Tag: Georgia

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EU halts Georgia’s accession to the bloc

EU flags are seen outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 6, 2023.(Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

A total of 30 million euros ($32.5 million) in financial support, earmarked for Georgia’s Defense Ministry in 2024, has been frozen, Herczynski said at a news conference…reports Asian Lite News

Georgia’s accession to the European Union has been halted, and some of the bloc’s financial support to the South Caucasus country has been frozen after the Georgian authorities adopted a new law that critics feared would curb democratic freedoms, the EU Ambassador in Georgia said Tuesday.

According to Pawel Herczynski, EU leaders made the decision to halt the process during the last summit of the European Council, and it came in the wake of the Georgian authorities adopting the law on “foreign influence” despite weeks of protests.

In addition, a total of 30 million euros ($32.5 million) in financial support, earmarked for Georgia’s Defense Ministry in 2024, has been frozen, Herczynski said at a news conference.

“This is only the first step, there will be other steps. Our direct support to the government of Georgia will be limited, and we will seek to redirect support from the government of Georgia to civil society and the media,” he said. “It is sad to see EU-Georgia relations at such a low point, when they could have been at an all-time high.”

The law, which came into effect last month despite mass protests and a veto from the country’s president, requires media, nongovernmental organizations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.

The opposition has denounced the bill as “the Russian law” because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media, organizations and individuals critical of the Kremlin, and called its passage a sign of neighboring Russia’s hold over Georgia.

EU officials have repeatedly denounced the law as undemocratic and said it would hinder Georgia’s path to EU membership.

The bloc agreed to grant membership candidate status to Georgia in December on condition that it fight disinformation, including against the EU, bring its foreign and security policies into line with the bloc’s, and introduce new justice reforms, among other measures.

Membership talks did not get underway. To start talks with a candidate, the 27 EU nations and that country must agree on a negotiating mandate. EU experts must also conduct a screening procedure, to analyze how much work needs to be done to bring Georgia’s laws and standards into line with those of the bloc.

Once those preconditions have been met, an intergovernmental conference would be called with Georgia to officially launch the start of talks. Each step requires unanimous agreement from the EU member nations and can be blocked at any point.

At a summit on June 27, EU leaders warned Georgia that its path toward membership would be blocked unless the “foreign influence” law was repealed.

They called “on Georgia’s authorities to clarify their intentions by reversing the current course of action which jeopardizes Georgia’s EU path, de facto leading to a halt of the accession process.”

In the days before the summit, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was considering “putting a hold to our financial assistance to the government” in Tbilisi and downgrading political contacts. It was not clear how much money overall would be affected.

In a separate development, the United States earlier this month “indefinitely postponed” military drills in Georgia — a move the U.S. Department of Defense said came as part of a “comprehensive review” of the relations between Washington and Tbilisi.

Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili, who has long been at odds with the country’s government, on Tuesday called the moves by the EU and the U.S. “very difficult messages from two of our closest friends” that “are worth listening to.”

“Although this is a response to the stupid and hostile policies of the ruling party towards them, at the same time it is a warning to society: our partners tell us that ‘the choice is yours’ between Georgia with a secure European future and Georgia moving toward the Russian orbit,” Zourabichvili said.

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Georgia appeals court pauses Trump’s election meddling case

Oral arguments are tentatively scheduled for October, which means that the case likely will not proceed to trial until after the presidential election…reports Asian Lite News

A Georgia Appeals Court has paused former US President Donald Trump’s election interference case as it takes up his appeal seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D), but has guaranteed that the trial will not be held before this year’s US Presidential elections, reported The Hill.

The Georgia Court of Appeals issued a one-page ruling on Wednesday, mentioning a pause until it resolves the appeals from Trump and a handful of his co-defendants seeking to boot Willis from the prosecution over her relationship with a top prosecutor.

However, oral arguments are tentatively scheduled for October, which means that the case likely will not proceed to trial until after the presidential election, where Trump is the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee and is hoping to retake the White House and grind his cases to a halt.

Moreover, a trial date had not yet been selected, according to The Hill.

The appeals court’s decision to stay the proceedings comes as it weighs whether Willis should be removed from prosecuting the case over her relationship with a top prosecutor who was also working on the case.

The relationship between Willis and then-special prosecutor Nathan Wade was put on full display during a series of hearings where they both took the stand to defend their past relationship, as reported by The Hill.

Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Willis could remain on the case if Wade resigned, which he did.

Moreover, both prosecutors maintained that their relationship was not improper.

Trump and several co-defendants said that the Georgia judge’s decision fell short and asked the appeals court to consider the case.

However, Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow declined to comment, reported The Hill.

Notably, Trump and several allies are accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. The former president has pleaded not guilty.

Ashleigh Merchant, an attorney for 2020 Trump campaign operative Michael Roman, who initially alleged that the Willis and Wade relationship was a “conflict of interest” and claimed they lied about it when it began, praised the appeals court’s decision in a statement.

“We are happy that the Court of Appeals agrees with us that this issue is so important to this entire case that it decided to stop the case from moving forward in the trial court until the issue of whether or not Willis must be removed from the case can be decided,” Merchant said.

“Mr. Roman is innocent and we hope that this misuse of the justice system will finally come to an end when a disinterested prosecutor takes over the case,” Merchant added. (ANI)

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EU Focuses on Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela, Georgia

EU flags are seen outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 6, 2023.(Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)

Ministers will discuss the European Union’s support for Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against the Russian invasion…reports Asian Lite News

Foreign ministers of the 27 European Union (EU) member states are meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as the forthcoming election in Venezuela and Georgia’s new “foreign agents law.”

Ministers will discuss the European Union’s support for Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself against the Russian invasion, including the use of profits from Russian assets frozen in the EU to buy military aid.

Last Tuesday, EU finance ministers gave final approval to use the proceeds of the assets – but not the underlying assets themselves – for “Ukraine’s military self-defence and reconstruction,” said the X account of the Belgian government, which is chairing talks.

The foreign ministers will also discuss sanctions on Russia, an EU diplomat said. The EU has so far imposed 13 rounds of sanctions on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is expected to brief them on the progress of the war by videolink at the start of the meeting.

Another topic for discussion is the tense situation in the Middle East and the war in Gaza. EU foreign ministers will hold informal talks with their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, along with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

Ministers are expected to discuss whether or not to send EU election observers to monitor the forthcoming presidential election in Venezuela, due to be held on July 28.

Also on the agenda is Georgia’s recent adoption of a law requiring foreign-funded organisations to register as “foreign agents.”

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US slaps visa curbs on Georgia, to review relations

Blinken noted that the ruling Georgian Dream party over the past few months has developed and passed “foreign influence” law that would stifle the exercise of freedoms…reports Asian Lite News

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has announced new visa restriction policy for those responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia. He also announced the launch of a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the US and Georgia.

In a post on X, Blinken stated, “I am announcing a new visa restriction policy for those responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, including in connection with the Georgian Dream’s proposed “foreign influence” legislation.”

In a statement, Blinken noted that the ruling Georgian Dream party over the past few months has developed and passed “foreign influence” law that would stifle the exercise of freedoms of association and expression, stigmatise organisations that serve the people of Georgia, and impede independent media organisations working to provide people of Georgia with access to high quality information.

He further said, “As Georgian citizens have voiced opposition to the law, we have seen clear indications of a campaign of intimidation and the use of violence to suppress peaceful dissent. Both the “national security law” and the repressive tactics used to quell legitimate dissent undermine Georgia’s democracy and the fundamental freedoms to which the Georgian people are entitled and run contrary to Georgia’s long-stated goal – reflected in its constitution — of Euro-Atlantic integration and strategic partnership with the United States.”

In a statement, Blinken said, “In response to these actions, the Department of State is implementing a new visa restriction policy for Georgia that will apply to individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia, as well as their family members. This includes individuals responsible for suppressing civil society and freedom of peaceful assembly in Georgia through a campaign of violence or intimidation.”

Blinken stressed that US support for Georgia’s democracy is longstanding and foundational for the bilateral relationship. He stated that anyone who undermines democratic processes or institutions in Georgia, including in the lead-up to, during, and following Georgia’s October 2024 elections, may be found ineligible for US visas under this policy and precluded from travelling to the US. He added that immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions.

He further said, I am also launching today a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia. It remains our hope that Georgia’s leaders will reconsider the draft law and take steps to move forward with their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. As we review the relationship between our two countries, we will take into account Georgia’s actions in deciding our own.”

Earlier this month, Georgian Dream, the ruling party, passed the law in Parliament, and has vowed to overrule a veto that was signed by the president, Politico reported.

People of Georgia have taken to the streets in Tbilisi and around the country for weeks to protest against the foreign agents law. The bill, if enacted, requires individuals or organisations that receive 20 percent of their funding from a foreign government to register with the internal security services as “foreign agent” and as promoting the interests of a foreign power.

Some groups that would fall under the category of “foreign agent” have expressed their unwillingness to register. However, they expressed fear about being a target of the police and courts that could ransack and close their operations and possibly jail people, Politico reported. The legislation is similar to Russian law introduced in 2012 that has been used to criminalise pro-democracy groups, opposition figures, journalists and news outlets, Politico reported.

European Union officials have spoken out against Georgian Dream’s pursuit of the law calling it incompatible with Georgia’s aspirations to join the bloc, according to Politico report. US lawmakers warned that passing the foreign agents law would require a fundamental shift in US relations with Georgia. (ANI)

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Trump Leads Biden in Michigan, Georgia

In both Michigan and Georgia, the share of voters who say they wouldn’t support either candidate is at least as large as the margin between Biden and Trump…reports Asian Lite News

Former US President Donald Trump is leading his successor Joe Biden in Michigan and Georgia with broad majorities in the two crucial battleground states holding negative views of the sitting President’s job performance, policy positions and sharpness, according to the latest polls.

The CNN polls released on Monday revealed that in Georgia, a state Biden carried by a very narrow margin in 2020, registered voters say they prefer Trump (49 per cent) over Biden (44 per cent) for the presidency in a two-way hypothetical matchup. In Michigan, which Biden won by a wider margin, Trump has 50 per cent support to Biden’s 40 per cent, with 10 per cent saying they wouldn’t support either candidate even after being asked which way they lean.

In both Michigan and Georgia, the share of voters who say they wouldn’t support either candidate is at least as large as the margin between Biden and Trump. Overall, just 35 per cent in Michigan and 39 per cent in Georgia approve of Biden’s job performance, the surveys find, and majorities in both states say his policies have worsened economic conditions in the country (54 per cent in Georgia, 56 per cent in Michigan). Most voters in both states say Biden, who’s 81, does not have the attributes they’re looking for in a president when it comes to his policy positions (57 per cent in Michigan, 56 per cent in Georgia), his ability to understand the problems of people like them (60 per cent in Michigan, 56 per cent in Georgia) or his sharpness and stamina (69 per cent in Michigan, 66 per cent in Georgia). Fewer in each state say that Trump, who’s 77, falls short of their expectations for a President on those same measures.

But Trump fares worse than Biden on temperament – 57 per cent in Michigan and 58 57 per cent in Georgia say the former President doesn’t have the temperament they’re looking for, compared with about half who say the same about Biden. Michigan will hold presidential primaries on February 27, 2024, while Georgia’s primaries are set for March 12. Meanwhile, in another development, Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Counsel Jack Smith has asked the US SC to settle Donald Trump’s claim of executive immunity so that the department can keep the former President’s criminal trial on track for March 04, 2024. Smith filed motions to SC and a federal appeals court in Washington to settle the question over presidential immunity.

“The United States recognises that this is an extraordinary request. This is an extraordinary case,” Smith said. He said that the court should grant certiorari and set a briefing schedule that would permit this case. “This case presents a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy: whether a former President is absolutely immune from federal prosecution for crimes committed while in office or is constitutionally protected from federal prosecution when he has been impeached but not convicted before the criminal proceedings begin,” he said. Some part of Smith’s 81-page motion to the SC details in great length the 1974 case, United States v. Nixon, in which the high court ruled unanimously against Nixon’s attempt to block evidence from being used in a trial by claiming executive authority. “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected,” Smith said. He said that respondent’s claims are profoundly mistaken, as the district court held. “But only this court can definitively resolve them,” he said.

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India, Georgia Classified as Safe by UK in Immigration Crackdown

Other countries deemed safe by the UK include Albania and Switzerland, plus the EU and EEA states…reports Asian Lite News

In a key step in delivery of the Illegal Migration Act, the UK government plans to add India and Georgia to a list of safe states to speed up the process of returning people who have travelled from either country illegally.

Deeming India safe means that if an individual arrives illegally, Britain will not admit their claim to the country’s asylum system, the Home Office said in a statement.

According to the draft legislation laid in Parliament on Wednesday, the move will strengthen the immigration system and help prevent abuse, including by people making unfounded protection claims. The Home Office said that Indian and Georgian small boat arrivals have increased over the last year despite individuals not being at obvious risk of persecution. “We must stop people making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK from fundamentally safe countries,” British Home Secretary Suella Braverman said. 

“Expanding this list will allow us to more swiftly remove people with no right to be here and sends a clear message that if you come here illegally, you cannot stay,” the minister added. Other countries deemed safe by the UK include Albania and Switzerland, plus the EU and EEA states. 

A country can only be added to the safe states list — known legislatively as Section 80AA — if the Home Secretary is satisfied that there is no serious risk of persecution of its nationals, and; removal of nationals to that country cannot go against the UK’s obligations under the Human Rights Convention.The recent measures sit within the Illegal Migration Act 2023, which aims to stop the boats by changing the law so that people who come to the UK illegally can be detained and then swiftly returned to a safe third country or their home country. Further measures, including the duty to remove, will be rolled out in the coming months. Following Parliamentary scrutiny and approval, the Illegal Migration Act received Royal Assent on July 20, 2023, and ensures people do not risk their lives by making lethal and unnecessary journeys across the Channel. 

The Conservative government has made stopping small boats of asylum seekers from crossing the Channel one of the five key priorities of his leadership, but since the year began, more than 26,000 migrants have arrived via perilous routes, according to the latest government figures. 

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India-Georgia discuss deepening of bilateral ties

The sixth FOC was held in Tbilisi, Georgia in July 2022…reports Asian Lite News

The 7th India-Georgia Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held in the national capital on Monday, during which the two sides reiterated the commitment to deepen bilateral ties, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

The Indian delegation was led by Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs. Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia, Alexander Khvtisiashvili, led the Georgian delegation.

The sixth FOC was held in Tbilisi, Georgia in July 2022.

During the FOC, wide ranging discussions were held covering all aspects of bilateral relations, including political, trade and economic, consular, cultural, people to people ties, with emphasis on energy, agriculture, connectivity and capacity building, the release stated.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the multilateral fora. The Indian side appreciated Georgia’s participation in the Voice of Global South Summit.

India and Georgia also reiterated their commitment to further deepen bilateral ties. The next FOC will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia on a mutually convenient date, the release added. (ANI)

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UK backs Georgia in annual Wardrop Dialogue

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, “Few understand the reality of Russian aggression better than the people of Georgia…reports Asian Lite News

The UK reiterated its commitment to the security and stability of Georgia today as the country faces increasing Russian aggression.

Known as the ‘Wardrop Dialogue’, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hosted Georgia’s Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili at Lancaster House in London (Thursday 26 January) for the eighth annual UK-Georgia Strategic Dialogue, telling Minister Darchiashvili that the UK would stand by Georgia for the long term.

The Foreign Secretary used the meeting to underline the UK’s unwavering support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which continue to be challenged by Russian hybrid tactics since their 2008 war, including through ongoing construction of barbed wire fences along the Administrative Boundary lines with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

He also welcomed Georgia’s support in the fight against Putin’s illegal war of Ukraine by providing vital humanitarian aid, including providing power generators and supporting refugees forced to flee their homes.

The Foreign Secretary recognised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrated the need to enhance and deepen cooperation with countries, including Georgia, that are particularly vulnerable to Russian aggression.

He also set out the UK’s commitment to playing a leading role in supporting Georgia to strengthen resilience against hybrid threats. This bolsters the wide-ranging assistance the UK already provides to Georgia covering military cooperation, cyber security and counter-disinformation.

During the meeting, the ministers agreed to increase cooperation on a range of priorities including combatting Putin’s aggression through continued collaboration on international sanctions and supporting Georgia’s aspirations for closer ties with NATO through the Tailored Support Package.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said, “Few understand the reality of Russian aggression better than the people of Georgia. Today I reiterated that the UK stands with our Georgian friends, and will continue our leading role in supporting them to counter hybrid threats they continue to face from Russia.”

As part of the dialogue, the foreign ministers also signed an agreement to enhance cooperation on readmission.

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Trump returns to Georgia confronting test of his grip on GOP

Trump returns to Georgia on Saturday night for a rally with Walker, Perdue, Jones and other Republicans he’s backed ahead of the state’s May 24 primary…reports Asian Lite News

In Donald Trump’s push to fundamentally reshape the Republican Party, few places are a higher priority than Georgia. The former president has issued highly-coveted endorsements in races ranging from governor to state insurance commissioner. His backing of football legend Herschel Walker essentially cleared a path to the party’s nomination for a critical US Senate seat.

Trump has taken a particularly active role in shaping the governor’s race, recruiting former Sen. David Perdue to challenge incumbent Brian Kemp as retribution for his not going along with lies about the 2020 election being stolen. And in an effort to clear a path for Perdue, Trump pressed another Republican in the race Vernon Jones to run for Congress instead.

Trump returns to Georgia on Saturday night for a rally with Walker, Perdue, Jones and other Republicans he’s backed ahead of the state’s May 24 primary.

The campaign is emerging as an early, critical test of whether the former president can live up to his professed role as a kingmaker in the GOP. I think it could be the start of, I don’t want to use the word downfall, but it could be the start of his influence waning, said Eric Tanenblatt, former chief of staff to ex-Georgia Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and a former fundraiser for David Perdue who is backing Kemp in the primary.

There are warning signs for Trump. While Walker is marching to the primary with minimal opposition, other races are more complicated. Jones, for instance, is now competing in a crowded congressional primary in which no one may clear the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff.

Perdue, meanwhile, may pose an even higher-profile challenge for the former president. He has struggled to raise money and, in a Fox News poll released this month, trailed Kemp 50% to 39%.

If that dynamic holds, Kemp would be within striking distance of winning the primary outright, averting a runoff. Trump has been obsessed with this once Republican stronghold since the aftermath of the 2020 campaign, when he became the first GOP presidential candidate to lose the state in 28 years. It could again be central to his political future if he decides to run for the White House in 2024.

That’s why his activity in the state is especially notable as Trump is essentially rallying voters behind candidates who could go on to play critical roles in certifying future elections in which he’s a participant.

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India Deepening Ties With Georgia Amid Growing Chinese Influence

The existing friendship between India and Georgia has further deepened after Jaishankar handed over the Holy Relic of St. Queen Ketevan of Georgia to the people of Georgia, and a newly-installed statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Tbilisi was unveiled, reports Ateet Sharma

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s two-day visit to Georgia – the first by an Indian EAM to Tbilisi since the country got independent in 1991- signals the importance India is giving to the region where China continues to expand its footprint through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), also known as the new Silk Road.

Jaishankar’s trip, at the invitation of David Zalkaliani, the Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Georgia, comes at a time when Beijing has made deep inroads into the Georgian economy, becoming one of its top trading partners and also the main source for foreign direct investments.

Georgia is not only in line with the ‘One China’ policy but also, considering its geostrategic location, welcomed the implementation of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR), or the BRI project, even though Beijing has been labelled as a craven money-lender by many, keen to push smaller nations into “debt traps”.

Insisting that the ‘new Silk Road’ can become an inexhaustible resource for economic development and political stability for many countries, the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had also launched ‘Tbilisi Silk Road Forum’ with the support of the Chinese government and the Asian Development Bank, to promote BRI in the Eurasian region.

Jaishankar handed over the Holy Relic of St. Queen Ketevan of Georgia to the people of Georgia (Photo twitter@DrSJaishankar)

The Chinese investments in Georgia have grown considerably after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries was signed. Georgia is the only country in the region to have a FTA with China, which came into effect from January 1, 2018.

It is the construction sector in Georgia which has seen massive amounts of money being poured in from Beijing. Around 90 per cent of the total $600 million invested in Georgia from China since the first ever investment in 2002, came from the construction sector.

Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction companies like Sinohydro, a subsidiary of Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), engaged in the construction of highways in Georgia since long, are now also involved in reconstruction of strategically important roads of the country like the Batumi-Akhaltsikhe highway.

Giorgi Gakharia, the Former Prime Minister of Georgia, during the opening of the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum in 2019, stated that in the modern world, the creation of new transport corridors between Europe and Asia is not only the opportunity, but also a necessity.

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“Historically Georgia has played an important role in the development of the Silk Road. In the modern world, when economic integration and globalization is in action, the development of trade and economic relations between countries is of top importance and we are proud to be the part of the Silk Road initiative which serves the goal of close economic, state-to-state cooperation,” Gakharia had said while applauding the Chinese BRI.

China’s Hualing Group too has invested over 500 million US Dollars in various projects in Georgia since 2007, building Tbilisi Sea New City near Tbilisi Sea, Sea Plaza, industrial zones, hotels, among others.

However, analysts believe that even though the Chinese continue to pump in money into Georgia, from infrastructure projects to hydropower plants, the relationship which once looked promising could be losing its charm.

Jaishankar handed over the Holy Relic of St. Queen Ketevan of Georgia to the people of Georgia (Photo twitter@DrSJaishankar)

Writing for the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) last year, Emil Avdaliani, Director of Middle East Studies at Georgian think tank Geocase, says that even though things haven’t exactly went as planned, Tbilisi may not openly criticize Beijing considering the high stakes involved.

“The hopes for improvements in trade have not panned out. While there has been a steady increase in overall volume, statistics show that Georgia mostly exports raw materials to China, such as copper and various chemicals. A market for goods higher up the value chain has not materialized. Similarly, concerns over corrupt practices have increased, especially tied to how Chinese companies have been awarded contracts,” wrote Avdaliani.

It is here, when Georgia may be looking for trustworthy and strategic partners to bolster its development, that India can play a crucial role.

India’s connect with the territory located at the intersection of Europe and Asia dates back to the medieval age – Georgians are said to have served at the Mughal courts. Emperor Aurangzeb’s wife Udaipuri Begum was also of Georgian origin.

However, in modern times, all the high-profile visits from New Delhi happened during the Soviet era with Jawaharlal Nehru visiting Tbilisi in 1955 (when he was welcomed in Hindi by the renowned Georgian Indologist and Sanskrit scholar Georgi Akhvledani); Indira Gandhi in the summer of 1976 and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in June 1978 as a foreign minister.

“It is time to expand India’s connect Central Asia policy to include countries of the South Caucasus. Unlike five Central Asian republics, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia have varied ties with Moscow. So, India is carefully developing its relations with Georgia and Azerbaijan. This region could be important for India’s broader connectivity plans for linking itself with Europe,” Professor Gulshan Sachdeva, Chairperson, Centre for European Studies at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told IndiaNarrative.com.

During his visit, Jaishankar and Zalkaliani will be discussing, besides increasing cooperation in multilateral formats and international organizations, the positive dynamics of the development of bilateral cooperation, including in the fields of politics, economy, investment, culture and education.

The existing friendship between the two countries has further deepened after Jaishankar handed over the Holy Relic of St. Queen Ketevan of Georgia to the people of Georgia, and a newly-installed statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Tbilisi was unveiled on Saturday.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

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