Georgia

Politics

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili filed a challenge with the country's constitutional court calling the recently adopted "foreign agents" law unconstitutional, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on July 15.

Georgia: President Challenges 'Foreign Agents' Law in Constitutional Court

United States

China

Europe

Russia

Economics

EU ambassador to Georgia Pawel Herczynski confirmed that the European Union began freezing some financial support to Georgia following the European Council's June 27 decision to stop Georgia's EU accession process, Politico reported on July 9.

Georgia: EU Begins Freezing Support Funding to Georgia

Military & Security

The Georgian Parliament voted to override President Salome Zourabichvili's veto on the "foreign agents" bill, but Zourabichvili has refused to sign the bill into law, Civil Georgia reported on May 28. 

Georgia: Parliament Overrides Veto of 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Czech Republic

Estonia

Sweden

Netherlands

Several EU countries -- including Estonia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Sweden -- are pushing for sanctions against Georgia, including the suspension of visa-free travel to the bloc, in response to the government's efforts to pass the "foreign agents" bill, the Financial Times reported on May 22.

Georgia: EU Members Push for Sanctions Against Georgia Over 'Foreign Agents' Bill

The Georgian Parliament's legal committee approved the draft 'foreign agents' bill in a third reading amid continued protests, Euronews reported May 13. 

Georgia: Parliament to Pass 'Foreign Agents' Bill in Third Reading Amid Protests

Georgian oligarch and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili addressed supporters bussed into Tbilisi by the government for a rally in support of the government's "Foreign Agents" bill, Reuters reported April 30. 

Georgia: Top Oligarch Lashes Out at West at 'Foreign Agents' Bill Support Rally

Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party confirmed that it will reintroduce multiple proposed versions of a controversial "foreign agents" bill, most of which would be "virtually unchanged" from the drafts considered in 2023, Politico reported on April 3. 

Georgia: Ruling Party Will Reintroduce Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister of Georgia and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, announced on Dec. 30, 2023, that he had decided to become the party's honorary chair, Eurasianet reported the next day.

Georgia: Top Oligarch Announces Return to Politics

Assessments

The founder of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, stands behind the bulletproof glass as he gives a campaign speech in Gori, Georgia, on Sept. 14, 2024.

In the likely case that the ruling GD party clings to power, Georgia will continue to feign interest in Western integration as it deepens ties with China and Russia. But an opposition victory that yields a new, pro-European government cannot be ruled out.

What's at Stake in Georgia's Oct. 26 Election

Snapshots

Georgian students protest the government's controversial ''foreign agents'' bill in Tbilisi on May 13, 2024. 

While the bill's passage may increase and radicalize supporters of the pro-Western opposition, the ruling GD party is still favored to win upcoming elections, ensuring the country's continued reorientation toward Russia.

Georgia Is Set To Adopt Its Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill. What Now?

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U..S Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Oct. 14, 2023, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with his Arab counterparts Nov. 4 in the Jordanian capital in a bid to garner regional support for U.S. policies in the Israel-Hamas war.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Blinken Meets Arab Ministers, State Assembly Elections in India

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On Geopolitics

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Belarus

An old map labels African countries and regions by their colonial names.

Shifting national identities have always led nations to adopt new names, and in this evolving multipolar world, modern states are no different.

National Identity and the Geopolitics of Choosing a Name

Demonstrators wave a flag of Georgia in Europe Square on June 20, 2022 in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The ruling party's recent move to impeach the country's pro-EU president acutely illustrates how Georgia's complex domestic politics complicate predictions of its geopolitical trajectory.

Deep Divisions Set the Tone For Georgia's Geopolitical Future

Georgian opposition supporters gather outside the parliament in Tbilisi on March 9, 2023, ahead of a vote on the ruling party's controversial ''foreign agent'' bill. 

The rejection of the controversial bill will reduce the intensity of recent demonstrations, but the country's greater path toward Western integration remains uncertain.

Georgia Drops Its 'Foreign Agents' Bill, Easing Protests and Western Concerns -- For Now

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 15, 2021. 

Security

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

European Disintegration

These countries will probably receive more EU funding and political support to help fend off threats from Russia, but they're unlikely to join the bloc anytime soon.

For Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, EU Aid Remains More Likely Than Accession

The chairman of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, attends a press conference following EU-mediated talks with opposition leaders in Tbilisi on March 31, 2021. 

The ruling party’s withdrawal from the EU-brokered pact it signed with opposition leaders could undermine the legitimacy of Georgia’s upcoming elections. 

An Annulled Political Deal Plunges Georgia Back Into Uncertainty 

Media

Armenia

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Podcasts

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

In this episode of Baker's Dozen, host Rodger Baker speaks with Lasha Kasradze, a Eurasia analyst who specializes in the Caucasus about Georgia and the tentative geopolitical situation of the Greater Caucasus, where great powers and lesser powers have been jockeying for position.

Baker's Dozen: The Geopolitics of Georgia

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast, Stratfor Vice President of Strategic Analysis Rodger Baker speaks to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili about her visit to Brussels to discuss progress on Georgia's inclusion in the EU and NATO.

Essential Geopolitics: Georgia's Role in NATO and the EU

Echoes of the Cold War

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from Stratfor, a RANE company, Rodger Baker, senior vice president of strategic analysis for Stratfor and RANE, looks deeper at the concept of "squeezed states" with Dr. Zurab Khonelidze, the rector of Sokhumi State University, located in the South Caucasus nation of Georgia.

Essential Geopolitics: At the Intersection of Empires, the South Caucasus Gets Squeezed

Iran

The Caucasus Mountains on Oct. 9, 2020. Conflict in Nargorno-Karabakh will eventually subside amid renewed negotiations that will have major implications for Russian and Turkish influence in the broader region.

Turkey's Resurgence

Conflict in Nargorno-Karabakh will eventually subside amid renewed negotiations that will have major implications for Russian and Turkish influence in the broader region.

The Southern Caucasus: Where Post-Soviet and Neo-Ottoman Interests Collide

Georgia is located in the Caucasus region, a transcontinental zone between Europe and Asia, and is surrounded by powerful neighbors that have controlled part or all of the country throughout much of its history. These include Russia to the north, Turkey to the southwest and Iran to the southeast.      Georgia's core is found in the capital city of Tbilisi, where the country's economic, political and demographic resources are concentrated. But because of Georgia's largely mountainous terrain, the country has distinct regional differences and contains various non-Georgian ethnic groups that have traditionally maintained autonomy from Tbilisi. These groups, most notably the Abkhazians and Ossetians to the northwest and north, have posed a separatist problem for the Georgian state. The territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia established de facto independence from Georgia with the help of Russia in a 2008 war.    Because of Georgia's disputes with Russia and its military vulnerability, Tbilisi has sought to integrate with Western blocs like NATO and the European Union. However, Georgia's geographic distance from Europe and its exposure to Russia has made that a difficult prospect. Thus, Tbilisi also seeks supplementary partnerships with countries like Azerbaijan and Turkey. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Georgia: President Challenges 'Foreign Agents' Law in Constitutional Court

Georgia: EU Begins Freezing Support Funding to Georgia

Georgia: Parliament Overrides Veto of 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Georgia: EU Members Push for Sanctions Against Georgia Over 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Georgia: Parliament to Pass 'Foreign Agents' Bill in Third Reading Amid Protests

Georgia: Top Oligarch Lashes Out at West at 'Foreign Agents' Bill Support Rally

Georgia: Ruling Party Will Reintroduce Controversial 'Foreign Agents' Bill

Georgia: Top Oligarch Announces Return to Politics

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