On December 5, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili arrived in Poland to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda, the Press Office of the Georgian President reported.

The diplomats participated in the press conference after the meeting. President Zourabichvili drew attention to the current conflict in Ukraine at the outset of her speech, stating that it had been ten months since Russia had once more displayed its expansionist, imperialist, and aggressive character. "This terrible and unfair war against Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity has lasted for ten months. The Ukrainian people, combatants, military personnel, and the entire community showed us during these last ten months what it means to protect one's country. They demonstrated to us what it means to protect freedom - our freedom in Georgia as a member of this European space," the Georgian President added.

Salome Zourabichvili emphasized that if Russia does not stop and accept that it has boundaries like other civilized nations and has no right to place its military on those lands, it will resume its expansionist policies and other imperialist aspirations. Zourabichvili added, "Old views that we should take care of Russian feelings must not be allowed once more; we should not care about Russia's feelings but feelings of all those countries, small or large, that have lived as neighbors of Russia for so long and that could not live with the most basic security guarantee, which is the principle of my border is mine, your border is yours, and you have to adapt to your surroundings."

Zourabichvili stated: "Our very high hopes for a future when we too will be full members of the European Union, and in this union, we will be a reliable friend for Poland." She went on to say, "We know that Poland will be our main friend, facilitator, and supporter on our European integration path, as well as our NATO integration tomorrow."

At the beginning of his remarks, President Duda said he was delighted to host President Zourabichvili and talk about problems related to Georgian national and collective security in Europe. 

He thanked the president of Georgia "for taking an absolutely unequivocal stance in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine because countries like Georgia right now - which, regrettably, is a member of this community of countries, some of which are occupied by Russia - should be together, and the attitude of the President here deserves absolute respect."

President Duda also emphasized that during his meeting with the president of Georgia, he assured her of Poland's ongoing support for Georgia's aspirations for membership in the EU and NATO. "I reaffirmed Poland's support for Georgia's European and North Atlantic aspirations. We hope that Georgia will soon receive [candidate] status, become a full member of the European Union, and join NATO," he added.