Today's forum is being held in a challenging international environment. The global security architecture is facing a serious test, geopolitical competition is intensifying, conflicts are escalating, and economic and energy challenges are affecting both states and the daily lives of individual citizens, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said while addressing the 16th Tbilisi Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.

According to Papuashvili, Georgia distinguishes itself in international politics through determination, pragmatism, and responsibility.

"In such circumstances, a state's ability to be guided by its own national interests, accurately assess its environment, and make responsible decisions becomes especially important.

Georgia's choice is based precisely on this approach. In international politics, Georgia stands out for its determination, pragmatism, and responsibility. We believe that the primary obligation of any state is to ensure the security, well-being, and development of its own citizens. It is through this principle that we assess international developments and build partnerships with countries around the world.

Commitment to national interests and consideration of the existing distribution of power in the international system should be the main guiding principles of any state. It is remarkable that in today's world we often see this realistic truth being widely ignored, while at the same time there are calls for ideological uniformity and the suppression of critical thinking."

Papuashvili argued that countries and political actors who align themselves with what he described as a dominant global ideology are often rewarded, while those who do not conform face criticism and exclusion.

"It is enough to adapt to the global ideology and recognize its unquestionable truth to be welcomed with red carpets, showered with praise, assisted during elections, and to have violations of the rule of law or human rights overlooked.

On the other hand, anyone who does not conform to the ideological constraints of liberal internationalism is stigmatized, delegitimized, and persecuted," Papuashvili stated.