The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, will not participate in the Paris Olympic Games prize-giving event, which the government administration planned to hold today at 20:00 at the Palace of State Ceremonies. Zourabichvili stated at a briefing that she was informed about the event only a few hours before it was set to begin.
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"I want to congratulate everyone on this extraordinary victory, not only those who returned with medals and made the public very happy, but also everyone who participated. It is very important for our country to compete at this level and achieve so many victories. Finishing in 24th place is no small feat; the entire community truly celebrates with them.
Today, at 1:00 p.m., I was informed that there would be a reception at 8:00 p.m. to welcome the Olympians and, as it turns out, to present awards. I am not one to quibble, as we have political issues of a different level to address. However, I have two serious reasons why these awards cannot be given out so quickly. This is serious business, not something to be done in haste. The first reason: I believe that this is an achievement that united the country, and we should all celebrate together, not in a closed space where we are afraid of people, but with a public celebration. I intend to organize such a celebration, as I previously announced," Zourabichvili said.
The President cited the Paralympic Games, which will be held in Paris from August 28 to September 8, as the second reason.
"Unbelievable! I don’t know who is forgetting - whether it’s the Minister of Sports or the government. How can we celebrate the return of our Olympians separately from the Paralympians? This is not acceptable. We must avoid any form of discrimination! Together, we will honor both Olympians and Paralympians. We are waiting for you in September," the President said.
Three days ago, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili awarded the prize winners of the Paris Olympics the highest state honors - the Order of Victory named after St. George and the Order of Honor. Although the authority to award these honors rests with the President, Kobakhidze and Papuashvili did not mention in their joint statement that they had consulted President Salome Zourabichvili about the nominations.
The Georgian Olympic team won 3 gold, 3 silver, and 1 bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games.
