2017-05-26
Greetings!
Your Holiness,
Mr. President,
Mr. Speaker of the Parliament,
Esteemed Members of Parliament and Government,
Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps,
Officers and Veterans,
Honorable Guests,
My Fellow Compatriots,
I congratulate you on May 26, Georgia's Independence Day!
Today we are celebrating the most important holiday in the history of the Georgian state! I congratulate all of Georgia, each citizen, every compatriot!
Happy Independence Day to you, soldiers of our country!
I am certain that this day is especially exciting for our recruits who today took an oath of allegiance to Georgia and pledged to serve the country. There can be no honor greater than to stand sentinel to protect one's homeland. I congratulate you on taking that oath today and assuming the honorable mission of soldiers! I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you will represent yourselves well in serving Georgia, and uphold the good name of Georgian soldiers.
My children, friends, and soldiers of our homeland!
I wish you courage, friendship, loyalty, solidarity, and love of one another as your constant companions. Always remember that you come from the land of Rustaveli, and be proud of it! Never stray from the values that have stood the test of time to make up the moral code of our nation.
With special admiration, I wish a Happy Independence Day to our dear soldiers on international peacekeeping missions who are protecting the future of the Georgian state and our children, who selflessly guard peace in the world. I am grateful to them for upholding the reputation of Georgian soldiers as the bravest in the world.
This year, Independence Day is special in that it is dedicated to Shota Rustaveli and his immortal masterpiece, The Knight in the Panther's Skin. As a nation, we are the keepers of this treasure of global importance, and as Rustaveli's descendants, we are obligated to remain true and committed to the values that have guided us for 850 years.
This is probably why determination, honor, strength in the face of adversaries, courage, selflessness, and the noble character of the Georgian people have carried our homeland through challenging times. Today, Georgia is an independent and free country determined never to give up this most glorious achievement.
On this magnificent day, I bow before the immortal souls of the heroes fallen for our homeland, and I pay homage to the memory of those fallen in the fight for Georgia's freedom, independence, and unity.
Today, our country once again needs our selflessness to maintain, further strengthen, and empower our multiethnic Georgian state. Today peaceful and consistent policy is the weapon that will unite our homeland and reunite us with our Abkhazian and Ossetian brothers and sisters.
Today, Europe opens its doors wide for Georgian citizens, and I have no doubt in my mind that soon the modern democratic Georgian state will take its honorable place in the large family of European nations.
I strongly believe in the bright future of our country! Looking out at you, this belief grows even stronger! We are building a free, democratic, and strong country, and we will surely take pride in our unified homeland!
Once again, Happy Independence Day!
May God protect all of you and all of Georgia!