🚘 From today, those wishing to obtain a driver's license in Georgia will take the practical part of the exam “in the city".
This applies to the licence of categories B (passenger cars) and BE (passenger cars with a trailer). According to the changes, after successful completion of special maneuvers on a closed platform, the candidate driver proceeds to the second stage — real road conditions.
ℹ️ Foreign citizens in Georgia can get the driver’s license of international format for a period of 15 years.
🛵 Let me remind you that since March 28, the licence to a moped have become mandatory in the country.

🇬🇪📱🇷🇺 The ruling party commented on the situation with a possible telephone conversation between Georgia and the Russian Federation.
The chairman of the Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, said that the authenticity of the recording has not been confirmed, and if it is genuine, it concerns only trade relations.
«Firstly, no one knows whether it is genuine or not, and secondly, even if it is real, they don't talk about anything forbidden there. Even if we assume that it is genuine, we are talking about some kind of trade relations. It is known that Georgia has an official position on this issue. It maintains trade relations with Russia, goods are exported and imported. This is our position and there is nothing illegal about it."
❗️The Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Papuashvili called the recordings falsification and installation.
📹 A video was posted on Youtube yesterday the authenticity of which has not been established, but it gives the impression that the Russian oligarch, founder of AFK Sistema Yevtushenkov allegedly talks about grain and meetings with the ex-Prime Minister of Georgia and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

🇬🇪Georgia has adopted a law according to which it will be mandatory to raise the national flag over educational institutions.
The relevant amendment to the document "On the procedure for using the State symbols of Georgia" has already been approved by the Parliament.

📊🧮 Statistics of salaries and employment in Georgia.
The PMC Research Center has published new employment statistics in the country.
The number of employees increased by 4.9% compared to 2021 and by 5.3% compared to 2020 data. The number of the labor force (the number of people willing to work for hire) is 1.53 million people, 1.24 million of them are employed. The unemployment rate is 19%.
The average nominal salary was 1463 lari ($482).
💵 Salaries in Georgia:
up to 600 lari (up to $200) : 228,000 people
up to 1200 lari (up to $ 400): 249,000 people
up to 2400 lari (up to $800): 266,000 people
over 2400 lari (over $ 800): 173000 people

🇬🇪 About the weather in Batumi.
Sunny, foggy. Long-term construction projects are observed throughout the territory.

🇬🇪🇺🇦🇷🇺 Georgia will not open a second front and will not participate in military operations.
«There will be no war in Georgia. Moreover, if Saakashvili were in power now, Tbilisi would turn into Mariupol," Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said.
ℹ️ Let me remind you that earlier the adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Alexey Arestovich, told reporters that he proposed Georgia to occupy Abkhazia and South Ossetia: "There is no Russian army left there, everyone has been withdrawn; and secondly, they will receive the support of the whole world and Ukraine. They not only do not do this, but also additionally try to justify Russia's positions and actions."

🚗⛔️ After numerous appeals, the ruling Georgian Dream party is introducing a bill tightening the rules of the road and parking.
According to the legislative proposal:
❗️cars parked on the sidewalk are subject to immediate evacuation;
📍the municipality will be given the right to determine the places and conditions of taxi travel in the lane allocated for buses;
📍the rule to leave the protocol on the windshield of the car is canceled, the violator will be sent the protocol in the standard way, while he will also receive an SMS message
📍fines will increase from 50 to 100 lari for moving, parking or stopping a car on a bike path or in a taxi stand, leaving a vehicle on the road, parking at an electric vehicle charging station, parking in a place for the disabled
👮🏻The initiatives are excellent, you can really add a more serious punishment for not letting pedestrians walk at a pedestrian crossing, and in general, the main thing will be for law enforcement.

📊 According to a new survey by IRI (International Republican Institute) of Georgian citizens, the most popular and respected personalities in the country are:
📍 Patriarch Ilia II (92%)
📍 Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze (53%)
📍 President Salome Zurabishvili (52%)
📍 Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili (47%)
📍 Commissioner for Human Rights Nino Lomdzharia (46%)
📍 opposition politician Anna Dolidze (44%)
📍 ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia (40%)
📍 ex-Chairman of Parliament David Usupashvili (40%)
📍 ex-Prime Minister, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishivli and former President Mikhail Saakashvili scored 31% of the confidence rating

📊 Some important and interesting data from the IRI sociological survey in Georgia, conducted from March 4 to 24.
The approval rating of public figures is here, and as for the other parameters:
📍 76% believe that the economic situation has deteriorated significantly or partially over the year
📍 71% say that Georgia is becoming more polarized
📍 if elections were held next week, 31% would vote for the ruling Georgian Dream, 16% for opposition "United National Movement" and "Gakharia for Georgia" — 4%
📍 for which party you will not vote in any case: 35% answered — "United National Movement", 27% — "Georgian Dream", 19% — "Alliance of Patriots", 18% — "Girchi"
📍 60% want to see new political parties in the next elections
📍 90% of respondents consider Russia the main political threat, and 83% – a serious economic threat
📍 they would like to see the EU (54%), the USA (53%), Ukraine (45%) as Georgia's partners

❗️👨🏼‍⚕️ The inspection carried out by the Ministry of Health confirms that the state has paid clinics over 1 billion GEL (about $ 300 million) for empty beds over two years, which was not necessary.
This was stated by the Minister of Health of Georgia Zurab Azarashvili.
At the same time, he denied the information spread in a number of media outlets that the agency allegedly set a five-day deadline for the reorganization of clinics, because of this part of the medical staff lost their jobs. Azarashvili also said that "the crime was committed when nurses and doctors did not receive allowances paid by the state. Unfortunately, in a number of clinics there are cases when directors and deputies have increased their salaries 5-10 times at their own expense and at the expense of the state."

🇺🇿🛫🇬🇪 Since May 21, Uzbekistan Airways will launch direct flights to Tashkent — Batumi — Tashkent.
Flights will be operated on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

😷🦠 The obligation to wear a mask in enclosed spaces will be maintained.
The statement was made by the head of the council for immunization, Ivane Chkhaidze.
“This is the only remaining restrictive measure to remain. Despite the improvement in the epidemiological situation, the end of the pandemic has not yet been announced, as before, dozens of people get sick every day, people die. There is a risk of a new mutation, so we have to be careful.”

🚫🎥 The Georgian Film Academy has canceled screenings of a documentary film about the ex-premier of the country and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Georgian director Salome Jashi said the academy cited the "political" nature of her film "Taming the Garden".
ℹ️ The film documents Ivanishvili's unusual hobby of collecting trees from all over Georgia.

🇦🇲 Those arriving from Armenia to Georgia from May 1 will not be required to present vaccination certificates or negative covid tests.
Let me remind you that you can easily travel from Georgia to Armenia by land by minibus, taxi or private transport, there are many flights.
ℹ️ The rules for entering Georgia remain unchanged for now. Travelers need a PCR test or a vaccine.

📉 Moody's downgraded the outlook on Georgia's ratings from "stable" to "negative" and confirmed the issuer's long-term ratings in national and foreign currencies at the level of "Ba2".
"The decision to change Georgia's rating forecast to "negative" reflects the increased risks of geopolitical events "in connection with the situation in Ukraine, "given the ongoing, albeit "frozen", tensions in Georgia's relations with Russia over South Ossetia and Abkhazia," the agency said.

🇬🇪📦🇺🇦Georgia is still in the first place in the delivery of humanitarian goods to Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian Post (Ukrposhta), according to data as of April 20, in terms of the number of basic humanitarian goods received by mail (food, primary medical medicines, clothing), the Georgian Post is still in first place with more than 520 tons of cargo. Romania and Belgium, which are next with 80 tons, are noticeably behind the Georgian parcels.

💧🚫Due to the breakthrough of the main water pipeline, several districts of Tbilisi were left without water, and traffic was blocked on the streets.
On Marshal Gelovani Avenue and several streets, due to the strong flow of water, the passage was closed for three hours. GWP informs that the water supply will be gradually restored by 14.00 30.04

⚡️The Borjomi Company temporarily suspends its work due to sanctions and financial difficulties caused by the war in Ukraine.
"We would like to inform you that IDS Borjomi Georgia has been in a difficult situation since the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine. The situation was aggravated by limited access to bank accounts, the possibility of receiving foreign currency earnings and settlements with creditors," the company said.
❗️Both Borjomi bottling plants will be temporarily shut down from April 29. The company employs about 1,000 people.
Alfa Group, which has come under international sanctions, is one of the largest private investment holdings in the post-Soviet space, owns 60% of IDS Borjomi International shares.

🇬🇪💧The current situation around Borjomi in Georgia.
This morning, the company announced the closure of two bottling plants and the cessation of operational activities due to sanctions and the war in Ukraine. As of today, both bottling plants are closed. It was also reported that at the moment Borjomi has limited access to bank accounts, there is no possibility of receiving foreign exchange earnings and settlements with creditors. The company's income for 2021 amounted to $140 million, of which 41.9 in Russia, 18 in Ukraine, 14.3 in the Baltic countries, 13 in Kazakhstan, 11 in Georgia, 6.4 in Belarus.
🗣What they say about it in Georgia:
Mamuka Khazaradze (founder of the Lilo Party and TBCBank): “The state should buy shares in Borjomi. The brand and thousands of jobs are at stake.”
Gia Khukhashvili (economic expert): “The brand of this company is an integral part of Georgian culture. The enterprise must be immediately nationalized.”
The government has not yet given an official assessment of what happened.