The open letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, was published after the political dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels was unilaterally suspended. According to the head of government, the formats for discussion and cooperation proposed by Georgia were repeatedly rejected by the European bureaucracy, which forced the country’s leadership to resort to a public appeal.In the letter, the Prime Minister asks EU leaders how they assess the events in Copenhagen, where, according to him, peaceful demonstrators were beaten with batons and dogs were used against them. According to the head of government, these actions contradict the standards of democracy and human rights that Europe was considered a benchmark for protecting.“The current situation poses a danger that Europe may become a benchmark not for protecting these values, but for ignoring and grossly violating them,” the letter states.According to the Prime Minister, the EU is currently in a “deep crisis of values,” which is manifested in democratic decline, economic stagnation, a migration crisis, as well as the weakening of national and gender identities. According to him, Georgia, as a candidate country for EU membership, expects a clear answer from Brussels about the union’s plan for managing internal crisis processes and the final results.Chronology of Georgia-EU relations and the current crisis:July 2021 – Annulment of the “Charles Michel Agreement”: The ruling party “Georgian Dream” declared the document signed with the mediation of the President of the European Council, which aimed at political reforms, null and void.June 2022 – Postponement of candidate status: The European Council did not grant Georgia the status of candidate for EU membership (unlike Ukraine and Moldova). The country was given a 12-point recommendation for receiving the status.March 2023 – The so-called The first protest of the “Russian law”: The ruling team first introduced the draft law on “agents of foreign influence.” This was followed by large-scale protests in Tbilisi of thousands and a stern warning from Brussels, which led to the government withdrawing the draft law.December 2023 – Granting candidate status: Given the geopolitical context, the European Council granted Georgia the status of candidate for EU membership on the condition that the country fulfills 9 new recommendations.April - May 2024 – Protests of thousands in Tbilisi: The re-initiation of the “transparency law” was followed by one of the most popular and continuous protests in the country’s history. The demonstrations lasted for more than a month, while Western partners warned Tbilisi that if the law was adopted, it would “block the European path.”May 2024 – Final adoption of the law: Despite protests and vetoes, the parliament finally approved the law “On Organizations Representing the Interests of a Foreign Power”. Brussels stated that this step contradicts the fundamental values ​​of the European Union.June-July 2024 – Suspension of membership and sanctions: The European Council officially announced the suspension of Georgia’s integration process. 30 million euros of the Defense Fund (EPF) and direct budgetary support (121 million euros) were frozen. In October, Ambassador Pavel Herchinsky confirmed the termination of the high-level political dialogue.October 26, 2024 – Parliamentary elections: Parliamentary elections were held, which the European Union described as a “referendum on the European course”. The CEC declared the Georgian Dream party the winner, prompting accusations of fraud from the opposition and civil society and a new wave of protests. The EU and Western partners have called for an independent investigation into election irregularities and have refrained from legitimizing the results.Foreign policy review and diplomatic deadlock: The post-election political crisis has reduced the chances of resuming dialogue between Tbilisi and Brussels. The Georgian government accuses the European bureaucracy of unilaterally blocking bilateral formats, which has led the Georgian side to resort to open letters to European leaders and public criticism.

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This decision was announced by Mamuka Mdinaradze, Vice Prime Minister and State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Structures, at a briefing held at the Government Administration on Monday.According to him, the new agency will operate in a proactive mode, which means that the response will not depend only on a citizen's complaint - the department itself will monitor, prepare a legal assessment and, if necessary, send the materials to the court. The initiative concerns any type of public communication that contains hate speech, incitement to strife, and defamation.Mdinaradze noted that the decision is a continuation of the initiative put forward by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze several months ago, which aimed to open up the space for public discussion. According to the Vice Prime Minister, for years, external actors have been deliberately artificially closing the space for debate in order to encourage polarization and strife, which has established an aggressive standard of public rhetoric.The State Minister emphasized that the goal of the reform is not to restrict freedom of opinion and expression. According to him, similar practices are in place in a number of European countries, including Britain, Germany, and France, where institutions protect public space from destructive campaigns. According to Mdinaradze, institutional strengthening of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is a fundamental step for the effective implementation of the relevant legislative framework adopted by the Parliament.

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Some 1,200 delegates are expected to attend the ecclesiastical assembly. The session will include addresses by candidates for the Patriarchal throne, as well as speeches from delegates representing various eparchies. A scholar will also deliver a historical overview relating to the title of Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia.The Georgian Public Broadcaster’s First Channel will partially broadcast the expanded Church council. Specifically, the opening of the assembly, as well as the voting process, will be aired live; the proceedings will be suspended during the counting of votes, and the final result will be announced on air. The chairman of the vote-counting commission, Metropolitan Anania (Japaridze), will announce the outcome of the ballot.Only bishops are entitled to participate in the vote to elect the Catholicos-Patriarch. The candidate who receives more than half of the votes cast by the participating bishops, in this instance, 20 votes, shall be deemed elected as Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.The candidates for Catholicos-Patriarch are: the locum tenens of the Patriarchal throne, Metropolitan Shio of Senaki and Chkhorotsku (Mujiri); Metropolitan Iobi of Mroveli-Urbnisi (Akiashvili); and Metropolitan Grigoli of Poti and Khobi (Berbichashvili).Georgia’s 141st Catholicos-Patriarch, Ilia II, passed away on March 17 at the age of 93.

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In a speech on Europe Day, Papuashvili said that the EU has departed from its founding principles and has moved into a regime of “politically motivated resolutions and threats of economic retaliation.”According to Papuashvili, the current EU leadership fails to understand the essence of the Schuman Declaration and, instead of peace, is promoting radicalism and “regime change” plans against the democratically elected government in Georgia.He stressed that separating Europe Day from Victory Day (May 9) is unacceptable, as it ignores the great sacrifice made by the Georgian people in World War II.In the letter, the speaker also drew attention to the ideological conflict, saying that the EU is trying to impose on the country “ideologies incompatible with the traditional way of life and human nature.”He said that European integration should not mean Brussels’ “sole rule” over Georgia, but should be based on equality and respect for national independence.Papuashvili defended Tbilisi’s position on non-interference in the economic confrontation with Russia, noting that calls for sanctions without security guarantees would lead to Georgia’s economic collapse. In conclusion, the Speaker of the Parliament called on the European Union to stop aggressive rhetoric and reconsider its "harmful policies" in order to pave the way for genuine dialogue.

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According to the head of government, the decision is due to the fact that existing state and private universities cannot provide the necessary knowledge and skills for future diplomats at the appropriate level.Key details: Status and subordination: The Academy of Diplomacy will be an institution of departmental subordination. The prime minister cited the academies of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Service, which operate on a similar model, as examples. Objective: The main task of the institution is to train highly qualified personnel for the diplomatic service and strengthen the country's foreign policy positions. Timeline: The academy will begin operating next year, after passing authorization procedures. “Departmental subordination will help the academy ensure high quality teaching and research,” Kobakhidze said, thanking Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili for preparing the project.This step is another attempt by the ruling team to strengthen state institutions, aiming to centralize the training of professional staff by tailoring it to the needs of specific state agencies.

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The head of government highlighted the doubling of export geography over the past decade and noted that Georgian products are currently represented in 70 countries around the world.Key economic indicators: Export volume: In 2025, Georgia exported up to 90 million liters of wine Revenues: The value of exported products reached 268 million US dollars. According to the Prime Minister, this growth dynamics will be maintained in 2026 Industry expansion: The number of wineries and companies registered in the country has increased almost 30 times, reaching 3,000 According to Kobakhidze, as a result of state policy, a special growth is being recorded in the part of small and family wineries, which has contributed to the creation of new jobs in the regions.“Our goal is for the world to know Georgian wine as a premium-class product that continues an 8,000-year tradition with constant development,” the Prime Minister said.According to his own assessment, diversification of markets and continuous improvement of quality remain part of the strategy that should ensure international recognition and economic strength of Georgian wine.

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According to a statement released by the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision was taken within the framework of the issue - “The Council of Europe and the conflict in Georgia”. In the document, the 46 member states of the organization reaffirm their firm support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders.The Committee of Ministers emphasizes that the Russian Federation continues to violate international obligations, including the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, signed with the mediation of the European Union. According to the document, Moscow continues its illegal military presence in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.In the decision, the member states recall the historic Reykjavik Summit of May 2023 and call on Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Georgia. The resolution is another legal confirmation of the Council of Europe's policy of non-recognition of Georgia's occupied regions and support for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

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According to the PM, the conversation was oriented on the future, and the “spirit was significant.”“We didn’t go into depth, including regarding the problems. The problems haven’t gone anywhere, but we need to be future-oriented. I have never mentioned Zelenskyy in a negative context for a simple reason, and despite problems, Zelenskyy is the President of the country, which is in a state of war, and this country is a friend of Georgia. Therefore, I always measure my words. The problems remain but we should be future-oriented,” he said.Irakli Kobakhidze went on to say that since the meeting was closed-door, its details could not be disclosed.“I cannot disclose the details. The only thing I can say is that our conversation was essentially focused on the future. The spirit and mood of this conversation, expressed on both sides, was friendly. I cannot go into details about what problems we reviewed and what we did not discuss, since the meeting was closed and therefore the content cannot be made public. The problems remain. Did not Podolyak (Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine) or Danilov (former secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine) make statements after yesterday? Or the ambassador was not recalled after yesterday, or other steps were not taken after yesterday?! Of course, the problems which existed still stand. But we should be oriented on the future and this is our spirit,” he said.Irakli Kobakhidze noted: “We support the Ukrainian people, we are in solidarity with Ukraine and we are interested develop firendly relations both between the countries and governments.”Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the eighth summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Yerevan, on May 4.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on social media about his meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on the sidelines of the eighth summit of the European Political Community.According to Zelenskyy, continuing dialogue at all levels is important.“Met with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze. There are indeed unresolved issues between our states. It is important to have dialogue at all levels. Ukraine has always respected and continues to respect Georgia, its sovereignty, and its people. We will continue our cooperation going forward.” Zelenskyy wrote.

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The report, based on the European Commission’s 2025 assessment, notes that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, has put the country’s foreign policy at risk.Targeted sanctions and the “end of impunity”MEPs underline that the personal sanctions imposed against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leaders of the ruling team, judges and prosecutors are a crucial tool in the fight against impunity.“The draft report underlines that the sanctions imposed by the EU and its member states against Bidzina Ivanishvili, the main leaders of the Georgian Dream... and other officials responsible for electoral fraud and human rights violations are an important tool,” the explanatory note reads.The document welcomes the fact that, despite the lack of unanimity at EU level, individual member states are imposing restrictions individually and calls on others to do the same.The threat of visa restrictionsThe European Parliament supports the European Commission’s proposal to suspend visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and official passports. However, the document regrets that, due to the opposition of Hungary and Slovakia, it has not been possible to implement a uniform visa ban across the EU at this stage.The report contains a direct warning to Georgia For the population too:“Continued inaction by the Georgian authorities could lead to the suspension of visa-free travel for the entire population, for which the Georgian Dream will be fully responsible.”“Moscow Mechanism” and international supervisionThe MEPs also welcome the launch of the “Moscow Mechanism” by the OSCE at the initiative of 24 member states. This mechanism envisages sending an expert mission to Georgia to assess the extent to which Tbilisi is fulfilling its democratic commitments undertaken at the international level.The document expresses full solidarity with the Georgian people, who continue to fight for a European future “against the backdrop of growing repression and disinformation.”

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According to Bochorishvili, Georgia is back on the agenda of the United States administration, which is confirmed by the active consultations that have begun with the Trump administration. The minister noted that the communication carried out since February, including a phone call with the Prime Minister and visits by State Department representatives, is assessed as “positive and effective.”“The legacy that the Trump administration received was not easy. However, today there is a real desire to restore relations,” the minister said, adding that another high-level visit of the State Department to Georgia is planned in May. According to him, the full restoration of strategic cooperation will largely depend on the political will of the American side.Speaking about relations with the European Union, the Foreign Minister stressed that talking to Georgia in the “language of blackmail” will not yield results. He rejected accusations of the government’s “anti-European rhetoric” and blamed the Brussels bureaucracy for hindering the processes.“The dialogue and the European integration process have been suspended by the European Union. We have never refused this process,” Bochorishvili noted.He also drew attention to the recent statements of the EU Ambassador, Pavel Herchinsky, calling them “direct threats”, which cause legitimate concern in Georgian society.According to the minister, despite the attempts of individual actors to impose sanctions or use other pressure mechanisms, it will be difficult to reach a consensus on this issue among EU member states, as many states realize the injustice of the current approaches.

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