"Principle of Reconciliation" - President Georgia invites opposition to New Year reception

Zurabishvili invites opposition, ruling parties to a New Year reception party

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili  has invited opposition to a New Year reception at her residence on December 16. Some politicians have already revived the invitation.

According to the president, she took it upon herself to begin the process of reconciliation Salome Zurabishvili says that this will mark the beginning of a process of reconciliation, truth and justice:

“This is the path that many countries have chosen, and which, I believe, is extremely necessary for Georgia today”.

Zurabishvili’s invitation was not accepted by the country’s main opposition party “United National Movement” (it’s leader is the incumbent former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili).

According to the independent MP Salome Samadashvili, it would have been better if the opposition accepted the invitation.

The Presidential Administration also stated that President Salome Zurabishvili presented her nationwide reconciliation initiative to the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church of Georgia, Catholicos Patriarch Ilia II.

In turn, the Georgian patriarchate stated that the Church will support any initiative “based on Christian and just principles”.

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On December 10, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili spoke at the Democracy Summit hosted by US President Joe Biden, and said that polarization, the spread of false information and hate speech not only incite internal discord, but also undermine state institutions and democratic processes, including the two foundations of democracy – trust in elections and media.

The President stressed the need to overcome polarization and hatred, and added that she would begin a nationwide dialogue to “achieve a common understanding of recent history”.

“If we do not revive the public discourse based on mutual respect, if we cannot talk about the past and understand what happened, we will not be able to renew the connection between us, the connection that underlies our identity and our confidence in our future. This is a more reliable path to consolidated democracy, which no one can oppose or threaten”, Zurabishvili said.