WB approves $372 million financing for Georgia's Middle Corridor

According to the explanation of the First Vice-President of the National Bank of Georgia, Ekaterine Mikabadze, the sharp increase in energy resources, especially oil prices, in the global market led to an increase in fuel prices in Georgia. This factor was reflected in the inflation rate as a result of direct and indirect effects, due to which the price increase in April reached 5.9%."Inflation decreased in May and the annual rate decreased to 5.7%, which is fully consistent with the central scenario and expectations of the National Bank of Georgia," said Ekaterine Mikabadze.According to the First Vice President of SEB, the National Bank has moderately tightened monetary policy in order to maintain inflation expectations at a stable level. According to her, the future dynamics of inflation significantly depends on the duration and severity of the Middle East conflict.According to the current central scenario of the National Bank, in the event of a gradual settlement of the conflict, inflation will gradually decrease and stabilize around the target rate (3%) in 2027.

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With regard to the annual core inflation, the prices increased by 3.8%, while the annual core inflation without tobacco amounted to 3.5%.The annual inflation rate was mainly influenced by price changes for the following groups:Food and non-alcoholic beverages: the prices in the group increased by 5.2 percent, contributing 1.84 percentage points to the overall annual inflation rate. Within the group the prices increased for the following subgroups: fish (20.9 percent), meat (10.1 percent), bread and cereals (7.0 percent), fruit and grapes (6.5 percent), oils and fats (6.1 percent), sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (6.0 percent), coffee, tea and cocoa (5.4 percent), milk, cheese and eggs (4.1 percent), mineral waters, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices (1.5 percent). At the same time, prices decreased for vegetables (-7.0 percent);Transport: the prices for the group increased by 15.1 percent, contributing 1.72 percentage points to the overall index. Within the group the prices increased for operation of personal transport equipment (22.7 percent) and transport services (9.3 percent);Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels: the prices for the group increased by 7.0 percent, contributing 0.66 percentage points to the overall index. The prices were higher for the subgroups of electricity, gas and other fuels (10.3 percent), maintenance and repair of the dwelling (5.9 percent) and actual rentals for housing (4.6 percent);Alcoholic beverages and tobacco: the prices increased by 7.2 percent, with the relevant contribution of 0.46 percentage points to the overall annual inflation rate. The prices increased for both tobacco (8.1 percent) and alcoholic beverages (6.4 percent);Health: the prices increased by 5.1 percent, contributing 0.43 percentage points to the overall index. The prices were higher for the following subgroups: medical products, appliances and equipment (7.7 percent), out-patient services (3.0 percent), hospital services (1.4 percent).

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As of the report, the average economic growth rate in the Bank’s regions of operation will slow from 3.4% in 2025 to 3.1% in 2026, and recover to 3.6% in 2027.Against this background, Georgia maintains a high growth momentum. The EBRD notes that in 2025, real GDP in the country grew by 7.5%, mainly driven by the services sector and tourism. Private consumption was supported by solid real wage growth and an expansion in credit activity, while capital investment contracted for the first time since 2021. The bank estimates that economic growth has accelerated further, reaching an annualized rate of 9.1% in the first quarter of 2026.EBRD analysts indicate that the implementation of large investment projects in the real estate, transport and renewable energy sectors could further accelerate economic growth. However, external risks are also emerging, in particular, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could weaken economic activity as it leads to a decrease in tourism revenues and an increase in the cost of imported energy resources.The report also focuses on other macroeconomic parameters. Price increases have exceeded the National Bank’s 3.0% target since March 2025, and annual inflation was 5.9% in April 2026. The fiscal deficit narrowed from 2.3% of GDP in 2024 to 1.4% in 2025, supported by rising budget revenues, while the external debt-to-GDP ratio declined to 34.4% amid a stable exchange rate and nominal growth. In addition, the current account deficit narrowed to a historic low of 2.6% in 2025, while gross international reserves increased to $6.5 billion in April 2026, covering about 4 months of imports.In addition to the EBRD, other agencies have also upgraded their economic growth expectations for Georgia. In early May, the National Bank of Georgia increased its forecast from 5% to 6.5%, and yesterday it became known that the Georgian government raised its growth expectations for the current year to 6.3%. According to preliminary estimates by Geostat, GDP grew by 6.2% in April 2026, while the average figure for the first four months was 8.3%.

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According to G&T, Lion Finance Group's securities were traded at £107.7-112.9 last week.As of 01.06.2026, the group's capitalization is £4.76 billion.Stock trend by week and month

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According to statistics, in 2025, Moldova exported 9.55 million liters of wine to Georgia, thus lagging behind only Belarus and Romania in terms of volume. However, Georgia stands out in the top twenty of the ranking with the lowest price per liter – $0.57 per 1 liter, which is almost three times less than Moldova’s world average export price ($1.51).The total value of 9.55 million liters of wine exported to Georgia amounted to $5.49 million. In terms of value, Georgia is in 6th place in the ranking, although with a mark of $0.57 per liter it is the cheapest market in the ranking.For comparison, Romania is the most profitable partner for Moldova – it paid $43.4 million for 15.64 million liters of Moldovan wine and the average price per liter is $2.78. Belarus, which is in first place in terms of volume, accounts for almost a third of Moldova’s total export volume – 31.97 million liters, although the price per liter there is lower and amounts to $0.78 (total value $25.05 million).Other leading countries in terms of volume and value are Poland (3.99 million liters, $1.91/1 liter) and the Czech Republic (4.49 million liters, $1.67/1 liter). According to the study, the highest prices per liter for Moldovan wine are paid by Japan ($3.17), China ($2.98), Nigeria ($2.8) and Romania ($2.78).Overall, Moldova exported 98.38 million liters of wine worth $148.73 million to the world market in 2025, which is equivalent to an average of $1.51 per liter globally. The data shows that Georgia is an important volume market for Moldova, although it belongs to the low-price segment.

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He said the process is taking place within the framework of the contractual obligations between the parties.“We are successfully moving towards fulfilling the contractual obligations set for July 1 and we continue to work in this direction,” Christofoli said.A BP representative emphasized that this decision does not mean that the company is abandoning the project.“This is just a contractual obligation. SOCAR has sufficient experience and capabilities to successfully operate the pipeline. We are very optimistic about the transition process,” he said.The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline was commissioned in 2006 and is the main route for transporting oil from Azerbaijani fields in the Caspian Sea to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. The pipeline is approximately 1,768 kilometers long and passes through the territories of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.BP has been the operator of the project since its commissioning. BTC is considered one of the most important projects in international energy infrastructure, as it allows the export of Caspian oil to world markets, bypassing the territories of Russia and Iran. SOCAR is one of the largest shareholders in the project and has been trying to strengthen its role in the country's energy infrastructure in recent years.

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The Tbilisi Financial Summit is jointly organized by the National Bank of Georgia, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, and the Singapore-based Global Finance and Technology Network (GFTN). The summit will bring together central bank governors from around the world, as well as representatives of the fintech industry, financial sector, international companies and innovative technologies.The two-day summit will feature thematic sessions, panel discussions, workshops and professional meetings, where participants will discuss trends in the development of modern financial technologies and opportunities for regional cooperation. The summit participants will discuss such topics as the development of economic and financial corridors between countries, as well as financial technologies, open banking and artificial intelligence, Georgia as a regional platform for financial innovations, and others.A hackathon is planned to be held at the Tbilisi Financial Summit, which will help identify and implement new ideas and opportunities.“An international event of such a scale creates an opportunity for Georgia to more actively engage in global financial and innovation processes, attract international investments, strengthen partnerships with leading companies in the world, and promote the country’s economic development,” noted Natia Turnava, President of the National Bank of Georgia.GFTN (Global Finance & Technology Network) is an international platform based in Singapore that brings together representatives of the public and private sectors involved in the development of financial technologies, innovations, digital transformation, and modern financial ecosystems. This network includes the world's leading financial centers, such as Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, etc. Since 2025, Georgia has also become part of this network.

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The agreement is based on the main principles of the National Bank’s National Strategy for Financial Education and provides the implementation of financial education projects and activities.“Improving financial education is one of the important priorities of the National Bank of Georgia. Cooperation with the private sector allows us to bring financial education programs to a wider audience and contribute to strengthening the culture of responsible financial behavior in society,” said Ekaterine Mikabadze, First Vice President of the National Bank of Georgia.“With the rapid development of digital finance, the importance of financial education for future generations is growing. We are proud to partner with the National Bank of Georgia. With joint efforts, we can prepare young people to make informed financial decisions. Pave Bank will continue to actively support financial education in Georgia,” said Salim Dhanani, CEO and co-founder of Pave Bank.

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