Parliament Speaker: we must reunify, develop our country, this is our Georgian dream - united, strong, independent Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday highlighted the “reunification of the country and its development” as “our national interest”.

In his address at the first session of the newly elected Parliament, Papuashvili reflected on Georgia’s path to independence and noted the challenges the country continued to face in safeguarding its achievements.

“Thirty-five years ago, Georgia began the process of separating from the Soviet Union. The journey of liberation from a crumbling empire was different for each of the fifteen republics, some emerged unscathed, while others paid a heavy price. For Georgia, the path to freedom was especially costly, which is why our achievements require exceptional care and protection”, the Speaker said.

He further noted that this year marked the 33rd anniversary of Georgia’s independence, declared following a nationwide referendum.

“On this historic day, through the referendum, the Georgian people expressed their sovereign will to be independent, sovereign, and free. Shortly after, we achieved freedom and sovereignty and began navigating the difficult and thorny road of independence”, he added.

Papuashvili highlighted the October 26 parliamentary elections as a de facto referendum on the nation’s future.

“The Georgian people faced a clear choice: recklessness or wisdom, immaturity or maturity, foreign identities or traditional values, subjugation or independence. The people spoke decisively and chose the Georgian Dream, granting us supreme legitimacy”, he pointed out.

Papuashvili reaffirmed his commitment to serving Georgia’s national interests.

“I stand here today with a clear mission: to serve our homeland and our people. Our national interest is simple - to reunify our homeland, develop our country, and bring prosperity to every family. This is our Georgian Dream: a united, strong, and independent Georgia”, he concluded.