Full transcript of PM Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation announcement

Irakli Garibashvili announced he was stepping down as Georgia’s Prime Minister at 8pm this evening.

He stood on the veranda of the Government Administration’s building, overlooking Tbilisi at night.

He spoke for six minutes and in his address to the nation he covered several important topics, including his team’s top achievements, his personal values, the person from whom he took the example and the importance of his supportive family.

Read the English transcript of Garibashvili’s full address below.

[Crossheads made by Agenda.ge to make reading easier].

"My dear compatriots!

Hello everybody!

As you know each citizen has the right to free choice. Until now all my steps have been based on this right. I used this right when I made a decision about my wedding, when I decided about my career and when I embarked into a career in politics, when we united around Bidzina Ivanishvili to save the country.

Our fight in 2012 was crowned with a victory for the Georgian people. I am really proud that I had an opportunity to take this big responsibility before my people and country. I had a chance to continue fighting for the welfare of the Georgian people with our team."

What’s been achieved?

"Peace and stability was ensured in the country when I served as Prime Minister. As well as this, we guaranteed the rule of law and human attitudes.

We have returned major values to our people: freedom and dignity. We also created a sustainable foundation for economic and social stability through large-scaled activities and reforms we have carried out.

We also achieved historic goals: signed an Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU) and a Free Trade deal. We also gained access to visa-free travel with EU states.

Through these steps our integration into the European family has become irreversible.

Today, as ever, based on our pragmatic policy and genuine steps towards Europe, we are close to living peacefully together with our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers.

We have launched genuine activities to restore Georgia’s historic mission. Georgia has been actively involved in the Silk Road international project, which will see Georgia act as a bridge between Europe and Asia."

Previous Prime Minister leads by example

"Bidzina Ivanishvili took an unprecedented step when he was in the peak of his popularity and his career. He created a precedent on how a politician should do a good thing for the country for his timely coming and timely quitting.

To be sincere, no job whether it is as Minister of Internal Affairs or Prime Minister, or being in Government in general, has ever been my personal aim.

This has just been a way for me to serve my country. … And this political culture has been introduced by our team.

Georgia is a young democracy and it is very important what examples we leave behind for our children and their children in the future.

All posts are temporary. Only God and the homeland are eternal.

Therefore today I made a decision to resign.

Now that we have created strong foundations in Georgia’s domestic and foreign policies, I want to wish success to the new Prime Minister."

Grateful to my supportive family, team

"But first of all I want to thank to each and every citizen of Georgia.

I thank our co-fighters for their cooperation and support, and everyone who has done many good things for the country.

I want to particularly thank my wife Nunuka and my sons Nikoloz, Andria and Gabriel.

Without Nunuka’s support I would not have been able to carry out such a responsible and valuable job, to be in good service of my country and my people.

My dream has always been to see a powerful and united Georgia, and economically strong Georgians.

I leave the post today but I remain a devoted soldier of my country.

Let God protect our country, and the proud and strong people of Georgia."