Thursday, February 5, 2026

PM Kobakhidze: Georgian delegation in U.S. discussed renewing strategic partnership with clear roadmap

“We aim to renew the strategic partnership with the United States from a clean slate, with a well-defined roadmap,” stated Georgia’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze.

He noted that the Georgian representatives at the U.S. State Department discussed exactly what has been publicly communicated, the renewal of the strategic partnership.

“Our representatives reiterated what we have been publicly emphasising: we want to start afresh with the United States, guided by a specific and pragmatic roadmap. This is our open hand extended in good faith. We are patiently awaiting a response, and I sincerely hope that this will come from the American side. That remains our optimistic expectation. We shall see how events unfold,” Kobakhidze remarked.

On February 3, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Lasha Darsalia met with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brendan Hanrahan during a working visit to Washington.

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Statement of the Revenue Service

Taking into account the public interest, the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia responds to yet another instance of disinformation disseminated through various media outlets, alleging that the ,,Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance is unlawfully exerting pressure on the TV and Radio Company ,,Trialeti,” and clarifies that as of February 3, 2026, the TV and Radio Company ,,Trialeti” has a recognized tax debt in the amount of 1,057,004.43 GEL.We also note that, based on applications submitted by LLC TV and Radio Company ,,Trialeti” on July 11, 2025 and October 24, 2025, and in accordance with Article 238, Paragraph 7, Subparagraph “a” of the Tax Code of Georgia, the collection orders imposed on its bank accounts were canceled for periods of two months each (the debt as of July 11, 2025 amounted to 1,043,956.87 GEL, and as of October 24, 2025, the increased debt amounted to 1,048,484.31 GEL), as a result of which its activities were not restricted in any way.On January 9, 2026, the taxpayer once again submitted an application to the Revenue Service requesting the cancellation of the collection order. On the date of the application, the outstanding debt of the business entity amounted to 1,052,765.66 GEL. Since during the indicated period there was no reduction in the recognized debt on the part of the company, the application for the repeated cancellation of the collection order was not granted.In the interests of taxpayers, the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance once again provides a detailed explanation that the measure to ensure the enforcement of tax debt collection (the imposition of collection orders on accounts) is carried out in an automated manner, based on risk assessment indicators integrated into the electronic system, the development of which involved the participation of the agency’s partner international organizations.We would like to emphasize that the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance, in accordance with its mandate and in compliance with legislation, carries out tax control measures, which apply equally to all taxpayers.

Ali Mojani: a city where faiths intersect — two paths, one hope, different beliefs and a shared idea of salvation

Two altars in a mosque of a Christian city — for Shiites and Sunnis.At the Tbilisi Juma Mosque, beliefs may differ, but the essence is shared — hope for salvation and justice.According to Islamic tradition, the middle of the month of Sha’ban signifies the “awaiting of the Savior,” serving as a common language among religions.The Second Coming, the Savior — this is what Seyed Ali Mojani, Iran’s Ambassador to Georgia, writes about on social media.

Parliament Speaker urges everyone to avoid turning education into political manipulation tool

“Everyone acknowledges the challenges faced by higher education. Yet now, there appears to be an attempt to distort the narrative, as if everything is in order and functioning smoothly,” said the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili.He emphasised his call for unity in safeguarding the integrity of education.“I would like to ask everyone not to politicise academic and educational matters. I call on students and academic staff, during this historic reform process, not to follow those who have outright contempt for educators and students. When individuals fail to see their own interests in the comments they make, they resort to attacking lecturers, academic staff, and students.Therefore, I urge everyone to trust the state and the objectives of the reform that has been announced. Everyone recognises the challenges faced by higher education. Yet now, there is an attempt to shift the discourse, as if everything is fine and functioning well. If that were the case, there would be no need for reform.The Prime Minister outlined the existing issues in higher education, seven key areas, none of which was dismissed as insignificant or problem-free. The challenges also include quality and infrastructure. If there are issues, they must be addressed.I call on everyone to refrain from using education as a political weapon or tool for intrigue. Instead, let us focus on constructive dialogue and genuine reform,” Shalva Papuashvili concluded.

PM: Universities must never be politicised, legacy of previous government’s corruption and nepotism

“No university should be politicised; this is our firm stance, and it must be upheld to the very end,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated to Georgian journalists in Dubai.According to the Prime Minister, the politicisation of universities was a hallmark of the previous government, when all higher education institutions were deeply politicised.“The politicisation of universities was a signature of our predecessors, the former government. All universities were entangled in politics. They entered the private sector, established their own private universities, and even sold universities to family members for a mere one GEL, only for these to be later transformed into private institutions. The politicisation of universities is a clear mark of our opponents. Not a single university should be politicised. This is our approach, and it must be carried out to completion,” the Prime Minister affirmed.

Tbilisi City Hall: Documentation from Electric Carriage Repair Plant submitted to Prosecutor’s Office

The documentation and material obtained by the audit, which inspected the Tbilisi Branch of Electric Carriage Repair Plant, have been submitted to the General Prosecutor’s Office.“Based on the plan approved by the Tbilisi City Hall in 2025, the internal audit and Monitoring Service studied maintenance expenses of special vehicles and electric carriages (including metro) covering the period of 2023-2024.Within the framework of the audit, an agreement for modernizing 12 metro carriages and service expenses of the Tbilisi Branch of Electric Carriage Repair Plant and Tbilisi Transport Company were examined. The material generated some questions, which require a response and therefore, the documentation has been submitted for a reaction to the Georgian General Prosecutor’s Office,” the City Hall said.On February 4, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia released information that an investigation is underway against the responsible persons of the Tbilisi Branch of Electric Carriage Repair Plant.

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