“Today, the legacy of that catastrophic military defeat still drives Georgian politics. In recent months, as Russia regained momentum in Ukraine, the government in Tbilisi has hewed closer and closer to Moscow, moving away from the Caucasus nation’s longstanding pro-Western aspirations”
Check out The Wall Street Journal article with Tinatin Khidasheli ‘s interview in it👇
Civic IDEA is pleased to present an environmental monitoring report, “PRC’s Contractors’ Environmental Shortcomings on Georgian Highways”.
Since 2018, for the past six years, Civic IDEA has been monitoring PRC state-owned and controlled companies operating within Georgia’s infrastructure sector, focusing on critical projects such as highways, tunnels, and bridges. In this report, we provide comprehensive research on the environmental impacts of these projects, funded by international financial institutions (IFIs) and executed by contractors from the People’s Republic of China. The study offers an overview of the environmental management practices employed and evaluates their compliance, or absence of those, with international standards.
For detailed information, please see the full report below 
PRC’s Contractors’ Environmental Shortcomings on Georgian Highways Read More »
The publication “Foreign Policy” devotes an extensive article to the Georgian government’s attempt to stigmatize civil society. The article quotes the head of Civic Idea who states that non-governmental organizations will not obey the law:
“We will make it very difficult for the government to do anything meaningful against us,” she told me in July. “The problem with the law is that it left lots of loopholes, and we will be using those intensively.”
In June 2024, the author of the article, Maxim Krupski, was one of the speakers at the International Conference on Civic Ideas—Strategic Confusion on the Great Power Chessboard—precisely at the session on the adoption and implementation of “agents” legislation by various countries.
Discover more in the full article below
Chairwoman of Civic IDEA, Tinatin Khidasheli is attending GLOBSEC 2024. This prestigious event serves as a critical platform for addressing key global challenges.
Česká Televize has featured Tinatin in a special reportage covering the forum.
Watch the reportage and the interview here:
Reportage From The GLOBSEC 2024 Forum Read More »
The Georgian Government has increasingly moved to strengthen relations with China, hailing the economic potential of the partnership including high-profile infrastructure projects. But despite the optimism, the relationship has so far remained almost entirely one-sided, and in fact, opens the country up to substantial new risks.
Georgia’s foreign strategic alignment has been profoundly influenced by its geopolitical location, historical context, and aspirations for closer integration with Western institutions such as NATO and the European Union. However, in recent years, China has emerged as a significant player in Georgia’s foreign policy landscape. The two nations have actively sought to strengthen their political relations through a series of high-level visits and agreements, with Chinese initiatives in Georgia progressing at a remarkable pace, marked by significant expansions occurring almost monthly.
A pivotal moment in Sino-Georgian relations was the issuance of the Strategic Cooperation Statement on 31 July 2023, which heralded a new era of bilateral collaboration. The visit of then–Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili to China in 2023 culminated in this strategic partnership statement aimed at bolstering policy coordination and collaboration on regional and international affairs.
This partnership has been perceived as a strategic manoeuvre by China to expand its influence in the South Caucasus, a region traditionally regarded by Moscow as within its sphere of influence. The China-Georgia partnership can thus be viewed as part of a larger geopolitical shift in the region.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the resulting geopolitical realignments have heightened the strategic importance of the South Caucasus. China’s involvement in Georgia could potentially reshape regional dynamics, particularly as it seeks to develop alternative trade routes that bypass Russia, exemplified by projects such as the Middle Corridor, which links China to Europe via Central Asia and the Caucasus.
But despite the deepening Sino-Georgian relationship since 2016, there is no significant economic activity that might be relied upon to reshape the existing dynamics. The progress and developments thus far have been largely one-sided, and the prospects for Georgia’s flagship project for the Middle Corridor, the Anaklia Deep-Sea Port, are not very promising.
And despite few gains, there are several concerns: from foreign policy to economic collaboration, with the cooperation appearing to be overwhelmingly China-centred in various ways.
Link 👇
Opinion | Georgia’s one-sided relationship with China comes with significant risks Read More »
We are pleased to announce the release of our report, “Georgia’s Investment Landscape: Comparative Analysis of Chinese and Western Investments (2018-2023)”.
This report uncovers the actual extent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) investments in Georgia from 2018 to early 2024, demonstrating that Beijing’s economic engagement is significantly less than officially claimed, with investments not exceeding 700 million USD since 2010. The comparative analysis reveals that countries such as the USA, UK, and Netherlands have exhibited substantial and increasing investments in Georgia, particularly in the post-pandemic period. Notably, even EU member countries with smaller economies, such as Malta, have shown a more pronounced increase in their foreign direct investments in Georgia compared to the PRC’s FDI rate.
Read the full report for a clear picture of foreign investment dynamics in Georgia. 👇
Civic IDEA is delighted to present a comprehensive report on the “Geopolitics of Transportation: The Middle Corridor – Trans-Caspian International Route Bypassing Russia”.
This report delves into the resurgence of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), driven by geopolitical shifts and the necessity for reliable trade routes bypassing Russia. It highlights the economic benefits, the role of key players like the PRC, and the support from Western financial institutions. Additionally, it addresses the infrastructure and logistical challenges that need to be overcome for the Middle Corridor to realize its full potential.
Discover more in the full report below: 👇
On June 14, 2024, Ani Kintsurashvili, Senior Researcher at Civic IDEA, participated as a speaker in the RISS conference titled “Impact of the War in Ukraine on Russia-China Power Dynamics in Central Asia,” held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel Tbilisi Metekhi Palace. The conference explored how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reduced Moscow’s influence in Central Asia, leading regional states to seek new security partners and prompting increased economic presence and rivalry from China.
The conference was part of the ‘Impact of the War in Ukraine on Russia-China Power Dynamics in Central Asia’ project which is conducted by the Regional Institute of Security Studies (RISS), with support from the Russian Strategic Initiative (RSI).
Ms. Kintsurashvili provided a broader analysis of the evolving China-Russia relationship since the onset of the Ukraine war and its implications for Central Asian countries.
Civic IDEA participated at RISS conference Read More »
During a briefing on May 29, 2024, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Levan Davitashvili, revealed that China Communication Construction Company Limited and China Harbor Investment, a Chinese-Singaporean consortium would shortly be declared as the winners of the public-private partner selection contest for the Anaklia port construction project. Given the strategic importance of the Anaklia port project, it is particularly significant who is chosen as the winner of this competition. The document briefly overviews the stages and procedures of the procurement in addition to the international market experience and reputation of the potentially winning company, the impact of the Georgian Government’s decision on the country’s interests and its path toward Euro-Atlantic integration. For detailed information, please see the full report below
ANAKLIA PORT – ANOTHER STEP IN SHIFTING FOREIGN POLICY Read More »
Civic IDEA is pleased to share a two-page report, ‘In the Wake of NUCTECH Raids: Evaluating International Fallout and Its Ties with Georgia,’ which overviews the recent scandals involving the Chinese company NUCTECH, emphasizing its notorious reputation and cooperation with Georgian state institutions.
In-The-Wake-of-NUCTECH-Raids-Evaluating-International-Fallout-and-Its-Ties-with-GeorgiaIn The Wake of NUCTECH Raids: Evaluating International Fallout and Its Ties with Georgia Read More »