President Reuven Rivlin this morning (Monday, 19 October 2015), accompanied by First Lady Nechama Rivlin, hosted at the President’s Residence an official welcome ceremony for President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili and his wife Maka Chichu, who are on a state visit to Israel. The presidents greeted each other warmly and together with their spouses, stood for the national anthems, before going on to review a guard of honor. The two presidents then delivered brief public statements.
 
President Rivlin opened his remarks by saying, “We are very disturbed by the news that the perpetrator of the terrorist attack yesterday, in Beer Sheva, was an Israeli citizen from the Bedouin community. We are especially sad, because we are destined, not doomed, to live together in Israel, Jews and Arabs. Unfortunately a religious war would be a cause of a lot of trouble to all those living here in Israel and in the Middle East.”


Georgian President Margvelashvili received at the President's Residence
Copyright: Avi Hayun
 
The President warmly welcomed the Georgian President and delegation, and expressed his appreciation on the occasion of President Margvelashvili’s first visit to Israel. President Rivlin stressed that Georgia held an important role in standing beside Israel in condemning terrorism. He said, “Georgia is without a doubt, one of our most important allies. Georgia, has an important role in speaking out against fundamentalism and the forces of hatred, which are acting now, across this region, from Iran to Yemen. They threaten not only the peoples of the Middle East, but the whole world. I want to thank you for your government’s clear condemnation of the terror attacks against Israelis. These attacks are acts of pure hatred and both those who carry out these crimes, and those who incite them, must be unequivocally condemned.” President Rivlin went on to note his appreciation for the opportunity to discuss the growing cooperation and partnership between the two countries in the fields of security, economy, and culture.
 
President Margvelashvili of Georgia thanked the President for his welcome, and expressed his emotion and excitement at the chance to visit Israel, which he noted had been a long-time dream. He said, “Allow me to express my excitement at being here in Jerusalem, I have always dreamt of visiting here, to be here together with our friends, and to share in not only the historical, but modern environment of the country. It is a place where many Jews from around the world came together to build a great state, built on traditions, but also one of the most contemporary states. We share common issues. We represent small states in complex regions, with dedicated peoples and a long and impressive histories. Nations that are looking forward, building contemporary democracies, and are strong enough to look back at the history and also look forward and future."
 
He noted, "I was very sad when I heard about the violence. We have a very great tradition of overcoming the violence with peace with common values, and with the knowledge that violence cannot be overcome with violence, but only with attempts to create joint goals, to have joint ideas, and engagement for a better future.”
 
He stressed, “Georgia is a friend of Israel, Georgia's people are friends of Israel. Georgia plays a role which has benefit for Israel too. Georgia is working to unite countries to our east end to our west, to cooperate and to build bridges with each other. This is beneficial to everyone who is thinking about the future, and prosperity, instead of violating other people's rights.”
 
He concluded, “We are looking how to improve the great partnerships that we have between Israel and Georgia, in the economy, in trade, with innovation, in real estate, culture, tourism and many other opportunities including security.”

Following the welcoming ceremony, President Reuven and First Lady Nechama Rivlin hosted at the President's Residence a state dinner in honor of the official visit of President Margvelashvili and his wife Maka Chichu.
 
At the beginning of his address, President Rivlin noted the strong relations between the two countries. He said, "The relations between our two countries have borne fruit in many areas. We shall not forget the support by the Government of Georgia for the State of Israel at difficult times, and particularly on the level of international diplomacy. The Israeli Government too, has more than once expressed its clear support for the territorial integrity of Georgia. This is a shared path of governments and of nations, a path that looks to a future of rich and fruitful cooperation - in defense, in cultural and economic cooperation, in cooperation in education and academia, and in innovation and science.  This productive and promising cooperation, is a partnership that will build a future, which – I am confident – will bring us the gratitude of our children and our children's children. A partnership that will continue to write shared chapters in the relations between Georgia and the State of Israel."
 
President Rivlin raised a toast to the relationship between both countries, and invited President Margvelashvili to speak.
 
In his address President Margvelashvili said, "I want to thank President and First Lady Rivlin for the invitation to visit Israel, and for their gracious hospitality."
 
He spoke of the challenges faced by both countries, "We all must take responsibility in such an unpredictable environment and changeable world. We should be able to transform the 21st Century into an age of cooperation, and finally eliminate threats that intimidate our countries and peaceful development. I am confident that with joint efforts we will achieve success to create a more secure and a better future for the next generation to come."
 
He concluded, "The State of Israel is a significantly important partner for Georgia. With joint efforts, we must deepen our existing relations and move our cooperation to a new level. "