Georgia elects New Catholicos-Patriarch today

Pension portfolios showed strong growth in April after a volatile March. The fund said that easing tensions in the Middle East, in particular a ceasefire between the US and Iran, and better-than-expected quarterly results from major technology companies, had a positive impact on investor sentiment.The most profitable portfolio in April was the dynamic portfolio (with a high share of equities), which increased by 5.12%. During the same period, the balanced portfolio increased by 3.79%, and the conservative portfolio - by 2.25%.Since the beginning of the year (YTD), all three portfolios are in the positive range: Dynamic: 6.35% Balanced: 5.35% Conservative: 4.57% “Optimism related to artificial intelligence and the growth of the semiconductor sector had a particular impact on those portfolios with a high share of international equities,” the fund said.According to the fund, the number of participants in the pension scheme reached 1.735 million people. As of April 30, 2026, 31,286 individuals have already benefited from the accumulated pension, to whom a total of GEL 153.2 million has been issued.The total investment income received since the foundation of the fund (since August 2023) is GEL 2.6 billion. During the same period, the annualized return of the dynamic portfolio reached 15%, making it the highest-yielding portfolio.

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Lion Finance Group (BGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 110.30/share (+1.66% w/w and +2.22% m/m). More than 353k shares traded in the range of GBP 105.70 - 117.40/share. Average daily traded volume was 62k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of BGEO shares traded was at 0.82% of its capitalization.TBC Bank Group (TBCG LN) closed the week at GBP 46.62/share (- 2.18% w/w and -0.43% m/m). More than 303k shares changed hands in the range of GBP 45.06 - 48.74/share. Average daily traded volume was 47k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of TBCG shares traded was at 0.54% of its capitalization.Georgia Capital (CGEO LN) shares closed at GBP 38.75/share unchanged w/w and -3.37% m/m). More than 253k shares traded in the range of GBP 37.95 - 39.50/share. Average daily traded volume was 63k in the last 4 weeks. The volume of CGEO shares traded was at 0.74% of its capitalization.

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In 2025, the labour force participation rate decreased by 0.3 percentage points compared to the previous year, to 54.5 percent, while the employment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points, to 46.9 percent. The labour force participation rate in urban settlements decreased by 0.5 percentage points, while in rural settlements it remained unchanged compared to the previous year. The employment rate in urban settlements decreased by 1.2 percentage points, while in rural settlements it increased by 1.1 percentage points, to 47.3 percent and 46.3 percent, respectively.In 2025, the share of employees in total employment was 69.3 percent, which is 0.8 percentage points higher than the previous year.In 2025, the unemployment rate in urban settlements increased by 1.3 percentage points compared to the previous year, while in rural settlements it decreased by 2.1 percentage points.In 2025, compared to the previous year, the unemployment rate decreased the most in RachaLechkhumi and Kvemo-Svaneti, Kvemo Kartli and Guria, by 3.1, 2.9 and 2.0 percentage points, respectively.Traditionally, the unemployment rate is higher for men than for women. In 2025, compared to the previous year, this rate increased by 0.2 percentage points for women, while it decreased by 0.3 percentage points for men.The labour force participation rate is higher for men than for women. In 2025, the rate was 44.2 percent for women and 66.3 percent for men. Compared to the previous year, the labour force participation rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points for women, while it increased by 0.1 percentage points for men.In 2025, the employment rate decreased by 0.7 percentage points for women, while it increased by 0.2 percentage points for men compared to the previous year.In 2025, the highest rate of unemployment was in the age group of 15-19 years (39.0 percent), while this indicator was the lowest in the population aged 65 and over (3.5 percent) due to the low activity of the population in this age group.

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GeoStat also reports that Georgian residents made a total of 328,800 tourist visits abroad, a 1.7 per cent increase compared to the first quarter of the previous year.The largest share of visits, 46.7 per cent, was made by residents aged 31 to 50, with women accounting for 45.6 per cent of all visits.The agency’s report reveals that the most common purpose for visits in the first quarter of 2026 was to visit friends or relatives, accounting for 35.3 per cent of trips. The most popular destinations were Turkey and the Russian Federation, with 172,400 and 89,300 visits, respectively.Additionally, GeoStat notes that the average duration of visits was 6.8 nights, a 1.4 per cent increase compared to the first quarter of 2025 (6.7 nights). Remarkably, 99.1 per cent of these visits were repeat trips.Expenditure during these visits reached 629.1 million GEL, a significant 30.7 per cent rise from the same period in 2025. The average spend per visit also increased by 26.9 per cent, amounting to 1,267.7 GEL.

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Ex-Dividend Date: 13 August 2026 Record Date: 14 August 2026 Currency Conversion Date: 21 August 2026 Payment Date: 11 September 2026 The Georgian Lari to Pound Sterling exchange rate that will apply to the 1Q 2026 quarterly dividend payments on the conversion date of 21 August 2026 will be the average exchange rate of the National Bank of Georgia for the period of 17 August 2026 to and including of 21 August 2026 (5 days average).The Board of Directors of TBC Bank Group PLC ("TBC PLC"), subject to shareholders' approval, is recommending a final dividend for the year 2025 of GEL 3.87 per TBC PLC share (the "Final Dividend"). If approved, the Final Dividend will be paid on 22 June 2026 to shareholders who are on the register of members at 6:00 PM (BST) on the record date of 22 May 2026, in accordance with the following timetable: Ex-Dividend Date: 21 May 2026 Record Date: 22 May 2026 Currency Conversion Date: 5 June 2026 Payment Date: 22 June 2026 The Georgian Lari to Pound S The Final Dividend, together with the aggregate previously paid interim dividends of GEL 5.0 per TBC PLC share (which were paid quarterly), will equate to a total dividend in respect of the year ended 31 December 2025 of GEL 8.87 per share, up by 10% year-on-year. This brings the total dividend payout ratio for 2025 to 35% and total distribution as a share of net profit to 40%, including a buyback of GEL 75 million.The total number of voting rights in TBC PLC as at 28 February 2026 is therefore 55,726,793 (the "Total Voting Rights").

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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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