In Warsaw, following a bilateral meeting, the Presidents of Georgia and Poland made joint statements to the media and answered journalists' questions.
President of Georgia:
Mr. President, thank you for your hospitality.
It has been almost two years since my last visit to Poland. Georgia and the Georgian people have always felt and continue to feel the unwavering support of Poland on their European path. In every significant moment when Georgia needed to take a new step on this European path, at every stage, Poland, the Polish people, and the Polish government stood by Georgia, and I would like to express my immense gratitude on behalf of myself and the people of Georgia, who know that Poland is a great friend of Georgia.
This time, my visit to Warsaw comes at a moment when we are all in a transformative time and era. This moment is pivotal for the world, and even more so for Europe and Georgia. In the heart of Europe, Russia's brutal aggression has been ongoing for more than two and a half years, a war against Ukraine's sovereignty, freedom, and European future. It has been 951 days (if I'm not mistaken), and this is the day when Russia has failed to shake the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian struggle, which continues to this day.
What Russia thought would be a short campaign (three days, if I'm not mistaken) has dragged on, and until now, Russia has been unable to achieve anything. On the contrary, during this time, we have seen the solidarity of Europe and the West towards Ukraine, something that Russia did not anticipate.
Europe and America know well, but we Georgians also understand that Ukraine is fighting not only for its independence, sovereignty, freedom, and peace but also for everyone—for all of Europe and, among them, for us, for all the countries that are neighbors to Russia and have already experienced Russian aggression.
Peace in Europe can only be disrupted by Russia. Europe was created for peace, and there has never been a war against one another in Europe, especially not against Russia.
Today, I participated in the Warsaw Security Forum, where discussions were held about the ongoing war in Ukraine and the security challenges facing Europe and the world. This is a very important forum, and it is a great honor for the President of Georgia to participate in it.
It should be noted that the situation in Georgia and the future of Georgia is a crucial component of stability and security in the European region, which was clearly demonstrated today.
As I mentioned, today is a pivotal period for Georgia and its future. Georgia is preparing for historic elections. On October 26, the Georgian people will make a choice between a European future and a Russian past. This is practically a referendum, and I am confident that the population of Georgia, as in the past (during all the moments when decisive choices had to be made), will choose a peaceful and European independent future.
At this vitally important moment, Georgia and the Georgian people need the moral support of their European partners. We need the arrival of observers to ensure that the elections are held in a free, fair, and, most importantly, peaceful environment.
I am confident that the choice of the people of Georgia will be oriented towards their European future and the return to the European path, which is currently frozen and stalled.
I expressed great hope to the President that Georgia will not only return to this path but will also quickly embark on the road of making all the necessary decisions to regain its place on the European path, which will open the doors for us to start the accession negotiations, and that this will happen precisely during Poland's presidency, which begins in January of next year and will last until the end of June. This is the period when we must adopt all the laws and decisions that will lead us to the doorstep of the European Union. And if we traverse this path swiftly, I know that Poland will be by our side, as it has been throughout all our European steps, and there too, Poland's presidency will support us.
Once again, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the President for this visit and for my participation in the forum, which is particularly important for us today, at this moment, and I hope that our close connection will continue and deepen even further.
Thank you very much!
Question to the President of Georgia:
Is Georgia striving towards NATO membership? How is the cooperation between Georgia and NATO progressing?
Euro-Atlantic integration is enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia. All state institutions, including the President, are tasked with doing everything possible to achieve the goal of this Euro-Atlantic integration more swiftly.
This pertains to both NATO and the European Union, with which everything is currently at a standstill. This is due to the fact that the Georgian government has taken certain measures while failing to implement others that our European partners were expecting. This includes the Russian law and the lack of judicial council reform.
These are the factors hindering our swift progress towards the European Union and NATO. I have great hope that the people of Georgia, the Georgian nation, are wise and know where their European, independent, democratic, and peaceful future lies.
President of the Republic of Poland:
Dear President, it is a great pleasure to welcome you. The President of Georgia is a friend of Poland, and we are therefore doubly pleased to have the opportunity to meet and discuss such important issues regarding the situation in Georgia and the Caucasus as a whole. I have listened to the President of Georgia's views on Russia's aggression in Ukraine.
We talked about the situation in the region and the immediate neighborhood, the relationship between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and of course, we placed significant emphasis on Georgia's aspirations to join the European Union. There will be parliamentary elections in Georgia in the near future. I would like to express my gratitude to the President for coming to Warsaw, for this conversation, and also for participating in the Warsaw Security Forum and delivering a speech. I am very pleased that she took part in such an important event.
As I have mentioned several times, during our meeting at the Presidential Palace, we also discussed security issues, as both Georgia and Poland are immediate neighbors of an aggressor country. Ukraine is also our immediate neighbor. Although there is a sea separating Georgia and Ukraine, the Russian Federation is the immediate neighbor, making this issue extremely important for Georgia in terms of security—how it can withstand Russia's aggression and defend itself.
The views of myself and the President are aligned; we recognize the threats facing our countries, which are directly related to Ukraine now, and the aggression that was directed at Georgia in 2008. Russia has repeatedly engaged in provocations since then. Since 2008, we have seen that the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia remain occupied as a direct result of Russian aggression, and there are ongoing attempts at destabilization.
Democratic forces in Georgia are striving for political advantage, and pre-election meetings are taking place. I spoke with the President about this, and we are all eagerly awaiting the decision of the Georgian electorate. We certainly support Georgia's aspiration to join the European Union. I have never doubted that Georgia wishes to be part of the EU, but Georgia must also have a government that truly wants to and is doing everything to become a member, not just in terms of desire but also by fulfilling the conditions that are prerequisites for EU membership. Therefore, the state institutions of Georgia must be democratic.
Recently, a law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” was adopted in Georgia, and of course, EU politicians and representatives have expressed their opinions on this. It is clear to everyone that political forces are restricting non-governmental organizations and their aspirations towards democracy.
We hope that Georgia's accession will happen in the near future, and thus, the results of the elections are of great significance. We discussed all these issues, and of course, we support Georgia. I asked the President whether they expect observers from foreign countries, and she confirmed this. I hope that the people of Georgia will express their opinions and confirm their votes in the upcoming elections.
The President of Georgia's visit is very important for Poland, and I extend my heartfelt thanks to her for this visit. Once again, thank you for participating in the Warsaw Security Forum. This is a very important event for us, which has gained significant importance since February 2022. The President's voice and opinion, as a significant politician in international politics with vast experience in Western Europe and international affairs, are crucial, and we know that she is doing everything to ensure that Georgia develops along a democratic path. Thank you very much for this visit and for all the meetings.
