Madam President,
Mr. Prime Minister,

Dear Members of the Parliament and the Government, representatives of the Patriarchate of Georgia,

I welcome the honorary guest, the President of Poland, Mr. Andrzej Duda, who joined our national celebration,

Honorary Ambassadors, dear guests,

I welcome every Georgian citizen and congratulate them on the main national day – Independence Day of Georgia!

I would like to particularly congratulate the young men who swore in today to serve the country. I believe, you will serve in a dignified manner for the country and will proudly implement the functions of a Georgian soldier.

The price our country has paid for independence and freedom is immense and obliges each of us to never forget our heroes, who sacrificed their lives. I commemorate our warriors fallen for freedom, independence and integrity of the homeland.

It is symbolic that on May 26 – Independence Day – we entrusted a Georgian knight to the Georgian land, a hero fighting for independence and freedom of Georgia, the Commander of independent Georgia, General Giorgi Kvinitadze. It is a confirmation that we commemorate and respect the devoted compatriots.

The restoration of our statehood took the vast efforts of many generations and the maintenance of the achieved statehood also requires hard work and devotion.

We need to further enhance the Georgian state and our political team has made the choice to undertake the peaceful, consistent and result-oriented policy to address the challenges as soon as possible and ensure the irreversible development of the country, which our people expect of us.

The EU has recognized Georgia as a leader amongst the EaP countries. We cherish the ambitious plan to make the application for EU membership in 2024. It is not easy but a road to be taken with responsibility.

It obliges us all – the society, Government and the opposition, all political subjects envisioning Georgia in Europe to jointly keep striving to achieve the goal that unites us – to become the full-fledged member of a democratic world.

I believe, everyone will demonstrate wisdom and put the national interest above all. We shall further enhance the democratic institutions, make Georgia a stable, peaceful and successful country, a leader not only in the region. It is what our European friends and partners expect of us, this is the potential they see in Georgia.

Today, I would like to thank everyone again who believes in the European and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia and who stands by our side on this path. They can count on us as on a reliable and loyal partner. Despite a successful foreign agenda, the occupation still remains an acute challenge for Georgia.

We have chosen the peaceful resolution of the conflict, as only peace and reconciliation can allow us to raise trust in our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers and live together in a united Georgia. De-occupation is of particular importance not only for Georgia but for the stability of the region.

I am sure, our generation will be able to achieve this goal and we will soon see Georgia in the European family. Thus, the dream of our ancestors will come true – it is a historical choice of our people.

I congratulate you on the Independence Day of Georgia.