The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili

I welcome you all here,

It is a very important day for us. We are hosting our friend, one of the leaders of the German government, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Shteinmeier.

It is his second visit in Georgia.

The very important stage of our relationship has begun - Germany has got involved in ongoing processes in the region.

I welcome the decision of Germany to get involved in those very difficult issues which we are facing today.

We shared our concern to each other today during the discussion, which caused the ongoing escalation in the region.

The escalation started when Russia stated that they are no more recognizing the jurisdiction of our country borders and Georgia. Since intensive militarization started (I mean Abkhazia, because the same happened before in South Ossetia) and in general, the conditions in the region got more tense.

We have agreed that these issues need more internationalization and International Commonwealth must more actively get involved in the process and the interests of all sides must be taken into consideration.

We think that Russia must participate in this decision making process, and not in the problem itself.

We think that this process must overcome the deadlock and must be directed to more constructive way.

The position of Georgia is flexible and open.

We confirm our firm decision about the peaceful resolution of the conflict. There is no other alternative.

We appreciate a constructive role of UN friendly states and Germany.

Germany plays the main role among friendly states.

We are working on the details of a plan for that regulation together with the United States and European Union.

I was standing with Khavier Solana here on this place several weeks ago.

I want to pay special attention to efficient steps taken by Frank-Walter Steinmeier, taken after our very interesting conversation with Angela Merkel.

He immediately guessed the importance of the issue and defined the risk that is connected with the ongoing situation here.

Germany very efficiently and timely reacted to the situation.

We will do our best to make this joint mission successful.

We have long been calling for the internationalization of this process; Germany has taken the initiative and we appreciate it. German's response was extremely fast and timely and we hope it will also be successful.

We have to appreciate it.

I appreciate it in the name of 400 hundred refuges, who were expelled and who can not return to their homes till today.

We all agree that their right to return to their homes is the most important problem and this is our principle that matches with the common European values.

We inherited very brutal conflicts of the 20th century, which must be resolved by the European principles of the 21 century.

If Germany supports us in these decisions we will be very grateful.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Mister President!

First of all, I want to express my gratitude for this wonderful welcome in this wonderful environment.

This is very lovely place and port city.

This is the country that has very interesting history.

I get more and more confident that this country and the region which is situated on the Black-Sea Coast has a great economic potential, but its obvious that definite problems should be resolved first.

Mister President!

I have arrived here because a tense situation in the separatist's region continues permanently.

In the lat weeks we had a chance to discuss in details the existing situation. Among them we have spoken on the telephone and we have continued this conversation today.

This is a special attitude of Germany towards Georgia.

We actively cooperate in the frames of the UN friendly states and I want to rely on the conversations that we had in the last weeks.

The same was said years ago, and now I want to declare that we recognize territorial integrity of Georgia and that Abkhazia is an inseparable part of Georgia.

I want to say once again that the country has a greatest, wonderful potential. First of all economic, logistic and a state must strengthen and develop.

Because of some special, among them territorial conflicts, which include first of all the Abkhazian problem, the economic potential of the country has not developed to the end.

We have a right to discuss this issue and Germany must do everything to assist Georgia in resolving these conflicts.

We have a reason and aim to think how to solve these problems as fast as possible.

If our country can put its share in this, we will do it with great pleasure.

This is one of the main reasons of my arrival here.

This is a deadlock and we have to try to help opposed sides out of this deadlock as soon as its possible.

It must be possible in any case.

Mister President!

We once again confirm and recognize the territorial integrity of Georgia. We have tried it in the past many times and we will do everything in the future to restore territorial integrity of Georgia in a peaceful way.

Despite the fact that in the process of regulation of this problem there might have been some attempts that did not finish successfully, we still have to use all the methods and absorb all the chances in order to make the country successful.

I think that it's absolutely necessary to hold direct dialogues between the post sides and this will be systematic.

This will really be a step forward on this complicated way.

Tomorrow I go to Sokhumi to convince those with whom I will have talks that direct dialog is necessary.

Mister President!

I listened to your viewpoints and want to tell you that I did not come to Georgia to implement hopelessness, but I do not want anyone to have false hopes that this problem will be arranged in a day or two.

We have spoken about the Russian role from this point of view.

I once again want to admit that Germany will do everything to overcome the deadlock.

I will put my personal share in this process and you must count on Germany.

I am sure we will meet pretty often in the next years.

Many thanks!

Press Office
of the President of Georgia