Встреча Владимира Путина и Никола Пашиняна в Бишкеке, как и ожидалось, не сняла главного противоречия в отношениях Москвы и Еревана — вопроса о том, готова ли Армения сделать окончательный выбор между евразийской и европейской интеграцией. При этом, как считает ведущий научный сотрудник Института международных исследований МГИМО Сергей Маркедонов, Москва и Ереван занимают принципиально разные позиции по вопросу о проведении референдума, на котором Армения могла бы определиться с выбором своего дальнейшего внешнеполитического курса. В Telegram-канале «Донской Казак» Маркедонов обращает внимание на то, что Москва заинтересована в том, чтобы Ереван как можно скорее определился между двумя интеграционными векторами. Руководство Армении, напротив, явно не торопится выносить этот вопрос на общенациональное голосование.
The lawyer for the man detained following a dispute with a foreign female tourist at the Agarani Estate hotel in Kakheti has presented his version of the events leading up to the altercation. The defense maintains that the conflict began well before the events shown in the video circulating online and was provoked by the actions of the tourists themselves.
According to lawyer Lasha Kapanadze, during a wedding celebration, women on the hotel's third-floor balcony shouted the traditional "Gorko!" (a call for the newlyweds to kiss) to the couple. When the wedding guests did not respond, the women allegedly began pouring liquid and spitting down from the balcony. The defense claims that this resulted in damage to the musical equipment.
According to the lawyer, guests appealed to the hotel management, asking the tourists to stop their inappropriate behavior. However, Kapanadze stated that about 10–15 minutes later, liquid was again poured from the balcony. Following this, singer Alexander Mrelashvili refused to continue his performance and left the event.
The defense also claims that the groom's brother, Giorgi Chigladze, went up to the third floor and admonished the women in English, stating that they had ruined the celebration. In response, one of the tourists reportedly demanded that he speak to her in Russian. Chigladze refused, stating that he would communicate only in Georgian or English.
Kapanadze further stated that, prior to the events captured in the widely circulated video, one of the women grabbed Chigladze by the throat and injured him. According to the defense, it was only after this that the dispute escalated into a physical altercation.
Meanwhile, new videos of the incident continue to circulate on social media. Footage captures a verbal altercation between the parties involved, though the full sequence of events leading up to the fight has not yet been officially established.
A video showing a man striking a foreign female tourist at the Agarani Estate hotel was posted on July 18 by the victim's friend. According to her, the conflict was sparked by the use of the Russian language. The man was detained following the incident. A criminal case has been opened against him for the intentional infliction of minor bodily harm, an offense punishable by up to three years in prison.
Later, the Telavi District Court ordered the accused, Giorgi Chigladze, to be released on bail of 5,000 lari. He was released directly from the courtroom after the decision was announced. During the hearing, Chigladze stated that he regretted the incident and had not intended for the conflict to end that way.
Additionally, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced the initiation of administrative proceedings against singer Alexander Mrelashvili. According to the agency, after being questioned as a witness, he refused to remain at the police station; the ministry alleges that he subsequently insulted law enforcement officers and damaged a storage locker.
The previous evening, an impromptu rally took place in Tbilisi in response to the high-profile incident at the Agarani Estate hotel. Georgian media reported that participants expressed their support for Giorgi Chigladze. During the march, the slogan "We know how to care for guests, but do not confuse guests with occupiers" was reportedly chanted.
