Strategic Analysis Caucasus Brief

Review of August 2024

Tomáš Baranec 

Armenia

Vineyards, Aragatsotn province, Armenia. Photo: Elena Diego/ Shutterstock.com

Armenia and Azerbaijan take new step towards finalising peace deal

In early August, the Armenian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Azerbaijani officials had agreed to drop a provision from a draft peace agreement that would give Baku a land corridor connecting the Nakhchivan exclave to Azerbaijan proper.

“The regional communication duties article had been removed from the peace treaty draft,” said Elchin Amirbekov, a special envoy for Azerbaijan, reflecting a strategic shift in regional geopolitics. “We do not want to complicate the process of concluding a peace agreement.”

According to Eurasianet.org the announcement indicates renewed movement in the peace process, which in recent months appeared stalled. It also was evidently the outcome of direct talks between representatives of the two states. Previously, peace negotiations had been brokered by outside powers, including Russia, the United States, France and Germany.

At the same time, Amirbayov stated that territorial claims against Azerbaijan, embedded in the current Armenian Constitution, continue to be the primary obstacle to advancing the peace process between Baku and Yerevan. The special envoy emphasised that the issue is not about succumbing to pressure from Azerbaijan but rather about Armenia making a clear choice: “Do you want peace, or do you want the possibility of a new confrontation with Azerbaijan?” He expressed confidence that if the Armenian authorities posed this question to the public in a plebiscite or referendum, the majority of Armenians would support peace.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government has appeared open to the idea of changing constitutional language but has tread lightly, given the domestic political sensitivities surrounding the issue. A significant segment of the Armenian public is opposed to the idea of recognising the permanent loss of former de facto Nagorno Karabakh. At the very least, many Armenians believe any peace deal should guarantee the right of return for Armenians who were forced to flee Karabakh in September 2023 amid Azerbaijan’s complete takeover of the territory.

As writes Eurasianet.org, Azerbaijani officials seem to recognise Pashinyan’s difficult domestic political situation. Comments made by one insider in Baku hinted that the decision to drop the Zanzegur provision from the draft peace agreement may have been a negotiating trade-off, an inducement to encourage Pashinyan’s government to press ahead with making a constitutional change.

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Armenian economy: Budget surplus and affirmed rating

The Armenian Ministry of Finance released the details of the execution of Armenia’s state budget for January – June 2024. As reported by the Caucasus Watch, in the first half of this year, Armenia’s state budget revenues amounted to 1,243.7 billion AMD, achieving 92% of the target set by the revised program for the first semester. Last year, state budget revenues increased by 7.2% or 83 billion AMD compared to last year.

During the first half of the year, Armenia’s state budget expenditures reached 1,232.7 billion AMD, achieving 87.5% of the specified program for this period. This marks a 20.1% increase in spending, or an additional 206.3 billion AMD, compared to the same period last year.

Despite the rise in expenditures, Armenia’s state budget was implemented with a surplus of approximately 11 billion AMD. This starkly contrasts the planned deficit of 56.4 billion AMD and the surplus of 134.3 billion AMD recorded in the same period last year.

According to the Caucasus Watch, the Fitch Ratings affirmed Armenia’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BB-’ with a Stable Outlook. The rating reflects Armenia’s per-capita income and governance indicators aligned with its peers, strong growth prospects, and a solid macroeconomic policy framework. However, challenges include a significant fiscal deficit, relatively weak external finances, high financial sector dollarisation, and geopolitical risks.

Sources:
  •  Caucasus Watch, “Armenian State Budget Exceeds Expectations with Surplus in First Half of 2024”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/armenian-state-budget-exceeds-expectations-with-surplus-in-first-half-of-2024.html
  • Caucasus Watch, “Fitch Affirms Armenia’s ‘BB-’ Rating, Cites Strong Growth Prospects”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/fitch-affirms-armenias-bb-rating-cites-strong-growth-prospects.html

Photo: Shutterstock.com

Armenian nuclear plant may operate until 2036 under the Rosatom plan

Rosatom Service JSC (part of Rosatom’s Electric Power Division) installed test samples in the reactor vessel of unit 2 of the Armenian NPP during the latest scheduled maintenance outage. The resulting data will be used to support the possible extension of the unit’s operational life for another 10 years until 2036.

Tracking changes in the characteristics of the metal (strength, brittleness, etc.) is being done using special samples made of metal identical to the reactor vessel. The samples are installed in special containers in the reactor vessel. During the nuclear power plant’s operation, these samples will be removed for laboratory analysis. Unloading of the samples will begin in 2025 and will be carried out annually.

The currently operating Armenian NPP (ANPP) at Metsamor was built in the 1970s with two Soviet-supplied VVER-440-V230 units but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. However, after severe energy shortages, unit 2 was recommissioned with Russian help in 1995. In March 2014, the Armenian government extended the plant’s service life to 2026.

In November 2021, it was announced that the service life of Metsamor 2 had been extended to 2026 after collaboration with Rosatom, which saw the unit’s emergency cooling system, engine room, turbines and steam generators modernised, and the reactor pressure vessel annealing. This restored the properties of the metal by 85%, enabling further operation until 2026.

Meanwhile, the Armenian government is actively discussing the construction of a new nuclear power unit. “The construction of a new nuclear power plant in Armenia has entered a critical phase,” said Armen Grigoryan, the Secretary of the Security Council. And added, “Now it’s the US’ turn.” When asked to clarify this remark, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Hakob Vardanyan explained that Armenia is currently establishing the legal and contractual framework necessary to discuss the potential placement of American energy units in the country.

According to the Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the United States, Russia, and South Korea are actively involved in discussions about the future nuclear unit. Chinese and French companies have also shown some interest.

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Armenia removes references to “Russian annexation” from history textbooks after Moscow criticism

Armenia’s Education Ministry has announced that it was removing mentions of Russia’s annexation of Armenia from a history textbook following criticism from Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

Armenia’s announcement came after the Russian Foreign Ministry on August 15 criticised a chapter in an eighth-grade history textbook titled the “forceful annexation of eastern Armenia by Russia”. The Russian Foreign Ministry post included an online page of the textbook with “FAKE” stamped in red on the chapter they were criticising. They said the chapter’s contents were “extremely questionable”, its title was “provocative”, and the history of the South Caucasus in the 18th and 19th centuries was presented in a “distorted form”.

The section presenting the joining of Eastern Armenia to the Russian Empire in 1828 as “annexation” will be changed shortly in the newly approved Armenian History textbook for Grade 8, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia.

Tamara Sargsian, an Armenia’s Ministry of Education official, told reporters that a corrected textbook version will be distributed to schools. She said the disputed section will no longer use the phrase “annexation of Eastern Armenia to Russia.” “It was proposed to revise that approach, and the author has adjusted the wording to align with the curriculum for Armenian history,” Sargsian said. The official did not immediately link the change to the Russian reaction but did not explain why it had not been made earlier.

“It wasn’t so much a mistake as it was that the authors may not have considered the issue from that perspective,” the head of the Ministry’s Department of Public Education explained. In its statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticised the textbook, saying, “questioning the special role of the Russian Empire, and later the USSR and Russia, in the formation of today’s Armenia means going against well-known facts.”

Sources:
  •  BARSEGHYAN Arshaluys, OC Media, “Armenia removes references to ‘Russian annexation’ from history textbooks after Moscow criticism“, https://oc-media.org/armenia-removes-references-to-russian-annexation-from-history-textbooks-after-moscow-criticism/
  • KHULIAN Artak, Azatutyun.am, “Armenia Edits History Textbook After Russian Backlash”, https://www.azatutyun.am/a/33081494.html
  • News.am, “Education ministry on controversial wording in Armenian History textbook: ‘Annexation’ term will be changed”, https://news.am/eng/news/838344.html

Azerbaijan

City of Shusha. Photo: Eva Mont/ Shutterstock.com

Baku continues a crackdown against young peace activists and scholars

Azerbaijani political analyst Bahruz Samadov, who is known for his criticism of the country’s authorities, was arrested in Baku on August 21. Samadov’s grandmother, Zibeyda Osmanova, told RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service that after her grandson’s arrest, police searched their apartment and informed her Samadov was suspected of illegal drug-related activities. Later, a lawyer called and told her her grandson “is being accused of treason.”

Samadov has been remanded to jail for four months of pre-trial detention as prosecutors plan to charge him with treason. Samadov, who insists he is innocent, reportedly said he will go on a hunger strike.

The criminal case against Samadov reportedly stems from freelance writings and interviews he has given in recent years in which he has been a vocal critic of Azerbaijan’s conduct of its military campaign to regain control of Nagorno-Karabakh. Samadov has contributed to a wide variety of media outlets, including Eurasianet.

An August 23 report published by OC Media, another outlet to which Samadov has contributed, quoted Samadov as saying he has “never betrayed” his country. Two other young activists and scholars, Samad Shikhi and Javid Agha, were briefly detained by Azerbaijani security forces and testified as witnesses in the case of Samadov.

“Yesterday, in the case of Bakhruz Samedov, I was invited to the State Security Service and testified as a witness. I testified that I knew Bakhruz Samedov and had contact with him. I said that Bahruz Samedov organised my meetings with some Armenians abroad, paying all my expenses. The questions asked were mainly related to some Armenians. To be honest, no pressure was exerted on me. I was told that depending on the results (of the investigation), a decision would be made. I thank my friends who were worried about me,” Shikhi later told media.

Details of Samadov’s criminal case have not been made public, but both friends and contacts of Samadov’s have suggested that the charges may be formally related to Samadov’s contact with Armenians. On August 27, RFE/RL quoted Samadov’s relatives as saying that he had said he was not allowed to sit “at certain hours”. Samadov has also reportedly been denied access to books and TV.

According to Eurasianet, Samadov’s case appears to be part of a fresh wave of arrests aimed at muzzling independent voices in Azerbaijan. In late July, Azerbaijani authorities remanded an ethnic Talysh scholar, Igbal Abilov, to four months of pre-trial detention, also on suspicion of violating Article 274 and other criminal offences.

On August 31, social media users reported that Fariz Namazli, who is known for the trials of political activists in Azerbaijan, was detained by the State Security Service. Arrests came just months before Azerbaijan will host important UN climate talks (COP 29). The EU has called on Azerbaijan to respect the rights of a prominent scholar jailed after publicly criticising the government amid a wave of arrests that has seen journalists and academics put behind bars. Speaking to POLITICO, Peter Stano, the EU’s foreign affairs spokesperson, said Brussels was “following with concern” the case of Bahruz Samadov.

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Putin visited Azerbaijan to discuss economic cooperation

On August 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to Azerbaijan in six years. Business links were high on the agenda as Putin, and President Ilham Aliyev met in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku, with Aliyev announcing that 120 million USD had been earmarked to boost cargo transport between the two countries. “We’re talking about the possibility of transporting 15 million tons of cargo per year or more,” he said, adding that the two countries crossed the 4 billion USD mark for Russia-Azerbaijan turnover last year and, “neither of us thinks that is where things will stop.”

“Azerbaijan is an important transit country for Russia at a time when it needs to have free access to world markets, including Iran and ports in the Indian Ocean,” independent political scientist Zardusht Alizade told The Associated Press.

Baku has warmly welcomed Putin’s overtures. For Azerbaijan, retaining Moscow’s goodwill is vital for national security over tensions with neighbouring Armenia, says Alizade.

Putin also said that Moscow is still committed to its historical role of mediating peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia despite its war in Ukraine. “It is widely known that Russia is also facing crises, first of all on the Ukrainian track,” Putin said in Baku in joint remarks with Aliyev. “However, Russia’s historical involvement in the events in the South Caucasus, even during recent years, makes it necessary for us to participate where needed by the sides, without a doubt,” added Putin.

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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Azerbaijan applies for BRICS membership

On August 20, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Baku, Azerbaijan officially submitted its application to join BRICS. Azerbaijan’s interest in joining BRICS comes amid rising tensions in its relations with Western countries. “Membership in BRICS is primarily tied to logistics, as Azerbaijan is geographically positioned at the centre of new corridors of interest to China and India,” says Natig Jafarli, one of the leaders of the Republican Alternative Party.

Azerbaijani political analyst Zardusht Alizadeh believes that being a BRICS member “commands respect for Azerbaijan without imposing any obligations.” Earlier, on July 3, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, a “Joint Declaration on Establishing a Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People’s Republic of China” was adopted. According to clause 4.5 of the declaration, Azerbaijan expressed its desire to join BRICS, and China welcomed its participation in the organisation.

Initially founded in 2009 to foster closer ties among Russia, China, India and Brazil, the partnership now comprises nine members, including Iran, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia and the UAE.

Sources:

  • Politico, “Azerbaijan launches bid to join BRICS after Putin visit”, https://www.politico.eu/article/azerbaijan-brics-summit-europe-south-caucasus-russia-china-india/

  • JAM News, “What could BRICS membership offer Azerbaijan? View from Baku”, https://jam-news.net/azerbaijan-applies-for-brics-membership/

Operations restart at controversial gold mine

The Azerbaijani Government has greenlit the expansion of an artificial lake for acid mine drainage at a gold mine near the village of Soyudlu. The village remains under lockdown following the dispersal of protests there last year.

British mining firm Anglo Asian Mining announced that the Azerbaijan International Mining Company had received authorisation from the Government of Azerbaijan to expand the existing drainage lake. Anglo Asian Mining CEO Reza Vaziri said the company was “delighted to have finally received authorisation” and that construction work would begin immediately. He added that the company expected to “recommence full production in approximately one week”. “This marks the end of a year-long disruption, and we look forward to normalising production”, he added.

The renewed operations at the mine come as Aliyev’s administration prepares to host the annual UN environmental summit, or COP29, in Baku. The mine near Soyudlu now threatens to become a focal point of undesired attention, at least from officials’ viewpoint, on the government’s environmental record, along with other contentious issues, including Baku’s vanishing green space and a growing water shortage in central Azerbaijan.

The announcement generated lots of heat on social media. One Facebook user commented on the news: “The health of the people is of no importance to the oppressive government. This is why the ordinary citizens were put in jail [in Soyudlu], so people should remain in fear when the construction works resume.” Another wrote, as cited by Eurasianet, “Visitors to COP29 should be taken to see the toxic waste lake, too.”

As OC Media reminds, Soyudlu has remained under police cordon for over a year, with police controlling who can and cannot enter. It followed the dispersal by police with tear gas and pepper spray of over a hundred local residents who were protesting against the mine. Several journalists and residents of the village faced arrest and fines following the incident.

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Georgia

Borjomi, spa town in Georgia. Photo: Anton Ivanov/ Shutterstock.com

Georgian Dream to seek constitutional majority to ban the opposition

Georgian Dream has appealed to its electorate to help it secure a constitutional majority in October’s elections, vowing to outlaw their political rivals, ban “pseudo-liberal ideology”, and to “peacefully reintegrate” de facto Abkhazia and South Ossetia, reported OC Media.

On August 20, the ruling party published its appeal, outlining several goals it intends to achieve should the party secure a constitutional majority in October. Georgian Dream needs to win 113 out of the 150 seats to reach a constitutional majority. In a four-point explanatory letter, the ruling party outlined why it needs to regain a constitutional majority after the October elections. One key promise is to declare the United National Movement and its “satellite or successor parties” unconstitutional.

“First of all, we need to obtain a constitutional majority in order to qualitatively improve the political system, which cannot be achieved without removing the collective “National Movement” from politics. As soon as we secure the constitutional majority, we will initiate a legal process to declare the “United National Movement” and all its satellites or successor parties unconstitutional,” the ruling party’s political council stated.

In the second paragraph, the Georgian Dream party discusses “pseudo-liberal ideology,” assuring voters that the draft law “on family values and protection of minors,” which has already been initiated in parliament, will be incorporated into the constitution.

Regarding the third point, “Georgian Dream” discusses restoring Georgia’s territorial integrity. They state that “if the territorial integrity of Georgia is to be restored peacefully, it will be necessary to amend the Constitution of Georgia to align the governance system and territorial arrangements with the new reality. Given that events surrounding Georgia are developing very dynamically, we must be prepared for such a situation at any time.”

On August 21, Bidzina Ivanishvili addressed supporters in Mtskheta, claiming on behalf of the opposition that the GD needed the constitutional majority “to rid the country of this serious disease once and for all”. “The October 26 elections must turn into Nuremberg trials for the UNM, where the constitutional majority of the Georgian people will deliver a proper verdict to this bunch of politicians without a motherland, the network of foreign agents who are ready to sign any anti-state order,” Ivanishvili said. “Healthy elections will be held in Georgia only when the collective UNM in the Georgian political system is replaced by patriotic political forces,” he added.

According to OC Media, the Georgian Dream’s appeal was quickly met with criticism and condemnation from opposition groups, who warned of its authoritarian undertones and that the ruling party intended to push Georgia away from its path towards EU integration.

Salome Samadashvili, a Strong Georgia opposition alliance member, dismissed the appeal as coming from a “bankrupt political group” on an authoritarian trajectory. “After twelve years in power, these people have nothing to say to the public except that they promise to destroy the democratic opposition if they remain in power, and they are essentially aligning themselves with Belarus and Russia, potentially joining the Eurasian Union in the future as a dismantled democratic state”, she said.

Gia Khukhashvili, a political commentator and former ally of the Georgian Dream, accused the government of seeking to establish a one-party rule. “If you look at the tone of this statement, at its points, it’s clear that these are something that Russia and Belarus have gone through […] A supposed, bogus defence of traditions, ultra-patriotism, pseudo-religious messages — all have found their way into this statement”, Khukhashvili noted.

Georgian Dream’s vague proposal to prepare Georgia’s legislation for the reintegration of de facto Abkhazia and South Ossetia has also stirred speculation. Roman Gotsiridze, a Euro-Optimist party member, argued that the proposal entailed recognising Abkhazia. “What kind of change would be necessary to establish relations with Abkhazia? It likely implies a confederation — recognising Abkhazia’s independence. Apparently, two independent states would constitutionally unite into a confederative entity, from which separation would be simple, as we know the nature of a confederation”, Gotsiridze speculated.

Georgian constitutional scholar Vakhushti Menabde pointed out that Georgian Dream already possessed all the formal and informal means, including significant influence over the country’s Constitutional Court, to achieve the goals they outlined in the appeal. Under the current legislation, the ruling party can appeal to the Constitutional Court to seek the deregistration of a political group if they argue that it conflicts with the country’s constitution.

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Opposition coalitions continue to expand

Three opposition alliances, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia and Unity to Save Georgia, have expanded as the opposition seeks to amalgamate into blocks ahead of the October parliamentary elections. On August 13, Aleko Elisashvili’s Citizens Party joined the Lelo-led Strong Georgia alliance. Elisashvili’s announcement about joining the Coalition was held as a public event in Tbilisi. Elisashvili spoke directly to the assembled people, explaining why he and Khazaradze had decided to put aside their differences. He noted that they both decided that “this is not the time for apologies, this is the time for reconciliation and standing together” with only one goal – to rid Georgia of people who have abused their power and don’t want to give it up, even if keeping it means “selling the country”.

During a live broadcast on January 19, 2021, on Rustavi 2, Elisashvili called Khazaradze a “usurper” and accused him of fleecing the nation and lining his own pockets. He said the ex-banker only spoke out when the government came for his money. Khazaradze, for his part, called Elisashvili “a man without dignity” who had sold out opposition unity for a handful of bitcoins.

On August 17, UNM leader Tina Bokuchava announced that the Unity – to Save Georgia coalition led by the United National Movement has absorbed the rump European Georgia, which saw two of its leaders and some members quit over the row triggered by the party primaries. “I think that today there is nothing more valuable than uniting forces,” said Gigi Tsereteli, who now chairs European Georgia, “even after that painful moment.”

On August 18, the Republican Party and Activists for Future joined the Coalition for Change, initially formed by Akhali, Girchi-More Freedom, and Droa parties. The Republican Party is one of Georgia’s oldest parties, although diminished after several splits. Khatuna Samnidze’s leaders said that from its foundation in 1978, the party believed in the multi-party coalition “based on dialogue and consensus.” “I have won my battle,” said Samnidze, who beat back cancer last year, “now it is time to heal the country.” The Coalition for Change also welcomed Activists for Future, a movement of activists from Georgia’s ethnic minority groups.

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Photo: Shutterstock.com

Georgian Dream blames opposition for 2008 war “crimes”

On August 7, the anniversary date of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, the Political Council of the ruling Georgian Dream party made a statement accusing the opposition UNM, which was in power at the time of the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, of “hypocritical PR campaign” around the war. It blamed it for “treacherous crimes” resulting in the “worst consequences.”

“The [United] National Movement has committed many crimes against the country and its people, but the most significant and most serious crime is the adventure committed in 2008,” claimed the ruling party. “In order to ensure the irreversible development of our country and to establish long-term peace in Georgia, it is of the utmost importance that these events be given a proper legal assessment”, read the statement, echoing remarks made by party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili in April when he vowed to crack down on the opposition should Georgian Dream secure victory in October’s parliamentary elections.

The ruling party reiterated the accusation against the UNM of trying to drag Georgia into the war in Ukraine. “This circumstance once again strengthened the belief that in 2008, these people deliberately organised the worst provocation and carried out the anti-state task received from outside in a completely deliberate manner. Who gave this order and whose tasks were carried out by the highest officials of the government at that time, we will not deliberately go into this issue here because the public legal process will find out everything.”

“We will be the plaintiff party in this process, and the National Movement will have to take collective responsibility for the treacherous crime committed against the country and the people,” the Georgian Dream statement concludes. It ends with: “We emphasise here that all this does not diminish the crimes committed by Russia, nor the fact that the Russian Federation is responsible for the occupation of the territories of our country.”

Sources:

  • Civil.ge, “Ruling Party Accuses UNM of Treason in 2008 War, Threatens Legal Consequences After Elections”, https://civil.ge/archives/619414

  • OC Media, “Georgian Dream accuses former government of ‘provoking’ 2008 War”, https://oc-media.org/georgian-dream-accuses-former-government-of-provoking-2008-war/

Belgian company Jan De Nul wins tender for construction of Anaklia deep sea port

On August 1, Levan Davitashvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development and First Deputy Prime Minister, announced that the Belgian company Jan De Nul had won the tender for the construction of the maritime infrastructure of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port.

“We have completed the selection process for the port construction company. Jan De Nul has the world’s largest dedicated fleet for port construction, including both dredging and breakwater installation. This core, universal maritime infrastructure will be useful in different configurations as the port develops. Therefore, we will work with the company on the contract during August – I think it will take several weeks to see active construction work [start] in the Anaklia area from September,” said Davitashvili.

The Ministry of Economy emphasised that, according to Davitashvili, the cooperation with Jan De Nul would enable the Georgian government to have the first container ships operating in the port of Anaklia by 2029. This development is significant for the Middle Corridor, which connects Europe and Asia.

Jan De Nul, founded in 1938, has a turnover of 2.5 billion EUR and employs over 7,000 people. The company has been actively involved in major projects such as the Panama Canal expansion and has carried out or is currently undertaking projects in various regions, including Europe, the Gulf, and Africa.

Sources:
  •  Caucasus Watch, “Belgian Company’ Jan De Nul’ Wins Tender for Construction of Anaklia Deep Sea Port”, https://caucasuswatch.de/en/news/belgian-company-jan-de-nul-wins-tender-for-construction-of-anaklia-deep-sea-port.html
  • 1TV.ge, “Belgian company Jan De Nul wins tender for Anaklia Port construction”, https://1tv.ge/lang/en/news/belgian-company-jan-de-nul-wins-tender-for-anaklia-port-construction/

 Photo: Shutterstock.com

Shukruti residents banned from protesting outside manganese mines

The Sachkhere District Court banned residents of Shukruti, near Chiatura, from protesting outside a series of manganese mines. Protesters have spent the last five months blocking access to the mines to demand compensation for the damage and, in some cases, the complete collapse of their homes caused by the mines.

On August 8, Magharoeli LLC, a subcontractor of Georgian Manganese, sued the protesters, demanding compensation of 5 million GEL (1.9 million USD) for company loss experienced as a result of the protest. “This unlawful group and criminal actions are disrupting the work of Magharoeli LLC, thereby causing significant damage to Magharoeli LLC, Georgian Manganese LLC and the state budget”, the lawsuit reads.

The following day, the court ruled that Shukruti residents could not block mine entrances, an interim measure that came into force immediately. The defendants received the ruling on August 11.  Giorgi Neparidze, one of the Shukruti residents protesting, told OC Media that their protest will continue no matter what. Later, around 30 Shukruti residents marched to Chorvila, a four-hour hike from Shukruti, to take their protest to the birthplace of Bidzina Ivanishvili. They were unable to reach Ivanishvili’s house after being blocked by a group of people claiming to be supporters of Ivanishvili from the village as police stood nearby.

Members of the group also vowed to sew their lips shut on September 1, having done so previously in their protests against Georgian Manganese, a company running extensive manganese mines in the region. They have repeatedly called on the government to intervene in their conflict with the mining company. Residents of Shukruti and other villages in Georgia’s Chiatura region have been protesting against Georgian Manganese’s presence and mining operations in the area since 2019. They have demanded compensation for damage caused to their homes and properties, which they attribute to Georgian Manganese’s mining.

Sources:
  •  NIKURADZE Mariam, OC Media, “Shukruti residents banned from protesting outside manganese mines”, https://oc-media.org/shukruti-residents-banned-from-protesting-outside-manganese-mines/
  • OC Media, “Shukruti protesters vow to sew lips shut after being barred from entering Ivanishvili’s village”, https://oc-media.org/shukruti-protesters-vow-to-sew-lips-shut-after-being-barred-from-entering-ivanishvilis-village/

Georgian Dream proposes to recognise Orthodox Christianity as the state religion

On August 28, the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church confirmed that Georgia’s ruling party had proposed to designate Orthodox Christianity as the state religion but suggested that the Church remained sceptical about the proposal. Speaking to the media, Church spokesperson Andria Jaghmaidze stated that clergy members had met with unnamed representatives of the ruling party on August 26 to discuss the proposal. Jaghmaidze praised the government for its commitment to upholding “national values and traditions” as well as a “policy of peace” and emphasised that the proposal originated from the government’s “desire to strengthen the Church’s role and status further”. However, he suggested that the idea required further deliberation. Jaghmaidze also mentioned that the meeting was “spontaneous” and that a broader meeting was scheduled for August 29.

Earlier reactions from individual clergy members appeared more candid, suggesting the Church was not impressed by the proposal. On August 27, the Patriarchate’s high official, Giorgi Zviadadze and spokesperson, Longinoz Suarishvili, confirmed that Shio Mujiri, the incumbent of the ageing Patriarch Ilia II since 2017, attended the Monday meeting.

Zviadadze, along with Nikoloz Pachuashvili, the Bishop of Akhalkalaki and Kumurdo and a member of the Church’s ruling body, the Holy Synod, attested that the Church was not in favour of the idea, as it would lead to a diminished independence from the state. “This is a very respectful, calm, and thorough discussion about the legal model [of the relationship] between the Church and the state,” Zviadadze told TV channel Formula on August 27. “There is no ground yet to change the legal model that exists today between the state and the church”, Zviadadze added. 

 Currently, the relations between the State and the Church are regulated according to the Constitutional Agreement of 2002, which emphasises that “the State and the Church confirm their readiness to cooperate, observing the principle of mutual independence”. Both the press office of the Patriarchate and the Metropolitan of Akhalkalaki and Kumurdo, Nikoloz Pachuashvili, confirm that the position of the Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II to maintain the relations according to the agreement has not changed and will be respected by the Synod.

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