Georgian PM highlights historic day for Georgian sports as European Youth Olympic Winter Festival starts in Bakuriani

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday highlighted a historic day for Georgian sports during his speech at the opening ceremony of the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Bakuriani.

“Today marks a historic day for Georgian sports. The lighting of the Olympic Flame of Peace in Bakuriani reaffirms that all 45 European nations share a common goal: to live in a healthy, united, and peaceful Europe”, Kobakhidze said.

The PM noted that Georgia had fulfilled its promise and had firmly established itself on the world map as an attractive destination for winter sports.

“The Festival, featuring nearly 1,000 athletes and more than 700 officials from 45 nations, is clear proof of this. Through this event, we join an exclusive group of seven European countries that have hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympic Festivals. Leaving a lasting legacy from the Festival is a key vision of the European Olympic Committees, and this aligns perfectly with our national aspirations. That is why the Festival is being held across three locations - Bakuriani, Batumi, and Tbilisi. It is particularly significant that Batumi and Tbilisi are hosting such a major competition for the first time, presenting themselves in a new light on the global stage”, Kobakhidze noted.