"We have avoided war". Georgian Prime Minister summarizes the results of the year

Georgian PM on the year behind

Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, summarized the year’s results, emphasizing that the most significant achievement, in his opinion, is that the country successfully avoided war.

“The danger was indeed imminent. The threat of destabilization loomed large, with radical groups and hostile forces operating within the country, directly invested in pushing the country into a military situation. We can proudly affirm that our government made decisions aligned with the interests of our country and its people.”

“The greatest test that can befall our country and people is war, and we have successfully avoided it. This victory is a collective achievement.

I am far from believing that these risks have been entirely neutralized. They persist, but we are approaching these challenges with utmost caution and intelligence, identifying threats, implementing preventive measures, and safeguarding the people of our country,” stated Garibashvili.

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According to the Prime Minister, before the current ruling Georgian Dream party took office, business racketeering was the primary means of replenishing the budget, and the poverty level was very high. However, over the past 11 years under the rule of the Georgian Dream, the country’s economy has tripled:

“Poverty was at almost 30 percent, and unemployment mirrored that figure. The country lacked prospects, demotivating business with negative forecasts and expectations. Under an autocratic and unjust regime, citizens, including those who went to war, felt oppressed – a situation the government could not avoid.”

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“Now, according to the World Bank classification, Georgia has entered the ranks of upper-middle-income countries,” states the Prime Minister.

“Even this year, despite serious challenges and cataclysms in the region and the world, we have managed to grow the economy and fully control inflation,” added Garibashvili.

Furthermore, he noted that unemployment and poverty rates in Georgia have reached historic lows of 17 and 15 percent, respectively.

Irakli Garibashvili also asserts that no evidence of Georgia bypassing anti-Russian sanctions has emerged throughout the year:

“We have been and will continue to work as openly and transparently as possible. Every decision we make is grounded in the interests of our country and people, ensuring our economy remains unharmed while addressing any concerns from our partner countries.

Up to 1,000 cases of sanctions evasion were identified, but these pertained to products sent from Europe to Russia. We promptly informed our European colleagues.”

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However, economist Beso Namchavadze argues that the Prime Minister lied or, more precisely, exaggerated when discussing the tripling of the economy.

“The economy has grown, but by 1.6 times. While it could have indeed tripled over these 11 years, it did not happen. Otherwise, we would be wealthier than Bulgaria today, having surpassed Romania and Latvia.

Garibashvili is comparing the nominal economy of 2023 with the economy of 2012 without considering that inflation also contributes to the nominal economy,” explains the economist.

Georgian PM on the year behind