The President of Georgia hosted representatives of youth organizations and students who joined the “Our Voice for Europe” signature campaign in the Orbeliani Palace.

“The European future of this country is what unites us all, and together we will try to open the door to it. This is what this campaign of signatures serves, which is in no way a political campaign, it is not related to any political party. It is only for us, for the European future of this country, because today we all feel very well that we are at a decisive moment on this path.

It’s true that we were all very happy when the commission made its decision on November 8, it"s the first victory, but it doesn"t mean that everything is already decided. Therefore, your mobilization is necessary for the decision of December 15, which will be the main decision, the decision of the 27 countries of the European Council, which we all believe and hope will be a positive decision, and I think there is a very high chance of that, but we should never assume that the decision has already been made and we should not relax. Neither you nor I have the right to relax.

You are the main force in this country and you have to decide what kind of future you want. You want our country to have a future similar to the EU member states. This does not mean that all problems are solved there, that it is some kind of paradise. Obviously, there are many problems in Europe, too many unresolved issues, but our country has no other alternative than to be in the family of free countries, free societies, and be where we will actually be protected by our partners. This has no alternative for us!

As we have occupied territories, we have no other perspective! If someone sees a prospect elsewhere, they should tell us where that prospect is and why we should trust such a prospect.

I know that young people understand this much better, because they themselves know what kind of life they want, what values they want, and they also know that what some propagandists tell us and want us to believe: as if it is a loss of our identity or a degeneration in some way - is not correct.

Our identity is tolerance, our identity is freedom, the fight for freedom, our identity is diversity, which has been a hallmark of Georgia for centuries, and if we want our identity to be strengthened, Europe is the space where a small country has the most opportunities, so that we carry this identity, appreciate others and appreciate ourselves. We should not be afraid of anything, we should believe in ourselves and that is what you can do best. This [applause] belongs to you because you have already shown what you want and what you are ready to fight for”, - said Salome Zourabichvili.