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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Pjotr Sauer in Tbilisi

Watershed moment as Georgia goes to polls in tussle between Russia and west

The image of Bidzina Ivanishvili is shown on a big screen in front of a crowd
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the Georgian Dream party, is seen on a screen at a campaign rally in Tbilisi on Wednesday. Photograph: Irakli Gedenidze/Reuters

Georgians are heading to polls in a critical election that could determine whether one of the once most pro-western former Soviet states will veer towards a more authoritarian, Russia-aligned path.

For the past three decades, Georgia – a country of 3.6 million people nestled in the Caucasus mountains – has maintained strong pro-western aspirations, with polls showing up to 80% of its residents favour joining the EU.

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