The President of Georgia met the year of 2012 with the Minister of Defense and soldiers of the light infantry battalion at the Adlia military base. Mikheil Saakashvili congratulated them on the holiday and wished them happiness, health, integrity, and victory.

The President of Georgia noted that each soldier is the greatest hope and pride for the Georgian nation. Mikheil Saakashvili recalled the soldiers which have fallen in the fight for the unity of Georgia and the Afghanistan peaceful mission with respect.

“It is our obligation to meet the new year of 2012 with the military forces of Georgia. This is a great honor for each Georgian and on behalf of the rest of Georgia, this honor is mine today.  Of course our country has a lot to worry about. A part of it is occupied by the enemy. Our soldiers risk their lives every day. We lost Beso Niniashvili in Afghanistan yesterday. We lost fighters before and we are meeting this New Year with the responsibility to respect their memory. We are meeting tomorrow with the hope that we will free our country and help it stand up proudly. We will never kneel before the enemy and those whose desire is to destroy Georgia. I would like to recall our guys who have fallen. Everyone in this lineup, we are all soldiers. The Georgian nation is not more proud of anyone else than each one of you. The Georgian nation has a long experience of fighting. It is distinguished with great talent and wisdom of fighting. We are a fighting, rebellious nation which has survived through everything because of such a firm spirit. I would like to congratulate each one of you on this year and wish you happiness, health, integrity, and victory.