Georgia’s U21 team qualifies for European Championship for second consecutive year

“Georgia plays a crucial role in connecting Europe and Asia,” said Levan Davitashvili, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, emphasised the need for high-level coordination with the Middle Corridor nations. Davitashvili was a key speaker at the ministerial discussion on “Sustainable and Digital Middle Corridor and Beyond” at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. During his address, the Economy Minister stressed Georgia’s role in the development, digitization and transformation of the Middle Corridor. Davitashvili highlighted Georgia’s railway projects, high-speed highway, digitisation, and climate-friendly efforts. “We had an interesting discussion with the representatives of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Romania, Turkey and other countries, which play a very important role in the development of the Middle Corridor. We also discussed the five-year plan for further development of the Middle Corridor. We talked about the recent achievements in transport and logistics,” the First Vice Prime Minister noted.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili for her solidarity message. “Thank you, dear Salome Zourabichvili, for your message and solidarity. We appreciate Georgia’s support and hope for a peaceful and prosperous future for both our nations,” Zelenskyy wrote on the X Platform. Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili, on November 19 expressed her solidarity with Ukraine, marking the 1,000th day of its fight against Russian aggression. “Ukrainian friends, for 1,000 days you have been fighting to defend your country, your independence, your freedom, and you are waging this fight on behalf of all Europeans who want to defend their freedom from Russian imperialism,” Zourabichvili said in her video address.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili echoed the remark by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La, who said, “A man is a man. And a woman is a woman. And a man cannot become a woman.” Papuashvili stated, “When the Speaker of the most influential state has to say this, it is clear what kind of absurdity we are dealing with.” “This is what is regulated by the law on ‘family values and the protection of minors’, whose repeal the opposition demands at the request of foreigners,” Papuashvili wrote on Facebook.

“In my opinion, the opposition should recognize the importance of attending the first session; everyone should enter, take their seats, and begin working,” said Aleksandre Rakviashvili, a member of the Girchi party. “However, I understand that Khazaradze is unlikely to enter. Just as he once evaded Zarkua’s bullying, he’ll evade it again,” Rakviashvili remarked during the Free Market program. Rakviashvili also emphasized that the opposition must acknowledge its mistakes and accept responsibility. “Robespierre ended up having his head chopped off, and this opposition deserves a similar fate. The leaders must be held accountable. If there are any reasonable individuals within this opposition space—whether journalists or party members—whose opinions are worth considering, they should publicly and directly remove these ineffective leaders and enter parliament to engage in a long-term strategy. They need to admit their errors, including Gvaramia’s claim of having 4,000 observers and Melia’s assertion that no fraud could occur and that secrecy would be maintained—all of these statements have proven false. They must take responsibility and say, ‘We apologize, Georgian people, and to the million voters who placed their hopes in us. We lost, and we currently have this regime. While some regimes have been worse, better ones can exist. Let’s focus on a long-term strategy to avoid repeating these mistakes.’ Parliament is a venue where people convene, where the majority that governs this country resides. The Georgian people comply with these lawmakers because they pay taxes and adhere to the laws. You enter this building, and when these individuals enact legislation, you criticize and contest them. When did it become a crime to sit alongside these lawmakers and critique them for bad laws? Why should my conscience prevent me from demanding new elections from that very seat? I could sit in this studio and call for elections, but if I were to take just 20 steps over to that seat, I would no longer have the right to demand new elections or express concerns about leaks. What, then, is the problem with simply sitting there?” Rakviashvili stated.

Nika Melia, leader of the Coalition for Change, stated that the letter sent by four opposition parties to Josep Borrell and the foreign ministers of EU member states would not harm national interests but rather assist in finding a resolution to the current deadlock. “Not only is it harmless, but a letter like this serves the national interest. It is widely recognized in Tbilisi, throughout Georgia, and internationally by the USA, EU, and UK that the elections were rigged. The opposition’s focus on this issue will not cause any harm; instead, it seeks to help resolve this impasse. I find it surprising that anyone in this country is shocked by this,” Nika Melia told journalists. The Coalition for Change, along with the Unity-National Movement, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia, has collectively sent a letter to Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, as well as to the foreign ministers of EU member states, regarding the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.