UK Minister Urges Georgian Dream to End Repression and Release Political Prisoners

The position of Minister of Economy has been filled by Mariam Kvrivishvili, who previously served as Davitashvili’s Deputy Minister.“We are all happy at the Ministry of Economy that a new stage is beginning in the life of the ministry,” Davitashvili stated during the announcement, expressing gratitude to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s honorary chairman, and offering his best wishes to his successor.Kvrivishvili thanked Prime Minister Kobakhidze for his confidence in her appointment, calling it a “great honor” to serve Georgia in this capacity.“All the knowledge and experience I have accumulated while working at the Ministry of Economy will help me to successfully complete ongoing projects, set new plans, and continue the economic growth of our country,” she said.Levan Davitashvili has held the post of Minister of Economy since February 2022, and served as Vice Prime Minister since July 2021. Prior to this, he led the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture from 2016 to 2022.Mariam Kvrivishvili has been Deputy Minister of Economy since 2021. She is a member of the Georgian Dream Political Council and has been involved in tourism and civil aviation development during her tenure at the ministry.

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The ruling was delivered on June 24 by Judge Nino Galustashvili, despite a request from Vashadze’s legal team to postpone the session so the defendant could deliver a final statement. Vashadze did not attend the court hearing and instead awaited the verdict at his party’s headquarters, where he was joined by political allies and Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili.The charges stem from Vashadze’s failure to appear before the Temporary Investigative Commission established by the ruling Georgian Dream party. He was prosecuted under Article 349 of the Criminal Code, which penalizes noncompliance with such a summons and carries a sentence of up to one year in prison or a ban from public service for up to three years. Vashadze had previously posted 50,000 GEL bail, which was paid within the legal deadline.The verdict against Vashadze follows a wave of similar rulings targeting high-profile opposition leaders. On June 23, the court sentenced Lelo party leaders Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze to eight months in prison, also banning them from holding office for two years. The two were detained outside their party office and handcuffed in public, prompting strong domestic and international criticism.Also sentenced on June 23 was Zurab Girchi Japaridze, leader of the “For Change” coalition, who received the same 7-month prison sentence and a two-year political disqualification.The coordinated sentencing of opposition figures has triggered concern among civil society organizations, with 40 NGOs recently warning that Georgia is "sliding toward authoritarianism." International voices, including UK Minister of State Stephen Dowty, have called for the immediate release of political prisoners and urged the ruling party to cease suppressing dissent.As more verdicts loom and protests intensify, observers warn that these developments could have a chilling effect on Georgia’s democratic institutions and further strain the country’s relationship with Western partners.

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During the event, Khutsishvili held a meeting with AIIB Vice President Konstantin Limitovsky. Georgian Deputy Minister of Finance Ekaterine Guntsadze also attended the discussion.The meeting focused on cooperation between Georgia and the AIIB, highlighting the significance of partnerships in areas such as sustainable development, climate action, energy efficiency, and regional connectivity.Both parties expressed optimism about the future of their collaboration, emphasising continued engagement at both bilateral and regional levels.

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The meeting brought together Steering Committee members from participating countries, along with representatives from CCAMTAC’s donor and partner organizations. Among the attendees were Subir Lall, Deputy Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, and Andrew Jewell, IMF Resident Representative in Georgia.During the meeting, participants reviewed the center’s recent activities and discussed the work program for the coming year. The agenda included deliberations on regional workshops, financial resources, and upcoming initiatives planned by the center and its partners.In her remarks, Ekaterine Mikabadze, First Vice Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, highlighted the importance of the IMF’s continued support. She noted that the Fund’s leadership, expertise, and long-term commitment have been instrumental in establishing CCAMTAC and shaping its strategic direction.“The IMF’s ongoing support ensures that CCAMTAC remains a cornerstone of regional capacity development, empowering our countries to enhance macroeconomic resilience and navigate a complex and challenging global environment,” said Mikabadze.According to the First Vice Governor of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG), the Bank fully recognizes the value of market-oriented educational programs, as well as the importance of knowledge and experience sharing. In line with this vision, and under the initiative of NBG Governor Natia Turnava, an educational space project a centralized platform was launched to encourage professionals across the region to both acquire and exchange expertise. She noted that the NBG is actively collaborating with international partners to support and advance this initiative.“Our collaboration with CCAMTAC is invaluable. Together, we organize seminars and workshops for central bank representatives from across the region, further reinforcing our long-standing partnership,” noted Mikabadze.Norbert Funke, Director of CCAMTAC, highlighted the four-year partnership with Georgia, expressing gratitude for the country’s active role in sharing its experience with monetary policy implementation across the region.“Over the past four years, we have enjoyed a close relationship with Georgia. CCAMTAC’s technical assistance has supported areas such as fiscal risk management, banking supervision, statistics, and more. What impressed us most was Georgia’s proactive sharing of its experience within the region. We are grateful that Georgia has hosted delegations from other countries, providing a platform to exchange insights and demonstrate how various aspects of monetary policy are implemented. A sincere thank you to our Georgian colleagues,” said Norbert Funke.As Subir Lall, Deputy Director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, noted, CCAMTAC serves as a vital pillar of the IMF’s engagement with the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia. He highlighted that strengthening institutional capacity is a key driver in shaping effective macroeconomic policies. Lall also underscored the importance of bringing together all CCAMTAC partners and member countries to reflect on achievements and define future priorities.“Georgia’s role has been significant from the outset of the center’s establishment. It has not only actively participated in CCAMTAC’s activities but also assumed a leadership role in fostering collaboration among peers. Georgia has helped cultivate an environment of trust and open dialogue around shared challenges facing all member countries. It is especially important that we have used our time productively, and I believe Georgia’s leadership in advancing CCAMTAC’s initiatives and promoting regional cooperation sets the stage for a successful year ahead,” stated Subir Lall.The International Monetary Fund’s Regional Capacity Development Center for the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia (CCAMTAC) is a collaborative initiative between the IMF and nine member countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Launched in Almaty in 2021, the center serves a region with a combined population of over 100 million people. Its primary mission is to support the development of the region’s economic potential through targeted capacity-building activities.

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Adopting this strategy will increase access to information for the public and other stakeholders regarding the National Bank of Georgia's vision, priorities, and plans for consumer protection. It will also facilitate effective planning of the National Bank of Georgia's activities in this area and increase financial organizations' awareness of future activities.The document outlines the priorities and main directions of market conduct supervision, as well as evaluation indicators and their monitoring process.To ensure that the strategy fully considers the interests of stakeholders, the National Bank of Georgia is publishing the initial version of its Market Conduct Supervision Strategy. The NBG encourages all stakeholders to engage in active communication and share their opinions regarding the strategy.

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Additionally, the court imposed a two-year ban on Khazaradze holding public office. Judge Zviad Sharadze announced the verdict; Khazaradze did not attend the hearing.The case was referred to the Prosecutor’s Office on March 25 after Khazaradze refused to appear before the Temporary Investigative Commission tasked with examining the activities of the regime and political officials from 2003 to 2012. He was formally indicted on April 1. As a preventive measure, he paid a bail of GEL 50,000 within the legally prescribed timeframe.A verdict is also expected today in the case of Lelo co-leader Badri Japaridze, who was similarly ordered to pay a bail of GEL 50,000.In response to the ruling, Khazaradze stated that no form of intimidation would deter his political movement.“We may face different decisions or even imprisonment today, but regardless of the outcome, I want to send a clear message to Bidzina Ivanishvili: neither I nor my team are afraid of you. This is a fight for the future of our country — for freedom, for integration with the democratic world, and not with the countries whose leaders your so-called Prime Minister attends funerals for.We entered politics to stand against injustice. For five years, they’ve been trying to imprison us with a 12-year sentence. We did not leave the country then, and we will not leave now.The fight continues. Our team is ready. We will see this through to the end. I also want to express my solidarity with Zura Japaridze — our friend and comrade-in-arms. No matter where we are, we will keep fighting. The only way forward for this country is to free it from occupation once and for all — and we will do it,” Khazaradze stated.

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As of the document, compared to May 2024 the XPI increased by 3.9 percent. The prices for mining and quarrying increased by 18.8 percent, for manufactured products by 2.0 percent, for products from electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning by 8.3 percent and for water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation services by 2.0 percent.

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The prices for mining and quarrying increased by 1.9 percent compared to April 2025, resulting in a 0.12 percentage point contribution to the overall monthly PPI change. In the same period, the prices for manufactured products decreased by 0.5 percent, contributing -0.37 percentage points to the monthly index change.Within the group, a noteworthy price decrease was registered for basic metals (-2.6 percent). Besides, the prices decreased for electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning by 2.2 percent, contributing -0.23 percentage points to the monthly index change.The annual PPI rate was mainly affected by price changes for the following products:• Mining and quarrying: the prices were 13.3 percent higher, contributing 0.84 percentage points to the overall annual index change. Within the group, the prices were higher for the subgroup of metal ores (18.1 percent);• Manufactured products: the prices increased by 3.2 percent, contributing 2.62 percentage points to the overall annual index increase. There was a notable increase in the prices for food products (4.9 percent) and beverages (4.6 percent);• Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning: the annual price increase amounted to 13.8 percent, which contributed 1.39 percentage points to the annual index change;• Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation services: the annual price increase amounted to 0.4 percent, which contributed 0.01 percentage points to the annual index growth.

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