President Zurabishvili Addresses UNGA High-Level Meeting

President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili said at the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly that “while seeing every day the cost of isolation in its territories occupied by Russia, Georgia is not ready to simply stand by the damages caused by occupation to human lives and to human rights.”

In her video address to the meeting commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations on September 21, the Georgian President spoke of current global challenges and proposed four pillars to achieve “the future we want,” which she said are peace, a viable planet, an inclusive and healthy society, and educated citizens in a culturally developed society.

Speaking about the “Peace” pillar, President Zurabishvili focused on the Russian occupation of Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, noting that “the time has come for a fresh look, out of an intolerably frozen situation, at the opportunities that the new world paradigm opens and be ready for testing new solutions.”

In her speech, the President also emphasized the need for sustainable energy transition and resource management, stating that “we as a small country think that even if our actions do not impact the global picture, we can still play an experimental role, albeit an exemplary one, for designing common strategies.”

The Georgian President then stressed that “trust and solidarity will be key for our societies to develop the necessary resilience for tomorrow,” and argued that Georgia’s “timely” response to the COVID-19 pandemic was made possible with the trust between society, medical authorities, and government.

President Zurabishvili also reckoned that “citizens with knowledge and skills are the only key to future growth and the main resource.” “Tolerance, which we Georgians view as our centuries old cultural heritage, together with intellectual and moral solidarity, are the values that have to guide us in these times of uncertainty,” She concluded.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)