Assessing the progress of the SME Development reform (henceforth "SME reform") relates to the activities that have been implemented and are planned in accordance with the SME Development Strategy of Georgia 2021-2025. The strategy aims to restore positive trends that were present prior to the onset of the pandemic and to support the continued growth of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Biodiversity, as defined by the Convention of Biological Diversity (CDB), refers to “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems” (CDB). Generally, it refers to the diversity of ecosystems and the variety of life on Earth.

This policy brief addresses risks tied to Russian business ownership in Georgia. The concentration of this ownership in critical sectors such as electricity and communications makes Georgia vulnerable to risks of political influence, corruption, economic manipulation, espionage, sabotage, and sanctions evasion. To minimize these risks, it is recommended to establish a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) screening mechanism for Russia-originating investments, acknowledge the risks in national security documents, and implement a critical infrastructure reform.

Before the current insolvency reform, Georgia’s legislative framework regulating insolvency proceedings fell short of meeting international standards – it did not meet either creditors’ or debtors’ needs and failed to offer incentives to the insolvent companies to choose rehabilitation as their optimal strategy for resolving financial difficulties.

The Law of Georgia on Water Resource Management (the Law), passed by the Parliament in its third reading on June 30, 2023, outlines the principles of basin management according to which the country will be divided into seven river basins, and corresponding basin management plans will be created.

To identify the specific risks associated with Russian business ownership, this study draws upon a comprehensive literature review and conducted expert interviews. The study places Russia within the context of a global threat actor and examines the exploitation of private business ownership by hostile state actors as a hybrid threat.