We still need the same unity today on the primacy of Georgia's national interests as we had 35 years ago, on March 31 - we will not allow any ill-wisher to revise our historical choice; because our answer to the question of the independence referendum is - Yes! - Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, writes on social networks.

As Papuashvili notes, the 35-year path to restoring our independence has been thorny, mined, narrow and filled with many tragic days.

“Today is March 31. The day of the referendum on the restoration of Georgia’s independence. The day when a general public referendum conducted throughout the territory of Georgia unanimously answered the historic question - do we want to restore Georgia’s independence?

To this question, every corner of Georgia, every child of Georgia, unanimously said - yes!

March 31 is also the birthday of the first President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia. The man who, just a few days after the referendum, on April 9, 1991, in the hall of the Georgian Parliament, now named after him, declared the restoration of Georgia’s independence and forever linked his name with the rebirth of the Georgian state.

The 35-year path to restoring our independence turned out to be thorny, mined, narrow and filled with many tragic days. The cessation of statehood, the collapse of an empire, economic collapse, human arrogance, internal intolerance and many other difficult factors left their mark on this path.

But despite everything, we survived. Georgia survived.

We not only survived, we preserved our identity, we defended our independence, our sovereignty and our freedom. We defended ourselves not by standing on the side of empires, but by being on the side of our own country. We defended ourselves not by looking for a new master, but by carrying the heavy burden of independence, by looking in our own mirror and raising our eyes to the question of who we are, what we were and who we will be.

This path is not over. A great task still awaits us. Territorial integrity must be restored, sovereignty must be strengthened, new relations must be established in a completely changed geopolitical world, we must be concerned about demography, we must grow the economy, we need tireless work, firmness and state wisdom.

But most of all, today and always, we need unity, we need unanimity, we need a clear understanding of what the vital national interests of our nation are, which we must all together and unwaveringly defend.

We still need the same unity on the primacy of Georgia's national interests today as we had 35 years ago, on March 31.

Because the question that was asked then is, in fact, still valid. It constantly faces our nation. There is always a choice. And there will always be forces that will try to reconsider this choice.

Do we want Georgia's independence, sovereignty, freedom and unity to be preserved?

This was the spirit of the national movement, which we, our fathers and all generations unanimously supported.

We will maintain this spirit and will not allow any ill-wisher to revise our historical choice; because our answer to the question of the independence referendum is - yes! - notes Papuashvili.