Georgian President expresses “great hope” 2024 will be “more successful” in New Year’s Eve message
Speaking from the Enguri bridge, which connects the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia with the rest of the country, Zourabichvili emphasised its significance as a “unifying symbol” for the nation. Photo: Presidential Administration
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Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Sunday extended her congratulations to citizens for the New Year by expressing her “great hope” that 2024 would be a “more successful” year for the country.
Speaking from the Enguri bridge, which connects the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia with the rest of the country, Zourabichvili emphasised its significance as a “unifying symbol” for the nation.
I extend my congratulations to you from a location in Georgia that is particularly dim today. There is no illuminated Christmas tree here, even though the largest and most beautiful Christmas tree should be standing here, visible from both sides of the bridge. This bridge serves as a symbol of unity, connecting Abkhazia and the EU candidate Georgia”, she said in a video message.
Zourabichvili also conveyed a New Year’s Eve message from the Presidential Palace in Tbilisi.
Happy New Year! pic.twitter.com/iUQs4BRUYn
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) December 31, 2023
I congratulate you from the Orbeliani Presidential Palace - not only a state symbol, but, more importantly, a representation of our unity: Abkhazians, the residents of the Tskhinvali region, our diaspora, and all our citizens. This is a place that belongs to each of you, where your state finds its home. Unity is our most valuable possession, and with this unity, I extend my congratulations on the collective achievement of this year - the candidate status, a true opening of the European path”, she noted.
Zourabichvili also reviewed the challenges and hardships of 2023 by saying “we remember the Shovi [natural disaster] tragedy in Racha, the Guria tragedy, and the daily struggles faced by our citizens under the pressure of occupying forces”.
“We are not forgetting these moments and live with them to prevent history from repeating itself. We also acknowledge the significance of March 8, the year of our unity, and November 8, a shared victory”, she noted.
As we conclude this year, we do so with great hope that 2024 will be more successful, a year of unity where we recognise that having differing opinions does not necessitate fighting against each other”, Zourabichvili continued.
The President stressed the latter point was a “lesson we must embrace” in the election year to “uphold unity, ensuring that freedom and justice prevail”.