Always very happy to be in Ukraine, a key strategic partner of my country, most of all probably the most friendly people towards Georgia, and especially happy when I come back to Kyiv, where I spent so much time during my university years… I was even arrested once by the KGB in this fantastic city.
More importantly, Georgia and Ukraine are at a crossroads of their History. This is what I would like to address today.
No way back to the former Empire and a common horizon: the European integration. We share the same ambition and we try together to turn the Eastern Partnership into an “anti-chambre” of the Union. This depends on our capacity to convince the European capitals that the enlargement period is not over.
It depends also on our capacity to turn our nations into real European democracies.
This radical transformation was the great ambition of my government during 9 years. Not only a political, but also a social, moral and mental transformation. All the reforms we undertook – from the total change of our law enforcement structure to the reform of education or the fight against corruption – were part of this general project: to turn a post-soviet society into a European one. We got successes and failures, but nobody can deny the amazing progress made by our nation on this path.
As you know, we had to overcome many obstacles, oppositions, pressure and even an invasion to advance our agenda. Because reforms and transformations do not happen by themselves in a region marked by the soviet legacy and the rests of the old imperial mentality in Moscow. Because reforms and transformations cannot please everyone and create strong oppositions inside your own country.
But I do believe – this is my main message today - that there is no alternative to this path.
As you are all aware of, the last parliamentary elections in Georgia have brought to power a new majority and a new government. I guess that some people in Moscow have been happy to see our team out of the ministries. But they should understand that a democratic transition and free and fair elections in our region are a dangerous counter-model to their authoritarian rule on the long-term.
The Georgian State has proven to be a fonctionning democracy and I do believe the Georgian people will never let this amazing achievement be reversed.
Of course, nowadays I am worried by this winner takes all mentality that we see dominating the Georgian political scene and that is the common flaw of all young democracies. And even more: by the wave of arrests, the attacks on media, the constant harassment of local authorities…
But I do not think that anybody can reverse the Euro-Atlantic path of my nation. People have tasted freedom and success, they will not accept to go back to the old system.
Because the European trajectory of both Ukraine and Georgia is not the vision of a leader or a political force, it corresponds to the very identity of our nations, the profound wish of our people. And no government can resist this.
Continuous transformation and progressive integration in the European and Euro-atlantic structures: this is the only way our nations can flourish and even survive in our very difficult geo-political environment.