By the decision of the Board of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG), the NBG has purchased an additional USD 100 million worth of highest purity (999.9) LBMA standard gold bars for its international reserves.

Following this acquisition, the share of monetary gold in the NBG's international reserves will reach 15.5%. The upward trend of the international reserves is particularly noteworthy; as a result, total reserves have reached a historical high of USD 7.0 billion, with their volume amounting to 114.8% of the International Monetary Fund's Assessing Reserve Adequacy (ARA) metric.

This decision is an integral component of the NBG's long-term international reserve management strategy. It aims to further diversify reserve assets, enhance the resilience of the reserves, and hedge against inflationary risks. Monetary gold is widely recognized by central banks globally as a reserve asset that bolsters portfolio resilience against geopolitical risks and facilitates risk mitigation.

The National Bank of Georgia remains committed to managing its international reserves in strict adherence to the principles of safety, liquidity, and profitability. In tandem with the growth of international reserves, the NBG continues to evaluate diversification opportunities and will make strategic decisions aligned with its long-term objectives and international best practices.

It should be emphasized that strong macroeconomic fundamentals enabled the NBG to significantly replenish its international reserves in 2025. Specifically, the NBG purchased USD 2.4 billion last year, boosting reserves to USD 6.16 billion by year-end, and further to a historically high level of USD 6.65 billion in February 2026.

Furthermore, central banks worldwide continue their long-standing practice of accumulating gold. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, central banks purchased over 970 tons of gold, representing approximately 80% of total acquisitions in 2025 (1,235 tons). Aggregate central bank purchases have consistently exceeded the 1,000-ton threshold for four consecutive years (2022-2025). Importantly, central bank demand exhibits low price sensitivity, which mainly supports the stability of the gold price floor. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine, escalating tensions in the Middle East, US-China trade frictions, and the US-Iran conflict that commenced in February 2026 have collectively reinforced a structural risk premium in gold pricing, elevating its enduring value as a safe-haven asset.