Georgia’s President Mikheil Kavelashvili: For centuries, Georgia stood as the guardian of Christian Europe, building a culture founded on humanism and national ideals

“This year Georgia celebrates 1,700 years since declaring Christianity its state religion; a spiritual choice made seventeen centuries ago that fundamentally forged the nation’s identity, culture, and historic destiny,” President Mikheil Kavelashvili stated at the opening of the conference Foundations of European Civilisation and 1,700 Years of Christianity in Georgia.

Addressing attendees, the President emphasised that Georgia had steadfastly stood sentinel over Christian Europe throughout the ages.

“Georgia is a nation that for centuries served not merely as a physical bridge between East and West, but stood as a living testament to cultural diversity and the harmonious coexistence of different traditions,” President Kavelashvili noted.

“Though our history reads as a chronicle of perpetual struggle against invaders and imperial ambitions, people of diverse faiths, languages, and customs have coexisted peacefully on our soil since time immemorial, forming a unified national tapestry. It is a matter of immense pride that Georgia has never known ethnic or religious persecution—a truth vividly borne out by the centuries-old houses of worship of various faiths standing side by side in our capital. The Georgian people have always embraced world cultures while preserving their own national and spiritual self-reliance,” the President stated.

“When examining the origins of European civilisation and recalling Hellenic philosophy or Roman law, we must equally honour the legacy of our ancestors. From the Colchian Academy of Phasis onwards, Georgian intellectual thought made an immense contribution to shaping European and Christian identity,'” the President continued.

“For centuries, Georgia stood firmly on guard for Christian Europe. Armed with a rich spiritual treasure, an ancient script, and venerable seats of learning such as the Academies of Gelati and Iqalto, our forebears forged a culture anchored in humanism, liberty, and the highest national ideals. Georgian art, philosophy, and literature organically synthesised and further enriched the centuries-old heritage of both Western and Eastern civilisations,” Mikheil Kavelashvili stated.

The President paid tribute to the enduring role of the Georgian Orthodox Church during times of adversity.

“In our darkest historical hours and times of national peril, it was the Mother Church that unified the nation, safeguarding the Georgian language and historical memory. For us, Christianity was not only faith, but the spiritual fortitude and intellectual foundation that preserved our national identity through turbulent storms, teaching us that human dignity, love of homeland, freedom, and duty are inextricably linked. These very principles became the bedrock of European civilisation,” he observed.

“Today, as Europe confronts profound value-based challenges, we must ask a fundamental question: what grants us strength, unites us, and serves as the bedrock for our future? I firmly believe the answer lies in our Christian roots and timeless values—love of one’s neighbour, compassion, supreme justice, and respect for human dignity,” President Kavelashvili added.

“In the face of contemporary global challenges, the necessity of preserving an unshakeable spiritual and national anchor becomes ever more evident. In this regard, I wish to place special emphasis on the institution of the family, which stands as the cornerstone of our nation’s unity, resilience, and dignified future. It is the sanctuary where national identity, traditions, and eternal values are passed down from generation to generation.

I am confident that future generations will honourably uphold this multi-centennial heritage: respect for the family, national identity, and spiritual fortitude. As in the past, Georgia will continue to stand as a unique beacon of faith, tradition, tolerance, and cultural diversity, where unity and peace secure an enduring future for our people,” the President concluded.