consumer Protection Department, also participated in the Global Fintech Fest.During the event, representatives of the NBG held high-level meetings with senior representatives of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), and PhonePe, one of India’s leading fintech companies. The meetings addressed current issues related to the development of payment systems, as well as opportunities for future cooperation and exchange of experience, particularly in the areas of instant and cross-border payments, modern payment infrastructure, and the development of innovative payment services.

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In total, 3,388 residential apartments were sold in Tbilisi in August, an 18.9% increase compared to the same period last year. The market volume grew by 35.2%, reaching $297 million.Sales growth was particularly notable in new developments (+23.7%), reflecting increased market supply. Colliers estimates that the Samgori and Didi Dighomi districts accounted for the largest share of this growth.At the same time, apartment prices have also risen. Compared to August of the previous year, the weighted average sale price of newly built apartments: Increased by 16.7% in the city center; By 16% in the extended city center; By 10.4% in the suburbs. A Different Trend in Batumi Unlike Tbilisi, where local buyers predominate, the situation in Batumi is the opposite. According to Colliers data, the share of foreign buyers in Batumi’s old and new projects surpassed that of Georgians in August, reaching 52% (in July, the share of foreigners was 48%, while Georgians accounted for 50%).A total of 1,235 residential apartment transactions were registered in Batumi in August-a 4.3% decrease compared to August of the previous year-yet the total market size grew by 2.9%, reaching 81 million USD.

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The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Regional Central Bank Governors' Roundtable held in Tbilisi.During the meeting, the parties discussed opportunities to further deepen cooperation between the National Bank of Georgia and J.P. Morgan. They also reviewed the regional macroeconomic environment and ongoing trends within the financial sector.Particular attention was given to the Regional Central Bank Governors' Roundtable, co-hosted by the National Bank of Georgia and J.P. Morgan. The participants underscored the importance of this inaugural regional event, which served as a unique platform for central bank leadership and international financial community to exchange insights and address mutual priorities.

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During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for further deepening cooperation in the financial sector between Georgia and China. Particular emphasis was placed on cooperation in developing financial services and exploring opportunities to strengthen ties between the commercial banks of the two countries.It was noted that, against the backdrop of growing trade and economic relations between Georgia and China, the development of corresponding financial infrastructure and services is particularly important for further strengthening economic ties between the two countries.The parties also discussed their mutual interest in strengthening cooperation between Georgian and Chinese commercial banks. It was highlighted that active collaboration between Chinese financial institutions and Georgian commercial banks, including in the area of correspondent banking relations, is already underway. Both sides expressed readiness to further deepen this cooperation.Nino Jeladze emphasized that the National Bank of Georgia places great importance on strengthening cooperation with international financial institutions and creating new opportunities for the Georgian financial sector."Trade and economic relations between Georgia and China are growing; therefore, it is vital that this process is accompanied by the strengthening of financial ties and the development of modern financial services. The meetings held within the framework of CIFIT present a valuable opportunity for representatives of the Georgian and Chinese financial sectors to discuss specific areas of cooperation," stated Nino Jeladze.During her visit to China for CIFIT 2026, the NBG Vice Governor also met with Wang Hongbo, Chairman of the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), to discuss current and future cooperation. The parties also reviewed progress in cooperation among the Georgian financial sector, the National Bank of Georgia, and CIPS.

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Tbilisi, September 21, 2026 - Visa (NYSE: V), a world leader in digital payments, announced an enhanced version of A2A Protect, delivering real-time risk insights that help banks stop account-to-account fraud before money leaves customer accounts. The expanded solution introduces a new unified fraud score—Visa’s first in-market integration of Featurespace technology—giving financial institutions faster, clearer signals to detect more fraud while reducing unnecessary alerts.As account-to-account (A2A) payments accelerate globally, A2A transactions are projected to surpass 5.8 trillion by 2028, a 160% increase from 2024[1]. A2A Protect leverages advanced AI and sophisticated transfer learning and gives banks immediate access to critical global risk insights on A2A transactions, without waiting months for models to develop intelligence from a bank’s own transaction data, and without having to wait for other banks to join a consortium, delivering results and value from day one. Banks that opt in can incorporate additional network-level signals to enhance detection of emerging threats operating across the ecosystem.“Fraudsters move fast across payment types, and financial institutions need risk insights just as quickly, without slowing down legitimate payments”, said Walter Lironi, Senior Vice President, Head of Value-Added Services, Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA), Visa. “A2A Protect combines Visa’s network expertise with Featurespace’s technology to deliver a powerful new layer of protection that helps financial institutions detect more fraud, earlier.For financial institutions that opt into network-level intelligence sharing, A2A Protect highlights emerging scam hotspots and coordinated fraud activity – insights that may be difficult for individual financial institutions to detect alone, and that help the wider ecosystem respond faster to new threats. This gives financial institutions a more complete and early view of risk, helping to identify scams before authorization.A2A Protect integrates with financial institutions’ current systems through a single API, reducing implementation time and complexity. Each alert includes a plain language explanation of why a transaction was flagged, helping fraud teams act quickly and confidently without disrupting genuine customers.For more information on how Visa works to prevent fraud across the ecosystem, visit Visa.com/security.About Visa Inc.Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating payments transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.ge.

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It is noteworthy that this was the first time an event of this format was held in the region in partnership with J.P. Morgan.Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze opened the meeting. In his address, the Head of Government emphasized the significance of a gathering of this scale and discussed the country's economic growth figures and the development dynamics of the financial sector. He also highlighted the financial sector's role in economic progress and the growing international recognition of Georgian financial institutions.He stated that the Government of Georgia continues to work on developing capital markets and creating an increasingly competitive environment for investment.A key topic of the meeting was the regional macroeconomic environment and the challenges facing monetary policy. Participants discussed global economic shifts and shared experiences regarding the maintenance of price and financial stability. Dedicated sessions focused on asset and international reserve management amidst geopolitical challenges, as well as prospects for developing local capital markets.The event aims to deepen cooperation among the region's central banks, facilitate the exchange of experience, and foster effective responses to shared challenges."It is highly significant that we are hosting the first event of this kind in the region. It is particularly gratifying to see so many colleagues in Tbilisi representing nearly 15 central banks, development organizations, and the financial sector. Such meetings are valuable not only because they allow us to exchange views on pressing issues that shape our economies' development, but also because they create opportunities for open dialogue, mutual learning, and the strengthening of ties between our institutions," noted Natia Turnava, Governor of the National Bank of Georgia. The event was attended by governors, deputy governors, and other high-ranking officials from the central banks of up to 15 countries, including Hungary, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Armenia, and Kazakhstan, as well as representatives from J.P. Morgan, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.

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