In their New Year messages President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili have both mentioned “economic development,” “democratic advancement” and “territorial integrity” as the country’s 2017 priorities.

Addressing the group of Georgian philanthropists, representatives of charity foundations, businesspeople, and non-governmental organizations working on social issues, Margvelashvili emphasized on the importance of public spiritedness and serving the country and communities voluntarily.

“We have many goals to achieve in 2017; we must overcome economic problems, take steps toward strengthening and unifying our country, and reinforce our country’s democracy … The force that will overcome these problems, is mostly in ourselves, in the Georgian society, in our ability to love and support each other, share each other’s problems, and overcome all challenges through charity and kindness,” Margvelashvili said.

‘Today I have decided to congratulate Georgians on the New Year together with people, who are exemplary in this regard; together with people, who, without any self-interest, serve our community, neighbors, friends, and the state with their ideas. Their positive deeds and their hope for the future have always helped and strengthened our country,” Margvelashvili added.

PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who also mentioned the societal unity in his televised New Year address, spoke on making Georgia “a unified, economically stronger [country] and a genuinely European democracy.”

“Our strength is in [our] unity and [our] actions. Therefore, we all should stand together as one strong family. We need to listen to each other more, because no one else will understand us better than ourselves! We need to act together, because, no one else will do what we have to do ourselves,” PM Kvirikashvili said.

“I promise that 2017 will be the year of special opportunities. I am sure that our people have the ability to use each of these opportunities, to make their dreams and goals a reality with their own hands. The use of these opportunities will enable us to become stronger, for the benefit of our country, our children, our parents and the elderly, our Abkhaz and Ossetian compatriots, our emigrants and our soldiers,” PM added.

“Together we will manage to expand our economy, create as many jobs as possible and have more economically strong families,” Kvirikashvili noted.