UN General Assembly
1994

addressing the Assembly from this rostrum. It was a moment of joy and celebration for my nation. Many events have taken place in those two years, and they certainly cannot serve as a basis for euphoria and complacency. My country has only recently set out on the arduous journey of building a democratic society. It is encountering numerous internal, as well as external, problems in its efforts. Despite fair and democratic elections and the forming of government structures, the country continues to languish in a deep economic and political crisis. The international community has extended a helping hand to Georgia, and I should like to convey our appreciation and gratitude to the Governments of the United States of America, the Russian Federation, Germany, other States members of the European Union and Turkey, to name but a few, as well as to the United Nations and its specialized agencies, for their invaluable assistance to my country in times of hardship. Granted, a large measure of the problems facing Georgia and all those nations which have only recently