Welcome everyone.

I welcome the family members of those who died here four years ago: the mother of 22 year old Zviad Barbakadze – Mrs. Mtvarisa; the mother of 21 year old Temur Pichkaia – Mrs. Eteri; the wife of Gela Jikia – Tamila Lagvilava; the mother of 21 year old Zviad Chichua – Nargiza Saluqvadze; the father of 23 year old Zviad Datuashvili – Mr. Rezo…

I very well remember the night four years ago…

We were all in Tbilisi then and watched this barbarian, unprecedented attack on our country, which was outstanding in terms scale, violence, brutality…

An intelligence service of one of our friendly countries informed us then that two strategic bombers had taken off from Russia to carry out the night bombings.

Before that, in the first days of war as our air defense system was still functional – we still had rockets and weapons and shot down several planes, also as the Russian pilots refused to bomb during the daylight, they decided to direct those planes that were intended for the night fight.  

The representatives of our friendly country thought that these planes were to bomb Tbilisi. We had the air defense systems installed around Tbilisi. One plane indeed headed towards Tbilisi, but we shot it down.

We shot down the Russian strategic bomber! No other country had shot it down before and never has such a thing happened in history before.

The second bomber reached Poti, dropped a bomb here and headed towards Batumi. We managed to shut down the power in the Batumi port and the airport at the very last moment. They took the lighted highway for a port and an airport runway and dropped the bomb there…

10 people died here then, while about 80 were injured.

We have heroic employees at the Poti port.

In the most decisive moment for Georgia, when Georgia was in need of supplies as never before; when the roads were cut off, while the air space was closed and we faced the shutdown of basic vital functions, the employees of this dignified and special city port, just as usual, came out for the night shift and risking their own lives made sure that the State would not stop. 

These people were true heroes, as heroism is nothing more than an act like this.

With what kind of spirit a mother has to raise a child, if not with a spirit like this!

Each one of them had stood by their country in the most decisive moment and the enemy did not reach its goal.

The goal of the enemy had been very concrete – to diminish the political significance of Georgia; to close down the transit and transport roads, including this artery – Poti; to topple the Georgian government and physically destroy the leaders of the country; to change the democratic order of Georgia; to stall its course towards the European institutions and NATO.

The conqueror had reached none of these goals and it knows better than us that it will not achieve the occupation of even a single inch of our land forever.

It knows it better than us that if Georgia fully makes it, develops as we intend it, enters all the leading international institutions and organizations, it will have to de-occupy our territories and withdraw its troops from here.

This is the most important aspect of today’s situation.

That is why we have to understand that it is not only our battle – the entire civilized, democratic world stands beside Georgia.

Europe and America had helped us during the war days.

These countries had helped us after the war as well. When our economy was supposed to collapse, we managed to regain strength with our efforts and foreign help.

They are still helping us today, when the EU integration process is proceeding at a faster pace.

When it was declared that the next NATO Summit will be dedicated to its enlargement, it was also noted that Georgia is one of the first candidates.

They are helping us today to equip our armed forces and train them as never before, and Georgia has a very clear prospect.

Our enemy failed to legalize its aggression all across the world.

There was one more reason why the airplanes headed towards Poti then, and we only learned about it last year.

You know that as a result of our operation “Enver” we discovered the Russian spy network. Precisely these people were informing the Russian military intelligence then, on the movement and working shifts of our ships, as well as on the cargo and the time of their entrance. 

This group of Georgians gave the exact coordinates to the strategic bomber that planned and carried out this barbarian act in the Poti civilian port.

Regretfully, there are such Georgians as well.

As I have touched upon this theme, I would like to share my pains concerning the events of the last days – what I have heard from some Georgian politicians and their media outlets during the recent days.

I have heard it exactly during the days when we all are supposed to be standing together in order to pay tribute to our fallen heroes, our national unity, when the families that are here with us today, have the perpetual wounds and are mourning the death of these youngsters.

One of the political parties’ TV channels have stated today that the Russian force, which bombed our territory, which intervened and demolished our villages and cities, the lives of our people, had entered lawfully. It turns out as if the Russian Army was operating entirely lawfully in the territory of Georgia!

The people who say this, must not have the least fear of god, even an inch of righteousness?!

We are a democratic country and they can think anything – no one can prevent them from thinking, they can say what they want, no matter how horrific their opinions are, but don’t they even have the least sense and ability of solidarity, so that they share the common pain and do not talk about this at least today?! When we are all supposed to stop and pay tribute to our fallen compatriots, our soldiers and the civilian people.

It is one thing to despise the government and it’s another to support the aggression against your country – the attempt to occupy and destroy your country.

There is no law in Georgia that prohibits such thinking and such talk, but there is no law that forbids us to express what we think about these people either.

The biggest paradox my friends is that the main initiator and perpetrator of the war, Vladimir Putin, has very clearly said himself that they planned and trained the armed troops within our independent, sovereign territories for several years.

This is the classical legal definition of international aggression.

When this man comes out and admits that he is the one who committed it, there are Georgian politicians and the media outlets financed by Russian money, which sow ambiguity around this fact, create frustration and pose one and the same questions: after all, who started this war?

I would like to address this person and these people: Putin himself said it today that he started the war, and he is proud of it too!

You might want to revise your versions of all of these stories and adjust it to what Putin has said!

I understand very well why Putin had planned a war against us. He did it because it became clear in 2005-2006, that Georgia implemented reforms, about which they would have to say afterwards, that in this regard everyone has to emulate from Georgia, just as Medvedev stated it last month.

No one could imagine that it was possible to defeat corruption in the post-soviet space, to implement such police reforms, as we have done…

They could not take the expulsion of Aslan Abashidze and the loss of Adjara…

I understand that they could not take it, and I know as well that there are political forces in Georgia who cannot bear us precisely for the same reason that we defeated corruption and created an entirely different police.

After all, we fired the old policemen and I understand that they cannot bear us; I understand that the former corrupt officials and their family members cannot bear us; I understand that many did not like the expulsion of Aslan Abashidze, and they even said yesterday that we have to apologize to Aslan…

I might also comprehend that maybe you simply like neither the government nor Saakashvili, but who cares about me and the rest…I would like to address these people: Should there not be a distinction between Putin and you? He is Putin, but you are Georgians, aren’t you?

How can there be ambiguity and uncertainty about who has bombed our people, our cities, and this port; on who expelled our people and who displaced them throughout these decades? 

There cannot be ambiguity and uncertainty on where our country should go between Asia and Europe; there cannot be an uncertainty, ambiguity and ambivalence between the past and the future; there cannot be uncertainly, ambiguity and ambivalence between freedom and slavery!

The Georgian people, our nation knows it best and it will never allow bringing ambiguity, uncertainty and ambivalence on these issues.

They will continue on their course, as these boys gave their lives here, not for someone else to come here after and say: it was all foolish and let us go back, as we are punished precisely because of departing from there.

If the rest of the world, which so supports us, does not see that we want freedom ourselves, then why would they support us? They only support us because we want it ourselves!

What exactly deserves respect is the fact that this small, much troubled, having gone through many hardships, this ancient, civilized nation with Christian culture is fighting so proudly, with its head up for freedom and a better future for its children.

That is why, there is no back! There is no ambiguity and uncertainly about this!

The job we have begun – to build a peaceful, victorious Georgia – will surely continue.

Putin came out with testimonial precisely because of the fact that he did not achieve his chief goals, i.e. he knows very well that he is not victorious.

Yet, our final victory means that we need to develop, we need to do exactly what they want the least – to create a normal, humane society, build new cities.

We have to build Poti on behalf of these boys so that it becomes the best city, and I give you my word that this will be the case!

We must build new cities, expand the existing port, expand the existing railway, create new jobs, and create things which will amaze everyone.

We have to prove the fact that Georgia did not retain its freedom 4 years ago in vain.

There have been more numerous nations than us that were flattened to the ground in two-three days.

We have dared to resist and it is clear now that it was worth it.

We have lifted our 5cross flag anyway, and it turns out today that because of that, the entire world still supports us even today.

Georgia is an example to follow, as we did not bring down this flag then, and did not hand it to the enemy.

There were debates held in the UK Parliament on the fact that they need to learn from the example of Georgia. Of course, we are not as wealthy as they are in England, but this country has been creating this wealth for centuries.

Certainly, there is great poverty here, but the reason that others respect us is that Georgia holds its head up so proudly. This would not happen, had we gone into slavery again, as they wanted it to be.

The enemy beat us neither through economic and an energy embargo, nor through provocations, or war, and should we now go and surrender ourselves?!

In which book and which page of our history is there written such an act by Georgians?!

We always had troublemakers, but we are a nation of David the Builder, Saint George, Merab Kostava and other great heroes and will always remain the country of heroes.

We will surely complete the task begun by our heroes and we will surely prevail!

Thank you very much!