Georgian Parliament Speaker: Georgia needs the same unity on national interests as in 1991 referendum

Georgia is commemorating the anniversary of the historic 1991 independence referendum, a pivotal moment when citizens across the country overwhelmingly supported the restoration of national independence.

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili marked the occasion by emphasising the unity shown by the Georgian people on March 31, 1991. He stressed that citizens from every region gave a unanimous answer to the defining question of the time - whether Georgia should restore its independence - with a resounding “Yes”.

“Today is March 31 - the day of the referendum on the restoration of Georgia’s independence. It is the day when a nationwide vote held across the entire territory of Georgia gave a unanimous answer to a historic question - whether we wanted to restore the country’s independence. Every region of Georgia, every citizen, answered with a resounding “Yes”, the speaker said.

Papuashvili further highlighted that March 31 marked the birthday of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the country’s first president, who formally declared the restoration of independence on April 9, 1991, shortly after the referendum. Papuashvili highlighted Gamsakhurdia’s lasting role in the rebirth of Georgian statehood.

“The 35-year journey of restoring our independence has proven to be thorny, mined, narrow, and filled with many tragic days. The collapse of statehood, the disintegration of an empire, economic collapse, human arrogance, internal divisions, and many other severe factors have left their mark on this path. Yet, despite everything, we survived. Georgia survived. We not only endured but preserved our identity, defended our independence, sovereignty, and freedom - not by siding with empires, but by standing with our own country. We did so not by seeking a new patron, but by carrying the heavy burden of independence, confronting ourselves, and facing the fundamental question of who we are, who we were, and who we will become”, he continued.

Papuashvili emphasised that this path was not complete, adding that major challenges remain ahead, including restoring territorial integrity, strengthening sovereignty, building new relations in a transformed geopolitical environment, addressing demographic issues, and ensuring economic growth.

“Above all, today and always, we need unity, solidarity, and a clear understanding of our nation’s vital national interests, which we must collectively and steadfastly defend”, the speaker said.

“Today, just as 35 years ago, we need the same unity regarding the primacy of Georgia’s national interests, because the question raised then is still in force. It constantly stands before our nation. There is always a choice, and there will always be forces attempting to challenge that choice”, he noted.

Papuashvili further stressed the importance of the country’s independence, sovereignty, freedom, and unity.

“Do we want to preserve Georgia’s independence, sovereignty, freedom, and unity? This was the spirit of the national movement, unanimously supported by us, our fathers, and every generation. We uphold this spirit and will not allow anyone to revise our historic choice - because our answer to the referendum question remains “Yes”, the speaker concluded.