Georgian PM article in Newsweek
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, May 27
On May 26, in connection with the Georgia’s Independency Day, Newsweek published the Georgian Prime Minister’s article, entitled 'Georgia Celebrates a Quarter Century of Independence'.
In the article, PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili says that Georgia’s joy of gaining independence was shared by millions of Americans and Europeans.
According to the him, Georgia’s aspirations towards membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) should not provoke Russia, because Georgia and Russia have mutual interests too.
“Georgia is also on Russia’s borderland, and it shares Russia’s concerns for instability around it, especially the creeping influence of terrorism returning to Russia from the Middle East and elsewhere. Georgia, in NATO, serves Russia’s interests directly, by helping to secure this borderland,” Kvirikashvili says in the article.
However, he notes that since the 2008, war nearly a quarter of Georgia’s territory has been occupied by Russian forces.
Kvirikashvili says that during its 25 years of independence, Georgia went through hard times, but today it is rated the most democratic country in the region by nearly every measure. It has the lowest level of corruption, a free media, an attractive investment climate, and the ninth lowest tax burden in the world.
“Georgia has returned to its European roots, and this is where we intend to stay,” reads the article.
According to the Georgian PM, Georgia is Europe’s most significant border. It is the centre of a vital strategic barrier to instability across Eurasia, and like all Europeans, Georgians are concerned about security. He pointed out that Georgian soldiers fight for international security through various different peacekeeping missions.
“We have fought for NATO, and we seek to become a fully-fledged member. Georgia now hosts a NATO Joint Training and Evaluation Center, and we are providing a company-size unit to NATO’s Rapid Response Force. We support NATO fully, and we deserve to be part of it,” Kvirikashvili wrote in his article.
The Prime Minister also emphasized Georgia’s important role in the New Silk Road, where Georgia serves as a regional hub and connects China to the Europe.
“As America enters its new election season, I wish to reaffirm the strength of Georgia’s special link to America. We have now lived together closely for 25 years...and we have fought together,” the article reads.
PM Kvirikashvili ends his article by the words: “Let us now celebrate together the wonder of a free and independent Georgia and how it came to be.”
