VOL. IV · NO. 40 Tbilisi · 41°43′N 44°47′E FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2026
Sakartvelo Intelligence

The KARTULI BRIEF

Independent Geopolitical Intelligence · Curated at Dawn · kartuli.xyz
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საქართველო · ერთობა · ძალა · თავისუფლება
Sovereignty Threat Level
Elevated EU accession suspended · Protest cycle ongoing · Russian pressure steady
Lead

Thursday, 2 April 2026

Regional * Yesterday, at the International Forum on Transport and Logistics, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev announced that the capacity of border crossings with Azerbaijan had increased five fold. He said that in 2025, along the North–South corridor were transported over 21 million tonnes of cargo and the corridor decreased average delivery times from 33 to 16 days. * Turkish Vice P…
Sources: OC Media
GEL/USD
2.70
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GEL/EUR
3.11
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Mid. Corridor TEU
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YoY
Tourism YTD
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FDI
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Protest Index
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Active
Domestic Politics

Switzerland Requires Visas for Georgian Diplomatic Passports Following EU Suspension

Starting April 3, Switzerland will require holders of Georgian diplomatic, official, and service passports to obtain a visa for entry, a measure tied to the EU’s suspension and set to last one year. The Federal Council of Switzerland approved the move on April 1, saying the EU suspension “constitutes a further development of the Schengen …
Civil.ge
Western Response

Opinion | The risks of Pashinyan’s fear-mongering tactics ahead of Armenia’s elections

Pashinyan’s claims that the opposition is preparing a new war with Azerbaijan risks justifying non-democratic and even unconstitutional measures.
OC Media
Economy

Pashinyan and the Armenian opposition’s ‘war party’

Absent real alternative plans among Armenia’s main opposition parties for how to deal with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan’s framing rings true.
OC Media
Regional Intelligence

CoE Body Calls on Georgia to Repeal Laws Restricting Grants, Political Activity

The Expert Council on NGO Law, an expert body of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, issued a critical opinion on a legislative package adopted on March 4 by Georgia’s disputed parliament that further restricted grants and political activity, saying the measures are “inconsistent” with Georgia’s commitments as a CoE member and …
Civil.ge

Former Armenian President Sargsyan’s Republican Party to sit out elections

The party ruled Armenia for almost two decades.
OC Media
⚠ Occupied Territories Watch
Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain under Russian military occupation since 2008. The creeping annexation through "borderization" continues to restrict freedom of movement for ethnic Georgians living near the administrative boundary lines.
Assessment & Data

Sovereignty Indicators

EU Accession Status Frozen
NATO MAP Progress Stalled
Press Freedom (RSF) Declining
Foreign Agent Law Enacted
Civil Society Space Narrowing
Public EU Support ~80%

Week Ahead

European Parliament plenary to debate Georgia resolution on Wednesday. Georgian National Bank inflation data due Thursday. Opposition rally planned Saturday in Tbilisi's Freedom Square. Bidzina Ivanishvili expected to address GD party congress. OSCE monitoring mission report on media freedom scheduled for release.
Compiled from multiple sources