I tried to collect the most important things that happened this year and let’s remember what happened and was discussed in the country.
* Russia’s war against Ukraine:
* Georgian people’s support for Ukrainians
* cautious position of the current government
* more than 30 thousand refugees from Ukraine came to Georgia
* decline in trade and tourism with Ukraine, which was in the TOP-7 according to these indicators
* patriotic and civic upsurge, discussion of occupation and Russia as an enemy
* double-digit economic growth of 10% driven by the recovery of tourism and the migration of Russian citizens, who collectively transferred more than $2 billion to the country
* Turkey remains the largest trading partner ($2.5 billion), Russia is second ($2.2 billion) +73%, and China is third ($1.6 billion), a noticeable rapprochement with Azerbaijan
* refusal to grant EU candidate status and receiving 12 requirements, but after a series of scandals, vague prospects for obtaining it in 2023
* trials against Saakashvili and his stay in the clinic throughout the year, the demands of the opposition and a number of European deputies to extradite him to another country, but the categorical statements of the current authorities that he should be in prison
* strong and confident, sometimes with threats, up to the addressee of the president, the position of the ruling party and rather weak, by the end of the year, inconspicuous opposition actions
* tourism recovery by 80% from pre-pandemic 2019, a noticeable increase in visitors from the Persian Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bayhrain) and from Europe (European Wizz Air ranks first in air travel in 2022), maintaining a stable flow of tourists from Russia and Belarus (not only migrants)
* more than 100 thousand Russians arrive in Georgia for a long time, traffic jams last more than 5 days in the autumn on Upper Lars
* Unemployment fell to historic lows
* inflation in the average annual value was 11.9%
* strengthening lari against the dollar (up to 2.71 gel) and the euro (up to 2.88 gel)
Source: Telegram channel about Georgia Nikolai Levshits
