On 25 August, a day of mourning was declared in Georgia, following a tragic road accident on the road to Shatili in the Dusheti municipality. 

A minibus, belonging to a tourism company, fell down an 80-meter rocky slope with 17 out of 19 passengers dying following the accident. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, President Salome Zurabishvili, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze sent their condolences to the families of those who died. 

Many of the representatives of Georgia’s political allies voiced their condolences following the tragedy. “Today the EU flag flies at half-mast as we mourn those who tragically lost their lives on the road to Shatili on 23 August. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured,” wrote EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell on his Twitter page. The US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, Council of Europe Secretary general Marija Pejcinovic Buric, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Ukraine, Lithuania, and many more also expressed their deep sorrow. 

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev also sent their condolences to Georgia.