Georgian, Polish PMs unveil monument to former President Lech Kaczynski in Batumi

Georgian and Polish Prime Ministers opened a monument to former Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who died in 2010, in Georgia’s Black Sea city of Batumi on Thursday.

In a meeting in the city between the two leaders, Garibashvili noted Georgians would “never forget” the “heroic actions” of Kaczynski during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia.

The Georgian PM told the public the unveiling of the monument was “to immortalise the name of a great friend of the Georgian people, the national hero of Georgia, President Lech Kaczynski”.

The head of the Georgian Government noted Kaczynski’s “active support” for Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations in his lifetime.

He vocally called on Western leaders to make bolder decisions regarding our country's European integration. [During the war] In August 2008, President Kaczynski arrived in Tbilisi to stand up for our sovereignty, our country and our people,” the PM said.

Today, during the worst events on the European continent, we all remember his warning to European leaders that if they did not resist the aggression against Georgia, in the future Ukraine and other countries would be targeted,” Garibashvili also added.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki spoke about the values of Kaczynski at the unveiling of the monument, and thanked his counterpart for honouring the memory of the late Polish politician.