Irakli Kobakhidze: Our history, our culture, our identity are all European, but the European bureaucracy must recognize our right to sovereignty and democracy - being pro-European does not mean being anti-Georgian

We are a European nation, our history, our culture, our identity are all European, but the European bureaucracy must recognize our right to sovereignty and democracy, - Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

According to Kobakhidze, being pro-European does not mean being anti-Georgian.

“Today the West stands at a crossroads, not only the political West, but also the civilizational West, based on Christian and democratic values. We have gathered here to defend our identity and our God-given right to be who we are. We are not arguing with the West, because we are part of the West ourselves - the true West, the West of freedom, faith and family values, and not the “deep state” that is trying to reduce the world to nothing and see itself as the ruler of everything. The true, values-based West, our West, is still alive. It is alive in countries like Hungary, and it is alive in the hearts of millions of people across Europe and beyond, in the hearts of everyone who is tired of hearing that loving one’s homeland is a crime.

We are a European nation. Our history, our culture, our identity are all European, but the European bureaucracy must recognize our right to sovereignty and democracy. Being pro-European does not mean being anti-Georgian. We believe in a Europe of nations, with its strong identity and pride, we stand with those, in Hungary and beyond, who still believe that patriotism is a virtue, not a sin," the Prime Minister said.