Tbilisi’s New Year tree lights up on Rustaveli Avenue

Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Georgian Ambassador Zurab Khamashuridze “to discuss violence against Georgian citizens, opposition leaders, and journalists, and today’s hostile statement by the Georgian ruling party about Estonia.” “Today’s statements by the authoritarian government and the chairman of Georgia’s Parliament are unacceptable, hostile and full of lies,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, elaborating on the background for summoning the Georgian ambassador. “It is regrettable that a the representatives of the country whose sovereignty, territorial integrity and progress towards Europe has been supported by Estonia for nearly 30 years indulges in hostile rhetoric about Estonia’s sovereignty, thereby repeating Russia’s talking points,” Tsahkna said. According to the Ministry’s press office, “The meeting with the ambassador also covered the parliamentary elections held in Georgia and the preceding and following period. International election monitoring organisations have confirmed the occurrence of widespread violations and the government of Estonia expressed its position in a statement by Minister Tsahkna.” At the meeting, it was stressed to the ambassador that “the brutal dispersal of protests on the streets of Georgia was unacceptable and ran counter to human rights.” “Under the rule of law, Estonia cannot tolerate this. We have made relevant statements and imposed sanctions in the form of entry bans on 25 politicians and senior officials who are responsible for the violence,” Tsahkna said. “The decision by the ruling party to halt Georgia’s European integration has shocked people and inspired them to take to the streets to express their views and they have the right to do so.”

“We did everything to prevent the scenario that occurred in Ukraine from happening in Georgia,” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists. According to the PM, Georgian society is more experienced, and with its support, the government successfully prevented significant threats to the country. “This is an important message, a crucial warning. This is exactly what we’ve been working on for the past three years, especially the most recent three. We did everything to prevent the scenario that took place in Ukraine from happening here. It all began with Maidan in 2013, followed by the first war just days later, and then the second war. Today, our friendly nation, Ukraine, is devastated, with nearly a quarter of its population either fleeing the country or becoming internally displaced. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have lost their lives. All of this resulted from society failing to exercise the necessary caution at that time. However, Georgian society is more experienced, and with its cooperation, we were able to avert significant threats and, above all, prevent war in our country,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.

“Our ambitious goal is to become a full-fledged member of the European Union by 2030,” said Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, in his speech at the opening of the Tskaltubo 500 substation. He emphasized that it is crucial for the country to meet the required standards of well-being by 2030. “This is our responsibility to our voters—more than 1,120,000 citizens of Georgia. It is a trust that must be fulfilled sincerely,” the Prime Minister stated. He also expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in the implementation of this important project and wished them success.

The Electoral Assembly today will elect Georgia’s Sixth President through non-direct rule for the first time. The Georgian Dream (GD) party nominated and endorsed the candidacy of Mikheil Kavelashvili on the position. The registration in the Georgian Parliament kicked off at 9 a.m. and will complete at 2 p.m. The Central Election Commission (CEC) convened an Electoral Assembly of voters consisting of 300 members. The assembly will comprise 150 Members of Parliament, while the remaining members will include 20 representatives from the Supreme Council of the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic, 21 members from the Adjara Supreme Council, and the remaining 109 members will represent self-governance bodies, allocated in proportion to the party support garnered in the 2021-2022 elections. Each member of the assembly may vote for one candidate. In the first round of elections, a candidate must secure at least two-thirds of the votes from the entire assembly to be considered elected. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a second round of voting will occur, in which the candidate will be chosen by a simple majority. The president will serve a term of five years. According to the Constitution, an individual must be at least 40 years old and have resided in Georgia for 15 years to be eligible for the presidential candidacy. The inauguration of the new president will take place on December 29. Current President Salome Zourabichvili was elected as the fifth president of Georgia through a direct public vote on November 28, 2018, and was inaugurated on December 16.

“The European aspirations of the Georgian people, enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, cannot be betrayed. Georgia’s European dream must not be vanished,” – said French President Emmanuel Macron in a video address to the Georgian people. According to Macron, “The path is set, Georgia can now work hand in hand with the 27 EU member states, confidently, to build this European future, or wait and see.”“Dear Georgian friends, on the eve of the first anniversary of Georgia’s candidate status, I considered it important to convey this message through this short video. First of all, I would like to tell you that the European aspirations of the Georgian people, enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, cannot be betrayed. Georgia’s European dream must not be vanished. This choice of the European path is your sovereign decision, this choice to join the European family is what is being peacefully expressed today in Tbilisi and several dozen cities across the country. By granting Georgia candidate status, the European Council has given a positive response to this aspiration. This choice implies the fulfillment of certain duties and obligations over time. The path is set, Georgia can now work hand in hand with the 27 EU Member States, confidently, to build this European future, or wait and see, but what to wait for and why? Speaking of what this European choice is, the EU does not oblige. By setting out a path of equal partnership, Europe offers prosperity and common values. Europe does not intimidate, it does not use threats. Europe does not seek to sow chaos, Europe does not seek to destabilize or subjugate its neighbors through war or hybrid means. It does not seek to sow division or confusion among its citizens. The European Union respects the sovereign will of peoples, the history and identity of nations, such as the thousand-year history of the Georgian people. The European Union does not dictate what is national interest. It respects territorial integrity, in particular that of Georgia. The European Union does not support separatists in your country. The European Union is a peace project that has been the basis of European construction since its inception. The European Union has not launched an aggressive war against a sovereign state. Yes, Europe is solidarity, the choice of peace, the collective defense of common strategic interests for one family. Europe is not blackmail, it is the acceptance of rules as a means of resolving disagreements. Georgia is the one who decides its own destiny. And for this, the voice of the Georgians must be heard and respected. Finally, I would like to reiterate that we stand by you in support of your European and democratic aspirations. Georgia cannot hope to move forward on its European path if peaceful demonstrations are suppressed with disproportionate use of force, if civil society organizations, journalists, and members of opposition parties are harassed, if freedom of expression and assembly is not protected. I want to believe that there is a way, in line with the country’s European aspirations, a way of open, respectful dialogue with all political forces and civil society organizations. This dialogue is the responsibility of all Georgians. It must allow Georgians to take their own destiny back into their own hands. This path is yours. That is why I have great confidence in the Georgian people and I have great confidence in everyone who values ​​this respectable European path and does not want to give in to intimidation, propaganda, cyberattacks, and information manipulation. Long live the friendship between Georgia and France, and long live Europe! ”, – Macron declared.