Tag: Georgia

Categories
-Top News USA

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.

ALSO READ-Biden Risks Losing His Job Over Ukraine

Categories
-Top News India News UK News

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. 

ALSO READ-Sunak, Macron stress on humanitarian aid in Gaza

Categories
-Top News Europe

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)

ALSO READ-Georgia Declares October as ‘Hindu Heritage Month

Categories
-Top News Europe UK News

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.

ALSO READ-Hunt to dismiss ‘gloom’ about economy

Categories
-Top News USA

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.

ALSO READ-Ukraine: 12 journalists killed in line of duty

Categories
-Top News Europe India News

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.

ALSO READ: India is opening up too fast, too soon: Survey

“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)

ALSO READ: BRICS countries agree to India’s Innovation Cooperation Action Plan

Categories
-Top News India News

India Deepening Ties With Georgia Amid Growing Chinese Influence

Jaishankar’s trip, at the invitation of his Georgian counterpart, comes at a time when Beijing has made deep inroads into the Georgian economy, 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.

ALSO READ – India, Russia ties among world’s steadiest, says Jaishankar

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”.

Jaishankar’s trip, at the invitation of his Georgian counterpart, comes at a time when Beijing has made deep inroads into the Georgian economy. (Photo twitter@DrSJaishankar)

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.

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.

(Photo twitter@DrSJaishankar)

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.

“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.

(Photo twitter@DrSJaishankar)

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.

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.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (Source twitter@ChinaAmbUN) (3)

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.

Georgian minister of foreign affairs David Zalkaliani welcomes his Indian counterpart Dr S. Jaishankar in Tbilisi (Photo twitter@DrSJaishankar)

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 will further deepen 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 will be unveiled on Saturday.

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

ALSO READ – Indo-Pacific collaboration key to recovery: Jaishankar