“I sincerely congratulate the Azerbaijani people on Independence Day!

For many years now, I have had the honor of addressing you at events dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and each time I proudly note that relations between our countries continue to develop dynamically in every direction from year to year”, - stated the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, while delivering remarks at an event dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

As the Speaker noted, relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan have always been based on mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty, independence, and national interests, as well as on sincere dialogue.

“We agree that every country has the right to determine its own future, protect its national identity, and act in accordance with its national interests. Relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan are a clear example of this.

True partnership is built not on uniformity, but on respect for differences. Strong relations are formed when states regard one another as equal partners, each with its own history, traditions, and legitimate national interests.

Independence is valuable precisely because it enables a country’s government to make decisions solely according to the will of its own people and to determine the destiny of the country independently.

In today’s world, we often witness attempts to prioritize global interests and impose ideological uniformity. Undoubtedly, international cooperation is vitally important. It is equally important for countries to share interests and reach agreements.

However, time has shown us that agreement does not mean uniformity, unity does not require ignoring one’s own interests, and cooperation does not imply abandoning national identity or state interests.

History has repeatedly demonstrated that when differences are ignored and diversity is restricted, inevitable problems eventually emerge. One example of this was the Soviet Union’s attempt to erase distinctions among peoples’ interests, disregard their history and identity, and suppress their diverse aspirations. Such systems cannot endure for long”, - Shalva Papuashvili stated.

The Speaker of Parliament also spoke about the importance of peace in the region and emphasized that Georgia has always supported peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus.

“The ongoing peace trend in the South Caucasus clearly demonstrates this truth. The efforts aimed at the peaceful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia — which we wholeheartedly welcome — show that conflict resolution becomes possible when two sovereign states engage in direct dialogue based on their national interests and mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty.

This is exactly how conflicts should be resolved, rather than through the interference of external actors. Such interference usually serves the interests not of the parties involved in the conflict, but of third countries, and creates insurmountable barriers to achieving peace and genuine agreement. Therefore, the main mechanism for resolving conflicts is respect for sovereignty and non-interference in political affairs.

Georgia has always supported peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus region, and together with our neighboring states, we will continue to work jointly in this direction in the future.

The agreements reached during the visit of the Prime Minister of Georgia to Azerbaijan, which will contribute to better utilization of the Middle Corridor’s transit potential and to the further economic development of our countries, further deepen the strategic partnership between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The parliaments of our countries also make a significant contribution to the development of this partnership. These relations are developing at all levels, both between friendship groups and sectoral committees. These relations are consistently marked by a friendly attitude between the parties and a sincere desire to achieve greater results.

A vivid expression of this special relationship was the awarding, one month ago, of the Parliament’s first honorary medal to Sahiba Gafarova for her exceptional contribution to our parliamentary relations.

Once again, I congratulate the Azerbaijani people on Independence Day and wish them peace, prosperity, and success”, - Shalva Papuashvili stated.

Shalva Papuashvili: “I sincerely congratulate the Azerbaijani people on Independence Day! Our relations have always been based on respect for each other’s sovereignty, independence, and national interests, as well as on sincere dialogue”