On October 1, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili visited Warsaw to participate in the Warsaw Security Forum and hold bilateral meetings with high-ranking European officials, including her Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda.
The President also held the bilateral meetings with Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defenсe for European Integration, Oleksandr Balanutsa; Minister of State for Defence of United Kingdom, Lord Vernon Coaker; Special Advisor to the President and Senior Director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council, Michael R. Carpenter; Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová. During the meetings, the President discussed the pre-election environment in Georgia, the country’s EU integration process and the Georgian people’s aspirations for a European future.
WSF 2024 – President’s Panel
President Zurabishvili spoke at a high-level panel entitled Living in Pre-War Times? Key Lessons for European Security, where international journalist Hadley Gamble asked her to views on the upcoming elections in Georgia, as well as the war in Ukraine and its role in shaping Georgia’s future security.
To the question on whether the President believes that democratic values will prevail in Georgia during the elections, Zurabishvili stated that she is confident that Georgians who for many years have been “steadily supportive” towards the country’s European future, will prove that EU is where Georgia’s future lies and that there is no better alternative now.
“The elections that we are going to have on 26 of October are going to be determining, there are many forces that are at work against the will of the Georgian population, but I’m confident that our future is in Europe,” the President emphasized, adding that Georgia’s future is “also defended by Ukraine, as Ukraine is fighting for itself, for its independence, for Europe’s freedom, Ukraine is also fighting for our freedom…”
Continuing on this theme, the President also emphasized that the elections in Georgia, as well as the elections in Moldova and the outcome of the war in Ukraine, will determine not only the future of these individual countries, as well as Armenia’s European future, but also the future of Europe as a whole and critical issues such as security, cooperation and Black Sea connectivity.
In addition, Zurabishvili noted that what is currently at stake in the elections in Georgia is peace, because while Ukraine is experiencing Russia’s military aggression, Georgia is acting like the “other side of the coin” and is experiencing Russian hybrid warfare, propaganda, pressure and suppression, which is demonstrated by the “Russian law” passed by the ruling party, “which is now in action and tries to suppress the civil society, to restrict it. That’s what is at stake in the elections and again I think that by the elections the Georgian people will overcome these threats, which are very real, I cannot just minimize them…”.
Regarding the Russo-Georgian relations and how Georgia should proceed to act towards Russia, the President stressed that Georgians know from experience that “bowing down [to Russia] doesn’t bring peace.” However, she said that the ruling party is trying to do just that, as well as trying to “replicate Russian modus operandi” by putting pressure on the society through different methods and laws, knowing that they can’t achieve support in any other way.
About the possibility of Russian military attack on Georgia in the future, the President said that she can’t voice such a hypothesis, however suggesting that Putin’s regime can never be trusted. “…The strategy that Russia is using in Georgia is to use what has become a proxy, which are the Georgian [parliamentary] majority, the Georgian Dream has become really a proxy for Russian interest. So, that means that their immediate strategy is not a military one, I think that Ukraine is enough for them…” said President Zurabishvili.
When asked if there was a plan of action if Putin really decided to attack Georgia in the near future, the president stated that “there is no plan,” emphasizing that Georgia is not like Ukraine and doesn’t have the same capabilities, so if Putin were to attack, “that will be another crisis for you [Europe].”
The journalist also asked President Zurabishvili about U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump’s claims that he would negotiate with Putin to end the war in Ukraine “at any cost” after his election victory, to which she replied that “there is no peace at any cost…”, peace can only come when Russia recognizes that it is a country with borders, respects its borders and its neighbors’ -“that is lasting peace.”
Finally, the President noted that what Georgia needs now from Europe to overcome the difficulties in the country is moral support and a lot of election observers, so that Georgians never feel alone and isolated from the West.
Briefing of the Presidents of Georgia and Poland
Following the bilateral meeting between the Polish and Georgian counterparts, Salome Zurabishvili and Andrzej Duda held a joint briefing for the media.
President Zurabishvili emphasised that Georgia has always felt Poland’s support for its EU aspirations and thanked Poland for being Georgia’s “great friend”. She noted that her visit to Warsaw coincided with a very difficult period in the history of Europe and Georgia, as the two-and-a-half-year war in Ukraine, Poland’s neighbour, is still ongoing.
“Both Europe and America know very well, but we Georgians also know that Ukraine is fighting not only for its own independence, sovereignty, freedom and peace, but also for everyone – for Europe as a whole, and among them, for us, for all the countries that are Russia’s neighbors and that have already experienced Russia’s aggression,” noted the Georgian President.
She stressed that peace in Europe can only be disturbed by Russia, as no European country has ever started a war against each other. She also mentioned the importance of the current situation in Georgia, saying that Georgia’s future is “one of the most important components of Europe’s regional stability and security.”
“As I mentioned, today is a turning point for Georgia and its future. Georgia is preparing to hold historic elections. On October 26, the Georgian people will make a choice between the European future and the Russian past. This is practically a referendum, and I am sure that the Georgian people, as in the past (all those moments when a decisive choice had to be made), will make their own choice in favor of a peaceful and independent European future,” highlighted Zurabishvili.
She also reiterated that at this important moment, it is crucial for Georgians to feel European moral support and to receive as many international election observers as possible “to ensure that the elections are held in a free, fair and, above all, peaceful environment”. She expressed the hope that after the elections Georgia will return to its European path, implement all necessary reforms and achieve EU accession negotiations during the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The Georgian President was also asked about Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO, to which she emphasized that Euro-Atlantic integration is enshrined in the country’s Constitution, but the process has been halted by decisions such as the adoption of the Russian law and the refusal to reform the High Council of Justice, expressing hope that this process will be resumed after the elections.
Polish President Andrzej Duda thanked Salome Zurabishvili for her visit to Poland and noted that during their meeting they discussed regional issues in the Caucasus, the war in Ukraine and its impact on the security of Poland and Georgia, as well as the situation in Georgia. He stressed that Georgian territories have been occupied by Russia since 2008 and reiterated his support for Georgia’s integration into the EU, stressing that the will of the people should be met by a democratic government that will carry out the necessary reforms to join the EU.
President Duda noted that the recently adopted law on Foreign Agents is perceived by the European side as an attempt by political forces to limit civil society organizations and their democratic aspirations. He expressed his hope that Georgia will soon join the EU, stressing that this depends on the outcome of the elections. President Duda concluded by acknowledging President Zurabishvili’s efforts to ensure Georgia’s democratic development and thanked her again for her visit.
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