2019-08-14
"Occupation of Georgia started from early 90's and there is no controversy of ideas on it" stated Mamuka Bakhtadze, Prime Minister of Georgia in his response to a question posed by Rustavi2 journalist today in Bakuriani on the topic of the August War.
Head of Government of Georgia spoke about a meeting held with internally displaced people (IDPs) from August 8 in Gori, who left their original dwellings back in early 90's.
"One of the gravest mistakes is that a political team behind your television company was asserting that occupation of the Georgian territories started in 2008. I was in Gori on August 8 and met our IDPs, who were forced to leave their original dwellings in early 90's. No political speculation may exist on the topic of when the occupation of Georgia started. Answer to it is univocal, as it all started in early 90's. As for 2008, naturally Russia was preparing for this for a very long time. It was all very vivid. I can bring a lot of examples on how the infrastructure was getting prepared to invade the country. This calamity did not drop out of blue. It was prepared for and we had a very painful experience of it from 90's" noted the Prime Minister of Georgia.
On the question of the journalist, whether the Head of Government of Georgia shared the position on Mikheil Saakashvili starting the war, Prime Minister responded that sadly authorities of those times not only did not keep the threat of August War away in 2008, but made it possible to let the occupation plan get realized by the occupying force through its irresponsible politics.
"Supreme duty of any authority is to keep a major threat away from its people and country, to protect the peaceful population" concluded the Prime Minister of Georgia.
Prime Minister's Press Office