Giorgi Gakharia on Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement: Georgia should have been an active architect of this new regional reality, shaping peace, but the pro-Russian Georgian Dream has left the country isolated from progress

“The majoritarian candidates nominated by Georgian Dream will work with me for the good of the city over the next four years,” said Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze in response to a media question.“Many positive projects have been completed in the capital over the past eight years, but challenges remain. We have a clear vision and a plan to address these issues and develop the city. Majoritarians are in daily contact with residents, and we will continue to support them in the future,” he added.The Tbilisi Mayor also stated that he is indifferent to who the opposition nominates as their mayoral candidate.“I am not particularly interested in who the opposition chooses as their candidate. Along with my team, I have a vision for what our capital needs over the next four years, specific projects to implement, and how to respond to the ongoing challenges in Tbilisi. Who other political parties nominate is of no real importance to me,” he emphasised.On August 7, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced the Georgian Dream party’s candidates for the upcoming local government elections, who will contest single-mandate seats in the Tbilisi City Assembly (Sakrebulo).

“I congratulate the Presidents of the U.S. and Azerbaijan, and the Prime Minister of Armenia on closing a landmark peace deal. Georgia has always stood for regional peace and cooperation,” wrote Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on the X Platform.According to the PM, Georgia will continue to support peace and stability in the region.“Georgia welcomes this historic moment for Armenia and Azerbaijan, the region and the entire world! Congratulating U.S. President Donald Trump, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on this success — closing a landmark peace deal and opening a new era of stability and economic development in the region. Georgia has always stood for regional peace and cooperation — and will continue to support it unwaveringly,” he said.The leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia signed an agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict as they were hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, August 8.Armenia and Azerbaijan had committed to stop fighting, open up trade and diplomatic relations and respect each other’s territorial integrity.

“If Mzia Amaglobeli or her supporters are looking for culprits, those culprits were sitting in that courtroom as ambassadors who were encouraging her not to cooperate with the investigation,” Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili declared.Parliament Speaker has accused foreign ambassadors of being responsible for journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli serving her full two-year prison sentence, claiming they discouraged her from cooperating with investigators and accepting a plea bargain.“When we reviewed the 24 embassies’ statement on Mzia Amaglobeli’s verdict, I noticed the French ambassador’s signature. Let me remind you that in France, a person was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for slapping Macron. The person then cooperated with the court, admitted guilt, and received four months in prison with 14 months suspended, though still an 18-month sentence for assault,” Papuashvili stated.“In Georgia, the court sentenced 24 months’ imprisonment for an analogous, similar case. It was exactly the same situation: a person who slapped the French president in the face, and in Georgia, a person was slapped in the face. The cases are identical analogies, including similar punishments: 18 months in France, 24 months in Georgia.What’s the difference? The difference is that it was four months in prison and 14 months non-custodial in France, because a plea agreement was arranged. In Georgia, however, Mzia Amaglobeli neither cooperated, nor admitted guilt, nor accepted the proposed plea bargain,” Papuashvili stated.The Speaker accused the French ambassador of hypocrisy in calling Georgia’s sentence disproportionate.“The French ambassador calls this disproportionate. You know that the prosecutor’s office offered Mzia Amaglobeli a plea agreement. There was no agreement from Amaglobeli’s side, no admission of the crime that all of Georgia witnessed live on air. Accordingly, the court likely had no opportunity to make any further determinations,” Papuashvili added.The Speaker blamed ambassadors who attended court hearings for advising against cooperation with the investigation.“If Mzia Amaglobeli or her supporters are looking for culprits, those culprits were sitting in that courtroom as ambassadors who were encouraging her not to cooperate with the investigation. It is on the conscience of the ambassadors present in the courtroom that no plea agreement was reached, and that Mzia Amaglobeli must serve the full two years.In the case of a plea bargain, it could have been part of a conditional sentence or a different arrangement. Instead of Mzia Amaglobeli, much like the individual in France who confessed to the crime, the ambassadors effectively cornered her. A sentence of 24 months is entirely proportional, and it is false to claim that it is disproportionate. The French ambassador is particularly misleading, as in France, a person was sentenced to 18 months for exactly the same offence,” said Papuashvili.Batumi City Court on August 6 has sentenced Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the Batumelebi and Netgazeti media outlets, to two years in prison. The sentence will commence on January 12, 2025, the day of her arrest.

The State Employment Promotion Agency is now accepting applications for funding of short-term vocational training and retraining courses. Both public and private educational institutions may submit the required documentation between August 11 and 22.Deputy Health Minister Gia Tsagareishvili emphasised that such training enhances skills and boosts employment opportunities. He encouraged regional centres to participate in the programme.The Employment Promotion Agency currently collaborates with approximately 30 public and private colleges. Short-term vocational training programmes range from one to three months and cover areas such as computer programming, aesthetics, beauty therapy, accounting, hospitality, catering, engineering, home care, working with children with special needs, and educational leadership.In 2025, the agency financed over 80 courses for 2,000 citizens nationwide, with most securing employment thereafter. In 2024, up to 3,700 job seekers benefited from the programme, gaining valuable new skills.Applicants are advised to visit the State Employment Promotion Agency’s service centres to register.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has declared that his government is successfully implementing a non-recognition policy and working to reduce the number of countries that recognise the occupied regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.Speaking to journalists, Kobakhidze emphasised that Georgia is doing everything possible not only to prevent further recognition but to decrease existing recognition of the occupied territories.“We are primarily responsible for the successful implementation of the non-recognition policy. We are doing everything to ensure that the recognition indicator not only doesn’t increase but actually decreases,” the Prime Minister stated.Kobakhidze highlighted what he described as a diplomatic achievement, noting that the number of countries recognising the regions has remained static since the Georgian Dream came to power.“I’ll tell you the facts: four recognitions occurred under the United National Movement’s conditions, and these four have remained four since 2012. Everything else is ‘Nats-ism’ and illogical,” he declared.The Prime Minister commented on recent calls from South Ossetian de facto leader Alan Gagloev regarding a non-aggression agreement, which Kobakhidze categorically rejected.“From our side, neither direct nor indirect recognition of so-called independence can occur. Any call that hints at this is categorically unacceptable to us,” the Prime Minister stated.Kobakhidze dismissed Gagloev’s proposal as lacking seriousness and reiterated that peaceful means remain the only path to restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity.“This call is not serious for us. Regarding non-aggression, we declare only one thing: the only way to restore territorial integrity is through peaceful means, and there can be no talk of any other agreements or documents,” he said.The Prime Minister also criticised international figures who he claimed were interfering in Georgia’s national interests, specifically mentioning Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova and Lithuanian politician Andrius Kubilius.“Zakharova says something there, Kubilius says something there, don’t follow their statements. Kubilius directly interferes with our national interests. Throughout all these years, he has done nothing but act as an enemy of the Georgian people. From our side, neither direct nor indirect recognition of so-called independence can occur. Accordingly, any call that hints at this is categorically unacceptable to us,” the Prime Minister concluded.