Our independence was and is threatened by visible and invisible threats, be it Soviet tanks or modern attempts to degenerate our national self-consciousness and values, - said the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, during his speech at the public meeting organized by "Georgian Dream".

According to him, today there are two issues on the political agenda that are directly related to the independence of Georgia - the way of life of Georgians and the foreign influence on the life of Georgians.

"35 years ago, the Georgian nation, gathered here on this avenue, swore that it would not give up its homeland, would not betray its beliefs, would not deviate from the path of freedom, and immediately after the oath, it confirmed the unshakable decision with its own blood.

One word that best expresses the importance of this historical place is - independence. "Long live independent Georgia!" - this was the call that charged the Georgian nation with a common goal and gained us freedom.

Today, we still stand here, the citizens of independent Georgia united in one fist, because we know that freedom and independence are values that need to be constantly protected and warned.

Since independence, there has not been a day when our freedom has not been protected. Our independence has been and continues to be threatened by visible and invisible threats, be it Soviet tanks or modern attempts to degenerate our national self-consciousness and values.

We see the desire of some people for Georgia to be a tool for pursuing the interests of other powers, a satellite country fulfilling the will of others. For us, the main starting principle was and will remain our national interests.

That is why all issues related to our independence, restoration of territorial integrity, national identity, become a matter of principle in relations with anyone - be it an enemy or a lover. Everyone should know that Georgia's membership in any union should primarily serve Georgia's interests and not the other way around.

The fact that we protect Georgian interests does not mean that we are against anyone. On the contrary, Georgia and Georgians will respect us as an equal state and nation only when we firmly stand guard over our values and interests.

We must remember one thing that Georgia is a co-creator of European civilization, spirituality, state - with our vine, our faith, the history of our statehood. Therefore, Georgian values are true European values; Therefore, Georgia does not aspire to Europe, Georgia is Europe. This should be understood by both big and small, indoors and outdoors.

Today there are two issues on the political agenda that are directly related to our independence - our way of life and foreign influence on our lives.

In both cases, we see that we are confronted by people who do not have pride in our identity, do not have a sense of nationalism and belonging to Georgian origins. They put foreign countries higher than Georgia, because it is inconceivable to them that a Georgian man can decide his fate and future independently.

For our generations, "independence" and "freedom" are not just words. These words are associated with struggle, sacrifice, pain and great joy. It is our duty that our future generation understands that independence was not given to us by anyone, that it constantly needs protection and strengthening", said Shalva Papuashvili.

According to him, it became clear who calls what independence and freedom.

"Getting to know yourself was really painful and it became clear who calls what independence and freedom. Thank God that we heard correctly, we got to know correctly what Georgia is, what is its soul and axis.

We are a proud and incorrigible nation, intelligent and full-fledged. That is why we are here today, supporting each other to bring peace to our homeland.

I want to thank every person who came here, big and small, woman and man, nation and monk, all true citizens of Georgia, for protecting the independence of our homeland and our freedom.

Long live independent Georgia!

May God be our protector!", said Shalva Papuashvili.