HRH The Crown Princess' speech of thanks to president Salome Zurabisjvili

Tbilisi, Georgia

(The spoken version shall take precedence)

Madam President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Gamarjoba,

Madam President, thank you for your hospitality and for hosting us. It is a great honor for me to be here tonight.

This is my first visit to Georgia, and it is a visit that I have been very much looking forward to. Our countries enjoy longstanding relations.

I have heard so much about your history and legends, culture and traditions. Modern cities and remote villages. Your amazing food and wine, dances and polyphonic singing.

I have heard about the majestic mountains and green valleys, waterfalls and rivers that lead to the shores of the Black Sea. This stunning nature, which is home to a unique biodiversity.

And of course, I have heard about the great hospitality of the people of Georgia.

Madam President, I am delighted to finally visit your beautiful country. Actually, people warned me before going. They said: If you go to Georgia, you will always want to go back!

I am also here to visit the EU Monitoring Mission. EU Civilian Crisis Management is one of the priorities of the Swedish EU Presidency. Today we visited the EUMM headquarters, and tomorrow we will, among other things, visit the field office and the Administrative Boundary Line in Gori, which we are very much looking forward to.

Once again, I would like to extend my gratitude to you Madame President for organizing this dinner. I appreciate you all being here tonight and I look forward to interesting discussions, and to the continued friendship between our two countries.

Thank you. Didi madloba.