President: COVID-19 was Difficult Experience for Georgia, We Passed this Test

"The COVID-19 crisis turned out to be a difficult experience for Georgia, but we passed this test," the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili stated at the event dedicated to the country's fight against the coronavirus, organized by Geocase analytical organization on July 17.

She noted that this period has tested public confidence in democracy.

"We have been able to manage what I would call a 'trust triangle', consisting of the professional epidemiologists, effective government, and responsible society. If the society had not trusted the decisions of the government, it would not have worked. Georgia is a small country, and because this triangle worked, I think that’s why we received the results that we have. But, we should all be moderate in our appreciation in what we have called a success – success, but in brackets, because nobody knows how things will evolve.

"We have also tested democracy. I think it’s very clear that we have managed to have proportional measures and like many other countries, within the state of emergency, we didn’t go under complete lockdown. We had a night curfew, but the lockdown and the quarantine were only imposed in specific places in order to limit the spread of the pandemic. The state of emergency was revoked in due time. That is the whole picture that had drawn positive appreciation from the outside, the international community and what is very important for Georgia, it increased self-confidence in a society and its capacity to react to such emergency situations.

"Unfortunately, in the past, for many centuries and during past years, Georgian society has tested its resilience in war situations. But, this time we have tested our resilience in an emergency situation," she said. 

The President pointed out that Georgia fully appreciates the substantial humanitarian, economic and financial support that the country has received from the EU, the whole international community, and international financial organizations, adding that the fact that the European Union has included Georgia among the 15 safe countries and has just renewed this inclusion is very important and much appreciated here.

"For Georgia and Europe, it’s not only an opportunity to travel but also a sign of solidarity. This sense should be maintained in the future when it comes to access to a vaccine, it should be equally available for countries," she said. 

Zurabishvili publicly thanked the Minister of Health Ekaterine Tikaradze and expressed gratitude and appreciation to the whole healthcare system, "which has played an incredibly important role during this period.

"I would also like to underline that the work of the Lugar Center, at every stage of the pandemic, must be praised and we are determined to resist any attempt to discredit this institution through fake news or real attacks," she said.

In her words, thanks to the significant assistance from its international partners, the country has achieved success not only in terms of fighting against COVID-19 but in political processes, such as the adoption of constitutional changes by the Parliament regarding the electoral system. 

"We adopted constitutional changes. Despite a rather tense and difficult start, the process, as a prerequisite for holding democratic elections in the autumn, has reached its positive end. Just Like the fight against COVID, success in politics is the result of working with our partners. The direct involvement of the diplomatic community and facilitator ambassadors contributes greatly to achieving satisfactory results and consensus," the President concluded.

She noted that in parallel with COVID-19, the country is facing other challenges such as the attacks on Lugar Laboratory, which was the cornerstone of a successful fight against the pandemic, illegal detention of Georgian citizens near the ABL and continuous 'borderization,' creating an extremely dire humanitarian situation in the breakaway regions. 

"Despite the pandemic, renewed tensions along the Administrative Boundary Line show that the UN Secretary-General's call for de-escalation and conflict resolution has not been considered. I am concerned that the country's exemplary management of COVID, its remarkable democratic progress, its stability in the region may not be acceptable for everyone, and I will spare no effort to ensure that these achievements are not in danger either from within or outside the country.

"As a guarantor of the country's stability, I consider it my personal responsibility to prevent any such attempt. I will definitely be on the frontline of this fight and will address you if necessary. I also urge you to watch closely any attempt to create mistrust and misunderstanding between Georgia and its key partners," the President concluded.