The fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, who accuses Georgian Dream authorities of rigging last year’s general elections and halting the country’s EU integration, on Tuesday reaffirmed her commitment to representing the concerns of the Georgian public on the international stage, during the Munich Security Conference this week.
Following a meeting with media managers, Zourabichvili, who says Mikheil Kavelashvili is not the country’s legitimate president, emphasized that her ongoing discussions aim to bring both the public and its challenges to the upcoming Munich Security Conference.
“The meetings that I have started are, on the one hand, aimed at bringing not only me to Munich as the President of Georgia, but also the public and its problems from all angles in the country,” Zourabichvili said. She added that another key objective is the formation of various platforms around the presidential administration to facilitate collaboration between different segments of society.
She also highlighted the importance of protecting media freedom amid growing pressure. In her meeting with media representatives, she stressed the need to strengthen Georgia’s media landscape, particularly at a time when “dictatorial regimes often seek to control both society and the press”. “Freedom of speech is first and foremost in society, but it must be protected by the media. Therefore, I will take their messages to Munich, but it does not end there,” she assured.
Zourabichvili also pointed to the case of Mzia Amaglobeli, the arrested media manager, who has been on hunger strike for 31 days, describing her as a symbol of freedom of speech and noting that the regional media faces significant challenges, potentially making it vulnerable to external influences. “Perhaps the Russian regime believes that regional media are weaker and can establish its influence there. This will not be the case. We will be together and I will protect everyone as much as I can and wherever I can,” she declared.
She further announced that the meetings will continue regularly, engaging various stakeholders, including diplomats, in efforts to uphold Georgia’s democratic values. Earlier discussions with diplomats have already led to the creation of a ‘diplomatic club’ aimed at fostering dialogue on key national issues.
