Georgian President highlights Georgia’s role in European and Christian civilisation

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili said on Friday that Georgia has for centuries been not only a physical bridge between East and West, but also a living example of cultural diversity and the harmonious coexistence of different peoples.

Speaking at a conference on the foundations of European civilization and 1 700 years of Christianity in Georgia, Kavelashvili said Georgia had never experienced discrimination or persecution based on ethnicity or religion.

“Although our history is a chronicle of constant struggle with conquerors and imperial ambitions, people of different faiths, languages and traditions have peacefully coexisted on our land since ancient times, forming a united national body”, he said.

“It is a source of pride that Georgia has never experienced discrimination or persecution based on ethnicity or religion. Undeniable proof of this is the peaceful coexistence of temples belonging to different confessions side by side in our capital for centuries. The Georgian people have always been open to world cultures while never losing their own national and spiritual self-sufficiency”, Kavelashvili continued.

“When we speak about the origins of European civilization and recall Greek philosophy or Roman law, we should also appreciate the legacy of our ancestors. From the Colchian Academy of Phasis onward, the Georgian intellectual tradition has made a major contribution to the formation of European and Christian identity”, he said.

Kavelashvili emphasised that Georgia had stood firmly on the frontlines of Christian Europe for centuries.

“With its rich spiritual heritage, ancient script and educational centers such as the Gelati and Ikalto academies, our ancestors created a culture based on humanism, freedom and the highest national ideals”, the President said.

“Georgian art, philosophical thought and literature organically brought together and further enriched the centuries-old heritage of both Western and Eastern civilizations”, Kavelashvili concluded