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.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has responded to the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders earlier today, calling it “shocking” for Georgia and expressing solidarity with the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions against Ukraine are “something that we have to worry about” and a threat to Europe’s security, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili said on Tuesday while making parallels between the Kremlin’s recognition of the independence of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions and its steps against Georgia in 2008.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the country’s foreign minister David Zalkaliani have condemned the recognition of the independence of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.
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During a telephone conversation, the officials expressed their concern over Russia's attack on Ukraine, while President Macron reaffirmed his support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, said the presidential administration of Georgia.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili praised her Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky for being an "exemplary leader" in the wake of Russia's ongoing military invasion of Ukraine following a telephone conversation on Saturday evening.
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Diplomats including the European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan and her French and German counterparts Diego Colas and Hubert Knirsch on Thursday joined a rally in support of Georgia’s continued European integration in Tbilisi.
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728 Russian citizens, out of 3,265, who are originally from Georgia and meet the requirements of the law, have been granted Georgian citizenship in 2022 by the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili, the Public Service Development Agency of the Ministry of Justice reported on Friday.
If Georgia wants democracy, Europeanism and to be a strong state, it needs strong regions. Local self-government is one of the crucial issues for the country’s future, Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili said on Saturday at the international conference on Efficiency and Challenges of Local Self-Government in Georgia.