Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Tag der deutschen Einheit. Meine Frau Maria und ich, und das Team der Botschaft freuen uns, dass wir heute zusammen feiern können.

Welcome Ladies and gentlemen. My wife Maria and I and the Embassy team are delighted to welcome you.

The Day of German Unity is a day of joy. It marks the success of a peaceful revolution and German unity in the Federal Republic of Germany - a liberal democracy, a state created with the dignity and freedom of every individual and the idea of European unity as top constitutional principles, in short: a pretty good place.

The EU was foundational to bringing about our unity in peace. Today we live in friendship with all our neighbors, which is pretty incredible, considering our history.

We love the EU. It is the basis of our peace, freedom and prosperity.

It is truly the Global Peace Party.

Today we are celebrating in Georgia, with our Georgian friends.

So let me say a few words about Georgian-German friendship.

For over 30 years we have built a partnership. This partnership is broad and deep and it was always based on your, the Georgians, wish to be a democracy, have a market economy and what you called Euro-Atlantic integration.

Last year, I stood here with the Prime Minister of Georgia. He praised the value and quality of our partnership - with Germany and the EU. I agreed, but I also warned about the risk of Georgia missing her historical „rendez-vouz“ with Europe.

A few weeks later Georgia was awarded candidate status for the European Union and on 14 December 2023 I stood with all my EU ambassador colleagues and the whole Georgian government on stage in front of a huge crowd on Freedom Square - and we were all very happy.

Oh, how times have changed.

Georgia’s EU accession process has come to a standstill, because of the course of the Georgian government.

With this course Georgia will not be able to join the EU.

This year, you'll notice: We have not invited any members of the Georgian government, no Members of the Georgian Parliament and no leaders of Georgian political parties.

Why? Because we want to make clear that the election on 26 October is the election of and for the Georgians. We don't have any part in it.

Speaking to the Georgians: You have to make up your minds what you want. How you want to be governed and which group of countries you want to belong to.

It's all on you. Not on us.

The door to the EU is open.

We are a special union of liberal democracies. What does that mean? In liberal democracies our constitutions are built on the idea that no-one person or group has exclusive possession of what is true and what is good, what exactly the right way forward is. That is why we need freedom to choose, to advance with trial and error, to have what we call an open society. Of course, this happens based on experience of history, tradition and values including faith. We are convinced that this best way for creativity, innovation, productivity, prosperity, in short: happiness of the citizens.

But how to join the EU? You have to take over all EU legislation. When you do, when the EU-laws are the law of the land here, you are a member. If you don't, you are not a member. It’s very easy to understand.

And please believe me: It is us, the EU member states, that decide who joins and when. The candidates don’t make this decision.

As a friend, and I believe there are many in this hall who can testify that I have always acted as a friend, I have to tell you: You are at risk of throwing away the opportunity to join the EU and the privileged partnership of the last 30 years.

You decide.

Let me add a personal view: Don't imagine, that if you turn away from us, we will come running after you, begging you to come back.

In my analysis, the political trends are going in another direction.

More and more people are becoming short sighted, egotistical. Their thinking is: „Us first“, or basically: „Only us“. They don’t care about international co-operation. They don’t care about EU enlargement.

In other words: In the EU we have enough problems, we don't need another one.

Sorry to be a bit dark. Actually, I am an optimistic guy. And now I am going to lighten up.

Today we want to celebrate. In German we refer to The Day of German Unity as a „Feiertag“. That translates into „celebration day“.

Let’s celebrate what is good about Germany. One of the best things about it is that we have friends. Including many friends in Georgia.

Before I raise my glass for a toast, I would like to thank our sponsors. You can see their names on the display. They are doing incredible things in Georgia. Investing and re-investing, bringing technology, creating jobs, training their people, holding on to their people doing Covid, just being great German companies.

Thanks also to the „Georgian German Jazz Alumni“ who will be coming back a bit later, so please keep your dancing shoes ready for that.

Now I would like to raise my glass to Germany, to Georgia, to our friendship and hopefully a happy future together.

Gaumarjos!