Project title: Analysis of Russian Capital in Georgian Business - Stage 2

Supported by: Georgian Information Integrity Program(GIIP) / USAID

Budget: GEL 46,800

Duration: April 18, 2022 – September 1, 2022

In March 2022, IDFI published a study - Russian Capital in Georgian Business: A First Overview of the Communications, Banking and Mineral Water Sectors - which included the above sectors.

In the second phase of the project, IDFI intends to review and publish a new report detailing the work, resources and connections of Georgian companies owned by Russian citizens in the following sectors: electricity, oil and gas.

 The business is often related to socio-political actors and influences on public perceptions. We deem it important to closely investigate such links between political, civil and media actors and business companies owned by the citizens of Russia. This would give us a clear image of funding sources behind some malign political, media and civil actors that actively spread disinformation in the country. For this, IDFI will monitor the donations, lobbying cases and other types of connections between the companies and societal actors in order to map the network of Russian capital and political organizations in Georgia. As a result of the three stage project, IDFI plans to create a map of the Russian capital in Georgia, which will be integrated into the Georgian Disinformation Ecosystem Map.

Project Objectives

-  Investigation of Russian capital in the mentioned sectors of Georgian business and its impact on the political, media and civil sectors;

- Investigating and mapping the Russian capital in Georgian business and its impact on Georgian political, media, and civil actors;

- Revealing the connections between the companies owned by the citizens of Russia and political, civil, and media actors affiliated with the government of the Russian Federation;

- Creating an effective tool and source of verified information for the civil society and research organizations as well as for media outlets that are focused on Russian-Georgian relations, Russian propaganda and disinformation issues;

 -Providing the Government of Georgia with detailed information about the potential and/or existing malign influence of Russian capital on the Georgian political environment;

Project activities:

- In the second phase of the project, gathering information from public agencies, the Internet and other open sources in the following four areas: Electricity, oil and gas.

- Update the company information studied in 2015’s report.

-  Creating an analytical brief/interim report.

Project Activities and Budget  

Contract