Georgian Prime Minister Emphasizes Government's Efforts for Long-Term Peace and EU Membership at CoE Summit
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, May 18, 2023
During his speech at the General Debate held within the framework of the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe in Reykjavik, Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili stated that the Georgian government is taking all necessary measures to ensure long-term peace in the country.
During his speech, Irakli Gharibashvili discussed the issue of Russia's aggression in Ukraine, highlighting its significance as one of the major challenges confronting Europe. He emphasized that such aggression violates several international declarations, including the UN and Helsinki agreements. Gharibashvili expressed Georgia's unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, drawing upon the country's own firsthand experience of a full-scale war with Russia in 2008. This conflict resulted in significant loss of life and the occupation of 20% of Georgian territories.
"Today we are facing one of the most important challenges in Europe, which involves Russia's aggression in Ukraine, which violates the UN, Helsinki and other declarations. Georgia strongly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and we well remember the full-scale war we had with Russia in 2008. We had a very large deficit of 20% of lives. We, Georgians, know very well the price of war and the price of peace. After regaining our independence and going through several wars, we realize the consequences of war and therefore value peace more. Our government, which is in power, is doing everything to ensure that there is continuous peace in the country," said Gharibashvili.
As per his statement, the Prime Minister highlighted that Georgia's future objective is to become a member of the European Union. He emphasized that this aspiration is a significant goal for both the country and its people. Additionally, the government is actively working towards fulfilling the 12 recommendations necessary to obtain candidate status.
During his address, Gharibashvili discussed the legislative changes undertaken to reform the electoral and judicial systems in Georgia. He also touched upon the current state of media and freedom of expression, emphasizing that these issues are a part of their agenda. The Prime Minister expressed the commitment of the Georgian government to transparency and openness, considering them as their distinctive traits. Furthermore, he stated that Georgia leads in these aspects among Eastern European and Central Asian countries.
The Prime Minister emphasized that since coming to power in 2012, the Georgian government has implemented an effective policy and taken dynamic actions that align with their vision. According to him, Georgia has become a model democracy in the entire region.
The Prime Minister spoke about the significant improvements that have been made in both the judicial and electoral systems as part of Georgia's development agenda. Gharibashvili said that the legislative changes were implemented to safeguard human rights in these areas.
"We have improved both the judicial system and the electoral system. It is part of our development agenda. Legislative changes have been made in the judicial system and the electoral system to ensure the protection of human rights. Media rights and freedom of expression are also included in our agenda. Transparency and openness are our core values. Georgia is a leader in Eastern European and Central Asian countries in terms of these aspects. Overall, Georgia has become an exemplary democracy in the entire region, and we have received positive assessments at the international level regarding these aspects," said the Prime Minister.
