The Prime-Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, still speaks about the responsibility of the previous government in the August war.
At the Mukhatgverdi Cemetery, where he paid tribute to the memory of soldiers killed in the August 2008 war, he said what happened 13 years ago was "an anti-state provocation that no government should repeat."
"Irreparable consequences have occurred since the August war. Occupation has been legalized in the country. 20% of the territory is occupied and appropriated by Russia.
I no longer want to speak in front of the families of the dead heroes about the responsibility that lies with the previous government.
We have made an assessment and the verdict has been issued by the Georgian people, but I would like to remind everyone that such an anti-state provocation should never be repeated by any government.
It is our duty to protect our country, the territorial integrity of our country, the sovereignty and to protect our people from any aggression, invaders and occupiers - this should be our concern," – said Garibashvili.
According to him, the Georgian Dream government has chosen "a pragmatic and reasonable policy to overcome the occupation and achieve de-occupation."
"It takes hard work, it takes reasonable policy. The period of our rule is also distinguished by the fact that we, the people and our country, have avoided even more escalation, more difficulties, and avoided war and the destruction that war brings. With our purposeful, consistent and peaceful policies, I believe that the time will come when our country will be united," - he said.
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Russia launched a 5-day war against Georgia on August 7, 2008. However, the military escalation started in April of the same year and it had several reasons. One of them was the NATO Bucharest Summit, which provided that Georgia will become a member of NATO. Russia responded that it would do "anything to prevent Ukraine and Georgia from joining NATO."
However, representatives of the current Georgian ruling team do not think that the war was started by Russia on August 7, 2008. According to them, the war started on August 8, when former Georgian President Saakashvili opened fire on Russian troops.
A ceasefire agreement was signed on August 12, 2008, which Russia is still violating. The 6-point plan, among other things, stipulates that the Georgian military forces must withdraw to their normal bases of encampment. Though, this is impossible due to the Russian occupation regime. Russia continues its creeping occupation, laying barbed wire, seizing lands, goods of the population and even hijacks Georgian citizens.
As a result of the interventions of the Russian occupation forces, 228 Georgian civilians, 170 military and 14 policemen were killed. 150 thousand people have left their homes, most of them are still IDPs.
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