PM addresses Georgian Dream party congress

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Georgian Prime Minister and the newly elected Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday pledged full mobilisation for the upcoming local elections, highlighting national unity, democratic consolidation, economic development, and EU integration as key priorities in his address at the party congress.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,

I greet and welcome to the founder and honorary chairman of our party, Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili.

I also greet the members of the party’s political council, I greet the MPs, members of the government, representatives of local authorities and each delegate of the congress. I greet the members of our party and I greet the general public.

Chairmanship of the Georgian Dream is, of course, a profound responsibility and naturally, it is also a tremendous honor. I would like to sincerely thank each and every one of you for your support and the trust you have shown.

I would like to thank Mr. Irakli Garibashvili, who chaired the party over the past year and a half and made a significant contribution to our party’s electoral success last year.

I also wish to thank him for all the services he has rendered to the country and to our political team throughout his years of work in high-ranking political positions.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it has recently been 13 years since the founding of the Georgian Dream.

These have been 13 years of an unequal, yet righteous and successful struggle - for Georgia’s independence, peaceful development, prosperity and the protection of the dignity of the Georgian people.

This struggle was initiated by the founder and honorary chairman of our party, Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili. Allow me, on behalf of each of you, to express our deepest gratitude to him for his service to the Georgian cause.

Once again, thank You - for your dedication to the homeland, for working for Georgia with immense wisdom, foresight and patience, for ending authoritarianism in our country and for strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

It is thanks to Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili’s contribution that today, for the first time since regaining independence, Georgia has a government under which our country has not experienced war and we have enjoyed 13 consecutive years of peace.

Our country continues to maintain peace, stability and rapid economic growth. And what is especially important - today our small but proud country is more independent and sovereign than ever before.

Once again, immense gratitude to You for all of this!

Today, the world is facing extremely complex challenges:

We see how powerful forces are trying to force even the strongest states to relinquish their national sovereignty;

We see how the economies of many countries are being dismantled;

We see how the fundamental principles of democracy and the rule of law are being trampled - even in countries that are considered the birthplace of these very principles;

We see how there are efforts to erase national and religious identity in countries with ancient cultures;

We see how Christianity and other traditional religious beliefs are under attack;

We see how all areas of culture are being assaulted and stripped of their meaning;

We see how certain countries are being used as cannon fodder to serve the corrupt political interests of others;

We see how there are attempts to erase individual identity, how morality and traditional values are being undermined and how numerous vices are being promoted—vices that, even just 10–15 years ago, would have been unimaginable for any of us to accept as the norm.

Naturally, Georgia could not remain untouched by these unhealthy global political processes.

Accordingly, for the past 13 years, we have been and continue to be engaged in an uncompromising struggle - for Georgia’s sovereignty, for the well-being of the Georgian people, for democracy and the supremacy of the rule of law.

We are also fighting to defend Christianity, to preserve peace and to strengthen traditional values and public morality.

This is an unequal battle, in which the only true advantage lies in standing for what is right.

This is an extremely difficult struggle, in which the strength to remain steadfast comes from the belief that even the slightest show of weakness could cost your country dearly - and thus, any step backward is a betrayal of your homeland.

I extend my deepest gratitude to the Georgian people, who, over the past few years, have shown exceptional maturity and wisdom, standing firmly in defense of Georgia’s national interests.

It is precisely the trust and support of the Georgian people - of our society - that has been the key factor enabling us to overcome the toughest challenges in the most difficult moments.

With the support of the Georgian people, we won last year’s election, which was tantamount to a referendum - and through it, preserved Georgia’s peace and prospects for development.

We are deeply grateful to each and every one of our patriotic fellow citizens for their steadfast defense of Georgia’s national interests.

Georgian Dream is a political force that has never taken a single step back when it came to defending Georgia’s national interests.

Our representatives - in the Parliament of Georgia, in the Government and in local authorities - serve and defend the interests of Georgia loyally and fearlessly, wherever and whenever needed.

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for this!

Less than five months remain until the local self-governance elections. We have already begun preparations for the elections and in just a few weeks, we will officially launch our campaign.

The party will be fully mobilized for its 10th jubilee victory—and this victory will mark yet another important step toward a stronger, more self-reliant and more developed Georgia.

With the support of the Georgian people, we will win the mayoral and city council elections in all 64 municipalities, to ensure that development does not stop for even a single day in any part of the country and that the interests of every region and every corner of Georgia are fully protected.

We have clear state-level objectives:

To further strengthen the democratic system and the rule of law;
To enhance Georgia’s independence and security;
To advance the Georgian economy;
To solidify Georgia’s foreign policy positions;
To ensure Georgia’s accession to the European Union.

Alongside our state objectives, we also have two national goals - two national Georgian dreams:

Our goal is for prosperity to reach every Georgian family. That is why we will spare no effort to ensure the continuation of Georgia’s rapid economic growth, which over the past four years has made it possible to double the country’s economy.

Our national goal is the unification of Georgia. By unification, we mean, on the one hand, the consolidation of Georgian society.

We see how external forces are trying to impose hatred among Georgians, how they attempt to sow hatred toward everything Georgian - including our state and our Mother Church.

After radicals are removed from Georgian politics - which will happen very soon - we will defeat hatred, bring back our misguided fellow citizens and unite our society. That is our national mission.

We will not allow anyone to divide Georgian society through hatred - we will unite people through love for one another and for our homeland.

On the other hand, by unification, we also mean the physical reunification of Georgia - the return of Abkhazia and the Abkhazians, Tskhinvali and the Ossetians, to the united Georgian state.

We believe that through peace, principle, love and patience, we will surely restore trust - and with trust, unity. In this way, we will fulfill our ultimate national Georgian dream: a united Georgia.

Ladies and Gentlemen, love conquers hatred, goodness overcomes evil and truth defeats lies.

We will prevail many more times, because we are driven by love for our country and our people, we desire greater good for our homeland and our fellow citizens, and we stand in truth in the fight for our nation.

May God strengthen us in all endeavors that serve Georgia’s progress!
Thank you all - each and every one of you - for your principle stance and unity!

May God protect Georgia!” the PM said.