Ambassador’s Welcome Speech

The tradition of friendly relations between Georgians and Ukrainians is rooted in the mists of time. There is evidence that even in the times of Kyivan Rus, the Georgian King David IV the Builder agreed with the Kyiv Prince Volodymyr Monomakh on the resettlement of the Polovtsy to Georgia and even visited Kyiv at the Prince’s invitation. Another Kyiv Prince Izyaslav was married to Rusudan - the daughter of the Georgian King Demeter I. In the 11th century, Georgian icon painters worked on the painting of the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

In the 18-19th century, entire settlements of Georgians arose in Ukraine, who left their homeland mainly because of wars and raids. Among them were many representatives of the nobility and public figures who managed to preserve their culture and language among friendly Ukrainians. One of them was the great Georgian writer David Guramishvili.

Our peoples are similar in many ways: they are equally hospitable, generous, good-natured and freedom-loving people who, as history has shown, are ready to help each other. Georgia remembers how the Ukrainian military and pilots evacuated citizens from the war-torn Sokhumi, how volunteers from Ukraine fought, and remembers the support in 2008, during the Russian aggression. Georgians also fought and gave their lives for the freedom of Ukraine.

Today we face common challenges - Russian aggression, occupation of our territories and common aspirations - building an economically strong democratic state, integration into the European Union and NATO.

I am sure that together Georgia and Ukraine will be able to cope with all the difficulties, achieve the set goals and develop strategic cooperation based on equality, mutual respect and mutual support. I, as Ambassador of Georgia to Ukraine, will do everything necessary to ensure that friendly relations between Georgia and Ukraine are further strengthened for the benefit of our peoples.

Sincerely yours,

George Zakarahsvili

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Ukraine