“Today’s forum is taking place against a challenging international backdrop, where the global security architecture faces a significant test. Geopolitical competition is intensifying, conflicts are deepening, and economic and energy challenges are impacting both states and the daily lives of individual citizens,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, stated during his address at the 16th Tbilisi Regional Sustainable Development Forum.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, Georgia stands out in international politics for its resolve, pragmatism, and responsibility.

“In these circumstances, a state’s ability to be guided by its own national interests, accurately assess the environment, and make responsible decisions takes on exceptional importance. Georgia’s choice is based precisely on this approach. In international politics, Georgia stands out for its resolve, pragmatism, and responsibility. We believe that a state’s primary duty is to ensure the safety, well-being, and development of its citizens. We evaluate international processes by this principle, and it is by this principle that we build partnerships with countries around the world.

Commitment to national interests and consideration of the international balance of power must be a state’s primary compass. It is astonishing to see a widespread disregard for this truth in the modern world, despite ongoing efforts to establish ideological uniformity and suppress critical thinking. It is enough to align with global ideology and recognise its absolute truth to have the red carpet rolled out for you, to be showered with praise, to be ‘assisted’ in elections, and to have eyes closed to violations of the rule of law or human rights. On the flip side, anyone who does not fit into the ideological grip of liberal internationalism is stigmatised, cancelled, and persecuted,” Shalva Papuashvili stated.