Georgian President vows no retreat in defending national interests

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Friday rejected retreating from Georgia’s national interests.

In his remarks, Kavelashvili addressed ongoing protests, linking them to a recurring agenda from three years prior when groups demanded Georgia send volunteers to Ukraine and join anti-Russia sanctions.

“Three years have passed, and today we can ask: what were those people protesting about when they came out in front of Parliament after the war in Ukraine started? These were singers, medical workers, teachers, professors, athletes, and cultural figures. They demanded that the Government allow volunteers to go and join sanctions. Did allowing volunteers mean engaging in the war directly or not? Just one week after our Government withstood the protests and pressure, the US President [Joe Biden] at the time openly stated that allowing volunteers from any country to go to war means that country is entering the war. We all heard that response”, Kavelashvili said.

“Where were they dragging the country? The second demand was to join sanctions. If we had taken that step, what would have followed? We were already part of the collective effort, resolutions, and sanctions that did not harm our country”, he continued.

The President argued that such actions would have dragged Georgia into war and economic ruin, emphasising the Government’s unwavering commitment to protecting national interests and sovereignty against external pressures.

“Experts and the Prime Minister have repeatedly assessed that if we had done what they asked, our economy would not be at plus seven percent but in the negative. Who would this have affected? When you talk about patriotism and love for this country, come out to a protest, and demand this from the Government, what should you be called? We are dealing with the same people and the same agenda today. This conflict of interests is still ongoing. We will not retreat. It is impossible for us to step back, because behind us is our homeland, our national interest. It is impossible for us to voice or pursue different positions”, Kavelashvili concluded.