2018-05-23
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am honored to have this opportunity to open the Second Annual US - Georgia Strategic Partnership Conference. My thanks go to Nancy Lindborg and the US Institute of Peace and to our many friends at the Heritage Foundation for hosting this meeting.
Last year's conference was the first of its kind, and it was a great success. A good idea is hard to suppress, and I note with considerable satisfaction that this year's meeting is called, auspiciously, the Second Annual conference. We stand, as they say, at the doorway to history.
History is never far from Georgians' thinking. We have survived so much of it to arrive here today and, of course, the Georgia people are the heroes of this story. 100 years ago this month, Georgia took a leap into the future. We gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Georgia, as turmoil, revolution, and civil war swirled around our small country, powered by forces much larger than ourselves. Our predecessors may or may not have realized at that exciting moment that Georgia's independence-our freedom-would be delayed still further, for nearly two-thirds of a century more. The Red Army swept into Georgia just three years after we reclaimed our statehood, and, at least temporarily, swept our independence away.
But we have been good and persistent stewards of our dream of independence and freedom. Such instincts are within our national DNA. One may speak of formal state independence arriving again in 1991, but Georgia's experience of statehood is much deeper, many centuries deeper. As a crossroads of civilizations, we absorbed much from - and contributed much to - all those around us, while remaining uniquely Georgian.
And Western. A century ago, Georgia set its course inseparably with the West. Georgia is not a between-land. Our culture is European with strong American accents; our outlook is Western and transatlantic, as are our values and politics. Today, our economy is among the most dynamic in its region and, indeed, in all of Europe. Our commitment to democracy and human rights, the bedrock of Western and European values, is solid, deep, and sustainable. We are proud and active member of the transatlantic community, and will only grow more so over time.
The United States was among the first to recognize Georgia's independence in 1991. America supported us when we most needed it - during some of the most trying episodes of our own national consolidation.
In the last 27 years, since our declaration of independence, Georgia has had no greater friend than the United States. Together we have crafted what may truly be called a "strategic partnership."
We take the reality of strategic partnership seriously. It is "strategic" because we share with our American friends a vision of our region and of Europe that is whole and free...and at peace. It is strategic because we can look at the same facts on the ground, and then share our intrinsic understanding of the importance of these realities to develop strategies for pursuing shared objectives. Each of us brings distinct sets of analytical filters to the challenges we face. Our collaboration is aimed at devising the right strategies to achieve shared objectives.
And it is a partnership because the sharing is continual and mutual. The United States was quick to recognize the inherent challenges of Georgia's geostrategic position, especially its fraught relationship with Russia, and the complexities of its larger security environment. But it was also quick to understand Georgia's advantageous geography, its power to demonstrate the advantages of democratic development, and the unquenchable spirit of Georgia's dynamic people.
For its part, Georgia understands and contributes to America developing and defending its interests in our region, and democratic values everywhere. Georgia honors its part of the partnership bargain by fighting alongside America and its NATO allies in hotspots like Iraq and Afghanistan, where Georgia has suffered more casualties per capita than any NATO country except the United States. Georgia's spending on defense well exceeds NATO's two percent standard, as President Trump has rightly insisted on. We are proud to do so, and to support our common security agenda. We are stronger together than apart: the literal meaning of partnership.
The tempo of Eurasia is quickening from the stimuli of new trade routes, like the emerging TransCaspian Corridor and the New Silk Road. New participants from around the world are now pursuing Eurasia's burgeoning opportunities. New friendships and alliances are forming from Europe to Asia. The significance of Georgia's unique position and, therefore, of the importance of its strategic partnership with the United States can only grow. Now is the time to pursue a bilateral trade agreement that will bring economic and security benefits to both of our nations. Partnership and strategy go hand in hand with peace and stability.
Georgia is honored to be one of America's strategic partners. And we are extremely pleased that this annual conference will strengthen and deepen and understanding of our partnership to everyone's benefit.
Thank you very much.
Nancy Lindborg, USIP President:
"Mr. Prime Minister! Excellences!
I want to take this moment to congratulate you on your national day. And I want to thank you for being a partner of USIP and Heritage Foundation for this conference. We look forward to the conversation and we are very interested to have that kind of conversation that helps us learn about the opportunities to strengthen the partnership and to build peace in the region.
And it is now my great honor to introduce Prime Minister Kvirikashvili. He has led Georgia since December 2015. He was previously Georgia's Vice-Prime Minister and also served as a Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development; and as the Foreign Minister.
So this morning as we celebrate the Georgia-US Strategic Partnership, we also want to recognize the Georgia's contribution to regional security, to the international forces in Afghanistan and to the UN peacekeeping operations in Central African Republic and Mali.
Mr. Prime Minister thank you for your leadership, your partnership and your friendship with United States. Our warm congratulations on your national day."
Prime Minister's Press Office