Georgian and foreign leaders commemorate Russia-Georgia war, discuss fatal consequences

Top Georgian officials, the foreign ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine have commemorated the Russia-Georgia 2008 war on its 10th anniversary and spoke about the fatal consequences of the short but violent war.

Russia executed yet another aggression towards Georgia 10 years ago. It was aggression towards the Georgian state. Our citizens were killed and I wish to express condolences to every family that lost their children, mothers, fathers, brothers, next to kin or friends,” Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze stated when he visited the Mukhatgverdi cemetery today in Tbilisi, where Georgian war heroes are buried.

Paid homage to the fallen heroes of #AugustWar. Building a strong European state w/ empowered society & sustainable economy is our response to aggression&occupation of Georgian territories. @GovernmentGeo is fully committed to peaceful conflict resolution. pic.twitter.com/A2IVpfHOfj

— Mamuka Bakhtadze (@BakhtadzeMamuka) August 7, 2018

Unfortunately, 20 percent of Georgian territory is still occupied and our citizens have no possibility to go back to their original dwellings. Building a strong state, irrevocable integration with Europe, establishment of a strong society and competitive economy is our clear response to this,” the PM said.

Bakhtadze expressed his gratitude to all friendly nations for their support and assistance.

Similar to 10 years ago, they remain by our side. They were supporting us in the recent history of the country and the Georgian people will never forget it,” Bakhtadze said.

Georgian PM thanked friendly nations for their support during and after the war. Photo: Prime Minister's press office. 

At the roundtable in the afternoon discussing the war and its consequences with the foreign guests, Bakhtadze stated that Georgia’s goal is peaceful resolution of conflict.

President Giorgi Margvelashvili stated that Georgia’s response to Russia’s continued aggression is that "Georgia will not stop on its path of development”.

Georgia will not stop on its path to the EU and NATO,” Margvelashvili said.

Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine elaborated a joint communiqué on the day, condemning Russia’s actions and Georgia and calling on Russia to withdraw its forces from the Georgian territory.

Joint Communique by #Lithuania, #Latvia, #Poland and #Ukraine commemorating the decade since the Russian aggression against #Georgia . pic.twitter.com/yeJkeUyOzK

— Lithuania MFA (@LithuaniaMFA) August 7, 2018

Linas Linkevicius, Foreign Minister of Lithuania stated that what happened in Georgia in 2008 was alarming. However, Georgia was the first country facing such trouble and many were unable to evaluate the situation and its consequences appropriately.

Linkevicius, advised Georgia to develop in such a way as to become very attractive for the people living in Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.