Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of July 2024

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

 Photo: Shutterstock.com

US court seizes LA mansion of family of a former Armenian finance minister

A US Court has seized a California mansion belonging to the family of a former Armenian finance minister, ruling it was purchased with funds of criminal origin. The mansion in Los Angeles belongs to Gurgen and Artyom Khachatryan, the sons of former Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan. The Armenian General Prosecutor’s office announced that negotiations were underway between Armenia and the US regarding the return of the lion’s share of the proceeds from the house’s sale to Armenia.

In mid-June, Gurgen and Artyom Khachatryan agreed with the US Justice Department to forfeit the property to the US government in exchange for keeping 15% of the net proceeds from its sale. The Armenian General Prosecutor’s office hailed the outcome, stating it was thanks to “effective cooperation” between them and the US authorities. The case was opened in the US in May 2022.

Gagik Khachatryan, an influential former official, served as Chair of the State Revenue Committee from 2008 to 2014 and as Minister of Finance until 2016. Given his wealth and power, Khachatryan was nicknamed the “super minister”. The press in Armenia linked him with several companies that were conveniently registered under the names of his relatives.

Khachatryan and 25 others, including his two sons, still face a corruption probe in Armenia. In total, 210 properties, 13 vehicles, shares of 29 legal entities,  and more than 33 billion AMD (77 million USD) could be confiscated by the Armenian Anti-Corruption Court as a result. The National Security Service is criminally prosecuting Gurgen and Artyom Khachatryan on charges including money laundering of over 100 million USD.

Gurgen and Artyom purchased a sprawling private house in the affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood of Westwood in 2010 for 11 million USD. The house was built in 1939 and redesigned ten years later. The two-story mansion itself measures 563 square meters, and the land is 6,637 square meters, including six bedrooms, five bathrooms, an outside pool, a tennis court, and a yard.

Sources:
Arrests of local officials follow Yerevan raids

Law enforcement authorities arrested the head of Yerevan’s northern Arabkir district and several other local government officials when they raided the district administration building on July 3. The next day, a spokesperson for the National Anti-Corruption Court confirmed to CivilNet that those arrested included the head of the Arabkir Administrative District, Aram Azatyan, and his two deputies. Azatyan was reportedly released to house arrest for two months on 30 million AMD (77,000 USD) bail.

According to the Investigative Committee, those arrested have been charged with abuse of office and taking, giving, and mediating bribes. Local media have reported that five other municipal employees and private citizens were arrested in the raids. Alexander Kochubaev, a lawyer representing Hayk Galoyan, who has been accused of fraud, called the allegations “completely fabricated”. He said that Galoyan’s company signed a contract with the district administration to repair the porches of administrative buildings. His company has been accused of completing the works improperly and defrauding the state of 20 million AMD (52,000 USD).

Kochubaev said the contracts were signed in 2021 and that the work included a 1-year warranty period. He said that if the works have been performed and the handover-acceptance act has accepted them, you cannot abuse your powers or embezzle money. “If the residents misused it, the officials and developers can not be blamed here”, he added, as cited by OC Media.

Azatian, 43, has run one of the Armenian capital’s biggest and most populous districts since 2022. Yerevan’s new Mayor, Tigran Avinian, reappointed him to that post last October. Azatian said at the time that he enjoyed Arabkir residents’ “trust and support” and would continue to serve them “with great responsibility.” Avinian’s spokesman, Hayk Kostanian, reported the “investigative actions” at the Arabkir district administration but did not comment on them, saying that the investigators will provide “additional information” if necessary.

Sources:
  • GHALECHIAN Narine, Azatutyn.am, “Yerevan District Chief, Subordinates Arrested”, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33020439.html
  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Arrests of local officials follow Yerevan raids”, https://oc-media.org/arrests-of-local-officials-follow-yerevan-raids/
Survey reveals mixed sentiments on Armenia’s political direction and leadership

On July 10, Aram Navasardyan, the head of the Armenian office of Gallup International Association, released the results of an actual survey. The telephone survey, conducted from July 3 to 6, included 1,100 respondents. The following summary of the results was prepared by the Caucasus Watch portal.

The survey indicated that 44.3% of respondents believe Armenia should remain neutral and not be a member of either the CSTO or NATO. Meanwhile, 16.9% supported continued membership in the CSTO, and 29% favoured joining NATO. The survey also revealed a nearly 10% decrease in CSTO membership support and a 7% increase in NATO membership support compared to the previous survey.

Respondents were also asked about the direction in which Yerevan is moving: 15.2% said “completely in the right direction,” 10.6% said “rather in the right direction,” 23.1% said “rather in the wrong direction,” and 28.5% said “definitely in the wrong direction,” while 22.5% were unsure.

Regarding potential parliamentary elections in Armenia, “if held next Sunday”, the ruling Civil Contract Party, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, would receive 14.4% of the votes. The survey showed that 3.7% would vote for ex-President Robert Kocharyan’s opposition Armenia Bloc, which holds the second-largest faction in parliament. Other parties’ support was as follows: the “Democracy, Law and Discipline” party (Vardan Ghukasian) at 3.5%, the “I Have Honor” Bloc (Serzh Sargsyan) at 2.3%, the “Tavush in the Name of Motherland” movement (Bagrat Srbazan) at 1.5%, the “Prosperous Armenia” party (Gagik Tsarukyan) at 1.2%, and the “Republic” party (Aram Sargsyan) at 0.6%. Additionally, 8.6% of respondents refused to vote for anyone, 22.5% were unsure, and 32.5% indicated they would not participate in the elections.

When evaluating Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s work, opinions were distributed as follows: “generally negative” at 40.3% (41.1% in May), “rather negative” at 14.5% (18.6% in May), “rather positive” at 21.7% (18.7% in May), “completely positive” at 13.4%, and 10.1% were unsure.

Participants were also asked if Armenia should withdraw from the EAEU to start the EU accession process, with 28.8% saying “definitely yes,” 17.3% “rather yes,” 15.6% “rather no,” and 21.4% “definitely no.” About 17% were unsure. Additionally, 34.2% were “definitely in favour” of Armenia becoming an EU member, 22.5% were “rather for,” 11.7% were “rather against,” and 19.1% were “definitely against,” with 10% unsure.

Sources:
  • Caucasus Watch, Survey Reveals Mixed Sentiments on Armenia’s Political Direction and Leadership, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/survey-reveals-mixed-sentiments-on-armenias-political-direction-and-leadership.html

     

Yerevan is increasing security cooperation with the West

In July, Armenia took several steps to bring it closer to the West in the security sphere. This trend has sparked protests in both Moscow and Baku. Between July 15-24, the Eagle Partner military exercise took place in Armenia to prepare forces for participation in global peacekeeping missions. The 10-day exercise involved 85 US soldiers and 175 Armenians. It took place at two military training grounds near the capital Yerevan.

The Armenian Ministry of Defence said at the time that “the purpose of the exercise is to increase the level of interoperability of the unit participating in international peacekeeping missions within the framework of peacekeeping operations, to exchange best practices in control and tactical communication”.

The exercise took place despite Azerbaijan’s launch of what it called an “antiterrorist” operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region on July 16. “We were aware that they were conducting operations, but we didn’t assess there to be any risk to our soldiers at the time, and so they remained for the duration of the exercise,” the US military spokesperson said.

On the last day of drills, Washington also announced it would deploy an advisor to Armenia’s Defence Ministry “in the coming months” to support Armenia’s security. The advisor will be sent as part of the US’s Global Defense Reform Program, with the US Embassy to Armenia confirming to OC Media that funding would come through the State Department, not the US armed forces or the Department of Defense. “Through advisory assistance, the United States intends to support Armenia with enhancing its security sector governance while strengthening the US–Armenia relations”, the embassy told OC Media.

Armenia will also receive 10 million EUR in non-lethal military aid from the EU after Hungary withdrew its objections, reportedly in exchange for providing equal funds to Azerbaijan for demining. “All the member states of the Union are now ready to give the green light”, they cited a diplomatic source in the EU as saying.

The developments have irked Russia, which has a military base in Armenia and regards itself as the prime security guarantor in the region. Moscow has criticised Yerevan for participating in the NATO summit in Washington, calling Armenia’s move to deepen ties with NATO and its member states “imprudent”.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that Moscow “deeply regrets” Armenia’s participation in the 9–11 July NATO summit in Washington DC. Galuzin also criticised Yerevan for increasing cooperation with NATO and its member states, “especially in terms of implementing NATO standards, purchasing weapons, or conducting joint combat training activities”. “By deepening cooperation at such a pace with those whose goal is the strategic defeat of Russia, Yerevan with its own hands risks seriously destabilising the situation in the South Caucasus, to the detriment of its own security,” said Galuzin, adding that knowledgeable specialists and politicians in Armenia understood the possible costs of such “imprudent steps”.

On July 24, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope that Armenia would not follow “the same path as the Kyiv regime once did.” Speaking at the Festival of New Media in Senezh, Peskov emphasised that Russia considers Armenia a brotherly country and respects its sovereignty and decisions regarding its priorities in international relations. “Armenia is a sovereign country that chooses its own priority areas of interaction. For us, Armenia is our ally, a fraternal country… We respect such searches, but we just wouldn’t want these searches to be carried out in the mode that the Kyiv regime once chose,” Peskov stated in response to journalists’ questions.

Sources:
  • AA.com, “Armenia, US kick off joint military drill”, https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/armenia-us-kick-off-joint-military-drill/3276314
  • Al Jazeera, “US completes joint military exercise in Armenia”, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/20/us-completes-joint-military-exercise-in-armenia
  • Caucasus Watch, “Russia Warns Armenia Against Following ‘Kyiv’s Path’”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/russia-warns-armenia-against-following-kyivs-path.html
  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “EU ‘to approve’ €10 million non-lethal military aid for Armenia”, https://oc-media.org/eu-to-approve-e10-million-non-lethal-military-aid-for-armenia/
  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “US to send an advisor to Armenian defence ministry”, https://oc-media.org/us-to-send-advisor-to-armenian-defence-ministry/
  • BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Russia criticises Armenia’s participation in NATO summit”, https://oc-media.org/russia-criticises-armenias-participation-in-nato-summit/

Photo: Shutterstock.com

EU to move towards visa liberalisation for Armenia

 European Union member states gave the green light to start official negotiations with Armenia on lifting the EU’s visa requirements for Armenian citizens. This means that the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, should draw up an action plan for the “visa liberalisation dialogue” with the Armenian government in the coming months. “It’s about document security, borders, readmission [of illegal migrants,]” said RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak. “It’s also about fundamental rights issues. It’s like a whole dossier of hundreds of pages that needs to be fulfilled by Armenia, and this will take years.” Jozwiak stressed that the eventual lifting of EU visas for Armenians will also require the unanimous backing of all EU member states.

Since the visa liberalisation process is different for every country that wants to gain visa-free entry privileges to the bloc, the authorities are expected to share the requirements that Armenia needs to meet once the Council gives the final green light on the matter. As soon as the requirements are clear, Armenia will start working on fulfilling them.

It is believed that one of the main requirements that Armenia needs to fulfil before it gets granted visa-free entry is to ensure that there will be no risk of irregular migration of Armenians to the bloc, among other things. As soon as the EU and Armenia reach a visa liberalisation agreement, Armenians will be able to travel to the Schengen Area for short stays without obtaining a Schengen visa. However, citizens of Armenia, just like citizens of other countries that enjoy visa-free entry to the EU, will still have to follow the 90/180-day rule. In line with this rule, Armenians can stay in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.

Sources:
Turkey and Armenia held normalisation talks on the border

Special representatives of Turkey and Armenia agreed on July 30 to explore the possibility of restoring a rail link between their countries during a new round of negotiations aimed at normalising bilateral relations. Armenian parliament vice-speaker Ruben Rubinian and Turkish diplomat Serdar Kilic met on the Turkish-Armenian border, which Ankara has kept closed for over three decades. It was their first official meeting in two years.

“They reconfirmed the agreements reached at their previous meetings,” the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministries said in identical statements on the talks. Furthermore, they agreed to assess the technical requirements to enable the functioning of the Akyaka/Akhurik railroad border gate in line with regional developments as well as to simplify their mutual visa procedures for diplomatic/official passport holders. Finally, they reemphasised their agreement to continue the normalisation process without any preconditions towards achieving the ultimate goal of full normalisation between their respective countries,” the statements added.

Political analyst Robert Ghevondyan told JAM News that the resumption of Armenian-Turkish negotiations was primarily due to disagreements within the Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem. He believes the dissatisfaction stems from Ankara not receiving what it anticipated after the 2020 Karabakh war. Regarding the Rubinyan-Kılıç agreements, he notes that the parties have also begun discussing the possibility of restoring railway connections. He is convinced that if progress is made in this or any other area, the normalisation process will accelerate, and “the next steps will happen very quickly”.

Four other meetings had taken place before this meeting of the special representatives for the normalisation of Armenian-Turkish relations at the border. All previous negotiations were held in 2022. The first meeting was organised in Moscow, and three were held in Vienna. After each round of talks, both parties traditionally stated their intention to continue efforts aimed at a “full normalisation of relations without preconditions.”

During the fourth meeting, which took place on July 1, 2022, specific agreements were reached, namely: To enable the crossing of the Armenian-Turkish land border for citizens of third countries. To begin direct air cargo transportation between Armenia and Turkey. The ban on direct air cargo transportation was lifted in January 2023.

However, no progress has been made regarding the opening of the border for citizens of third countries. A month ago, Ruben Rubinyan told Armenian journalists: “We see no steps from the Turkish side to implement this agreement.”

Sources:
  • Azatutyun.am, “Turkey, Armenia Hold Fresh Normalisation Talks”, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33056684.html
  • JAM News, “Special representatives of Armenia and Turkey met at the border: what was agreed upon”, https://jam-news.net/rubinyan-kilic-border-meeting/

Azerbaijan

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Azerbaijan seeks full membership in BRICS

Baku wants to become a full member of the BRICS. Speaker of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan of the sixth convocation, Sahiba Gafarova, said this during her speech at the plenary session of the 10th Parliamentary Forum of the BRICS countries in St. Petersburg on July 10.

“Azerbaijan promotes dialogue, cooperation and solidarity in its foreign policy. This applies to bilateral relations and activities within the framework of international platforms. In particular, this concerns cooperation with BRICS. “Azerbaijan has already expressed its desire to join the BRICS,” Gafarova said, as cited by Turan.az. According to her, achieving this goal will contribute to developing cooperation at the parliamentary level.

Sources:
  • Turan.az, “Azerbaijan wants to become a BRICS member”, https://turan.az/en/politics/azerbaijan-wants-to-become-a-brics-member
Talysh researcher arrested for treason in Azerbaijan

On the evening of July 24, the Sabail District Court ruled against the Talysh researcher Igbala Abilov. He was given a preventive measure in the form of arrest for a period of 4 months. Abilov is suspected of treason for carrying out instructions for Armenia’s special services, reported Trend.az.

According to the information, the suspect, who was living abroad, was detained as a result of special operations conducted by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (SSS). “Igbal Abilov is accused of high treason for executing assignments from representatives of Armenian special services operating in a third country. He is alleged to have committed acts aimed at inciting hatred and enmity on ethnic grounds within the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In turn, Igbal Abilov’s father called the allegations that his son collaborated with the Armenian intelligence services a lie. According to him, Abilov really communicated with Garnik Asatryan, but these were exclusively scientific connections. “This was a communication between two orientalists,” emphasised Shahin Abilov. He expressed surprise at how materials from a closed trial ended up in the media. “We are prohibited from talking about the content of the criminal case and what is happening in court while the media gets information, distorted facts about the charges against my son. We regard this as an attempt to mislead the public and justify the arrest of my son,” said Sh. Abilov.

Igbal Abilov, a citizen of Azerbaijan, ethnic Talysh, who came from Belarus to Azerbaijan on leave, was detained on July 22 by employees of the State Security Service in the village of Bala Kolatan, Masalli region. Talysh activists believe that Abilov was detained on trumped-up charges; the real reason for his persecution is research about various national minorities, including the Talysh of Azerbaijan. 35-year-old Abilov is the editor-in-chief of the printed organ of the virtual “Talysh National Academy” – “Bulletin of the Talysh National Academy”.

Sources:
  • Turan.az, “Igbal Abilov’s father denied his connections with the Armenian intelligence services”, https://turan.az/en/politics/igbal-abilovs-father-denied-his-connections-with-the-armenian-intelligence-services
  • ASADOV Tahmaz, “Azerbaijan reveals details of man’s arrest on treason charges and alleged cooperation with Armenia”, https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/3927055.html
  • IRFS, “Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov arrested for 4 months”, https://www.irfs.org/news-feed/talysh-researcher-igbal-abilov-arrested-for-4-months/
Azerbaijani journalist “barred from leaving Georgia”

Azerbaijani journalist and editor of the Azel.TV website Afgan Sadygov claimed that on July 17, Georgian border guards prevented him from flying from Tbilisi to the capital of Turkey, reported Saqartvelos Ambebi. Georgian border guards turned the activist back at the border passport control and informed him that he could only return to Azerbaijan. Sadygov associates the incident with his criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities and believes that the order prohibiting him from travelling to another country originated from Baku.

Afgan Sadygov was flying to Ankara with his wife and two daughters. “I was stopped at passport control at Tbilisi airport. They told me there was a problem with my passport and that I could not travel to any country except to return to Azerbaijan. They did not specify who had banned me from entering third countries and suggested that I contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia for clarification. This is related to my recent critical posts and videos. Currently, no criminal case has been opened against me, but I know that as soon as I return to Azerbaijan, I will be arrested like other critical journalists,” said Sadygov.

The journalist has been living in Georgia since December 24, 2023. He came here for treatment, but due to threats against him and the beginning of a new wave of arrests of Azerbaijani journalists, he has not returned to his homeland.

Sources:
  • Saqartvelos Ambebi, „Azerbaijani Journalist Afgan Sadygov Blocked from Leaving Georgia”, https://sakartvelosambebi.ge/en/news/azerbaijani-journalist-afgan-sadygov-blocked-from-leaving-georgia
Azerbaijan’s gas exports to Europe reach 6.4 billion cubic meters

On July 11, Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov reported that Azerbaijan exported approximately 6.4 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe from January to June this year.  In the first quarter, 5 billion cubic meters of gas were exported to Turkey, and 1.3 billion cubic meters were exported to Georgia. During this period, 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas were transported to Turkey through the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP).

Since the commissioning of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) and Shah Deniz fields on July 1, 2024, about 639.6 million tons of oil (with condensate) and 445.9 billion cubic meters of gas have been produced from these fields.

Five hundred ninety-three million tons of oil and 222.9 billion cubic meters of gas were produced from ACG. About 223 billion cubic meters of gas and 46.6 million tons of condensate were produced from Shah Deniz during the specified period. The report noted that “about 637.6 million tons of oil (with condensate) and about 158.8 billion cubic meters of gas have been exported from these fields to date,” the Caucasus Watch informed.

Meanwhile, on July 10, the State Statistics Committee of Azerbaijan reported that the country’s GDP increased by 4.3% year-on-year in January-June 2024, reaching AZN 59 billion 520.4 million (about 32,3 billion EUR).

During this period, the added value of production in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas sector increased by 0.6%, while the non-oil sector saw a rise of 6.9%. Industry accounted for 38.5% of the GDP of the largest economy in the South Caucasus, with trade contributing 9.7%, transportation and warehousing 7.0%, construction 5.8%, and agriculture, forestry, and fishery also 5.8%. Additionally, tourist accommodation and catering comprised 2.4%, information and communication 1.7%, and other spheres 19.5%. Azerbaijan’s GDP per capita amounted to 5840.7 manat (3175 EUR).

Sources:
  • Caucasus Watch, “Azerbaijan’s Gas Exports to Europe Reach 6.4 Billion Cubic Meters”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/azerbaijans-gas-exports-to-europe-reach-64-billion-cubic-meters.html
  • Caucasus Watch, “Azerbaijan’s GDP Grows by 4.3% in First Half of 2024”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/azerbaijans-gdp-grows-by-43-in-first-half-of-2024.html

Georgia

 Photo: Shutterstock.com

Akhali, Droa, and Girchi – More Freedom unite ahead of parliamentary elections

On July 9, three opposition parties, Akhali, Girchi-More Freedom, and Droa, announced their decision to post a joint election list for the Parliamentary elections in October. The leaders said an expected alliance with yet another party, Lelo, did not materialise due to “minor differences.”

“We are mindful of our responsibility towards the history of our country, our homeland, and the pivotal moment facing Georgia today – the decisive juncture that shapes its future. Based on this, we have decided to participate in the elections together. […] Today, we awakened with the goal of sending Bidzina Ivanishvili’s government home, eradicating Russian influence from Georgia, and securing Georgia’s membership in the European Union, ensuring Georgians can live in a safe and prosperous environment,” stated leader of Akhali Nika Gvaramia.

Zurab Japaridze, leader of Girchi – More Freedom, emphasised Georgia’s unique opportunity to achieve full European Union membership within five years, attributing the obstacle to the current “Russian regime.” “The change of this regime on October 26 is a matter of principle, a historic imperative. To achieve this, three things are essential: First, maximum mobilisation of Georgian citizens both within and outside the country at the ballot boxes; Second, safeguarding votes once cast; Third, an opposition configuration that prevents critical voices from falling into the Russian regime’s grasp. I believe consolidating forces on the opposition front aligns with all three objectives,” Japaridze affirmed, as cited by Saqartvelos Ambebi.

Elene Khoshtaria, leader of Droa, underscored the importance of presenting the public with a unified choice for the October 26 elections. “Several principles are paramount to me. First and foremost is the charter we have signed, which outlines our clear mandate: to lead Georgia towards Europe, to revive the European agenda, and to foster a fair, democratic political environment,” stated Khoshtaria.

In late June, after opposition parties signed Zourabichvili’s Georgian Charter, the United National Movement, Girchi – More Freedom, Ahali, Lelo, Droa, and Strategy Agmashenebeli announced a Declaration of Unity of the Georgian Opposition, which reaffirmed their commitment to the charter, as well as committing to common goals before and after the elections.

The European Georgia party did not join the Declaration of Unity and stated that even though “research showed” that “the best synergy” they had was to make European Georgia, Ahali, and Lelo an electoral unit, nobody from those parties had responded to their multiple addresses.

Tbilisi mayor and Georgian Dream general secretary Kakha Kaladze called opposition parties that had united ”Losers”. “How can parties [polling at] two per cent, in the case of a union, achieve any results? They are ordinary ’losers’”, he said.

Sources:
Georgia’s State Security Service interrogates volunteers returning from Ukraine over coup plot investigation

The State Security Service of Georgia has begun summoning Georgian citizens who volunteered to fight in Ukraine for questioning, reported JAM News. So far, three people have been called in: Nadim Khmaladze, Vazha Tsetsadze, and anti-occupation movement activist Lasha Chigladze. According to the TV channel “Mtavari Arkhi,” the State Security Service has also summoned veteran Beso Bendeliani. Civil.ge additionally informed about Konstantine Jghamaia.

Since the investigation is classified, the summoned and their lawyers cannot disclose the details publicly. According to Tornike Chikovani, Konstantin Jghamaia’s lawyer, his client is being investigated under Article 315 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which deals with conspiracy or rebellion intended to change the constitutional order of Georgia through violence, and Article 18-323, which deals with terrorism. “The building [the SSSG building] in which they seem to periodically see some crazy dreams, they dream of rebellions, coups and so on, which is funny… Many patriotic citizens of Georgia have been fighting against Russian terrorism for more than three decades… I will answer the questions after being summoned before the judge because I personally have no confidence in this agency,” Beso Bendeliani said.

According to the pro-government TV channel “Imedi,” Chigladze is accused of conspiring against the authorities to overthrow them, although the exact meaning of this charge is unclear as the case is classified. “Now they have told me that an investigation has been launched regarding the coup attempt from a year ago. They had questions about it — they asked me these general questions when I returned from Ukraine,” Chigladze said in an interview with the TV channel “Mtavari.” “This case has a direct political nature. Lasha [Chigladze] was summoned because he fought against Russia in Ukraine,” said his lawyer, Lasha Tkesheladze.

According to NEWSGEORGIA, Chigladze was interrogated at the Tbilisi City Court in the presence of a judge. According to Mamuka Mamulashvili, a commander of the Georgian National Legion fighting for Ukraine, the special services of Georgia, following the Russian authorities, put Georgian volunteers who fought on the side of Ukraine on the wanted list. Mamulashvili claimed that about 300 people from the combat unit he led were put on the wanted list in Georgia. Most of them are now in Ukraine.

Sources:
China shows interest in Vaziani airport

After receiving 49 per cent of the shares in the strategic Anaklia deep-water, Peking is showing interest in constructing the international Vaziani Airport. Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian hinted at this in an interview with Georgian media.

In response to a question about China’s interest in the new Vaziani Airport project, Ambassador Zhou Qian remarked: “Certainly, China’s industrialisation is at a level where many countries are interested in cooperating with us. As I mentioned before, Georgia’s advantageous geographic location has attracted the attention of many Chinese companies. If the opportunity arises, we hope that new cooperation between the two sides will be based on this project. We hope that will happen.”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze officially announced the plan to transform part of the Vaziani military base into a new civil international airport in April. Former PM Irakli Gharibashvili announced this project in the summer of 2023. A former airfield in Vaziani near the city will be used for the project, which is expected to cost 1,26 billion USD (1,16 billion EUR).

The Prime Minister said the new airport was expected to have a “significant positive impact” on the domestic economy, increasing growth by 0.2 percentage points. This means that an average of about 350 million GEL (119 million EUR) will be added to the economy over the next few years”, he said.

Kobakhidze added the current international airport could serve around 4.5 million passengers per year, but the country was expecting an increase in the number of visitors, leading the Economic Council to consider either expanding the current facility or building a new one.

Several local security experts warned that the transformation of Vaziani into a civilian airport may have severe consequences for Georgia’s security. Across the road from the airfield is an enormous training ground that hosts not only training of Georgian units but also, for example, annual joint exercises with US soldiers from the European Command. To participate in these manoeuvres, US forces transport armoured vehicles, including Abrams tanks, all the way from Germany, across the Black Sea, and then through all of Georgia.

Other opponents assume that the airport would benefit only Russia, which resumed nonstop flights to Tbilisi in May, say observers. “Keep in mind that we were just trying to compete with Istanbul and Baku, which already handle a huge volume of passengers and cargo. I can guarantee that, at least for the first ten years, there will be no profit from the hub,” Tina Khidasheli, former defence minister, told Caravanserai.

Sources:
US “indefinitely postpones” annual joint military drills with Georgia

The US has “indefinitely” postponed its annual military “Noble Partner” drills with Georgia, as diplomatic tensions between the two countries over the controversial foreign agent law continue to mount. The US Department of Defence announced it would be postponing its annual Noble Partner training as part of a “comprehensive review of the United States–Georgia bilateral relationship”. They cited the Georgian government’s “false accusations against the United States and other Western entities”, and rhetoric used by the ruling Georgian Dream party and their allies that the West was pressuring Georgia to “open a second front against Russia to alleviate pressure on Ukraine, and of participating in two coup attempts against the ruling party”.

In an interview with the Voice of America (VOA), US Department of Defense Spokesperson Patrick Ryder confirmed that one of the reasons for the US decision to postpone the Noble Partner military exercise “indefinitely” was false statements by some Georgian officials claiming that the US was trying to stir up tensions in the region. More specifically, Ryder said the decision was made “due to the fact that we saw some very concerning rhetoric which was making false claims that the United States was willfully trying to stoke tensions in the region, which are absolutely not true.” He added: “Russia has been the one stoking the tensions in this conflict in Ukraine.”

The Georgian Ministry of Defense expressed regret over the decision, emphasising the mutual benefits such international exercises provide for both Georgia and the United States and other participating partner countries. “The United States and Georgia have a decades-long partnership in the defence field, which is based on our countries’ common interests and goals.

Sources:
NATO declaration cuts reference to Georgia’s membership prospects

For the first time since the 2008 Bucharest Summit Decision, the NATO Washington Summit Declaration, adopted by the heads of state of the allied countries on July 11, fails to reiterate the formula that “Georgia will become a member of the Alliance with the Membership Action Plan as an integral part of the process.”

This follows the dramatic deterioration of relations with Georgia’s Western partners during the past two years. The NATO officials have voiced their concerns about Georgia’s “stalled reforms” since 2022 and urged Georgia to be “ready for the decisive moment” in 2023.

The Washington Summit Declaration mentions Georgia once, in paragraph 17, where it issues a “call on Russia to withdraw all of its forces from the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, stationed there without their consent.”

Georgia is not mentioned in paragraph 28, which is dedicated to partner countries and mentions Moldova, Bosnia, and Herzegovina. The mention is also absent from the article related to the Black Sea region (article 31).

Ties between the West and Georgia deteriorated in response to the passing of the controversial law in May. The EU  downgraded high-level contacts with Georgia last month and considered freezing financial aid to the Georgian Dream-led government after it pushed through the bill earlier this month. The US recently also rebuked Georgia by indefinitely postponing joint military exercises.

Washington cited government actions that are “incompatible with Western values” as the main reason for the moratorium. Relations between Tbilisi and Washington had further soured over Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s recent comments that the US was working to topple his government and use Georgia to open “a second front” against Russia.

Sources:
  • Civil.ge, “NATO Washington Declaration Omits Reference to Georgia’s Membership Path”, https://civil.ge/archives/615873
  • Euractiv.com, “Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ law takes a toll on NATO ties as leaders omit reference to future membership”, https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/georgias-foreign-agent-law-takes-toll-on-nato-ties-as-leaders-omit-reference-to-future-membership/

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