Speaker Papuashvili: Georgia should be respected not because it agrees to everything, but because it can defend its interests

“Happy Georgian Diplomacy Day! This day is a good opportunity to thank all Georgian diplomats who have served Georgia’s interests in different eras and countries, and continue to do so today,” Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, said in a speech at a ceremony marking Diplomats’ Day.

The Speaker said that diplomacy is a profession that often works behind the scenes, yet much of a country’s international standing is shaped there, through day-to-day negotiations and difficult dialogue.

He added that international politics has never been a realm of sentiment, and that states act in accordance with their own interests. Recognising this, Papuashvili said, is not cynicism but a necessary precondition for responsible foreign policy.

“Today I would also like to pay special tribute to the foreign diplomats who represent their countries in Georgia. Diplomatic relations are successful when, despite differing interests, we are able to listen to and respect one another and sustain our partnership. It is on such relations that trust is built, and these relations need honesty, responsibility and restraint most of all.

One year ago, on this same day, I said that the rules-based international order was under unprecedented pressure. The past year has shown us that this was no mere theoretical warning. Today, international relations are increasingly returning to the harsh logic of power, interests and influence. The outbreak of new wars has almost become an everyday occurrence; the sovereignty of countries is undergoing an unprecedented test, while the principles of international law are disregarded precisely when their protection is most needed.

Thirty-five years ago, when Georgia restored independence, we looked much more optimistically towards the world we were rejoining. We thought that the end of the Cold War would usher in an era in which relations between states would be shaped increasingly by law and less by force. Today, we have more experience. Today, we know that international politics has never been a realm of sentiment. States act in accordance with their own interests. Recognising this is not cynicism; it is a necessary precondition for responsible foreign policy.

Therefore, I want to say this in particular to Georgian diplomats: do not hesitate to defend Georgia’s sovereignty, whether in dealings with an adversary or a friend. Sometimes, it is a friend who most needs to be reminded that partnership does not mean replacing another’s political will with one’s own; friendship does not override sovereignty, and even good intentions cannot justify interference in another state’s domestic affairs,” Papuashvili said.

He said Georgia should not demand respect for the principle of non-interference from others alone.

“We must set an example ourselves in respecting international law. A Georgian diplomat in a foreign country should be Georgia’s representative, partner and friend, but not a participant in that country’s domestic political processes. We should respect the choices of other peoples just as we expect our own people’s choices to be respected. If we want to restore the international order, we must return to these simple principles: sovereignty, equality, non-interference and mutual respect.

This is especially important for small and medium-sized states. A large state may sometimes think it can easily bear the cost of violating the rules. For a small state, however, international law and respect for sovereignty are among the main guarantees of security. Therefore, the task of Georgian diplomacy today is not only to explain our positions. Your task is to defend Georgia’s national interests in a world where interests are increasingly intersecting directly and openly. This requires both principle and flexibility, forging partnerships, and an understanding of where the line lies between compromise and surrendering our own interests.

Georgia’s main state objectives remain unchanged: peaceful reunification of the country, strengthening our independence and sovereignty, and the well-being of the Georgian people. Every foreign policy decision must ultimately serve these goals. Diplomacy has meaning only when it produces tangible results for the country: peace, security, economic opportunities, and friends and partners who respect Georgia – not because it agrees to everything, but because they know it is a state with interests of its own and the ability to defend them.

Dear diplomats, you are often Georgia’s first voice abroad and the first voice of foreign countries in Georgia. You therefore bear a special responsibility: to build bridges, but never to lose sight of the shore from which those bridges begin. That shore is Georgia. Georgia’s sovereignty, national interests, peace and well-being must be the principal measure of your work. On behalf of the Parliament of Georgia, I congratulate you on your professional day and thank you for your devoted service to the Georgian state. I wish you strength, wisdom and success in serving Georgia,” Papuashvili said.