None cherish the peace more than those, who have experienced the absence of it” noted Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia in his speech delivered at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit today within the scope of 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 73) in New York.

Head of the Government of Georgia focused on the current situation at the occupied territories of the country and peace initiative of the Government, titled as a Step Towards Better Future.

“Peace in my country, Georgia, has been challenged by ongoing conflict with the Russian Federation. This conflict that takes back from early 1990s has affected hundreds of thousands – those, who had to flee their homes and are still unable to return, as well as those few who remain in the occupied territories are sealed off from the rest of the world, facing ethnic discrimination and grave human rights violations. In the 21st century we still continue to witness the installation of razor and barbed wire fences that divide families and cut people off from their livelihoods” added the Prime Minister of Georgia.

Head of the Government of Georgia noted that despite the challenges, response to the aggression has been constructive engagement and negotiations towards peaceful conflict resolution.

“We are determined to reach out to our fellow-citizens residing on the other side of the occupation line and bridge the divides for building a common, prosperous future for our nation. With this in mind, in April 2018 the Government of Georgia launched an important peace initiative – A Step to a Better Future. Through this initiative, we are taking concrete steps aimed at improving the humanitarian, social and economic conditions of the conflict-affected population” concluded the Prime Minister of Georgia and underlined the need of restoring a rules-based order, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.