Prepared by Messenger Staff
Abkhazia's De Facto President Resigns Amid Ongoing Protests and Russian Pressure
The parliament of occupied Abkhazia voted to accept the resignation of de facto president Aslan Bzhania, following protests sparked by the controversial "Investment Agreement with Russia." The decision came after several days of unrest, which began on November 15, when demonstrators stormed the so-called parliament and presidential buildings in opposition to plans to ratify the agreement that would allow Russian ownership of land and property in the region.
In the vote, 31 "deputies" participated, with two ballots declared invalid. De facto Vice President Badra Gunba will assume the role of acting "president", while former "speaker" Valeri Bganba was appointed as the de facto prime minister.
According to a statement released by the press service of the de facto president, Bzhania's resignation was made to preserve stability and uphold constitutional order in the region. His resignation comes after growing discontent among the population, particularly over Abkhazia's closer ties with Russia, which included a decision by Moscow to cut funding to the region in September.
Geostat: Georgia's Foreign Trade Rises by 5.5% in 2024
Preliminary data from Geostat indicates that Georgia's foreign trade grew by 5.5% year-on-year in January-October 2024, reaching a total value of USD 19.025 billion. Exports rose by 7.4% to USD 5.468 billion, while imports increased by 4.8% to USD 13.557 billion, leaving a trade deficit of USD 8.089 billion, which accounts for 42.5% of trade turnover.
Turkey emerged as Georgia's top trade partner with USD 2.636 billion in trade volume, followed by Russia, the United States, China, and Germany. Kyrgyzstan led as the largest export destination with USD 1.048 billion, while Turkey dominated imports with USD 2.219 billion.
