Prepared by Messenger Staff
US Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for Georgian Citizens
The US State Department will suspend immigrant visa processing for Georgian citizens starting January 21, as part of a broader review affecting applicants from 75 countries.
The pause will remain in effect indefinitely while the department reassesses immigrant visa procedures, citing concerns about applicants deemed likely to become a public charge.
"The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people," State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said.
He said immigrant visa processing from the affected countries will be halted during the reassessment period "to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits."
Georgia is among dozens of countries included in the measure. The State Department has not specified when the reassessment will be completed.
Gazprom Says Gas Supplies to Georgia Rose by Over 40% in 2025
Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom said it increased natural gas supplies to Georgia by 40.4% in 2025 compared to the previous year, as part of a broader rise in exports to Central Asia and the South Caucasus.
In a statement, Gazprom said gas deliveries to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan rose by 22.2% in 2025. The company also reported that for the first time, it supplied more gas to China than to Europe, with exports to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline reaching 38.8 billion cubic meters.
Official Georgian data point to a parallel rise in imports from Russia. According to Georgia's National Statistics Office, petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons, a category that includes natural gas, were the country's second-largest import from Russia between January and November 2025. During that period, Georgia imported 572.5 tons of these products worth USD 160.9 million, up from 498.8 tons valued at USD 140.2 million during the same period in 2024. December data have not yet been released.
Despite the increase in imports, Georgia's energy regulator said tariffs will remain unchanged. On December 29, the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission decided to keep electricity and natural gas prices stable for both household and commercial consumers. Electricity tariffs will remain in force until March 31, 2026, while gas tariffs are set until December 31, 2026.
Russia was Georgia's main gas supplier until 2007. Following the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline, the deterioration of relations with Moscow, and the 2008 war, Georgia gradually shifted toward Azerbaijani gas. By 2009, imports from Azerbaijan had overtaken those from Russia.
