“Peace is not a matter of chance. Peace is an achievement. It is the fruit of foresighted policy, strong institutions, reliable partnerships, and the unflinching defence of national interests. It is precisely under such conditions that the Defence Forces acquire their full significance. They do not merely defend the country; they are the guarantors of peace itself. The firm foundation that the state possesses in its Defence Forces lends suppleness and confidence to the government’s every step towards peace,” declared Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili in his address at the ceremonial event marking Georgia’s Defence Forces Day.

Papuashvili described Georgia’s Defence Forces as a modern, professional, and forward-looking institution.

“Our servicemen and women bring vast experience from international missions, while at the same time guarding our land every day. This is a great responsibility, and an equally great honour. Today, we mark the 35th anniversary of the founding of Georgia’s Defence Forces, which took place on April 30, 1991, with the first conscription and military oath, and has since grown into a strong, professional, and dignified force that defends the sovereignty and freedom of our state.

Today’s date carries even deeper significance, for we also mark 1,700 years since Christianity was proclaimed the state religion of Georgia. That was an event which shaped the spiritual identity of our nation, its culture, its values, and its historical course. The Christian faith taught us unity, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, and love for one’s neighbour, values that live on to this day within the Georgian armed forces. It is upon this spiritual foundation that the heroic spirit of our warrior rests: the conviction that defending the homeland is not merely a duty, but an act of the highest moral calling.

I wish to extend my special gratitude to the families of our servicemen and women. Your strength and support are the invisible pillar upon which our army stands.

Today, we also remember those heroes who gave their lives for Georgia. Their sacrifice is an eternal testament to what it means to love one’s homeland. Their memory binds us to be worthy of that love, to cherish our freedom and to carry forward the work they began.

The Defence Forces are a symbol of Georgia’s resilience, unity, and faith in the future. Your service reminds us that freedom is not a given; it is the fruit of daily struggle, toil, and readiness. It is our duty to ensure that this struggle remains purposeful, united, and unyielding.

Congratulations on Georgia’s Defence Forces Day! Glory to Georgian warriors! Glory to Georgia!” Papuashvili declared.