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Chinese-Owned Georgian Bank Became Direct Participant of CIPS

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On September 8, Georgia’s third-largest financial group, Basisbank, signed an agreement and gained direct participant status in CIPS (Cross-Border Interbank Payment System).

The bank described the agreement as a strategic step toward expanding international transactions and developing its RMB business operations. According to Basisbank, CIPS membership will strengthen its integration into Chinese and global financial markets.

“[Direct CIPS Participation] enhances the efficiency of RMB-denominated cross-border transactions and creates new opportunities to support growing trade and investment relations between Georgia and China.”

Additionally, the bank signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Agricultural Bank of China, which will act as the clearing bank supporting Basisbank’s transactions through CIPS.

The Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) is a state-controlled commercial bank that, according to its official website, is one of the major integrated financial service providers in China. Notably, Basisbank’s RMB transactions will be supported by this state-controlled bank.

 

What is CIPS?

According to its official website, CIPS Co., Ltd. is subject to the supervision, administration, and guidance of the People’s Bank of China. Since 2015, CIPS has provided clearing and settlement services to banks for RMB-denominated cross-border and offshore transactions. As of June 2026, CIPS serves 210 direct participants and 1,619 indirect participants.

Experts’ assessments have identified several strategic benefits that CIPS could provide to Beijing:

First, CIPS can support the internationalisation of the RMB and reduce reliance on the US dollar in cross-border transactions, contributing to China’s broader efforts to promote greater use of its currency in international trade and finance.

Second, as China’s role in global trade expands, greater use of RMB-based payment infrastructure can facilitate transactions with Chinese counterparties and potentially reduce transaction costs and exposure to certain currency and payment-related risks.

Third, CIPS provides an additional channel for cross-border RMB payments outside the traditional financial infrastructure centred on Western institutions. It is sometimes described as an alternative to SWIFT.

 

A Chinese-Owned Bank and CIPS Membership – Expansion of the Chinese Financial System in Georgia?

Basisbank is one of Georgia’s largest commercial banks, serving approximately two million customers. The bank’s majority shareholder is Xinjiang Hualing Industry & Trade (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Hualing Group”), which has been its controlling shareholder since 2012. As of December 2025, Hualing Group held a 91.69% stake in Basisbank.

In April 2026, Basisbank acquired a controlling stake in Liberty Bank, further expanding its position in Georgia’s banking sector. Following the acquisition, the combined group has an estimated market share of more than 11%.

The acquisition also increased the strategic significance of the group’s financial infrastructure. Liberty Bank has for decades provided state pension and social benefit distribution services in Georgia, having repeatedly won relevant public tenders. Through its ownership of Liberty Bank, Basisbank therefore operates within a financial group that provides services to a substantial segment of Georgia’s population.

Against this backdrop, Basisbank’s CIPS membership represents another step toward the growing integration of the country’s financial and economic infrastructure with China. China has become an increasingly important trading partner for Georgia, while Chinese-produced goods have gained a significant presence in the Georgian market. Chinese companies have also become major participants in Georgia’s infrastructure sector, including through large-scale public procurement and infrastructure projects.

Direct participation in CIPS can facilitate this growing economic relationship by allowing Basisbank to process RMB-denominated cross-border transactions more directly and efficiently. In practical terms, the arrangement provides an additional channel through which Georgian businesses and their Chinese counterparts can conduct international payments and settle trade and investment transactions in RMB.

At the same time, the development warrants attention from a financial-security and sanctions-compliance perspective.

Georgian banks’ access to Chinese payment and settlement infrastructure could create additional channels for transactions involving jurisdictions subject to Western sanctions. This is particularly relevant given Georgia’s growing economic engagement with China alongside the government’s increasingly permissive approach toward economic relations with Russia and Iran.

The key concern, therefore, is how this infrastructure may be used. Increased RMB-denominated transactions involving Chinese, Georgian, Russian, Iranian, or other counterparties could facilitate third countries’ illegal activities and sanctions-evasion schemes.

Chinese-Owned Georgian Bank Became Direct Participant of CIPS Read More »

Chinese Company Wins Major ADB-Financed Infrastructure Contract in Georgia

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Chinese companies continue to dominate major infrastructure projects in Georgia. Most recently, China Railway Tunnel Group Co., Ltd. (CRTG) was awarded a major state procurement contract by the Roads Department of Georgia under the Ministry of Infrastructure.

On September 1, the Roads Department signed a contract with CRTG for the construction of the Tbilisi Bypass Lot 2 – Tsitsamuri-Avchala Road Section. The accepted contract value is approximately GEL 499.1 million. The project is financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The tender attracted significant participation from Chinese companies. Of the 10 bidders, six were Chinese, three were Turkish, and one was a Georgian company, meaning that Chinese companies accounted for 60% of all bidders. Chinese companies also submitted the lowest bids, with CRTG ultimately offering the lowest bid and securing the contract.

CRTG is ultimately owned by the Chinese government and operates under the supervision of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Its parent company, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), was added to the U.S. Department of Defense’s list of companies with ties to the Chinese military in 2020. CRTG and its parent company have also faced controversies related to corruption, labor rights, and project management in countries including Singapore, Zambia, and Kenya.

This is not CRTG’s first involvement in Georgia’s infrastructure sector. The company has participated in Georgian state procurements since 2018. In 2022, CRTG was awarded a contract to construct a 9-kilometer tunnel on the Kvesheti-Kobi road section. In 2024, the company won another state contract worth GEL 224 million for the construction of the Stepantsminda-Gveleti road section of the Stepantsminda-Larsi International Road.

Civic IDEA has closely monitored CRTG’s activities in Georgia. In its 2024 report, “Chinese Company CRTG: Security Risks and Infrastructure Failures,” Civic IDEA highlighted the controversies surrounding the company and raised concerns about entrusting critical infrastructure projects to a company with a record of serious international violations. Despite these concerns, relevant Georgian state agencies have continued to award major infrastructure contracts to CRTG, raising questions about the application of adequate due diligence in the selection of companies for strategically important projects.

Meanwhile, CRTG is also participating in another ADB-financed infrastructure project announced by the Roads Department in February 2026. With an estimated value of approximately GEL 932 million, the project envisages the construction of two road sections: Avchala-Gldani Interchange and Gldani Interchange-Tbilisi Airport.

The bidding process was completed on June 1, and the tender remains under evaluation. Of the eight bidders, six are Chinese companies and two are Georgian companies. The lowest bids were submitted by Xinjiang Beixin Road & Bridge Group Co., Ltd. and Longjian Road and Bridge Co., Ltd.

Civic IDEA will continue monitoring the procurement process and provide further updates on the outcome of the tender.

Chinese Company Wins Major ADB-Financed Infrastructure Contract in Georgia Read More »

Tinatin Khidasheli to Speak at Hitotsubashi University Workshop on Anti-Espionage Legislation

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📅 September 10, 2026
🕒 15:00–16:30 (JST)
📍 Hitotsubashi University, Kunitachi Campus
🗣️ Language: Japanese

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Civic IDEA Chairperson and former Georgian Minister of Defense Tinatin Khidasheli will participate as a speaker in the upcoming workshop “Thinking about the Desirable Form of the Spy Prevention Act,” organized by the Institute for Global Governance Research (GGR) at Hitotsubashi University in Japan.

The workshop will take place on September 10, 2026, and will examine the growing debate in Japan over the introduction of anti-espionage legislation. The discussion will focus on how such laws can be designed to address legitimate national security concerns while safeguarding fundamental rights and freedoms.

The workshop will also draw comparative lessons from countries where legislation related to espionage, national security, and foreign influence has raised serious concerns regarding the protection of citizens’ rights, including China and Georgia.

Tinatin Khidasheli will join Taro Tanaka, Global Legal Officer at LEDGE and Partner at Miura & Partners, and Jin Li, doctoral researcher at Hitotsubashi University’s Graduate School of Law. The discussion will be moderated by Maiko Ichihara, Professor at Hitotsubashi University.

As Chairperson of Civic IDEA and a former Minister of Defense of Georgia, Khidasheli brings extensive experience in defense and security policy, democratic governance, human rights, and countering foreign influence and hybrid threats.

Registration link

Tinatin Khidasheli to Speak at Hitotsubashi University Workshop on Anti-Espionage Legislation Read More »

Anaklia Changes Course Again: The Port Is Taken Off the Market Before Construction Begins

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Anaklia Monitor | July 2026

On July 6, Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, announced that the government is abandoning the investor concession concept for the Anaklia deep-sea port and moving the project to a so-called “landlord model.” Under the new arrangement, the state will remain the sole owner of the maritime and port infrastructure and will itself finance, develop, and manage it, while international companies will be limited to leasing and equipping individual terminals. The minister described the model as “the most national” one, stressed that no shares in the port will be sold, said the total project cost remains approximately USD 1.1 billion, and confirmed that the state will now have to add USD 200 million to the planned budget to cover berths, communications, and other core infrastructure previously expected from the investor. The first vessel, she said, is still planned for 2029.

Behind the presentation lies a simpler fact. The tender, announced in 2024 as a process for a Chinese-Singaporean consortium built around China Communications Construction Company affiliates, has collapsed, with that consortium the only bidder. The minister acknowledged that negotiations with the consortium ended over issues she linked to national interests, while insisting that the parting was a joint and friendly decision and that the government retains a “strong desire and motivation” to see active Chinese involvement in the port’s operation and development.

Civic IDEA’s assessment

The government’s own framing deserves to be read carefully. We are told that international interest in Anaklia “grew so strong” that the state responded by withdrawing the project from private investment altogether and taking it fully onto its own balance sheet before construction has meaningfully begun. In our assessment, this is not how growing investor interest is normally answered. A project that genuinely attracts multiple credible bidders is re-tendered on better terms; it is not nationalized.

The financial logic is equally strained. The 2024 arrangement promised Georgia an initial foreign direct investment inflow of roughly USD 600 million from the winning consortium. That inflow is now gone. In its place, the state must find an additional USD 200 million of public money, and the minister named no lender, saying only that negotiations with international financial institutions have begun and that their interest is strong. Until those institutions are named, this claim cannot be verified. Given the current state of Georgia’s relations with Western partners and development banks, and the government’s repeated emphasis on its strategic partnership with Beijing, Chinese policy banks are a plausible source of such borrowing. If that proves true, the port would still be built with Chinese money, only now structured as Georgian public debt rather than as investor capital carrying investor risk.

Beyond the headline numbers, the shift from an investor-run concession to a state-built port raises a series of structural problems. First, it transfers risk from investors to taxpayers. Under a concession, construction cost overruns, delays, and demand shortfalls are borne by the concessionaire, disciplined by performance obligations and penalties. Under self-construction, every overrun and every year of delay lands directly on the state budget, with no external party contractually accountable for delivery.

Second, it removes the operator expertise and cargo commitments that underpin a port’s viability. A strategic port investor brings not only capital but shipping-line relationships, terminal operating experience, and volume guarantees. The Georgian state has never built or operated a deep-sea container port, and no party has now underwritten the cargo flows that would make Anaklia commercially sustainable. The minister’s announcement that first-phase cargo projections will be revised upward, at the very moment the project loses its anchor investor, only sharpens this concern.

Third, it weakens transparency at precisely the stage where the largest sums will be spent. Canceling the tender removes competitive discipline from the process. Contracts for dredging, breakwater construction, berths, and access infrastructure can now be awarded through direct state procurement, where the real beneficiaries often sit one layer down, in subcontracting chains. This is exactly the route through which CCCC-affiliated contractors, or other politically favored companies, could re-enter the project without the scrutiny that an equity stake or a public tender would attract. Civic IDEA will be watching the contractor lists closely.

Fourth, the landlord model itself, while legitimate and widely used in ports, works only under conditions Georgia currently does not meet: an independent port authority, transparent and competitive terminal concessions, and separation between the state as owner, regulator, and commercial counterparty. In the hands of a government exercising full political control over the entity, terminal leases risk becoming discretionary instruments, and a lease granted to a sanctioned state-owned enterprise would attract far less public and international attention than a sale of shares would.

Fifth, this is the third collapse of an Anaklia arrangement in six years, after the cancellation of the Anaklia Development Consortium’s contract in 2020 and a failed bid in 2022. Whatever the merits of each individual decision, the cumulative record signals to serious international operators that the rules governing Georgia’s flagship infrastructure project can change after award. The minister’s reference to unnamed Western interest should therefore be treated with caution until specific companies are identified, something she has promised to do “in the near future.”

Finally, the decision converts what was presented as a headline foreign direct investment success into a public expenditure item, at a time when FDI inflows into Georgia are already a point of concern. For a government that has consistently cited Anaklia as proof of investor confidence, financing the port from the budget and from loans is a quiet admission that the investment model failed.

In our assessment, the pattern behind these reversals is not indecision but intent. Concealed bids, shifting conditions, and models rewritten after award all serve the same function, prolonging the process until Anaklia is simply never built. Civic IDEA’s Chairwoman Tinatin Khidasheli predicted precisely this outcome in her May 2026 CEPA article, Georgia’s Never, Never Port, warning that the elongated process may be a deliberate effort by the government to ensure the port is not built at all. Preventing the construction of a Georgian deep-sea port has long been Russia’s number one political objective in Georgia, and under Bidzina Ivanishvili’s rule that objective is being delivered.

What we will monitor

In the coming months, Civic IDEA will track the identity and terms of the lenders financing the additional USD 200 million, the procurement of construction contracts and the ownership chains behind the contractors, the process and criteria by which terminal operators are selected and terminals leased, whether CCCC-linked entities re-enter the project as contractors or operators, and the publication of the promised list of interested parties. We will report our findings in the next editions of this newsletter.

Anaklia Changes Course Again: The Port Is Taken Off the Market Before Construction Begins Read More »

 Young Researcher Program

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Civic IDEA’s Young Researcher Program Successfully Concludes.

On June 10, participants of Civic IDEA’s Young Researcher Program presented the results of their research projects during the program’s final presentations and award ceremony.

Over the course of two months, participants completed a series of theoretical training sessions before working in teams to produce policy-oriented research on topics of strategic importance to Georgia.

🏆 Congratulations to this year’s winning team:

Andria Sajaia, Saba Kartvelishvili, and saba kvizhinadze, whose research on the growing Chinese influence in Georgia’s banking sector was selected as the best project. Their paper will be published on the Civic IDEA website in the near future.

We thank all participants for their dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm throughout the program and wish them continued success in their academic and professional endeavors.

 Young Researcher Program Read More »

Georgian Dream Moves the Country Further into China’s Orbit: Georgia–China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Announced

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On June 9, Georgia and China elevated their bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, marking a new phase following the Strategic Partnership agreement signed in July 2023.

The announcement was made during an exchange of congratulatory messages between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Georgian President Kavelashvili on the 34th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Xi stated that upgrading relations “will open up new prospects”, write “a new chapter in the traditional friendship” of the countries, “inject strong momentum” into bilateral cooperation, and “create benefits” for the peoples of the two countries.

On his behalf, Kavelashvili expressed his belief in the partnership, which, according to him, “will create more opportunities for cooperation”, “bring greater benefits,” and strengthen “the bonds of friendship” between the peoples of the two countries.

Later that day, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the signing of the document during a press briefing held at the Government Administration. According to him, relations with China are a matter that “deserves” a dedicated governmental briefing:

“This milestone warrants its own dedicated government briefing, as today is a highly significant day. As you know, roughly three years ago, Georgia and China established a strategic partnership agreement. We are now transitioning to the next phase: a comprehensive strategic partnership. Over the past three years, we have made great progress in our bilateral relations, strengthening both our political and economic connections, which has translated into tangible actions.”

Kobakhidze referred to the visa-free regime, direct flights, and economic-trade relations as concrete and “tangible” results of bilateral cooperation. However, despite the government’s portrayal of these developments as a win-win outcome, available evidence points to a more imbalanced relationship.

An assessment by Civic IDEA of the three years following the Strategic Partnership agreement indicates:

  • Bilateral trade is dominated by China, with Chinese products flowing into the Georgian market and a significantly increased trade imbalance.
  • Chinese investments remain limited, lagging behind those of Georgia’s Western partners as well as other non-Western actors such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Japan in 2024.

At the same time, the domestic footprint of Chinese engagement is becoming more visible. This includes the expansion of Chinese companies in the infrastructure sector, increasing involvement in renewable energy projects, and broader soft power influence.

In this context, upgrading relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership appears to be a political decision rather than a reflection of substantial improvements in the qualitative aspects of bilateral cooperation.

The broader political framing of the decision was evident in Kobakhidze’s remarks. He opened the briefing with criticism of opposition groups and dismissed allegations of democratic backsliding. He referred to the Georgian Dream’s “Honorary Chairman” and “member of the Political Council” as a grandmaster of politics, and noted that he often relies on his advice “when it comes to issues of key importance for the country.” Such issues evidently include foreign policy orientation.

The announcement comes at a sensitive geopolitical moment. On June 8, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill, the “Countering China’s Control of the Caucasus Act”, which, if adopted by the Senate, will require the Department of State to submit a “classified report” to Congress on “the penetration of Russian and Chinese intelligence elements and their assets in Georgia.”

The bill was introduced by Republican Representative Joe Wilson. Following the announcement of the upgraded partnership, Kobakhidze criticized the move, describing him as a “completely unserious person”, who, according to him, “nobody takes seriously”, “even in his own country.” Kobakhidze claimed that President Trump “makes every effort” to deepen political and economic ties with China. In this context, he argued that Joe Wilson’s allegations of negative Chinese influence in the South Caucasus are “completely unserious and do not merit any special comment.”

However, such comparisons overlook structural differences. Maintaining relations between major powers such as the United States and China serves broader strategic and global interests. In contrast, for a small state like Georgia, existing patterns of engagement already demonstrate vulnerabilities to influence from an authoritarian system with coordinated political and economic instruments.

In this light, the transition to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China raises legitimate concerns regarding Georgia’s democratic trajectory and its pro-Western foreign policy orientation.

Georgian Dream Moves the Country Further into China’s Orbit: Georgia–China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Announced Read More »

Beijing’s New Soft Power Push in Georgia: Media Outlets in Focus

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On March 26, Georgian journalist Nino Jangirashvili published a screenshot of a message she had received from the Chinese video news agency CCTV+. In the message, CCTV+ asked whether she would be interested in broadcasting content related to the Iran–Israel conflict and offered her media outlet the “opportunity” to publish the material free of charge.

Nino Jangirashvili is the founder and director of Kavkasia TV, a small Tbilisi-based media company that has faced serious financial difficulties since 2023. The crisis emerged amid what critics describe as deliberate efforts by the ruling Georgian Dream party to weaken critical and independent media by targeting the television advertising market. Due to its openly critical stance toward the government, Kavkasia TV has become one of the outlets most affected by political and financial pressure.

Facing the risk of halting its broadcasts, the station launched a public fundraising campaign to sustain its operations. In February 2026, the Georgian National Communications Commission also initiated administrative proceedings against the broadcaster over a donation received from the United States, further intensifying pressure on the outlet.

Against this backdrop of financial vulnerability and political pressure, CCTV+’s offer to provide free content to Kavkasia TV reflects what appears to be a broader strategy by Chinese state-affiliated media to penetrate financially struggling media organizations and expand their influence within the Georgian information space.

In recent months, Civic IDEA has received multiple reports from representatives of Georgian civil society confirming a similar pattern. Chinese media outlets and affiliated organizations have increasingly attempted to penetrate the Georgian information space, primarily targeting small media platforms and organizations that may require additional financial or institutional support.

One of the earliest public indications of CCTV’s growing presence in the Georgian media landscape emerged on November 26, 2023, when the Georgian business media outlet Business Media Georgia (BMG) announced plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding and a licensing agreement with CCTV. At the time, BMG General Producer Giorgi Isakadze described CCTV as one of China’s leading media groups and noted that it also owns the English-language agency CCTV+. Through this partnership, BMG obtained access and licensing rights to distribute content produced by CCTV.

Chinese soft power operations in Georgia date back to 2010, when the first Confucius Institute was established at Tbilisi Free University. Since then, China has actively promoted the Chinese language and culture within Georgian society. However, following the announcement of the Georgia–China Strategic Partnership in 2023, Chinese soft power activities in the country have significantly expanded. Beijing now appears increasingly focused on shaping favorable perceptions and promoting pro-Chinese narratives within the Georgian information environment.

The Chinese Embassy in Georgia has also played an active role in constructing positive narratives about China in the Georgian media space. The embassy finances the television program “Chinese Panorama,” broadcast on the Georgian TV channel Obiektivi. The program’s content largely promotes China’s foreign policy agenda, international initiatives, economic projects, and geopolitical ambitions. Through such broadcasts, China is portrayed as a reliable strategic partner and an emerging global power.

Against the backdrop of the Georgian Dream government’s increasingly pro-Chinese rhetoric and foreign policy positioning, China has found fertile ground for expanding its narratives and state-controlled discourse within Georgian media. Georgian journalists are increasingly being approached by Chinese media organizations seeking to disseminate Chinese-produced content domestically. This trend reflects a new and exaggerated phase of Chinese soft power operations in Georgia.

Beijing’s New Soft Power Push in Georgia: Media Outlets in Focus Read More »

Strategic Ties Between Tbilisi and Beijing: Shalva Papuashvili’s Official Visit to China

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Following the establishment of a strategic partnership between Georgia and the People’s Republic of China, bilateral political relations have entered a broader and more multifaceted phase. The increasing number of visits by Georgian officials to China has now been joined by the official visit of the Speaker of the Georgian Dream’s Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili. The head of the legislative body departed for Beijing on May 18.

A central component of the visit consisted of meetings held in Beijing, during which Shalva Papuashvili personally met with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.

One of the main topics of discussion was the deepening of the strategic partnership between Georgia and China and the expansion of political dialogue. The sides noted that the two countries are already connected by significant legal and economic frameworks, including a free trade agreement and a visa-free regime, which, according to official assessments, contribute to the growth of trade and tourism flows.

Chinese official statements noted that relations between the two countries have entered a “new stage”, while Beijing once again reaffirmed its support for Georgia’s sovereignty and independence. In response, Papuashvili stated that Georgia continues to support the “One China Principle” and will actively engage in global development initiatives.

In addition to Beijing, Shalva Papuashvili visited Shaanxi Province, where he met with Zhao Yide, Chairman of the local provincial legislature. The meetings focused on issues of regional economic and cultural cooperation.

The visit program also prominently included meetings with China’s leading political institutions. In particular, the Speaker of Parliament met with Wang Huning, Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). The discussions focused on strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and developing institutional dialogue.

The parliamentary chairman also delivered a lecture at China Foreign Affairs University. During his speech, he spoke about Georgia’s geopolitical role, noting that the country has historically been part of the “Silk Road” and today represents an important link in the “Middle Corridor”, which strengthens transport connectivity between Europe and Asia. Addressing students and faculty members, Papuashvili reviewed Georgia’s foreign policy priorities and the country’s role in international transit and trade processes.

Speaking with the media, Shalva Papuashvili summarized the results of the visit and emphasized its “historical significance“. According to official assessments, the Chinese authorities and Tbilisi share an “absolutely identical approach“ to international challenges, which is based on peaceful coexistence and respect for the principles of international law.

Papuashvili’s visit is further evidence that visits by Georgian officials to China are no longer isolated diplomatic acts. The increasing frequency of trips to Beijing and various Chinese provinces by parliamentary committees and members of the ruling party in recent years suggests that the “eastern direction” has become one of the most active vectors of Georgia’s current foreign policy strategy.

Strategic Ties Between Tbilisi and Beijing: Shalva Papuashvili’s Official Visit to China Read More »

Tinatin Khidasheli to Speak at International Expert Discussion on Russian Influence Operations During Electoral Campaigns

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On 20 May, Tinatin Khidasheli, Chairwoman of Civic IDEA participated in an international expert discussion hosted by the Ukraine Crisis Media Center (UCMC): “Russian Influence Operations During Electoral Campaigns in EU and Eastern Partnership Countries in 2024–2025: Lessons for Ukraine.”

As part of the second panel, focused on electoral developments across Eastern Partnership countries, Tinatin Khidasheli addressed the topic: “Georgia: elections according to the authorities’ scenario.”

The discussion brought together leading experts, policymakers, and analysts from across Europe to examine how Russian influence operations target democratic electoral processes and to reflect on lessons for strengthening resilience against disinformation and hybrid threats.

 

Watch the discussion:

Tinatin Khidasheli to Speak at International Expert Discussion on Russian Influence Operations During Electoral Campaigns Read More »

Tinatin Khidasheli on Georgia’s Military Readiness and the Future of National Defense

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Civic IDEA was pleased to participate in the webinar “Armies and Nations: Georgian Military Since Independence”, featuring our Chairperson Tinatin Khidasheli, alongside Giorgi Shaishmelashvili, moderated by Shota Gvineria.

The discussion explored the evolution of Georgia’s armed forces since independence and examined a fundamental question: how prepared is Georgia to defend itself against today’s growing security challenges?

Georgia’s international missions in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan played a transformative role in shaping its military. These experiences helped build a more professional, disciplined, and capable defense force by:

• Professionalizing the armed forces through merit-based military culture and institutional development
• Building interoperability with NATO allies and strengthening operational readiness
• Developing leadership, raising a new generation of experienced officers and non-commissioned officers
• Enhancing Georgia’s strategic credibility through meaningful contributions to global security
• Reinforcing Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations through sustained defense cooperation

At the same time, the discussion underscored an important lesson: military excellence abroad must be matched by strategic preparedness at home.
Georgia’s challenge today is clear: to preserve the professionalism and partnerships built over decades while ensuring that every reform strengthens one core objective—the defense of Georgia itself.

Tinatin Khidasheli on Georgia’s Military Readiness and the Future of National Defense Read More »

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