🇺🇸🇬🇪 The US Embassy in Georgia has published a special statement on its Facebook page.
“The Russian disinformation machine believes that repeated repetition of absurd lies will change reality and rewrite history. The facts are: Russia invaded Georgia in 1991, Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Russia blames everyone but itself for starting these and other military conflicts. According to them, the war in Ukraine was unleashed by Ukraine itself, NATO, the United States and, surprisingly, Jewish Nazis,” the US diplomatic mission said in a statement.

🇬🇪✊ June 20 in Georgia could be a day of big protests.
On the anniversary of the "Gavrilov Night", when a Russian deputy called mass protests in Tbilisi and violently dispersed them (240 people were injured), a gathering of supporters of European integration and opponents of rapprochement with the Russian Federation was announced on Rustaveli Avenue. The participants of the action will march from the parliament to Europe Square, where the rally will take place.
❗️Less than a week before the appointed date, the ruling party is already calling on the participants to strictly comply with the law, and the prime minister says that he will not allow destructive forces to undermine the situation in the country. The pro-Russian radical movement "Alt-Info" did not stand aside and said that they were ready for active action without relying on the police.
ℹ️ June 20, 2022 may become an important day in Georgia, because the decision to grant or refuse status in the EU can be announced as early as Friday, and depending on the decision, the number of participants in the action may increase significantly.

⚡️🇬🇪 President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili held an emergency briefing.
Many statements were quite sharp and serious.
What was said most importantly:
📍 criticized the actions of the government: “We do not attach importance to the reaction of the European Union, we do not show political will. The country was in first place when, on our initiative, an agreement on an associated trio was signed in Adjara, and now, a year later, after the actions of the ruling party, we have become the trailing ones.”
📍 apologized to the people of Ukraine: “We have shown a completely inadequate attitude towards our friendly country, Ukraine and its government. We must not engage in meaningless polemics.”
📍 answered about the accusations of the EU and the USA: “None of the international partners of Georgia demanded the opening of a second front, the statements of some people in the country, an obvious fabricated lie”
📍 about Georgia's prospects "There is a danger of isolation that we create ourselves and which is a much greater threat than the myth of a second front"
📍 called on the inhabitants of the country to join the nationwide action on June 16 at 19-00 on Europe Square in Tbilisi

⚡️⚡️⚡️ From June 15, when entering the territory of Georgia, foreign citizens will no longer need a vaccination certificate and a negative PCR test.
An amendment has already been made to the “Decree of the Government of Georgia on Approving the Rules for Isolation and Quarantine”.
According to the amendment, any person arriving from abroad (regardless of citizenship) is exempted from the obligation to provide a document confirming a full course of vaccination against covid-19 or a negative PCR test within the last 72 hours before the visit when crossing the border in Georgia.

🦠❗️There are only two covid restrictions left in Georgia.
The obligation to wear masks remains:
📍 in public transport
📍 in medical institutions
The fine for not wearing a mask is 20 GEL ($6.5). However, the presence is now extremely rarely controlled and many neglect these rules.

🇬🇪↔️🇦🇪 From 15.06. visa-free regime between Georgia and the United Arab Emirates came into force.
Under the agreement, holders of ordinary passports of the two countries will be able to enter without a visa and stay in the territory of the state of the other party for no more than 90 days from the date of entry.
We are waiting for an increase in the number of tourists from the UAE to Georgia.

✊🇬🇪 Rallies in Tbilisi: who, where and when.
Over the past 24 hours, the discussion of public actions in Georgia has become a matter of public domain. All the media are discussing who and where is going, and who has refused to go.
We have collected information for you.
📍16.06. at 19-00 Europa Park.
Who called: Georgian President Zurabishvili.
Who supported: several political parties, social movements, diplomats.
Refused: the ruling Georgian Dream party, the party of former Prime Minister Gakharia.
📍20.06. at 20-00 at the Parliament and the procession to the park of Europe.
Who called: Shamemovement activist movements
Who supported: the opposition party "United National Movement".
Refused: everyone except those who supported and the organizers.

🙈🦠 The first case of human infection with monkeypox has been registered in Georgia.
This was told by the scientific director of the Center for Disease Control Paata Imnadze.

📌 16.06. An international conference will be held in Tbilisi: “The decline or the rebirth of the Putin regime?”
Organizers: Free Russia Foundation in the South Caucasus. Among the participants in the discussion are the ambassadors of Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, the head of the political department of the US Embassy, ​​and international experts.
Russian participants: Kotrikadze (“Rain”), Leviev (Conflict Intellegence team), Krasilshik (“Support Service”), Serenko (Feminist Anti-war Resistance), Mikhalchuk (Free Russia Foundation), Mikhailova (The Insider), Rubin (“ Project"), Burakova ("The Ark").
Moderator Egor Kuroptev (Free Russia Foundation).
ℹ️ The author of the channel Nikolay Levshits, in the third part of the conference, moderates the presentation of presentations of already launched anti-war projects and a discussion of how they can be developed further.
Participants: Koshelyaeva (Motskhaleba foundation), Tabalov (Conscript School), Belkina (Volunteers Tbilisi).
📹 Live stream available on 16.06. from 11:00 on the link.

🇬🇪💵 The National Bank of Georgia publishes statistics on money transfers to the country as of May 2022.
According to them, over the past month there was again a record: $507 million was transferred. In April this figure was $308 million, and in March $191 million. Experts highlight the increase in money transfers from Russia to Georgia. Compared with the pre-war period of January-February, it increased by 12-15 times.
Remittances by country and relation to May 2021:
🇷🇺Russia — 319 million (889%)
🇮🇹Italy - 36 million (15%)
🇺🇸USA - 27 million (15%)
🇰🇿Kazakhstan - 20 million (587%)
🇬🇷Greece — 20 million (1%)
🇮🇱Israel - 16 million (9%)
🇩🇪Germany - 13 million (46%)
🇹🇷Turkey - 8 million (11%)
🇰🇬Kyrgyzstan - 5 million (372%)
🇪🇸Spain - 5 million (8%)

😷🚫🚇 From June 20, the mandatory wearing of masks in public transport is canceled in Georgia.
The resolution has already been signed by the government. Still, almost no one follows it.
❗️Masks are still required in medical facilities.

🇦🇲🛫🇬🇪 From Yerevan to Batumi: Armenia Airways launches direct flights.
From June 21, it will be possible to fly from the capital of Armenia to the Georgian coast. Flights will be operated on Tuesdays and Fridays.
🎟 Tickets from Batumi to Yerevan cost from $ 110, and from Yerevan to Batumi from $ 130. Luggage is included in the price.
🚂 Let me remind you that railway traffic was recently launched on this route.

🏳‍🌈 There was an attack on transgender people in the center of Tbilisi.
According to them, they were attacked by about 20 men: “These guys insulted us… A very large stone hit me in the face. They had broken bottles with which they also hurt us.”
As a result of the attack, two transgender people were injured, one was taken to the hospital.
❗️This is the second mass attack on transgender people in Tbilisi. Earlier, a group of men broke into the house where they lived and beat the residents.

⚡️Ukraine and Moldova - yes, Georgia - not yet.
The European Commission today will make a recommendation to grant the status of candidates for EU accession to Ukraine and Moldova, reports Bloomberg.
At the same time, the EU plans to announce that it advises granting candidate status to Georgia, but only after it fulfills a number of preconditions to improve democratic processes in the country.
ℹ️ The final decision of the country will be made on June 24th.

🇬🇪 Residence permit in Georgia since the beginning of the war, for citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.
Between 01.02. By May 20, 1866 citizens applied for a residence permit (a document that gives a foreigner the right to freely stay in the country, regardless of the duration of the visa and stay), 1184 of them were satisfied (63%). At the same time, 77 people who submitted documents are former citizens of Georgia.
📍In particular, the following citizens received a residence permit:
Russia - 824
Belarus - 192
Ukraine -168
📌To obtain a residence permit, foreign citizens can collect and submit documents to the House of Justice for the following reasons: labor (an agreement with a local organization and certain conditions), investment (purchase of real estate for $ 100 thousand), for the purpose of family reunification, etc.

👮🏻‍♂ Daring robbery in Western Georgia.
In the municipality of Chkhorotsku, the entrance to the local community center was blown up. Robbers stole an ATM located there.

⚡️🇬🇪🚫🇪🇺 Georgia has been denied the status of a candidate for joining the European Union, it can get it only if a number of conditions are met.
The European Commission announced the decision.
❗️Ukraine and Moldova are recommended for candidate status. It almost never happens that the European Council reviews the decision of the Commission.

🇪🇺🚫🇬🇪 The European Commission recommends not yet granting the status of an EU candidate country to Georgia until a number of conditions are met.
What are the main claims of the EU (this range of problems has been noted by most experts lately):
📍 internal political polarization, violation of the agreement between the ruling party and the opposition of April 19, 2021 (Charles Michel agreement)
📍 Defective functioning of some state institutions, lack of their independence and accountability
📍 problems with the openness of elections
📍 lack of independence in the judiciary and the prosecutor's office
📍 insufficient fight against corruption and organized crime
📍 significant influence of oligarchs on politics
📍 threats to the independence of the media and journalists
📍 insufficient involvement of civil society in government processes at all levels
📍 insufficient work to strengthen gender equality and combat violence against women