The Kartuli Brief — 2026-09-29 | Sakartvelo Intelligence

საქართველო · ერთობა · ძალა · თავისუფლება

Sovereignty Threat Level

Elevated EU accession suspended · Protest cycle ongoing · Russian pressure steady

Lead

NBG Reports USD 555.6 Million Net Purchases in August as Reserves Reach ‘All-Time High’ USD 8.14 Billion

The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) made net purchases of USD 555.6 million through the BMatch trading platform in August, bringing the country’s international reserves to USD 8.14 billion, the central bank said on September 25. The bank officials reported in September that the international reserves had reached an “all-time high.” The NBG said its …

Sources: Civil.ge

Russia Watch

Kobakhidze Talks Sovereignty, Occupation, Economy, and Middle Corridor in UNGA Address

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze addressed the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 24, focusing on sovereignty and peace, Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories, reconciliation with “Abkhaz and Ossetian brothers and sisters,” Georgia’s role in the Middle Corridor, and what he described as the country’s strong economic performance.…

Civil.ge

"A nation with a populace that is overwhelmingly pro-Western ruled by a government that has frozen that integration—the Sakartvelo Paradox defines the crisis."

— Sakartvelo Unveiled Analysis

GEL/USD

2.61

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GEL/EUR

2.96

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Mid. Corridor TEU

—

YoY

Tourism YTD

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FDI

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Protest Index

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Active

Domestic Politics

Azerbaijani theologian detained after criticising hijab restrictions in schools

Baku isn’t publicly considering banning the hijab in schools, but has made public education officially secular.

OC Media

Western Response

Armenian and Azerbaijan agree to ‘promote positive agenda’ amid tension

Tensions rose following renewed Azerbaijani claims that Armenian monasteries in Nagorno-Karabakh were Caucasian Albanian.

OC Media

Economy

Sokhumi, Tskhinvali, Moscow Digest – September 18-24, 2026

Are Gali IPRMs about to resume? – Tskhinvali ‘elections’ – Zakharova on Georgians and Russians ‘missing each other’ Below is the weekly digest of key developments and discourses in and around the occupied regions of Abkhazia and  Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, as well as those concerning Tbilisi–Moscow relations. Sokh…

Civil.ge

Regional Intelligence

Georgia Extradites to United States U.S.-Uzbek Citizen Wanted for Terrorism Support

A U.S.-Uzbek citizen sought by American authorities for “a decade” was arrested in Georgia and extradited to the United States to face charges of providing material support to the Islamic State group and al-Nusrah Front, the U.S. Embassy in Georgia reported on September 25. “Uzbek national Davud Ansariy, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in …

Civil.ge

Azerbaijani opposition leader tells Aliyev: give me a life sentence, free women political prisoners

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has yet to respond to imprisoned Azerbaijani Muslim Unity Movement chair Taleh Bagirzade’s offer.

OC Media

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