“I am pleased that, within the framework of the Conference of Georgian Ambassadors, I have the opportunity to address you with a summary of the past political year, an assessment of the current international reality, and a vision for the future,” - stated the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, H.E. Shalva Papuashvili, while delivering his speech at the Ambassadors’ Conference.

As the Speaker noted, it is now an established fact that throughout 2025, Georgia withstood unprecedented external pressure.

According to him, it has become clear to everyone that the developments surrounding Georgia were not the result of internal processes, but rather a projection of regional and global confrontation.

“In the past year, marked by global changes, drama, and contradictions, I would emphasize two key issues among the major events that occurred.

First, it is an established fact that throughout 2025, Georgia endured unprecedented external pressure aimed at interfering in the country’s internal affairs, artificially altering domestic political processes, and actively manipulating public sentiment. Today, it is evident to all that the events unfolding around Georgia were not the result of internal processes, but rather a projection of regional and global confrontation — under conditions of the fourth year of the war in Ukraine and open competition among major powers.

Second, this concerns the clearly emerging picture of international relations at the end of the year, the positions of states, and the new parity that has formed among them.

Today, several provisions that were subject to differing interpretations over the past four years are no longer disputed. First and foremost, it is clear that the global security architecture has collapsed. The unipolar world order no longer exists.

The post–Cold War era of international relations has come to an end. States are actively seeking a new formula for the balance of power. In this process, each actor strives to maximize the protection of its own interests and to maintain favorable positions. In such circumstances, national interest is no longer a theoretical concept — it has become a decisive category shaping state policy.

It is through the prism of national interest that states make decisions, form alliances, and acquire influence. There is no longer a simple division of history into bright and dark sides, nor a straightforward geopolitical confrontation between good and evil, or the hegemony of one civilization over another. Instead, there exists global confrontation, competing great powers, and the desire for dominance. The contours of a new, multipolar world are emerging, in which no actor possesses an absolute moral monopoly,” - the Speaker stated.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, nothing will be as it was yesterday, and today’s reality no longer allows for simple predictions of the future.

“In this same reality, the United States of America is effectively relinquishing the role of ‘world policeman’ that for decades ensured the functioning of the global order. New American doctrines clearly state that the era in which the United States spent its resources imposing civilizational models on other countries has come to an end.

The sole absolute priority of American policy is its own national interest. Europe and the European Union now find themselves facing strategic uncertainty. They are searching for new models of political, military, and economic security and resilience, and they already realize that nothing will be as it was yesterday, while today’s reality no longer allows for simple forecasts of the future.

Against this backdrop, the essence of Georgia’s policy becomes clear. It is evident how immense the pressure was that Georgia endured, when, while standing on the line of fire, it was being forced to play an active role in a doomed and losing scenario — a process that would have ended under the conditions described here.

We withstood this pressure. We withstood it with the support and approval of the Georgian people. The policy of peace chosen by Georgia was neither weakness nor a conjunctural decision.

It was a deliberate, responsible, and state-oriented choice that saved the country at its most dangerous stage.

This was and remains a doctrine that underpins both our foreign and domestic policy. It is precisely this doctrine of peace that will guide us in 2026 as well, regardless of the offensive assessments, political clichés, and labeling attempts by radicals.

It is evident that many major shifts still lie ahead. We want the war in Ukraine to end. We want the Ukrainian state to survive. We want a firm and lasting peace to be established. However, we do not know when, in what form, or under what geopolitical agreement this war will end.

We do not know what kind of new world order will take shape or what balance of power will prevail. The only thing we know with certainty is that we have no homeland other than Georgia — nothing greater than Georgia. Therefore, we must be prepared for any challenge, pressure, and resistance.

‘Georgia First and Foremost’ — this is our main strategy, wisdom, and guiding principle upon which any tactical or operational decision must rest. The Government of Georgia is open to constructive dialogue with anyone who respects our sovereignty and national interests. Pressure, blackmail, and political moralizing cannot replace dialogue.

Georgia’s sovereignty is not merely a political status — it is the foundation of our national identity. Protecting sovereignty does not mean isolation. It implies cooperation based on equality, independent decision-making, and national priorities.

International cooperation is sustainable only when it is grounded in our country’s independence and the will of the people. Georgia is ready to deepen relations with any country or organization on the basis of these principles. In this complex and decisive process, a special responsibility rests with Georgia’s ambassadors — those who represent the face of the state and stand on the front line of defending national interests.

Dear Ambassadors, I thank you for your patriotism, professionalism, tireless work, and dedication. I wish you success in the service of Georgia,” - concluded Shalva Papuashvili.