In July, the Polarization Index saw another rise, marked by significant events such as the United States indefinitely postponing the "Worthy Partner 2024" military exercise, President Salome Zurabishvili returning a package of amendments related to the Pension Law to Parliament, and the President's appointment of a non-judge member to the Supreme Council of Justice, who the court later suspended. Conversely, the index experienced a decrease during periods of opposition party unification and notable performances by Georgian athletes in the Olympics.

Prompted by the Georgian Government's recent decision to select a Chinese company for the implementation of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port project, ISET-PI’s recent policy note (July 11, 2024) provides useful insights into China's ascent as the largest bilateral creditor for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), its lending practices and case studies, with that background analyses the risks associated with the Anaklia project and provides recommendations. Here is a summary of the main findings.

Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) is a process of evidence-based policymaking, which helps in designing better regulations. This process creates evidence for political decision-makers on the advantages and disadvantages of proposed policies by assessing their potential impacts. The results are summarized and presented in the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) report.

In an online international panel discussion hosted on December 22 at 2 PM, the ISET Policy Institute delved into the economic implications of Georgia being granted EU candidate status. The event, titled 'What economic benefits should Georgia expect after receiving EU candidate status?' sought to address the question that has captured broad professional and public interest since the historic decision on December 14.

Under the project "Develop Advocacy Capacity of CSOs and PSAs," which is funded by the USAID Economic Governance Program, ISET Policy Institute continues its mentorship activities. The aim of this project is to enhance the capabilities of CSOs and PSAs in various areas such as policy-making, advocacy, research, and outreach so that they can actively participate in the policy decision-making process and contribute to local community development, policy design, and implementation.