According to the official statement, such actions “grossly violate international law” and risk escalating tensions in the region.“In light of the strong friendship and strategic partnership between Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia expresses solidarity with our brotherly nation in this difficult situation,” the ministry said.Following the incident, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili spoke by phone with her Azerbaijani counterpart to discuss the situation.Azerbaijani media reported that Iranian-made drones struck the Nakhchivan airport area, injuring four people. In response, Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry summoned the Iranian ambassador, Mojtaba Dermichilu, for explanations.

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Speaking at a commission hearing on Chinese influence in Europe, Wilson warned that Tbilisi is becoming increasingly dependent on Beijing for both technological and financial support.“The dictatorship of Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgian Dream party has imprisoned almost all opposition leaders and ignored the Georgian people, who desire freedom rather than China’s ‘debt trap diplomacy’ or the Russian oligarchy,” Wilson said.He noted that while Russia had previously been Ivanishvili’s “source of wealth,” following the 2024 parliamentary elections, which Wilson described as “hijacked”, China has emerged as the primary provider of surveillance technology and propaganda tools for the ruling team.Wilson highlighted the Middle Corridor, the strategic transport route linking Central Asia to Europe, warning that Tbilisi’s policies threaten American interests in the region.“President Donald Trump rightly prioritized the Middle Corridor to diversify our supply chains. Yet the Georgian Dream has handed over this infrastructure to China. U.S. access is now effectively controlled by the Chinese Communist Party,” he said.The congressman added that Georgia has effectively fallen into “debt slavery,” a consequence of the political leverage accompanying Chinese investments.Ties between Washington and Tbilisi have significantly deteriorated since the 2024 elections and the passage of the Foreign Influence Transparency Act. U.S. officials have repeatedly voiced concerns about Georgia’s shifting foreign policy and its deepening strategic partnership with China, including the involvement of a Chinese consortium in the Anaklia deep-sea port project.

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Following the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation in Tbilisi, Irakli Kobakhidze and Nikol Pashinyan held a joint briefing, where they focused on the security environment in the South Caucasus and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze positively assessed the progress achieved between Armenia and Azerbaijan and noted that Tbilisi is ready to continue to play the role of a mediator or facilitator in achieving stability."We see that the situation around us is quite difficult, and in this context, it is especially important to deepen cooperation. Georgia will spare no effort to promote peace and stability in the region," Kobakhidze said.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan thanked the Georgian side for its contribution to the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. According to him, Yerevan and Baku are building economic ties with Georgia's support.The leaders discussed bilateral relations, which this year have moved to the level of strategic partnership. Kobakhidze expressed special gratitude to Armenia for its support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, including its support for the UN resolution on IDPs.Main economic highlights of the meeting: Tourism: The growth of tourist flows in both directions was emphasized. Trade: Potential sectors for strengthening economic ties were discussed within the framework of the government commission. Investments: It was planned to expand cooperation in the fields of education, science and sports. “Our partnership and friendship are truly exemplary. It is our responsibility to do our utmost to further deepen these relations,” added Irakli Kobakhidze.

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Political Accents Amidst the Western world’s support for the US and Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime, the Georgian government’s position is notably in solidarity with Tehran. The statement emphasizes that the ongoing hostilities in Iran have claimed the lives of “the greatest number of people, including the Supreme Leader and other political leaders.”The government is trying to maintain diplomatic balance while simultaneously expressing condolences to the “friendly Jewish people” over the deaths of civilians. Tbilisi also expresses its full solidarity with the Gulf Arab states, with which Georgia has a “distinguished partnership,” although condolences to the Iranian leadership remain a central part of the statement.The Georgian government calls on the parties to replace hostilities with “diplomacy and political dialogue.” However, in the context of the existential crisis in the region, Tbilisi’s call seems more like an attempt to maintain neutrality than an effective geopolitical move.At the same time, the government says it will take “all necessary measures” to protect the safety of Georgian citizens in the region.

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As the minister explained, at the first stage, those families will be verified, in whose case there is a high probability that they will no longer meet the conditions for receiving benefits. One of the main indicators that will serve as the basis for verifying a family is the receipt of an income of more than 2,000 GEL per month over the past three months.Mikheil Sarjveladze emphasized that an income of 2,000 GEL does not mean the automatic cancellation of the status, but rather it is a signal to the ministry to reassess the family's economic situation.The state uses dozens of criteria to verify the social situation. According to the minister, the system is complex and only one item or income does not create the final picture.“Dozens of criteria are involved in this system, including the volume of utility bills and other factors. In some cases, maintaining the status is determined by a health problem or the status of a disabled person. Overall, the picture that is created is the basis for the decision. If the family has positive dynamics and its situation has improved, it should naturally no longer remain in the database,” Sarjveladze said.The head of the department explained that the ministry’s task is not to save the budget. According to him, the main goal of the reform is to distribute state resources as efficiently as possible and to spend every tetri on supporting those people for whom it is critically important.According to the minister, the correct grouping will allow the state to direct more opportunities and resources to those who are actually in a difficult financial and economic situation.We would like to remind you that the Ministry of Health announced the decision to actively verify the database of socially vulnerable families a few days ago.

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Kobakhidze highlighted that over 70% of foreigners in Georgia come from post-Soviet countries, the EU, the U.S., or Israel, with the remaining 30% originating from other nations.Regarding residence permits, 107,307 permits have been issued to citizens from 164 countries. Key countries include: Russia: 32,129 permits (29.9%), with roughly 30% being ethnic Georgians or former Georgian citizens. India: 23,930, mostly students. Azerbaijan: 6.3%, largely ethnic Azerbaijanis who left and later returned. Ukraine: 6,290 with residence permits; an additional 25,000 Ukrainians reside in Georgia under refugee status, totaling around 30,000. Armenia: over 5,000, mainly returnees with Armenian citizenship. Belarus: 3,738. Turkey: 3,645 (3.4%). Iran: 3,331 (3.1%). Sudan: 2%, mostly medical students. China: over 2,000 (1.9%), mainly labor for infrastructure projects. Jordan: over 2,000 (1.9%), mainly medical students. Pakistan: 1,618 (1.5%), mainly medical students. Egypt: 1,341 (1.2%), mostly medical students. USA: over 1,000 (1%). Kobakhidze noted that residence permit data provides a clear picture of the presence and origins of foreigners in Georgia, offering insight into migration patterns and the composition of the foreign population.

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Kobakhidze emphasized that recent legislative changes, including amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and the criminal and administrative codes, have significantly strengthened immigration control.In 2025, more illegal migrants were deported from Georgia than in the previous ten years combined, the Prime Minister said. For 2026, the government plans to deport approximately 4,000 individuals, representing around 20% of the country’s illegal migrant population.He also provided a country breakdown of deported migrants: India – 20.5%, Turkey – 12.9%, Iran – 12%, China – 7.5%, and Russia – 5.6%. Kobakhidze stressed that enhancing enforcement is feasible due to ongoing reforms in the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Migration Department.

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“This is a big mistake to allow the aggressor to take something. It was a big mistake at the very beginning, starting with 2014. And even before that, during the attack and occupation of parts of Georgia. And even before that, when Chechnya was occupied, with total destruction and one million casualties – both killed and wounded,” wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the X Platform.According to the Ukrainian President, other whould not commit the same mistake, since Putin will not stop with “kisses or flowers,” but become stronger and attack them.“Many mistakes were made. That’s why now I don’t want to be the President who will repeat the mistakes made by my predecessors or other people. I’m not just speaking about Ukraine. I’m speaking about the leaders of different countries that allowed an aggressive country like Russia to come onto their territory.Because you can’t stop Putin with your kisses or flowers. I never did it and that’s why I don’t feel that it’s the right way. My advice to everybody – don’t do that with Putin.Otherwise, there will be a first step, then in five years, he will rebuild his military, increase the number of soldiers, his army will be well trained. Because he has lost a lot of well-trained people. He is losing 30–35 thousand people per month now.Can you imagine this in the 21st century? Can you imagine – he’s losing 35,000 each month? I’m not sure that he knows about it,” he said.

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According to Irakli Kobakhidze, 70% of foreigners living in Georgia are citizens of post-Soviet countries, the European Union, the United States and Israel, while the total share of countries in the region, such as Turkey and Iran, is only 0.7% of the Georgian population. The Prime Minister paid special attention to the legislative changes planned from March 1, according to which the labor activity of foreigners in Georgia will be significantly restricted. According to him, this step serves to protect the interests of the country's economy and local citizens, for which the government takes full responsibility.In addition, the Prime Minister noted that the government is strengthening the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He explained that over the past year, more illegal migrants have been expelled from the country than in the previous 10 years combined. According to Kobakhidze, there are currently more than 20 thousand illegal migrants in the country and the goal is to completely rid Georgia of them in a few years. The Prime Minister also reminded the public of the 2017 constitutional amendment that prohibited the alienation of agricultural land to foreigners, which he said is another proof of the protection of national interests.

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Against this backdrop, the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, framed the situation as politically motivated and accused protesting ISU representatives of aligning with former president Mikheil Saakashvili. According to Papuashvili, the interests of Saakashvili’s political team stand behind the ongoing resistance to the reforms.Papuashvili also described the current higher education system as “problematic” and defended the government’s new “one city, one faculty” model. He argued that the reform is “so logical” that only those with “subjective interests” would oppose it.The new quota decision significantly reshapes Ilia State University, which currently enrolls more than 17,000 students and offers 36 academic programs. As of next year, only 16 programs will remain, most of them with symbolic quotas of 10–30 students, raising doubts about their operational viability.The government has entirely removed the university’s right to accept students into many of its most popular and strategically important fields, including: Social Sciences: Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, International Relations Business & Law: All business administration programs (management, tourism, finance) and the Faculty of Law Humanities & Arts: Philosophy, Archaeology, Architecture, Film Studies, Music Technology: English-language Computer Science program These cancellations affect some of ISU’s strongest and highest-demand programs, prompting concern from academics and policy observers.Education experts warn that the sweeping cuts appear to undermine the university’s academic autonomy and could be part of a political effort to weaken one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions. With most major programs abolished and only narrow specialties remaining, critics say the reforms could destabilize the entire institution.Some analysts argue that the scale and speed of the quota reductions effectively amount to a restructuring that threatens Ilia State University’s long-term sustainability.

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