Georgian President says her recent foreign visits aim to fulfil “highest, foremost” obligation - promote country’s European integration

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Thursday said the series of foreign visits to European cities aimed to fulfil her “highest and foremost” obligation as President - to promote the country's European integration.

In her address to the public on Public Broadcaster, Zourabichvili noted that European leaders had been expressing their support to Georgia as the citizens had shown the whole Europe how “important” was the European Union candidate membership status for them, adding she herself had been representing Georgian citizens in Europe.

I have plans to visit other [European] countries. In these two and a half or three months, I hope to be able to visit the main and maybe all the capitals of Europe and bring your wish, your dream, your future protection [European integration]”, she emphasised.

Zourabichvili stressed “all the problems facing Georgia today would be improved step by step” when the country would join the EU. She noted the country would continue to move forward to Europe, where “its place has been”.

Commenting on the decision of the Georgian Government to initiate an impeachment procedure against her for the departure for a series of foreign visits this week despite the Government’s refusal to approve her request for the trips, Zourabichvili said “everyone should forget the dream of my resignation” as she would continue to fulfil her highest constitutional duty.

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She cited the Georgian constitution that states that “constitutional bodies shall take all measures within the scope of their competences to ensure the full integration of Georgia into the EU”.

The Georgian Government Administration last week said the Government had rejected requests by Zourabichvili’s office for approval of her official visits to Germany, Ukraine, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Israel.

However, the President later that week departed for a visit to Germany and France, as her Administration said she was starting a series of meetings with European leaders “to garner support” for Georgia to be granted EU membership candidate status.