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Free Malaysia Today
05-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Georgia to shutter EU and Nato information centre as ties with West fray
Ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has said the EU and Nato are controlled by a shadowy 'global war party' that seeks to topple Georgia's government. (EPA Images pic) TBILISI : The Georgian government is to close its information centre on Nato and the EU, Georgian media reported today, citing the country's foreign ministry, amid souring ties between Tbilisi and the West. According to its website, the information centre aims 'to engage our population in Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration processes and to gain their well-informed support'. The centre, opened in 2005, is based in a large building on Freedom Square in downtown Tbilisi and flies the flags of the EU, the Nato military alliance and Georgia. Georgia's Interpress news agency reported that the centre is to be merged into the foreign ministry and that some staff have been told they are to be dismissed. The ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Georgia has been an EU candidate member since 2023, while Nato said in 2008 that the mountainous country of 3.6 million would eventually join the alliance. But though once among the most pro-Western and democratic of the Soviet Union's successor states, Georgia's government has in recent years moved to clamp down on domestic critics, while also rebuilding ties with former imperial overlord, Russia. Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire ex-prime minister widely seen as Georgia's de facto leader, has said the EU and Nato are controlled by a shadowy 'global war party' that seeks to topple the government and drag his country into war with Russia. Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream party in November 2024 paused EU accession talks until 2028, abruptly halting a popular national goal that is written into the country's constitution. The EU has said Tbilisi's application has been frozen over laws on 'foreign agents' and LGBT rights that Brussels has criticised as restrictive and influenced by Russian policies . Georgian Dream says it still wants to eventually join the EU and Nato, but that it also wants to keep the peace with its huge northern neighbour, as well as preserve the country's traditional Christian values. The US imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili last December, accusing him of dismantling Georgian democracy in the interests of Russia. Tbilisi and Moscow have had no formal diplomatic ties since 2008, when Russia defeated Georgia in a brief war over two Moscow-backed separatist regions.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt to launch ‘Freedom Square' at IT park Phase IV
T'puram: In a major push to promote innovation and youth entrepreneurship , Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), in collaboration with department of tourism, is all set to roll out the first-of-its-kind ' Freedom Square ' project at Technopark Phase IV in Pallippuram. The project is designed to become a vibrant, round-the-clock co-creation hub for students, startups, investors and industry leaders. According to KSUM, the project will become a reality in the current financial year. The inaugural facility is set to come up on five acres of land owned by tourism department, located near Digital University of Kerala. It will be an open space with a building so that they can spend a whole day and night with events and recreation. According to Ashok Kurian Panjikkaran, business head, KSUM, Freedom Squares are not just buildings; they are movements. "We want to give young minds a space where they can brainstorm freely, build on ideas and engage directly with mentors, corporate leaders and investors. This initiative ties in with our mission to transform Kerala into a knowledge society. We hope to start the first such facility in Technopark Phase-IV before March 2026," he said. The centre will be open 24/7 and include coworking spaces, meeting rooms, dormitories, recreational areas and high-speed internet connectivity. It will also act as a nodal centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres that function in various educational institutions across Kerala. Tourism department's involvement is intended to add cultural and aesthetic value to the space while encouraging community participation and social innovation. Tourism features include a VR-powered experience zone, amphitheatre, gaming arenas, and cultural integration spaces showcasing Kerala's heritage. Wellness facilities, including a mini hospital and meditation areas, will further enhance the visitor experience.
