III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 46 

Commemorating the life of the late Zurab Zhvania, former Prime Minister 

of the Republic of Georgia. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 8, 2005 

Mr. LUGAR (for himself, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. HAGEL, and Mr. REID) submitted 

the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION

Commemorating the life of the late Zurab Zhvania, former 

Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia.

Whereas on the night of February 3, 2005, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Georgia, Zurab Zhvania, died, apparently due to carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a 

malfunctioning heater; 

Whereas the death of Prime Minister Zhvania at the age of 

41 is a tragic loss for the Republic of Georgia; 

Whereas Zurab Zhvania was a dedicated reformer whose visionary leadership inspired a new generation of political 

leaders in the Republic of Georgia; 

Whereas Zurab Zhvania founded the Citizen’s Union Party, 

which won elections in 1995, making him the Speaker of 

the Georgian Parliament; 
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•SRES 46 ATS

Whereas under the leadership of Speaker Zhvania, the Georgian Parliament was transformed into an effective and 

transparent legislative institution; 

Whereas in November 2001, Speaker Zhvania resigned his 

position in protest when government authorities attempted to suppress the leading independent television 

station in the Republic of Georgia; 

Whereas Zurab Zhvania formed the United Democrats, a 

party that blossomed into one of the major forces that 

brought about the Rose Revolution in the Republic of 

Georgia in November 2003; 

Whereas in the most dangerous hours of the Rose Revolution, 

when it appeared that armed force could be used against 

the peaceful protestors, Zurab Zhvania dismissed his 

bodyguards and led a march to Parliament accompanied 

only by his young children; 

Whereas Zurab Zhvania was named Prime Minister of the 

Republic of Georgia in November 2003, and led governmental efforts to develop and implement far-reaching economic, judicial, military, and social reforms thereby turning the promise of the Rose Revolution into real results 

that have dramatically improved life in the Republic of 

Georgia; 

Whereas the strong commitment of Zurab Zhvania to the 

peaceful restoration of the territorial integrity of Georgia 

was most recently displayed in the central role he played 

in the development of the unprecedented and generous 

proposal of the Republic of Georgia for resolving the status of South Ossetia peacefully and justly; and 

Whereas Zurab Zhvania’s vision of the historical destiny of 

Georgia was eloquently expressed before the Council of 
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Europe on April 27, 1999, when he said, ‘‘I am Georgian 

and therefore, I am European’’: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses its deepest condolences to the 

3 family of Zurab Zhvania for their tragic loss of a 

4 son, husband, and father; 

5 (2) commends the courage, energy, political 

6 imagination, and leadership of Zurab Zhvania that 

7 were so critical to the development of a democratic 

8 Republic of Georgia; and 

9 (3) recognizes that the integration of the Re10 public of Georgia into Euro-Atlantic institutions will 

11 be the completion of the vision of Zurab Zhvania 

12 and his most lasting legacy.

Æ