Georgia Celebrates Independence Day
On May 26, Georgia celebrates the 106th anniversary of the declaration of the first independent democratic republic and 33rd anniversary of the restoration of its independence. The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, addressed the citizens at the ceremony in Tbilisi’s Freedom Square; Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili and Minister of Defence Irakli Chikovani gave speeches and congratulated the citizens on Independence Day. After that, recruits in five regions of Georgia and Tbilisi simultaneously took the military oath.
President Zurabishvili’s Speech
President of Georgia and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Salome Zurabishvili addressed the Georgian Armed Forces, thanking them for their role in preserving Georgia’s independence and noting that Georgia will never forget the heroes of the past who bravely fought for the freedom that Georgia has today, and which, the President stressed, is the responsibility of every Georgian to protect and never let anyone take away.
The President also addressed Georgians who believe that Georgia’s independence and European future are in danger because of the ongoing developments surrounding the foreign agents law and the anti-Western rhetoric of the ruling party, telling them: “Don’t give in to hopelessness, this country and its independence have been built and preserved by you, the citizens of this country, and today we must strengthen and reaffirm it.”
She noted that as a child of emigrants to France, who fought from afar for the independence of Georgia, which the country briefly enjoyed in 1918-2021, and at the same time as a person who concluded an agreement with the Russian army to leave Georgia peacefully, she feels responsible to her predecessors and her country to “do everything for the independence of this country and its European future”. President Zurabishvili emphasized that both, the people who have seen Georgia before independence and the generation that has never experienced Georgia under anyone’s rule and can’t imagine what it means to lose freedom, will not allow anyone to take away what Georgia has built, and enslave the country.
“No one can force today’s Georgia to live again with other people’s beliefs, dogmas and fetters; that’s why I firmly believe – no one can ever take Georgia back to the past. I believe and I want to convince you that we are not at a dead end, we are not moving in a closed circle, hopelessness and nihilism have no place in us. The fate of our country is in our hands and we must find a solution ourselves. As the President of this country, the guarantor of the security of its independence and foreign policy, I see my responsibility in finding these solutions. There is a solution and it is clearly visible before our eyes what this solution is,” – stated the President.
President Zurabishvili stated that the first “cornerstone of the solution” is saving Georgia’s European future. “Today, when the shadow of Russia looms over us, partnership and rapprochement with Europe and America is the true way to preserve and strengthen our independence and peace. Those who sabotage and damage this path are trampling on the peaceful and secure future of our country, on the way to becoming a full member of the free and democratic world. The European Union is an area of freedom where no country has joined without its own will and the will of its people, it is a path of openness, justice and development. It is a place where even the smallest nation, its language, faith, identity and tradition are protected. It is a Union where a person, his/her family, security, health, social status, private life, dignified old age are protected, where all his/her rights are protected”.”
The President added: “The European Union in its essence and idea is created for peace. There is no “war party” in Europe, no war has been started by Europe since its foundation. Instead, the real war party is one and only one, which we see today in our occupied territories – Russian imperialism. The European Union appears to us as a Union of free nations, within which our country has the opportunity to preserve its independence and develop in a peaceful and secure environment.”
She added that 33 years ago Georgia embarked on its Western path, and European and American partners have always stood by it, which can be seen in all the good that the West has brought to Georgia, compared to all the bad that Georgia had to endure because of Russia. She noted that it amuses her that she still has to prove this again, although everyone knows who the enemy is and who the friend is.
President Zurabishvili noted that the second “cornerstone of solution” is stability. “In this region and in this geopolitical situation, there is no solution for us other than peaceful processes. Revolutions, coups, destruction or destabilization are not and cannot be a solution. We know very well that on the outside it only gives a hand to our enemy and on the inside it contributes to sabotage of the peaceful process, intimidation, repression and ultimately to the strengthening of the authoritarian regime. The only way to maintain stability is through elections”.
“With these elections we have to make the most important choice: either a European, democratic, independent Georgia, or a Russian-led, authoritarian and isolated Georgia! Such a choice is called a public referendum. That is why the upcoming elections will be as important for this country as the 1918 elections or the 1991 referendum – the historic decision of the country! The voice and will of the people should revive the Georgian nation and restore its faith in itself and its capabilities,” – the President added.
The President noted that saving Georgia’s future must also be done by de-sovietizing Georgia. “We must uproot everything that characterized this dark past – isolation, war, the image of a non-existent enemy, conspiracy theories, confrontation, repression, censorship, wiretapping, eavesdropping, secret records, compromising documents, slavery, infidelity, lies, alienation, fear and conformity.” She also noted that Georgia must also de-occupy, which can only happen with the help of the European Union, after which Georgia can promise the currently occupied region “unified development, real protection of human rights, real freedom without military bases and mobilization.”
Salome Zurabishvili also listed what needs to be freed from political manipulation for European future: Justice, because everyone deserves a free and fair trial; Economy and business, so that Georgia can attract long-term investments and projects and no businessman is forced to give up his own shares again; Social life, so that everyone’s private, family, work and public life can be protected; Culture, which cannot be censored because it has a real chance to compete with any European country and take its place with dignity; Sports, so that no one can take responsibility for the historic victories of athletes, as happens in totalitarian regimes.
“This path of liberation must be taken, and we will not be able to take this path if we do not touch the political space as well.” She said: “What else is the Soviet relic, if not the one-party system, the monopoly of all state institutions and public structures by one party – the Soviet relic is the subordination of state interests to the interests of the leader and the party. Our mentality and memory must be liberated from the Soviet relic. It is on this liberation memory that our future must be built on, so that we never allow the Soviet past to repeat itself. The main defender of all this is a free society and free thinking – free from pressure and fear – an independent person in an independent country. Long live independent and free Georgia! Congratulations!” – the President concluded.
Notably, the President’s speech was met with boos from the crowd, as allegedly GD supporters shouted at her to get off the stage and leave.
Prime Minister’s Speech
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in his address underlined that “For 3000 years, Georgians have faithfully worked, fought and sacrificed themselves for the independence of Georgia. At the crossroads of empires, it was this loyalty and self-sacrifice that enabled our small but proud country to maintain its freedom and state independence. I bow before every hero who sacrificed his precious life for the independence of Georgia.”
He noted that after gaining independence from Soviet rule in 1991, Georgia has embarked on the so-called “Moses’ Path”, which will surely lead Georgia to the “Promised Land”. The “Promised Land” was described by the Prime Minister as the Georgian dream of living in a “united and strong Georgia with its Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers and sisters” by 2030, when Georgia will become a full member of the European family.
The PM noted that Georgia has endured many difficulties over the past 34 years. “In the early 90s, we went through three wars. Between 2004 and 2012, we experienced the loss of de-facto independence, authoritarianism, agency rule and the fourth war. The inexperience of society and the betrayal of politicians cost our country a temporary loss of 20% of its territory. From 2012 to the present, we have gone through numerous attempts to undermine the sovereignty and independence of Georgia, especially in the last 4 years… However, today the Georgian society is much more experienced than in the first years of restoration of independence, and the country is governed by the government which is the guardian of the sovereignty and independence of Georgia and the protector of its national interests”.
PM Kobakhidze spoke of “multiple betrayals” and accused the President of betrayal as well, saying: “The unity and reasonable steps of the people and their elected government have given us the opportunity to maintain peace in the country for the past two years despite existential threats and multiple betrayals, including the betrayal of the President of Georgia.”
He noted that current processes in the world have shown that “the protection of sovereignty is the most effective guarantee of security”, so Georgia should protect its independence as well as “the three pillars of national identity – land, language and faith” and “overcome hatred, because what has been destroyed by hatred can only be rebuilt with love”.
“For 3 millennia, Georgians have saved our small country, located in the epicenter of the conflict between empires, precisely by loving the motherland and loving each other. Great empires rose and fell because their only driving forces were greed and hatred. Our country, which protected its land, language and religion and did not forget the love of God, fatherland and people, has been protected by God for centuries. With the protection of God and the work and struggle of each one of us, we will definitely fulfill the Georgian dream and create a united and strong Georgia, which will take its rightful place in the common European family with sovereignty, dignity and values,” – concluded the Prime Minister.
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