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”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Sunday highlighted a “truly elevated and festive” mood in his New Year's Eve message by saying the country had achieved “one of the greatest victories” in its modern history by receiving the European Union membership candidate status in December.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday congratulated citizens on New Year’s Eve by saying that 2023 had been a “truly special year of abundant success and progress in the recent history of our country”.
The First Republic Square in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi will host a gala concert on New Year’s Eve, with Georgian artists, choirs, ensembles and dancers participating in “an impressive” two-hour show under the title “From European City to Europe”.
The different regions of Georgia are welcoming the New Year in a festive mood with all cities decorated with illuminations and Christmas trees.
Ilia II, the Catholicos Patriarch of Georgia’s Orthodox Christian Church, on Monday congratulated citizens on New Year’s Eve by wishing them peace.
Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze on Sunday congratulated citizens on the New Year from the National Dispatch Centre, a venue coordinating the work of entities on the domestic electricity market.