Mariam Kvrivishvili, the Deputy Economy Minister of Georgia, on Friday emphasised the “necessity of dialogue and peace”, stressing their “unconditional importance” for tourism, during her speech at the World Tourism Day event running in Tbilisi.
Addressing the audience for the event running under the theme Tourism and Peace, Kvrivishvili stressed the value of “cultural exchange, harmony, and respect” in the tourism sector, emphasising the role of tourism in connecting people and cultures.
We are a nation that considers peace to be more important than just a concept. This is the defence of our country, our dignity, our freedom. We are a nation that knows very well the price of peace, and we also believe that only with peace will we be able to unite our sisters and brothers from the occupied territories of our country, and together we will start building a prosperous future”, Kvrivishvili said.
Later, the Deputy Minister participated in a panel discussion entitled Building Bridges through Tourism, where she talked about the role of tourism in the process of establishing peace.
Each of us in Georgia knows very well the price of freedom and peace - we can tell you that a part of our country's territory is still occupied by Russia”, Kvrivishvili said, adding the country had ensured “peace and stable development” in the last 12 years, calling it a “significant achievement”.
