Georgian President outlines seven core values for country’s future development

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Sunday said the country’s statehood and strategic development should be built on seven eternal values: God, homeland, the individual, native land, language, faith and family.

Speaking at a symposium marking the 1 700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion of Georgia, Kavelashvili said these principles unite the country’s centuries-old national traditions and provide a foundation for preserving its identity amid global challenges.

“We have gathered today to mark a historic event. This year, all of Georgia is celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the proclamation of Christianity as the state religion. Seventeen centuries ago, this momentous spiritual choice made by our nation determined the cultural identity, statehood thinking and historical path of the Georgian people for centuries to come”, Kavelashvili said.

He noted that throughout history, Georgia had served as both a geographical and civilizational bridge between East and West, as well as a unique space for cultural and religious diversity and the harmonious coexistence of different communities.

“Our history is a chronicle of constant confrontation with invaders and a struggle for freedom. Throughout this difficult journey, whenever our nation faced hardship, the Georgian Orthodox Church became its main source of support. It united the people and protected our homeland, native language, national consciousness and historical memory”, he said.

According to Kavelashvili, Christianity provided Georgians with spiritual strength and intellectual guidance, helping them preserve their national identity through the most difficult periods in the country’s history. He added that it had taught the nation that human dignity, love of homeland, freedom and responsibility were inseparable values.

“Today, as the modern world faces a crisis of values and geopolitical upheaval, it is our duty to ask a fundamental question: On what foundations should the Georgian state, society and the individual themselves stand?” he said.

Kavelashvili said the seven eternal values - God, homeland, the individual, native land, language, faith and family - were now being brought together in Georgia’s statehood philosophy.

He described the seven-part formula as drawing on the 19th-century national triad of Saint Ilia the Righteous and the spiritual legacy of His Holiness Ilia II.

According to the president, the formula transcends the boundaries of time and space, bringing together centuries of Georgian national thought and reflecting the enduring legacies of literary figures such as Shota Rustaveli and Vazha-Pshavela.

“These seven symbols form the fundamental basis of a person’s identity. Today, as globalization and the age of artificial intelligence seek to devalue human identity, these eternal values serve as our principal existential shield”, Kavelashvili said.

He added that raising young Georgians in accordance with these ideals would help ensure that society remained more secure, progressive, morally resilient and empathetic.

“The choice our ancestors made 1,700 years ago determined the eternal existence of our nation. Against the backdrop of today’s multifaceted challenges, the modern Georgian state and its strategic development must be built on these seven eternal foundations”, he noted.

Kavelashvili stressed that passing the country’s centuries-old spiritual heritage and national identity on to future generations intact was a shared responsibility, describing this legacy as a key guarantee of a strong, united and sovereign Georgia.

“May God bless Georgia!” the President concluded.