Georgian Parliament Speaker, President send messages of support to Ukraine on war anniversary
Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili and President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday sent messages of support to Ukraine and its people as the ongoing war in the country entered its second year. Photo: Nino Alavidze / Agenda.ge
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Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday sent messages of support to Ukraine and its people as the ongoing war in the country entered its second year.
In his address at the Presidential Palace in Tbilisi over the anniversary of the war, Papuashvili noted Georgia had stood “unwaveringly and unconditionally” by Ukraine and its people since the beginning of the invasion, and pledged to continue the support.
Today marks one year since the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine. A year of destruction, pain, thousands of dead civilians, the ruined present and future of millions of people - the largest aggression of our generation”, Papuashvili said.
The Speaker of the legislative body also recalled that Saturday marked the 102nd anniversary of the 1921 annexation of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia by the Red Army. He drew parallels between the two acts of aggression by saying “the world turned a blind eye to the suppression of aspirations for freedom of Georgia and other nations [in 1921]”, adding “Ukraine of 2022 should not become Georgia of 1921”.
1 year since Russia's aggression against #Ukraine has begun. Georgia stands firm with ????????. Wishing victory to Ukraine & the Ukrainian people in this heroic fight for freedom! ✊ https://t.co/qr4jqoYKUv
— Shalva Papuashvili ???????? (@shpapuashvili) February 24, 2023
Since the beginning of the war, Georgia has stood by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people unwaveringly and unconditionally. Without the military and economic protection of NATO and the European Union, and facing its own security risk, the Georgian people and their Government are uncompromising in their support for Ukraine”, Papuashvili noted.
In her turn, Zourabichvili said Ukraine had given the “entire world” an “example of what it means to be united around one goal”.
Russia has already been defeated in its declared war goals - failing to depose the Ukrainian Government, failing to exhaust the [Ukrainian] people's patience, failing to weaken the international support [for Ukraine]. On the contrary, trust and support towards the [Ukrainian] Government and President are increasing day by day - an unprecedented solidarity, unprecedented help, not only verbally, not only financially, but with all possible resources”, Zourabichvili noted.
The Georgian President stressed the outcome of the war in Ukraine would decide the “future of Europe as a whole”.
I believe in the victory of the Ukrainian people and a victorious, peaceful future. Theirs and ours - together. Long live Ukraine, long live Georgia, long live our friendship and our united future”, she concluded.
Georgian citizens, politicians, civil society groups and Ukrainian nationals living in Georgia or stranded in the country by the war in Ukraine will gather in central Tbilisi for a solidarity rally later today to mark the first year of the Russian invasion.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday vowed his support to Ukraine and its people as the ongoing war in the country entered its second year.
The Georgian Presidential Palace in central Tbilisi was on Thursday illuminated in the national colours of Ukraine to mark the anniversary of the country’s ongoing defence from the Russian invasion.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted the support his Government had provided to Ukraine following the Russian invasion, in response to the criticism from President Salome Zourabichvili, who on Friday said the Government had “isolated itself and is trying to justify a supposedly balanced position”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday highlighted the “courage, endurance and heroism” of the Ukrainian people on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of the country, in a letter to his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday praised his country’s “unprecedented support” for Ukraine in its defence from Russia, with the official noting the backing was being facilitated despite the “absence of any security umbrella” for Georgia and Russian troops being stationed in its occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.
Tbilisi’s hilltop TV tower overlooking Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, like the landmarks of different cities across the world, was illuminated in the national colours of Ukraine to mark the anniversary of the country’s ongoing defence from the Russian invasion.
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution calling on Russia to “immediately, completely and unconditionally” withdraw all of its military forces from the Ukrainian territory, with Georgia among 141 countries voting in favour.