“We have a very important and ambitious task in the direction of university reform. We are creating a government commission that will work on university reform. In a 4-year perspective, we must qualitatively transform the university system of higher education in our country. Today, as you know, the quality of higher education in our country is not satisfactory.The resources in this direction are very large. We must maximize all resources so that, in 4 years, we can get a qualitatively updated system. It is quite possible that, in 4 years, a Georgian student in Georgia will receive exactly the same quality of higher education as he receives in European countries. A plan must be drawn up for this, and a government commission will work on this. The deputy head of the governmental commission will be the Minister of Education, Aleksandre Tsuladze.The secretary of this commission will be Levan Izoria, who is the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Education and Science. We should not waste a single day or week. We will need intensive work in order to achieve the set goal in 4 years,” Irakli Kobakhidze said at the government meeting.

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The Georgian Government Administration said Kobakhidze thanked the Azerbaijani Government for hosting the Georgian delegation, underscoring the significance of the meeting in further strengthening bilateral relations.“Georgia and Azerbaijan firmly support each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity [...] In today’s rapidly changing and complex geopolitical landscape, the importance of peace and stability has become even more crucial for regional development and sustainable prosperity. I believe through our united efforts, we can not only overcome challenges but also seize existing opportunities for more effective cooperation”, Kobakhidze said.During the session, he introduced a tripartite cooperation initiative aiming to include all three South Caucasus countries - Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia - in various sectors, stressing the importance of energy and transport route functionality and regional security.The Prime Minister noted Azerbaijan had been among Georgia’s top five trade partners in recent years, asserting its status as “one of the most important strategic partners”.“We are collaboratively implementing several significant regional projects, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the Baku–Tbilisi–Erzurum gas pipeline, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Southern Gas Corridor, the Middle Corridor project, and the Black Sea submarine cable project. It is essential to focus our efforts on ensuring and promoting energy security and independence”, he said.Asadov congratulated Kobakhidze on his re-election following the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia. He noted 2024 was a “significant year” for both countries, marking the first presidential and parliamentary elections held on Azerbaijani sovereign territory.“Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Georgia as well. The results of these elections in both countries reflect the will of the Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples. I am confident that our governments will continue to work together constructively, contributing to the development and prosperity of our nations”, he said.“Strengthening relations with Georgia is one of the priorities in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy. Recently, our strategic partnership has reached a new level of cooperation that encompasses all important areas. We consistently support each other during challenging times. I would like to highlight our mutual backing regarding territorial integrity. Our economic and trade collaboration is always important. Georgia is one of the most important trading partners of Azerbaijan”, Asadov added.

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Kobakhidze was met by Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Samir Sharifov at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku.Within the framework of the visit, Irakli Kobakhidze will hold face-to-face meetings with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov.In addition, the 10th session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation between Georgia and Azerbaijan will be held.Kobakhidze visited the Azerbaijani capital with a delegation, which includes Levan Davitashvili, the First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development appointed by the Georgian Dream party; Maka Bochorishvili, the Minister of Foreign Affairs appointed by the "Dream" government; Davit Songulashvili, the Minister of Environment and Agriculture appointed by the "Georgian Dream", Tinatin Rukhadze, the Minister of Culture, and Levan Zhorzholiani, the Head of the "Dream" government's Administration.Earlier, on January 15, the media reported that Irakli Kobakhidze's official visit to the United Arab Emirates had been canceled. The visit was postponed by the host country.Kobakhidze's administration has not confirmed the cancellation of the visit, saying that the visit is at the end of the month and its date will be announced later.In addition, Georgia will not participate in the Davos World Economic Forum and the Munich Security Conference in 2025, as he has not been invited.“Kobakhidze has not received an invitation to any of the events so far,” the administration of the “Dream” government states.The Davos World Economic Forum is being held in Davos, Switzerland, on January 20-24. 60 heads of state and 130 countries are participating in it.The Munich Security Conference is scheduled for February 14-16 this year.

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“The Georgian authorities’ use of newly enacted, draconian legislation to suppress peaceful dissent marks a disturbing escalation in their crackdown on human rights. The laws, hurriedly passed in December 2024, effectively criminalize even symbolic acts of protest, such as placing stickers on public property. These measures are being deliberately wielded to target peaceful protestors and stifle dissenting voices, including journalists, human rights defenders, and political activists.”“The Georgian authorities must urgently release all those detained for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and conduct prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all allegations of unlawful and disproportionate use of force by police.”Between 11 and 12 January, more than 20 people — including activists, media workers, and members of the political opposition — were arrested in Tbilisi and Batumi during protests held in solidarity with previously detained pro-European demonstrators.Some, including activists Tsiala Katamidze and Mate Tsentradze, were detained in Batumi under a newly enacted law that prohibits the placing of protest stickers on public buildings. Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the media companies Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested twice on 12 January. Initially detained for the administrative “offence” of posting a protest sticker, she was later re-arrested as a criminal suspect, with the charges against her yet to be disclosed. Human rights defender Gia Jvarsheishvili, who previously reported being tortured during detention in December, was also re-arrested on 11 January and later hospitalized.Human rights defenders reported delays in accessing detainees, amid allegations that several of them had been subjected to beatings, ill-treatment, and verbal abuse by police.New legislation that came into effect on 30 December imposed further arbitrary restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, introducing hefty fines for putting up protest slogans or posters, and granting police the power to detain individuals “preventatively” on suspicion of planning to violate the rules governing public assembly or other laws, for up to 48 hours.

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Speaking to Imedi TV, the official noted the PACE representatives would hold meetings with legislators and Government officials.Co-rapporteurs Claude Kern and Edite Estrela are set to arrive in Tbilisi on Tuesday as part of a fact-finding mission. Their visit, running until Thursday, will assess Georgia’s compliance with its obligations and commitments as a member state of the Council of Europe, the PACE press office said last week.The delegation’s agenda includes meetings with political leaders, Government representatives, civil society organisations, and members of the international community.

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Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili declares that the government is falling apart.Zourabichvili explains that the only way out of the political crisis is through new elections, with no viable alternative.“Elections have no alternative. This is not just a principle but a reality in any country facing such a deep crisis. You cannot emerge from this kind of crisis without elections, and no one can govern a country against its people for long.The government is already disintegrating. There are serious questions within its vertical structure. The police are struggling to accept that they must obey a criminal hierarchy rather than a regular institutional one. No institution or individual who isn’t entirely compromised can endure being controlled in this way, subjected to direct instructions.Today, the ruling party has two options: first, to recognize reality, understand what the Georgian people want, and move towards organizing new elections together with the forces within the country and in line with the existing recommendations. A document is being prepared on this matter and will be practically ready in the coming days.The second option is much more difficult and damaging for the country if anyone in the ruling party truly cares about the nation. It would involve waiting for the complete collapse of the ruling party, which would require a different type of responsibility-sharing. However, this will happen if the ruling party does not acknowledge the joint demands of our people and our partners that nothing in this country can be resolved without new elections.We are prepared for both alternatives, and we will remain ready. This struggle continues, with its main component being the people who are standing on the streets, whom I support as much as I can. These people are not only in Tbilisi but also outside the capital,” Zourabichvili stated.

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“As is known to the public, several states have imposed financial sanctions and visa restrictions on politicians and high-ranking government officials elected by the Georgian people. These decisions should once again be assessed as an anti-Georgian step that undermines the trust of Georgian society in Western institutions,” the statement reads.The Georgian Dream believes that “the deeper the roots of the Global War Party in various countries and the stronger the metastases of the Deep State in a given country, which serves as the main instrument of the Global War Party’s informal influence, the more anti-Georgian the attitude of the respective country is towards the Georgian state and the Georgian people.”“Without exception, every specific politician and bureaucrat who is distinguished by anti-Georgian statements, be it the president, prime minister, parliamentarian, MEP, diplomat or official, is a member of the Deep State chain, which acts not in the interests of the American or European people, but at the behest of the Global War Party,” the party’s statement reads.The ruling party calls the statements of the US president-elect’s team about the destruction of the Deep State in American official structures encouraging.“President Trump declared even before the elections that “either America will destroy the Deep State or the Deep State will destroy America.” The fact is that over the past 4 years, it was the Deep State that was destroying not only America, but also many countries around the world. The Deep State has created the most serious economic problems for the European Union. The Deep State has engulfed many countries around the world in the flames of war. The most severe effect of the Deep State’s patrons was felt on our friendly country, Ukraine. Ukraine, which until 2014 had sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace, and an economy worth almost 200 billion, is practically destroyed today, for which the authors of the Maidan do not take any responsibility,” writes “Dream.”The protests, which began in the fall of 2024 with the demand for new elections by the opposition, intensified and took the form of a civil protest from November 28, right after Irakli Kobakhidze announced at a briefing that he would not put the issue of opening negotiations for accession to the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028.For the 42nd day, demonstrators have been demanding a return to the path of integration with the European Union and new parliamentary elections.Protests have been repeatedly dispersed by police forces using special forces. More than 500 people have been arrested, more than 40 of whom have been charged with criminal offenses.

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Kobakhidze claimed a “direct mention” of the case in a document by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control last week, sanctions against Ivanishvili, supported his allegation of the dispute being politically charged.“A few months ago, we were assured that the dispute with Credit Suisse was purely a commercial matter and had nothing to do with politics. However, we held completely different beliefs and assessments. The recent direct mention of the case in the sanctions document confirmed that the dispute with Credit Suisse is not a commercial issue, but rather a significant political matter”, the Prime Minister told a press conference earlier today.Kobakhidze traced the origins of the conflict back to 2008 and linked it to an alleged misappropriation of Ivanishvili's account that he said had begun after the businessman ceased communications with Georgia’s then-President Mikheil Saakashvili.Kobakhidze asserted the nature of the dispute had been “mischaracterised”, alleging “significant political influences” had “affected management decisions” at Credit Suisse.“The robbery of Ivanishvili's account began in 2008, following his decision to stop communicating with Saakashvili. This break in communication appears to have led to a long-standing case of account robbery that has persisted for many years. Of course, this is not merely a commercial dispute”, he added.Highlighting the devaluation of the bank's shares, Kobakhidze remarked that such a decline suggested a “lack of commercial interest in pursuing the matter”. Instead, he argued, the dispute reflected a “broader narrative of political engagement rather than legitimate business concerns”.“Credit Suisse has severely damaged its reputation due to this dispute. Since 2008, the value of its shares has fallen nearly 100 times, indicating a lack of commercial interest in the matter. From a business perspective, Credit Suisse was not genuinely interested in pursuing this dispute. Instead, it appeared to be driven by political influences affecting the management of the company, which ultimately shaped how the case was handled”, he said.He added “the public will come to their own conclusions about the rest of the matter” on the dispute being allegedly related to politics.

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Kobakhidze emphasized that when a politician does not speak the truth, it has no effect on Georgian society."We often see that when such intensive statements are made by certain politicians or officials, there are usually signs of specific financial interests. I don’t know what the situation is in this case, but in any event, I wouldn’t pay much attention to it. The important thing is that the public has learned everything. First and foremost, the public has learned that no single politician should be followed blindly in their statements. You remember that the European Parliament passed 5 resolutions, but they couldn’t influence the public, because what matters to the public is what the truth is. When they see that a specific politician is not speaking the truth, these statements are no longer relevant to the public. Therefore, I would advise everyone to refrain from such fruitless campaigns. These cannot cause any special turmoil in Georgian society, and they won’t have an effect on the public. The only thing that influences Georgian society is the truth, and we have done a lot for that."The goal is this: "They activated the Republican politician because someone wants to create the perception of continued problems under Trump’s terms. We expect something different from the new administration. Our hand is extended. We offer the new administration a fresh start in strategic partnership, a qualitative renewal, and a rehabilitation of the relationship, which is not in a healthy state today. We hope that there will be reciprocal pragmatic steps from the new president’s administration. This is in the interest of both countries – Georgia and the United States,” Kobakhidze said.For reference, American Congressman and Helsinki Commission Chairman Joe Wilson stated that President Donald Trump made it very clear what his position is regarding America's self-declared enemies."If Bidzina Ivanishvili takes Georgia’s democracy to the point of destruction on December 29, he should expect a response he could never imagine," Wilson wrote.

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“I have such an offer to the “government”.While “Trump is fighting the Deep State”, let’s stop paying your salaries and bonuses and reimburse your expenses.A group of unrecognized, sanctioned and unconstitutional people who are playing the government, with orders, inaugurations and meaningless comments, it seems that you have no other function than to annoy and provoke citizens.The economy is entering a crisis, development projects are suspended and people will start starving in a few months!In this situation, instead of offering us ways to overcome the crisis, first give us until January 20, then say "it will take a little more time" and now "if".Remove all the privileges that you have received from the pockets of already needy citizens with a 40% tax.When you say "we will stand firm", the people of Rustaveli will show you this," - wrote the director of "Expo Georgia", Resan Kikava on the social network.

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