Statement by President Zourabichvili at Press Conference with President Sandu of Moldova
Madam President, Maia, thank you very much for your hospitality. It is a great honor for me to be here with you today in this very difficult time. This is the first visit by a President of Georgia to Moldova in 12 years. Obviously, such a visit is of special importance for the relations between our countries. But today, against the background of what is happening in Europe and Ukraine, it is very difficult to start our conversation with bilateral relations.
For our countries, the most important thing is what’s happening in Ukraine, and what happened this morning. These harsh acts that Russia is taking against the independence and territorial sovereignty of Ukraine, the bombing of Kyiv, the violence against civilians, are unacceptable in the modern world, unacceptable in Europe, unacceptable for our two countries and our values. Russia’s aggression is an anachronism. It is stuck in a century of wars and totalitarianism.
The war in Ukraine is also an incredible threat to our countries, to Europe, and to the entire world. Aggression cannot win, injustice cannot win, inhumanity must not win.
For our countries with occupied territories, this challenge is even greater since Russia announced mobilization on its territory, Russia has distributed passports in our occupied territories and is conducting mobilization on our citizens. To forcefully involve them in an unjust war, which is not theirs, is a violation of all their rights.
Once again, I condemn Russia’s aggression against the sovereignty of Ukraine and its people. I once again condemn the annexation of Ukrainian territories by Russia. I once again, on behalf of Georgia and the Georgian people, express my solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
The main weapon we can use against Russia’s brutality is the unprecedented solidarity shown by the international community towards Ukraine. The effective solidarity of the United States and the European Union, which Georgia and Moldova fully join, is unique.
Today, the war in Ukraine is a great challenge for Europe. Europe has now seen the true face of Russia. We went through different times, other wars, other occupations, when our European partners looked at Russia differently and still believed that Russia could be a reliable partner, despite its actions. The war in Ukraine changed this view. Now, everyone has seen the true face of Russian aggression, Russian imperialism, its conduct.
Because of this challenge and through the dedication and perseverence of Ukraine and its people, a new path of opportunities has opened. Not only is Europe seeing Russia differently, it is also looking at our countries differently. Those countries that were already moving towards Europe through Association now have an open path with the war in Ukraine. This path is the European perspective for all three countries and the candidate status that has already been given to Ukraine and Moldova. For that, I once again want to congratulate them and in this case, Moldova. We remain in the same perspective, the same path. We have the same reforms to implement. We have a slightly different calendar and have to reach our candidacy status by implementing twelve recommendations, while Ukraine and Moldova also have to carry out reforms.
I am deeply convinced that the three nations that accepted this association together at the Petra Summit as a trio, the three countries that launched a more active phase of European integration together will see the result of this path together. This war will end with the victory of Ukraine, the reconstruction of Ukraine, and our accession to the European Union.
This is the symbolic message of the Prague Summit, where for the first time EU members, candidates, and countries with perspective all sat together around one table, a symbol of the fact that we are all members of the European family. This is our future and not one of us has a different perspective.
This is why our two countries need more solidarity and towards this, we need to strengthen our relations, have more solidarity with and from the EU, for our future is indivisible, our independence is indivisible, and our freedom is indivisible.
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Address by the President
This briefing was not scheduled. Today, anyway, I wasn't going to do anything, and when I heard that the rally was going to be held here, it was my decision and my desire to join the people with whom I shared many battles (I'm not talking here about electoral battles) in those dark days when we fought together against the criminal and unfair regime of Misha Saakashvili. I came out there for these people, not for some protesters, I don't know who, to show up in the palace, that's not the right format, and I'm sure that wasn't the intention of the people who spearheaded it.
Those people whom I respect very much because of all this and our common past, have come to the palace many times and know that my door is open, everyone has the opportunity to ask for a meeting, and I’ve shown it recently that I meet everyone, and not only those with whom these battles I have shared, and I will continue to do so.
Now I want to go back to what I wanted to say earlier and couldn't finish what I had to say, and I want to continue to say it through you, and for that, I want to thank you once again.
First, let me say: I know that this demonstration was not only organized by those people, but it was accompanied by various message boxes that have been circulating these days. This was deliberately done in order to put pressure on the President from those people, from the party whose leaders were nowhere in 2007 (I say 2007, because this is the period when everything happened and everything was clear.)
These people, who today threaten me with my career or in different ways and believe that they could threaten me, were not there then, and now they ask me about my morale and teach me how to fight against Saakashvili, who is already fallen.
I wonder where these people have been since 2007. I will tell you, one was in Misha's staff and stayed there for a long time. Another one was in "Cartu Bank", well-paid. Others were in other positions and I don't want to make it personal now, but they were nowhere so how can they ask about my morals? What can they teach me, I wonder?! The same goes for that quartet that walks around saying stuff.
It is very clear that here, there is some kind of joint game between different forces, which are supposedly very opposed. But in reality, who ‘pardoned’ Murusidze and Chinchaladze? Was it me? If so, when? I don't know, tell me! I think that the very power that is teaching me wisdom today, not only pardoned them, but placed them in such places, from which no one can remove them, and from which they also very effectively block our way to Europe.
Who is this for? Why don't we ask this?! Before the rally comes to me (when I say coming - I'm talking about the rally, not about the people who are coming to meet, have been coming and I hope they will come here again.)
What is the agreement between these two powers? On the one hand, bringing Misha. Why did some of them advised, urged him to come down here, launch a revolution, claiming people would come out for him.
On the other side, those who were playing with Georgian emotions and antagonizing him: ‘if you’re brave, come here. Don’t be lazy, come here.’
Both were excited about Misha's arrival and we can see why. Because we have been living in this for a year already and more. A year later, we are completely stuck around Misha, in arguments, disputes, fights, there is no other topic, it is impossible to raise another topic, the country is sinking around this issue, and this suits both sides.
For one side, it is probably because it cannot see other plans, because it no longer has an answer to any of the questions that society should ask its government, and I don't know what I have to do with it, but it is unacceptable. Or they don't know me, maybe they don't know me, I don't know, they still haven’t learned who I was for so many years, but pressure on the institution (and not to mention a woman and the president) that is happening today is unacceptable. This bullying, (by the way, I don't know where are those NGO people who should express something about bullying), direct blackmail, threats, humiliation are unacceptable
And here look, there’s a "Russian village" at my doorstep, and what does that mean? In no other country, in front of the president's palace, such a village, especially in this tense period, would be built, but there are different opinions and different tastes about it.
Then they threaten me with “career”, as if I could kiss my career goodbye, as if I wanted some other career, they forget how old I am, but if anyone knows me in this country, they will also know that I left my career over there a long time ago, that I am only interested in this country, I am interested only in the European future of this country, which for some reason everyone is fighting against, no one can see that our society wants this and our society will continue to want it regardless of everything - here I am, here you are and we will go on this path, despite everyone's pressure and attempts to blackmail in different ways.
