“The European aspirations of the Georgian people, enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, cannot be betrayed. Georgia’s European dream must not be vanished,” said French President Emmanuel Macron in a video address to the Georgian people, Georgian Public Broadcaster reports.
According to Macron, “The path is set, Georgia can now work hand in hand with the 27 EU member states, confidently, to build this European future, or wait and see.”
“Dear Georgian friends, on the eve of the first anniversary of Georgia’s candidate status, I considered it important to convey this message through this short video.
First of all, I would like to tell you that the European aspirations of the Georgian people, enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, cannot be betrayed. Georgia’s European dream must not be vanished.
This choice of the European path is your sovereign decision, this choice to join the European family is what is being peacefully expressed today in Tbilisi and several dozen cities across the country. By granting Georgia candidate status, the European Council has given a positive response to this aspiration.
This choice implies the fulfillment of certain duties and obligations over time. The path is set, Georgia can now work hand in hand with the 27 EU Member States, confidently, to build this European future, or wait and see, but what to wait for and why?
Speaking of what this European choice is, the EU does not oblige. By setting out a path of equal partnership, Europe offers prosperity and common values. Europe does not intimidate, it does not use threats. Europe does not seek to sow chaos, Europe does not seek to destabilize or subjugate its neighbors through war or hybrid means. It does not seek to sow division or confusion among its citizens.
The European Union respects the sovereign will of peoples, the history and identity of nations, such as the thousand-year history of the Georgian people. The European Union does not dictate what is national interest. It respects territorial integrity, in particular that of Georgia. The European Union does not support separatists in your country. The European Union is a peace project that has been the basis of European construction since its inception. The European Union has not launched an aggressive war against a sovereign state. Yes, Europe is solidarity, the choice of peace, the collective defense of common strategic interests for one family. Europe is not blackmail, it is the acceptance of rules as a means of resolving disagreements. Georgia is the one who decides its own destiny. And for this, the voice of the Georgians must be heard and respected.
Finally, I would like to reiterate that we stand by you in support of your European and democratic aspirations. Georgia cannot hope to move forward on its European path if peaceful demonstrations are suppressed with disproportionate use of force, if civil society organizations, journalists, and members of opposition parties are harassed, if freedom of expression and assembly is not protected.
I want to believe that there is a way, in line with the country’s European aspirations, a way of open, respectful dialogue with all political forces and civil society organizations. This dialogue is the responsibility of all Georgians. It must allow Georgians to take their own destiny back into their own hands. This path is yours. That is why I have great confidence in the Georgian people and I have great confidence in everyone who values this respectable European path and does not want to give in to intimidation, propaganda, cyberattacks, and information manipulation.
Long live the friendship between Georgia and France, and long live Europe!” Macron declared.
