Georgian PM: Georgia’s independence owes everything to army’s heroism

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said that the army camp was a very important project, as if today Georgia was an independent and sovereign state, it was first and foremost thanks to the heroism of the Georgian soldiers and the Georgian army.

In his speech at the opening ceremony of a military camp in Kojori, Kobakhidze noted that this was a very important project, considering that through interaction with the army, young people had the opportunity to emotionally connect with everything tied to “our country’s identity and uniqueness”.

"Our army is one of the main attributes of our national identity. Our statehood was established 23 centuries ago, and since then, the history of our country and the Georgian army have been inseparable. Every time our homeland needed it, the Georgian soldier was the first to stand guard over our national interests and independence. This has continued in recent years as well, ever since Georgia regained its state independence”, the PM said.

“Over the past 35 years, the Georgian army has gone through three wars. These were unequal wars, yet in all three cases, the Georgian army and Georgian soldiers demonstrated the highest examples of heroism. If we are an independent and sovereign state today, this is primarily thanks to the heroism of the Georgian soldier and the Georgian army. We must treat this with special respect”, he noted.

Kobakhidze further added that the Georgian public values this, and all surveys confirmed that after the Orthodox Church, the Georgian army ranks first in terms of public trust.

“This is the trust the Georgian army has earned through its centuries-old and, in recent years, decades-long service, through its heroism and the heroism of its soldiers. This is something we must particularly honor and preserve”, he concluded.