President’s role is non-partisan, my predecessor placed herself beyond this role, creating unrealistic expectations. Such a statement the President of Georgia made in the interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

“We are a parliamentary republic. According to the constitution, the role of the president is non-partisan. My predecessor placed herself beyond this role, creating unrealistic expectations in society. That was not the correct approach. I want to be a President for all citizens. My primary motivation is to restore the presidential institution within the constitutional framework.

Political tensions are nothing new… In the early 90s, we experienced a civil war, something my generation and the older generation remember well. Back then, external forces were not friendly toward us, and unfortunately, we failed to prevent the war. The Government is aware of these risks and is acting wisely. The current crisis is artificially induced”, - said Mikheil Kavelashvili.

When asked what he meant by “artificial”, the President said: “Countries undergoing democratic transformation often face such situations, but civil war can only happen if it is externally fueled. The Russia-Ukraine war has exacerbated tensions in Georgia”.

“Shortly after the conflict began, foreign government representatives urged Georgia to engage in the war against Russia.

Senior Ukrainian officials demanded that we send volunteers, join sanctions against Russia, and even supply weapons - no matter how absurd that may sound. Given our history of armed conflicts with Russia, the most recent in 2008, and the fact that parts of our territory remain occupied, we refused. We are neither an EU nor a NATO member, and involvement in the war would have been disastrous for us. That’s why we faced pressure, primarily regarding our EU candidate status.

Among the 3 EU membership candidate countries - Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia - Georgia had fulfilled the required reforms better than any other - yet, Georgia was denied candidate status at first, which was inexplicable…

The key question remains - what would have happened to Georgia had we complied with those demands? We see the answer in Ukraine, which, despite significant international support, has been unable to stop Russia. Our decision was bold - it meant Georgia’s survival. There is no alternative to peace.

The recent developments, particularly Donald Trump’s victory, had reinforced Georgia’s stance. Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio are now echoing what we have always said. The claims that we engaged in anti-American or anti-Western actions are nothing but disinformation”, - explained the President.