Georgian President: Georgia and Ukraine to restore unity, territorial integrity
“I am confident that Georgia and Ukraine will restore unity, territorial integrity and prosperity in peaceful and safe Europe,” said Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addressing world leaders at the virtual Second Summit of the Crimea Platform.
President of Georgia stressed she was honoured to represent Georgia and its people at the summit because “it is essential to stand together in defence of the values which unite us and which, which, I am confident, will shape our common future.”
Additionally, she said she was proud to join the Crimea Platform declaration in the name of Georgia to reaffirm Georgia’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and de-occupation strategy.
“Joining you today in this event, we remember altogether that tomorrow Ukraine is celebrating its Independence Day and will be marking six months of its valorous resistance to the Russian aggression. This is not just a coincidence of days. We all know that the Russian aggression in Ukraine did not start last February and that Crimea was the initial challenge reminding us too well that unanswered challenges to peace and security and unanswered aggressions once to countries’ territorial integrity lead only to more aggression and more instability,” she said.
According to President Zourabichvili, Georgia is very familiar with the events in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s aggression against its peaceful neighbours follows the pattern Georgia experimented with in 1921, 1992 and 2008.
“We hence know too well what it means to see one’s own territory invaded and occupied. We understand too well the price your soldiers, your civil population, have paid and are paying. I want, in the name of the Georgian people, to reaffirm our admiration for your valorous struggle and express our firm belief that this fight will end in victory. And already your fight has been victorious since it has challenged Russia’s sense of invincibility and impunity. Your fight is already victorious since it has generated an unprecedented response from the international community, a strong and united response, one that was not foreseen by President Putin, the type of response that we are not seen in 2014 during the annexation of Crimea or in August 2008. Today’s response is the one that will change the future.
It is evident that the war in Ukraine significantly undermined the Black Sea security, and hence, global security. And the world faces unprecedented risks of food shortages caused by the ban on grain exports. We are once again reminded of a very elementary principle that peace and security cannot be divided. We are all assembled in these difficult times. The Ukrainian people are united around European aspirations. I would like to, heartedly, congratulate Ukraine for receiving the candidate’s status and express my confidence that Georgia will soon join our two partners – Ukraine and Moldova on this coming path. I am strongly convinced that this anachronistic war will end soon and Ukraine’s standing on the right side of history will emerge victorious. Occupation has no place in the 21st century.
Dear President Zelensky, I am confident that we will witness our nations gaining unity, territorial integrity and prosperity in a peaceful and safe Europe. Happy Independence Day and Slava Ukrainy!,” President Zourabichvili said.
The Crime Platform is a new international consultation and coordination format initiated by Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky. It aims to improve the effectiveness of the international response to the ongoing occupation of Crimea, and growing security threats, to increase international pressure on the Kremlin for the de-occupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine.
