Georgian president: in my childhood I never thought I'd return to France as a president
The Georgian Government in exile purchased the historic Leuville Estate in 1922. In 2016, ownership of the estate was returned to Georgia. Photo: President’s press office.
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French-born Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who is visiting France on her second foreign trip, has visited the Georgian estate in Leuville, where the members of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia lived in exile.
Zurabishvili, who is descendant of one of the leading figures of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia Niko Nikoladze, stated that in her childhood she would have never thought to visit the estate as the president of Georgia.
In my childhood, I never would have thought that I would return to Leuville-Sur-Orge as the President of Georgia. Life is full of surprises,” Zurabishvili said.
Before a meeting with her French counterpart Zurabishvili attended a service in Saint Nino Orthodox Church in Paris.
Noe Zhordania was the leader of the Democratic Republic of Georgia when the government of our independent nation was exiled in 1921. 98 years later, I was honored to pay my hommages to Mr. Zhordania in Leuville-sur-Orge ???????? pic.twitter.com/aFPvTnZPvn
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 17, 2019
The church was built by Zurabishvili’s father Levan Zourabichvili, a chairman of the Georgian Diaspora in France.
This is the Georgian emigration church, built by Levan Zourabichvili, Ioseb Kemularia and Ilamaz Dadekheliani. Salome has been frequently visiting this church since her childhood. I remember her singing in the choir. We have lots of cherished memories. I hope that through her efforts she will achieve great progress and success in relations with Europe and foreign countries. Having this hope, we pray for her and Georgia,” father Artchil said.
The St. Nino Orthodox Church in #Paris is a historically humbling establishment for our Georgian diaspora that I was honored to see once again during my visit to ???????? #France. pic.twitter.com/oINjGcyOuw
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 17, 2019
Zurabishvili is scheduled to hold meetings with President Emmanuel Macron, and President of the Senate Gerard Larcher to discuss prospects for Georgian-French relations and the priorities of Georgian foreign policy.
In #Paris, I had the pleasure to hold a session with Georgian students from #Grenoble, #Paris, #Nantes, and all other parts of #France to discuss what we can do to help the students return to their homelands and how #Georgia can help its students abroad. pic.twitter.com/oJ1JLmYZDJ
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 17, 2019
Following the meeting with Macron, the two presidents will sign a declaration of cooperation on launching the Dimitri Amilakhvari Georgian-French Bilateral Political Dialogue that will advance a dialogue between the countries, the Preisdent’s press office says.
A meeting will be held with representatives of the French Institute of International Relations, which will host a debate with the participation of French think tanks, diplomats, businessmen and politicians.