Georgia and Belarus discussed bilateral partnership and tourism dynamics

Lion Finance Group (BGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 106.10/share (-8.77% w/w and +6.15% m/m). More than 320k shares traded in the range of GBP 104.20 - 118.20/share. Average daily traded volume was 59k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of BGEO shares traded was at 0.74% of its capitalization.TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN) closed the week at GBP 42.10/share (-2.43% w/w and -0.94% m/m). More than 241k shares changed hands in the range of GBP 41.45 - 45.15/share. Average daily traded volume was 65k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of TBCG shares traded was at 0.43% of its capitalization.Georgia Capital (CGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 34.90/share (-2.38% w/w and +5.28% m/m). More than 243k shares traded in the range of GBP 34.25 - 37.25/share. Average daily traded volume was 59k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of CGEO shares traded was at 0.70% of its capitalization. 

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The prosecutor's office charged Mikautadze with nine different counts, including abuse of office, illegal participation in entrepreneurial activity, and money laundering.According to the prosecutor in the case, Irakli Marshania, the convict was deprived of important assets: A residential apartment in Spain 3 cars Expensive watches, gold bars and coins A 15% stake in the Nakhidur hydroelectric power plant Despite the fact that Romeo Mikautadze applied to the prosecutor's office for a plea bargain, he did not plead guilty at the court hearing. In his closing statement, he stated that he was ready to admit to a "non-existent crime" in order to quickly conclude the case. According to the prosecutor, since the defendant does not admit guilt, a plea bargain is impossible.The convict's lawyer, Beka Nemsitsveridze, will appeal the decision to the Court of Appeal. He criticized the justice system and noted that the court only took into account the arguments of the prosecution.Romeo Mikautadze was arrested by law enforcement officers on June 20 of last year. He was charged with 4 articles: Article 333, Part 2 of Article 332, Article 337, and Subparagraph “c” of Part 3 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code.

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The Prime Minister also focused on the results of the agro-credit subsidy program and noted that the total output of the sector has almost doubled since 2018. As for foreign trade, exports currently amount to 4.5 billion GEL, although the fact that this volume is based on only a few product categories remains a challenge.According to Irakli Kobakhidze, despite the growth, the country is still significantly dependent on imports for meat, dairy products and grains. The main task of the state and the private sector remains to increase production productivity, expand the export range and establish itself in new, highly cost-effective international markets.

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According to her, today’s discussions will also focus on Georgia.“Of course, today we will also address the situation in Georgia. It is becoming increasingly serious. A visa ban for diplomats has been in effect since March 6. We will consider what additional measures are necessary. The Georgian government is not moving in the right direction,” added Kaja Kallas.

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Of this, exports were $1.02 billion (increased by 22.9%), and imports were $2.48 billion (decreased by 15.4%). Trade deficit in January-February 2026 amounted to $1.45 billion, which was 41.5% of foreign trade turnover.

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Official Stockholm emphasizes that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are fundamental principles of the OSCE, the protection of which is a direct obligation of the participating states.“Sweden welcomes the independent expert’s assessment of the human rights situation in Georgia and calls on the Georgian authorities to fully implement the recommendations of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism,” the ministry said in a statement.Sweden is among 24 countries that have issued a joint statement confirming the democratic backsliding in Georgia and calling for the repeal of laws such as the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence.

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Starting from March 25, notifications on transactions with any type of card will be available only through paid SMS bank, for 1 GEL per month.This includes balance change operations, and therefore conversions. Other notifications that accompany loan and deposit products. Among them, notifications of approaching loan installment deadlines or other reminders remain free by default.At the moment, among the five leading banks (by assets), only TBC was an exception with a free SMS service.Liberty, which canceled its free SMS banking at the end of last year, Bank of Georgia has a similar tariff, amounting to 1 GEL.Basisbank charges 2 GEL, while Credo customers can receive the mentioned service for 38 tetri.

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The meeting focused on the official launch of Bybit’s operations in the Georgian market. As Natia Turnava noted, for the NBG it is a priority not only to safeguard financial stability but also to facilitate the entry of new market participants and promote greater competition.“We welcome the entry of such companies into the Georgian market. This once again confirms that our business environment is highly attractive, while our regulatory framework supports the development of financial technologies. It is also important that alongside the traditional banking sector, the non-bank financial sector is developing rapidly, including virtual asset service providers. One of them is Bybit, a leading company in the crypto-asset market with millions of users. The entry of such a company means greater competition and more accessible products in the payments sector,” said Natia Turnava.As noted during the meeting by Bybit’s Co-Founder and CEO, the licensing process in Georgia is strict and detailed, yet at the same time transparent and predictable, which is particularly important for international companies.“The National Bank of Georgia is one of the most progressive and innovation-oriented regulators in the region. The transparent and predictable regulatory environment it has created encourages international companies, including Bybit, to operate and invest in the country,” said Ben Zhou.According to Bybit’s Co-Founder and CEO, the company plans to implement a number of initiatives in Georgia, including educational partnerships, training sessions and workshops, as well as internship and professional development programmes. These initiatives will also focus on raising awareness of digital asset services within a regulated framework, encouraging responsible participation, and creating new employment opportunities.The meeting was attended by Nino Jeladze, Vice Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, Beka Dochviri, Executive Director of the National Bank of Georgia, heads of NBG departments, as well as Shota Lomtadze, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bybit Georgia.

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