Prepared by Messenger Staff
Kobakhidze Meets Sanctioned Belarusian Deputy PM in Tbilisi
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Shuleiko in Tbilisi on March 16, according to a statement released by the Georgian government.
The one-on-one meeting took place at the government administration building and focused on bilateral relations and future cooperation. According to a government press release, the officials discussed trade and economic ties between the two countries.
The Georgian side also spoke about what it described as the country's stable and predictable environment for investors.
"The importance of holding the 7th Session of the Georgia-Belarus Intergovernmental Economic Commission was also highlighted, as an important platform for discussing key economic issues between the two countries," the statement said.
The two officials also discussed tourism, with the government noting what it called positive trends and a growing number of visitors from Belarus.
Shuleiko has been under sanctions from the European Union since 2022 and from the United Kingdom since 2023.
Landslide Forces Evacuations in Western Georgia Village
Up to 45 families have been evacuated from the village of Kursebi in Tkibuli Municipality after a landslide damaged homes and farmland earlier this month.
The landslide began in the early hours of March 12 and continued in the following days. The disaster has affected about 60 hectares of land across three neighborhoods. Around 10 to 15 houses have collapsed, while several others were damaged. Part of the Kutaisi (Motsameta)-Tskhaltsitela-Ambrolauri highway and sections of village cemeteries were also affected. No injuries have been reported.
Residents say they woke up to the sound of cracking ground and falling trees. Because the landslide moved slowly, people had time to warn neighbors and leave the area.
"At about half past four, our neighbor called and told us that a debris flow was coming and that we had to leave the area immediately," one resident told Mega TV. "I have a small child. I grabbed them in my arms and ran with all my strength. We got into the cars and left."
Another resident, Mariam Berodze, said people survived because the landslide moved gradually. "The landslide did not break off suddenly and instead started moving gradually," she said.
Specialists remain in the area to monitor the situation. The National Environment Agency says the landslide is now entering a stabilization phase.
Families have been temporarily moved to hotels in Tkibuli and Kutaisi. Residents say they were promised rent support for a limited time, and some are asking to be resettled together so their community can remain intact.
Merab Gaprindashvili from the National Environment Agency said predicting landslides is extremely difficult. "These processes are no longer subject to regularities," he told the Public Broadcaster.
He added that geological hazards such as landslides have tripled worldwide over the past 10 to 15 years, a trend also seen in Georgia.
