Georgian President at UN General Assembly: I represent Georgian people, who know both cost of war and value of freedom and peace

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Thursday said that he represented a nation that endured centuries of struggle against conquerors, yet preserved its identity, traditions, and values of freedom, peace, and tolerance.

In his address at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Kavelashvili highlighted Georgia’s history as a continuous chronicle of the people’s struggle for survival against conquerors, and further stressed that Georgia had always been a land where no one had ever faced oppression or persecution on ethnic or religious grounds.

“I represent the Georgian people, who know both the cost of war and the value of freedom and peace. A people who cherish their rich history and traditions, while at the same time facing with resolve the challenges that lie before our country. I represent a country with a three-thousand-year history, the cradle of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations and the brave Georgian people, filled with pride and dignity. A country that possesses a unique alphabet, an ancient language and a 17-century-long Christian tradition”, the President said.

“The history of Georgia is a continuous chronicle of our people’s struggle for survival against invaders, through which we have miraculously managed to preserve our cultural identity, traditions and national character”, he continued.

Kavelashvili further added that despite centuries of continuous warfare with invaders, the cultural environment in Georgia had always been distinguished by exceptional humanism, tolerance and compassion for others.

“Tolerance, openness to others, harmonious coexistence and diversity form the cornerstone of our ancient culture, which is brilliantly reflected in Georgian polyphony, in our national traditions and in the world-renowned Georgian epic, Shota Rustaveli’s The Knight in the Panther’s Skin”, he noted.

“Georgia is a place where, throughout history, no human has ever been oppressed or persecuted on ethnic or religious grounds. Quite the opposite, we have always been known for our profound sense of justice”, Kavelashvili concluded.