On October 16 th 2024, Civic IDEA presented evidence regarding the financial ties and connections of the ruling Georgian Dream party to Russian interests. Our report demonstrates that most of the party’s major donors are backed by the Russian market and funds, with their interests closely aligned with Moscow. As a result, they actively support policies deepening Georgia’s economic dependence on Russia in exchange for personal financial gain. We revealed that Georgia’s wine exports heavily rely on the Russian market, that is about 73,5% of the total export volume, a dangerously high level that poses significant risks to the Georgian economy.
This dependency leaves Georgia vulnerable to political manipulation, as Russia could leverage market access to exert pressure at any moment. Instead of diversifying export markets, the Georgian Dream leadership, mainly through actions of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s family members—Alexandre Ivanishvili, Ucha Mamatsashvili, and other business partner donors—has allowed this dependency to grow, heightening economic risks for the country.
Today, we present the second part of our study, revealing even more alarming findings. Based on concrete evidence, we will show that some donors of the Georgian Dream are not only engaged in trade or economic-political ties with Russia but are also listed as ‘international sponsors of war’.
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