President Zourabichvili: we need national accord and unanimity as never before
"I would like to address our people, the political spectrum, the majority and the opposition and the government - today, as never before, for us and for our future, we need national accord and unanimity. Strength is in unity,” Zourabichvili said, citing the national motto. Photo: President's press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili stressed the importance of “national accord and unanimity” in the wake of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, in comments to the political spectrum and the public.
The president said Thursday’s session of the National Accord - an initiative to help reduce polarisation in Georgia and reach a consensus between political groups - would be cancelled, citing “Ukraine and our solidarity with Ukraine” as the topic of the day for the local political scene.
I must join the call for an immediate ceasefire by the UN Secretary-General and all other leaders,” she said of the hostilities in the east of Ukraine, while also addressing political leaders and figures within Georgia.
I would like to address our people, the political spectrum, the majority and the opposition and the government - today, as never before, for us and for our future, we need national accord and unanimity. Strength is in unity,” Zourabichvili said, citing the national motto.
The Georgian official said the developments marked Thursday as a tragic day for “all peace-loving democracies in Europe and the world,” pointing out Ukraine’s efforts to maintain peace in the country and lamenting the fact it “could not avoid a full-scale Russian aggression.”
In the address, Zourabichvili also said she would sign a request from the opposition of the country’s legislative body to convene an extraordinary parliamentary session to express solidarity for Ukraine and support for its territorial integrity.
She also expressed readiness to participate in various formats discussing the crisis and represent Georgia in talks, emphasising the significance of seeing “the voice of Georgia [being] heard” on an international level.
Prior to the military invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of Ukrainian regions following a call by Russia's Security Council on the president to do so, with the Russian State Duma unanimously supporting the Communist Party's initiative to the Russian president to recognise the independence of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
Zourabichvili on Monday condemned Putin’s decision to recognise the independence of the two regions, calling it a “repetition of the scenarios” - in reference to the events during and after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.