Notes from Georgia/South Caucasus (Hälbig, Ralph)
@SouthCaucasus
Caucasus Watcher #Georgia, #Armenia, #Azerbaijan, #Tbilisi, #GeorgianWine #ReisenInGeorgien & @terekmedia, @kaukasusreisen & RT: ≠ Endorsement / #Bitcoin
“Homeland”. Painting by Maka Batiashvili #GeorgianArt more: instagram.com/batiashvilimak…
Georgian Dream Resignation Streak: Who Left and Why. By Nino Baindurashvili via @CivilGe civil.ge/archives/693061
Series of high-level resignations in Georgian Dream gov't in past months has drawn questions, with some attributing it to autocratic consolidation while others linked it with sanctions or party-internal conflicts. We compiled key cases and their contexts: civil.ge/archives/693061
Morning scan: what’s big news in #Georgia today, July 22: ● In his article, @RikardJozwiak , editor of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Brussels bureau, reported that eight EU member states, led by Italy, opposed suspending the visa-free regime with Georgia, stating that such…
Illegitimate PM Kobakhidze claims that the Schengen visa-free drained the population and stalled local economic growth anyway. Just a few years ago, his master Bidzina Ivanishvili stated young people should leave Georgia because Georgia cannot provide them with jobs. For real.
The MEGOBARI Act, a vital bipartisan bill that mandates sanctions on Putin’s pawns and supports Georgia's Euro-Atlantic future, is being stalled by Senators: 👉 Markwayne Mullin 👉 Mike Lee 👉 Rand Paul My only question is WHY... this vital bill passed the House and SFRC
Armenia has reportedly refused to extradite a Russian soldier wanted by Moscow for desertion. oc-media.org/armenia-declin…
Georgian Dream's PM suggests US message to Ivanishvili came from ‘deep state,’ not Secretary of State Rubio Irakli Kobakhidze claims his government does not know who truly authored a U.S. message intended for Bidzina Ivanishvili, the ruling party’s founder [widely seen as the…
🎙️Interview with @DeGroene groene.nl/artikel/de-pre…
🚨 Georgian Dream continues to adopt repressive laws aimed at restricting rights, dismantling civil society, eliminating parliamentary oversight & subordinating state institutions to the party. 📌 Here are the legislative amendments enacted since April 2025:…
Old Tbilisi. Photography by Lasha Devdariani @devdarianilasha
Offenbar zweites Gespräch mit Vertretern Syriens und Israels sowie der Türkei und der USA in Baku geplant.
⚡️Yesterday, #AZE President's aide Hikmat Hajiyev confirmed that Baku recently hosted #Israel 🇮🇱 #Syria🇸🇾 talks, even though armed escalation occurred shortly after in #Suwayda. Today, unofficial sources report that in a few days the next 🇸🇾-🇮🇱 talks will kick off in #Baku with…
An der georg.-russ. Grenze sitzen > 90 Ukrainer in menschenunwürdigen Zuständen fest. Russland hat die Ex-Gefangenen und Entführten aus den russisch-okkup. Gebieten der Ukraine ohne Papiere über die Grenze geschoben, Georgien lässt sie nicht weiterreisen ekhokavkaza.com/a/zakroyte-nas…
Drawing by Gio Sumbadze. #GeorgianArt
Mosaic in #Bolnisi. via Red Fedora Diary • All Things Travel Blog / Baia Dzagnidze @redfedoradiary #ReisenInGeorgien
This chart is one of the clearest illustrations of the growing codependence between U.S. fiscal policy and monetary accommodation. It reveals a structural reality that the massive issuance of U.S. Treasuries, especially since 2020, has not been met with proportionate demand from…
We all want fiscal responsibility. But that won't happen as long as central banks cap yields when they spike, as the Fed did in 2020. You can cap yields, but that inevitably incentivizes bad fiscal policy. Our fiscal mess is inextricably linked to the Fed. robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/fiscal-respo…
Painting by Luka Tsetskhladze. #GeorgianArt
Under the Georgian Sun Stamba Hotel, in Tbilisi, has made a business out of being a hive for hip locals and serving the best natural wines Georgia has to offer. By Alice Feiring @alicefeiring via @AirMailWeekly #GeorgianWine #GeorgianFood airmail.news/issues/2025-7-…
Abano Pass and the view from the Kakhetia side. Photography by Magdalena Konik / Magdalena Konik Photography #ReisenInGeorgien @kaukasusreisen
An artificial lake in Syunik province, Armenia, created circa 600 BC by damming a local stream. After 2600 years, it is still in use as a water source for irrigation and livestock.
An ancient irrigation canal in the village of Ashtarak, Armenia. It was built circa 600 BC, or earlier, and repaired in the 1960s. After nearly three millennia, it still serves local farmers reliably.