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The News in Brief

Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Prepared by Messenger Staff

Surge in Company Registrations: Russian Citizens Found Three Times More Companies in Georgia After Ukraine War, TI Georgia Reports

After the start of the war in Ukraine, Russian citizens have founded 21,326 companies in Georgia, which is three times more than the total number founded in the previous 27 years, according to a report by Transparency International - Georgia.

Specifically, the data reveals that from January 1995 to February 2022, a total of 7,788 companies were established by Russian citizens in Georgia. However, in the period from March 2022 to June 2023, this number tripled.

As a result, the average monthly registration of companies by Russian citizens in Georgia reached 1,300 after the onset of the war in Ukraine, based on the information provided by the organization.



Maritime Agency Confirms Arrival of Cruise Ship from Russia in Batumi

The Maritime Transport Agency has announced that on July 27, the cruise ship ASTORIA GRANDE, sailing under the flag of Palau, is scheduled to enter the Batumi seaport. The ship commences its cruise from the city of Sochi, Russia, and is operated by the Turkish company Miray Cruises International.

The agency clarifies that the entry of the ASTORIA GRANDE is of a commercial nature and that it is registered in Seychelles under the name of the company "Goodwin Shipping Limited." Furthermore, the ship is not subject to international sanctions.

"The Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, in coordination with the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance, continuously inspects both ships and shipowners in relation to international sanctions. Therefore, if the ship or the owner of the ship is on the list of sanctions, it is not allowed to enter the ports of Georgia and carry out the relevant procedures," the agency says.

At the beginning of the year, the information about the sea shipments between Sochi and Batumi was spread by the Russian media, but Georgian authorities did not confirm this information.