Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Giorgi Margvelashvili, winner of the October 27 presidential elections, took the presidential oath in front of the old Parliament building in Tbilisi. He became the fourth President of Georgia for a five-year term on November 17.

In his inaugural speech Margvelashvili promised that he will guarantee equal rights for all citizens of Georgia, and expressed the hope that Georgia will soon enjoy a "golden era".

"I believe that we have left the worst years in the past," he said, and noted that by setting a precedent for the peaceful transfer of power, the post-Soviet period ended and the construction of a modern type of democracy began.

The new president in his speech referred to the compatriots living in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali regions and offered to build a successful democratic state together.

"Our priority is unconditional, safe and dignified return of IDPs and refugees to their homes. And before that - providing them with decent living conditions and protection of their rights," Margvelashvili said.

Margvelashvili also paid great attention to foreign policy and said that the priority of the country is a western orientation and parallel integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures. He also expressed readiness to deepen the dialogue with Russia.

"Despite the currently existing difficult situation, we reiterate our willingness to deepen the dialogue with Russia, parallel integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures, taking into account the national interests of Georgia - full respect for internationally recognized borders, the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and to solve the existing problems of today based on mutual trust," he said.

According to the press service of Georgia's Foreign Ministry, the inauguration ceremony was attended by 53 delegations from various countries and international organizations. Outgoing Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his United National Movement did not participate in the inauguration ceremony. Russia's representatives also did not attend the event due to the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Azerbaijan was represented by Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, who met with Margvelashvili and Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili after the inauguration. The sides discussed the strategic partnership and cooperation, and paid special attention to the future development of cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian issues.

The October 27 vote was the sixth presidential election after Georgia gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili could not run for re-election because of the two-term limit in the Constitution.

Ruling Georgian Dream coalition's candidate Giorgi Margvelashvili scored 1,012,569 votes or 62.12 percent of the total voter turnout, while candidate for the United National Movement, Davit Bakradze, received 354,206 votes or 21.73 percent.