PM: Georgia understands cost of war, recognises value of peace
The PM also reviewed his Government’s Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative for the region by saying “we are prepared to engage our neighbours and friendly nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan to finally bring lasting peace to the South Caucasus”. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday told the opening event of the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum the country understood the “cost of war” and recognised the “value of peace”.
In his address to the fourth edition of the Forum, Garibashvili said the Georgian Dream Government had built and maintained an “unprecedented and uninterrupted” decade of “peace and stability” since 2012, and had brought “confidence and predictability to our nation and our partners”.
One of the major goals of my Government is to avoid war and secure peace. Despite issues posed by our geographic location, regional and global security challenges, including ongoing war in Ukraine and alarming tensions in the Middle East, through prudent policies and close coordination with our partners, we have managed to keep our people and country safe while contributing as a responsible member of the international community”, he told the audience.
Garibashvili reminded the Forum participants about a "full-scale military aggression" that Georgia experienced in 2008 and "continues to endure its consequences".
This is still evident in the occupation of 20 percent of the Georgian territory by the Russian Federation and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. I confidently state that despite the devastation that we have suffered, we have not hesitated to pursue our ambitions. We have been gradually transforming Georgia into a dynamic society fully committed to peace, stability and economic development", he said.
The PM also reviewed his Government’s Peaceful Neighbourhood Initiative for the region by saying “we are prepared to engage our neighbours and friendly nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan to finally bring lasting peace to the South Caucasus”.
Today, I am delighted to host both of my dear colleagues - [Armenian] Prime Minister Pashinyan and [Azerbaijani] Prime Minister Asadov”, he continued in the opening address.
The Georgian official also stressed “permanent peace” would “benefit all of our countries” as well as the wider region, and bring “deserved prosperity to our nations”.
Dritan Abazović, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, on Thursday said Georgia was a “role model” for his Government's tourism policy, hailing the county’s “very good results and tourism marketing” in his address at the ongoing Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.
Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian Prime Minister, highlighted the importance of peace at the ongoing Tbilisi Silk Road Forum by stressing it would be “very complicated to build any bridge” without it, and adding the South Caucasus region was in need of a “lasting peace”.
The importance of “further deepening” the existing relations between Georgia and Montenegro was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and his Montenegrin counterpart Dritan Abazović.
Dritan Abazović, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, on Thursday pledged his Government's support for Georgia’s European Union integration at the ongoing Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, which he opened with his Georgian, Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts and the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Thursday said the interest shown for this year’s Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, an event hosting more than 2,000 delegates and guests from up to 60 foreign states, was “extremely high” and added the event’s attraction indicated Georgia’s growing role in the Black Sea region.
Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, on Thursday arrived in Tbilisi with his delegation to open the fourth edition of the Silk Road Forum hosted in the Georgian capital along with counterparts from Georgia, Azerbaijan and Montenegro and the Vice President of the Asian Development Bank.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday told Tbilisi Silk Road Forum that the international event that has brought together more than 2,000 delegates from 63 foreign states to discuss trade and connectivity in the Georgian capital was an “important opportunity” to promote the country’s progress in recent years.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday told the opening event of the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum the country had a “worthy place” in Europe and “deserved” the European Union membership candidate status.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said Georgia – positioned as a “natural” bridge at the crossroads of Europe and Asia – was transforming into a multi-dimensional regional hub, while his Government had invested “significantly” in modernising infrastructure, enhancing connectivity and fostering “efficient” trade routes.
Georgian officials on Thursday highlighted the importance of the Middle Corridor, a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus, as well as joint connectivity projects and efforts to further strengthen interstate trade and economic cooperation at panel discussions of the ongoing Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said Tbilisi, as an “impartial mediator” between the neighbouring Azerbaijan and Armenia in their long-running conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, was interested in ensuring a “lasting peace” in the South Caucasus.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said his Government was “interested” in ensuring “lasting peace” in the South Caucasus region and was committed to facilitate related talks between neighbourly Azerbaijan and Armenia, before hailing “excellent ties” with both nations in his address at the Paris Peace Forum panel discussion.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Tuesday said his Government's “major goal” was to ensure “peace and stability” in the South Caucasus region with “friendly” nations of Azerbaijan and Armenia through acting as an “unbiased” mediator to resolve their long-running conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday highlighted the importance of peace and his office’s commitment to mediate for a peaceful South Caucasus region in a Tbilisi meeting with Arayik Harutyunyan, the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Armenia.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday lauded his country’s "close cooperation" with Tbilisi on both political level and collaborative projects, and highlighted the positive impact of the "mutually beneficial" partnership on Europe while expressing optimism for a further integration of the South Caucasus region.