PM Kobakhidze: Europe must respect Georgia’s values, national identity

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has called on Europe to take the country’s national and Christian identity into account in its integration efforts.

Speaking to Georgian media, Kobakhidze said the country’s European aspirations “only make sense if our values are respected,” Caliber.Az reports.

He emphasised that Georgia’s Christian heritage has been defended throughout its history and should remain central to any relationship with the European Union.

“There are certain principles and values. One of them is identity. For us, it is our national, Christian identity. Our European aspirations come at a cost and can only succeed if Europe, grounded in its own Christian and solid identity, opens its doors to us,” he said.

Kobakhidze also highlighted Georgia’s strategic importance to the West. He suggested that the EU’s best path to greater influence in the East and economic growth amid regional conflicts is through closer engagement with Georgia.

He pointed to the EU’s declining share of the global economy, which has fallen from 30% to 17.5%, contrasting it with the rise of the United States. “This is a colossal decline. Meanwhile, in 2008, the US economy lagged behind the EU by several trillion dollars, and today it is almost twice as large,” he said.

The prime minister further explained Georgia’s decision to deepen cooperation with China, citing Beijing’s values and long-standing peace record. “China is the only superpower that has not participated in any war for almost half a century. This is a very important value. It treats other countries—large or small—based on these principles, and this has guided our decision to strengthen ties,” Kobakhidze added.

By Aghakazim Guliyev