From December 9-10, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili will be representing Georgia at the first of two U.S.-led Summits for Democracy, where she will join other world leaders in discussing how to defend democracies against the threats posed by authoritarian powers and enhance democratic practices amid global democratic backsliding.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced the decision last week, stating that, “A few weeks ago, we reported that Georgia had received an invitation from President Biden to attend the Democracy Summit. Now we have received an invitation for the President Salome Zurabishvili and by our decision the President will participate in the Democracy Summit on behalf of our country, which will take place on December 10.”
President Zourabichvili will be among the only female Heads of State in attendance and will be representing a country with clear aspirations towards building Western-compatible institutions and creating a European-style democracy. During the summit, the President will be able to provide a unique opportunity to share with other nations the Georgian path to democracy, providing real-time experiences with reform that will help advance democracies around the world.
Georgia is on the frontline of democratic change and has firsthand experience in consolidating its burgeoning democracy while under pressure from internal and external challenges. Despite the constant threats posed by Russian aggression that aim to derail its democratic trajectory and the occupation of 20% of Georgian territory, Georgia has made significant advances that will lead to fully proportional voting in 2024 ahead of a formal application for EU membership.
President Zourabichvili can offer insight from the unique Georgian experience to help democratic leaders in navigating how to strengthen and protect their democracies – even in the face of authoritarian aggression. By providing these hard-learned lessons and learning from peers, Georgia can aid in the process of building a more resilient global democratic community with likeminded partners.