New Georgian Chief of Staff of National Security Council

Givi Tumanishvili, has been named the new Chief of Staff of the National Security Council (NSC) by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Tumanishvili had been the Chief of the Georgian Intelligence Service's Analytical Directorate since 2019. Prior to that, he worked for the Georgian Defence Forces' Military Intelligence Department in a variety of capacities.

The position of Chief of Staff had been empty since February 2021, when Kakhaber Kemoklidze, the previous incumbent, took on a new position and temporarily served as the Head of Government Administration.

Sergo Turmanidze, the head of the NSC's Internal and External Security Affairs Department, was acting Chief of Staff in the meanwhile.

The body was established in April 2019, shortly after Georgia's new constitution went into effect, abolishing the former National Security Council, which was overseen by the President. Defence, Foreign, and Finance Ministers, Heads of State Security and Intelligence Services, and the Chief of Georgian Armed Forces make up the remainder of the permanent members.

As part of the Government administration, the Council also has "politically-neutral" permanent staff members who responsible for the NSC's informational, analytical, and organisational functions.

Anti-Occupation Council set up in Georgia

Several Georgian opposition parties and a movement have formed an agency called Anti-Occupation Council to prevent the occupation of Georgia by Russia.

The leader of the anti-occupation movement, Strength Is in Unity, Davit Katsarava, flagged that Georgia was facing a new threat of having its territories annexed. "Opposition parties and civil society are standing together and uniting in the face of this threat in order to prevent this process," he added.

Lana Galdava of Lelo said that the council would be guided by Georgia's national interests and focused on problems arising in the areas adjacent to the "occupation line" that divides breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the rest of Georgia. Katsarava and other members of the anti-occupation movement have been pursuing similar activities for quite some time now.

Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria said that people residing in the areas were facing a "humanitarian disaster," which should be brought to the attention of Georgia's international partners.

Giorgi Baramidze of the United National Movement (UNM) said that the council would seek ways of peacefully freeing Georgia from occupation.

Georgia regards Abkhazia and South Ossetia as occupied by Russia. Moscow recognised the independence of the breakaways in the aftermath of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war. The Russia-backed breakaway authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia periodically erect border fences along the line dividing the breakaways from the rest of Georgia.