Georgian opposition leader Nika Gvaramia appears to back Abkhazia concession, cites Pashinyan’s “defeat of historical traumas

One of Georgia’s opposition leaders, Nika Gvaramia, has argued that nations must overcome historical traumas in order to move forward and develop, warning that traumatic memories can act as an obstacle to progress.

Speaking on Formula TV, Gvaramia said that while historical memory is important for a nation, “traumatic memory is dangerous” because it functions like an anchor that prevents development and blocks the future.

Discussing the war in Abkhazia and broader regional issues, Gvaramia expressed admiration for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whom he credited with overcoming historical traumas in a short period of time.

According to Gvaramia, Pashinyan took symbolic and political steps aimed at normalizing relations with Turkey and Azerbaijan, including removing Mount Ararat from official state symbolism and accepting the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I admire Pashinyan because what he managed to do was overcome historical traumas. That is an extremely difficult process that usually takes decades, yet he achieved it in a very short period of time”, Gvaramia said.

He argued that Pashinyan acknowledged that Mount Ararat, while an important part of Armenian history, is not part of Armenia’s current geography. Gvaramia said such decisions could help Armenia improve relations with its neighbors, strengthen economic prospects, reduce dependence on Russia, and advance toward European integration.

Referring to Nagorno-Karabakh, Gvaramia said Armenia ultimately accepted a reality that, in his view, would allow the country to focus on its future development. He added that historical territorial disputes exist throughout the region and should not prevent countries from pursuing pragmatic policies.

Gvaramia concluded that overcoming historical traumas can create new economic opportunities and improve a country’s prospects for closer integration with the European Union