Greetings!
First of all I would like to express my gratitude that after these two months of unnecessary holidays Parliament of Georgia resumed its work in the Parliament building.
I really do not consider that this time was spent without any outcome, because the sessions in the regions proved that we really have Parliament, which is the most diversified Parliament in the history of Georgian Parliamentary.
You are the regional representatives of a small but very diverse country. This is the Parliament, which proves that it belongs to the people.
I have not seen many parliaments around the world to which you can get this close, talk and require information. One can feel them equal while talking to you and the most important thing is that these people serve you, these people represent you.
I go to regions a lot and I am very glad, when people stop me and talk to me equally, because me as well as you belong to our people. I would like to focus your attention on the several issues.
First of all it is UN resolution, which is going to be discussed today in New York. This is a very important issue and I would like to fully inform fraction and the society about it.
Before I touch UN resolution mechanisms in particular we have to understand what kind of history we have and where are we coming from. We do not talk about it frequently but it is necessary not to repeat these tragic mistakes. People who created such past for us shouldn't create for us future without any perspectives once again.
In 90ies Russia declared secret war to Georgia. It was a secret war because Russia wasn't blamed for it.
Several thousand people were killed, more than 400 thousand people were displaced from their houses and Russia was not blamed.
The world perceived it as some internal confrontation within Georgia. It was first what Russia did and no one argues with us. After this Russia provoked internal disorder - political and armed confrontation took place in our country and civil war started. Weakened government had to bag Russia and enter CIA, appoint their ministers and sign agreement with Russia that legalized Russia's Military presence in Abkhazia. This was the basis of last year's new aggression. This was the second stage of our problems. All this brought those results that we see now. That's to say no results regarding the return of the refugees, arrangement of conflicts and strengthening Georgia's independence.
I want everyone to know what is the difference between us and them who made decisions them; what is the difference not only between Eduard Shevardnadze and me, but between the Georgian political mentality of the 90ies and today's political mentality.
I want everyone to understand that the decisions made by me were dictated by serious analysis of the mistakes made in the past.
In the Spring of the last year Russia executed large scale military operation first they entered Abkhazia - there was an airborne landing and later on the territory of Tskhinvali region in August. The first mistake that we might have made the way the government made in the 90ies was not to announce that it was Russia. We could have said this was an internal conflict - exactly in the way Russia had planned it. Then they would kill thousands of our population. There were about 30 people left in the gorge. They could have killed the majority of them because they were practically trapped. Anyone who has been there or is there now knows it perfectly well. Russians could later say that they weren't guilty, could have washed their hands off and said that Kokoiti is fighting against Saakashvili and Georgia has problems with fighting the separatists.
The Georgian Armed Forces answered this hidden aggression and we made them call everything its name. We made them say they are fighting and this was the same sort of aggression that was carried out by the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in 1979 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968. It was absolutely the same scale of aggression regarding armed forces personnel, the number of tanks, fighters and armored vehicles but these countries are much bigger than Georgia.
If we didn't announced that it was an open aggression, nobody would take interest what was happening and if by chance the separatists captured Tbilisi and fly the so called Ossetian flag on the state buildings that world would accepted it with great pleasure.
Many do not understand it even today that our capital and Georgian statehood was saved because alarmed the whole world. It was the result of our activities and achievements.
Putin and Russian military machine are disappointed because they couldn't finish everything forever. They do not want to finish Georgia not because they want to hang Saakashvili as they say but because Georgia is the symbol of freedom on the former territory of the Soviet Union. If by hanging me the fortune of Georgia is determined I myself would go to them with pleasure the way Georgian kings used to do it.
They need Georgia to close Central Asian and Caspian regions once and forever and practically restore the Soviet Union, first in energy and economic spheres as it happened in 1921 and then fully as it happened in 1924.
They haven't forgotten their intentions yet. They weren't able to execute their plan to the end and this is why they started the second round. This is not a speculation told by me, some think that I say all of these to justify the ongoing political processes in the country. Dimitry Medvedev said directly: "Saakashvili is political corpse. I refuse to get angry on President of Russia because I do not think he expresses his position. When he takes power in Russia for real then we can judge his quotations. It is natural that he expresses position of Russian state, which is governed by the aggressive part of security apparatus.
Because of strict critique Putin said: "We did only the half of what we had to do - the Georgian people will do the rest".
The next stage should have been just the same as in 1993-1995 - internal political destabilization, confrontation, violence and with all of these in background Georgia should have lost world support. They planned to form new international mechanisms by which they could have legalized their occupation on our territory - this is totally unacceptable from the legal point of view.
Today we have to work in the conditions of internal destabilization and we are not the separate member of UN resolution. We have to view all of it as a part of one scenario.
What Russia requires from UN?
You know that Russia possesses the right to use Veto in the Security Council. If Russia wasn't this aggressive in 2001 and was trying to reach its aim secretly and was supporting Boden's plan of restoring Georgia's territorial integrity - everything have changed now. This resolution was revised every six months since 2001. Finally this resolution became an empty paper, but the most important issue was maintained - it was Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is very important for a small country. The major instrument for a small country in case of confrontation with significantly big adversary is first of all a language of international law.
Now in these conditions when neither we nor our friends think about killing this absolutely weak and non-effective UN mission, Russia turned and said: do you want to bring the mission back? So give up the most important - let's start negotiations on Georgia's territorial integrity. And all of this happened after Zugdidi incident, it was easy to see the ears of some very famous "animal".
If we had been in the 90ies no one would say a word, the resolution issue would have been received simply.
We said from the very first day the main value we have is the territorial integrity of Georgia and the legal right of those people who were displaced from their houses - the right which is recognized by the whole world. It is enough to have one tiny breach in these relations and everything will collapse. On the other hand if we maintain it we will return our territories by all means.
From the very start our position was rather strict, after long lasting consultations our allies had the same position and as it seems Russia won't be able to fulfill its aim that it wished so much and a month ago had a guarantee.
I was studying these issues in the period of my University years. While studying in NY when there appeared a contour of such a trade, in 1993 I even wrote a course paper on this issue. When in Geneva Russian and Georgian delegations met under the auspices of UN, the Georgian delegation was headed by Jaba Ioseliani.
President of France personally participates in working out the UN resolution and during the years it is the first case when he got involved in the discussion of the resolution several times. For the first time the whole American political spectrum discusses this issue and American media writes a lot about the resolution. We will defend our truth. We do not want to kill international missions, but I myself saw in August how this mission disappeared when 300 tanks entered Abkhazia. I say it for them who think that we started the war. I remember pretty well when I called Senator McCain and asked him if he believed in the Russian version that we started the war. He responded that he needed neither Russian version nor ours: I am a military pilot and exactly know that tanks do not fly. Even if Georgia had started the war it was impossible to bring armored vehicles on the other side of the Caucasian Range this fast. It was impossible to bring heavy equipment on Enguri bridge on the second day of the war I saw it with my own eyes even if they had been on the border it would have taken them several days to reach this territory.
So we have tried to maintain this mission but the mission can't be maintained for the price of the territorial integrity of Georgia, which is our main principle.
I want parliamentary majority to be focused and informed on this issue. I also know that Parliamentary minority has the same attitude. I know that non-parliamentary opposition held an action in front of UN office. Despite the fact that I do not share any of the opposition's demands I fully agree and express my solidarity in this action. We will defend our positions to the end.
In spite of discussing the issue many times we couldn't abolish the status of the Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia, but it was clear that they didn't serve the idea of peace. We couldn't do it because they were concealed behind UN mission and UN was sheltering this process. I remember when our police officers were beaten in Ganmukhuri not a single representative of the UN mission appeared there. When we went to stop them the UN observers tried to stop us. I had a very unpleasant dialogue with them. This is what I can say about this concrete issue.
The second part of this scenario is an attempt to create a place of permanent destabilization to make Georgia weaker inside and not think about defense, strengthening of security, building an army and what's most important about the development of economy because economy is what our future stands on. They try to create such a foreign image of our country that neither our allies nor the investors would have a wish to support us. This support in reality enliven Georgian economy today, the money brought in by them is used to pay salaries, pensions, to build roads, schools, armed forces, security structures. We try to improve the life of our people and they try to frighten investors.
You know what was Putin's aim in Autumn and Spring. In autumn he said he wouldn't forgive Viktor Yushenko his visit to Tbilisi, that he stood with us and refused to leave Tbilisi until Tbilisi was under the threat. In those Ukrainian newspapers, which are controlled by Russia a lot of articles, were published and it was a psychological terror on Ukrainian President. In March, on the very same day, in Lithuania, Kiev and Tbilisi different political forces demanded the Presidents' resignation. Is it all happening by chance? Or is it coincidence.
Was our main enemy who occupied twenty percent of our land glad to hear it? Of course this fully answered their plans in connection with Georgia. One must be blind not to see it.
Then the demonstrations were organized in Tbilisi. There were a lot of disappointed and poor people there. At the same time among them there were certain people who had concrete political aims.
What was the original scenario? The calculations were as follows - Saakashvili is an impulsive person, you have to insult him a lot, you have to do the same with the Chairman of the Parliament, Prime Minister, Ministers, the MPs in order to make them to lose their patience, take sticks and come out, beat people, use all the methods which, by the way, are used in Germany, France, Italy and so on. Then they will say - Look what's happening, they have dispersed a peaceful demonstration. How one can support this country?
You all witnessed there were many attempts to provoke us to disperse the demonstrations. They knew it pretty well what the results could be.
I remember when in 2007 we declared state of emergency the situation was calm before I made a statement about resignation. I have decreased the term of my presidency.
Because of their actions not President but the State would weaken. The target was not the President but Georgia as a state.
When we cancelled the Parliament sessions David Bakradze knows it I was against to the end, but we have incredible patience though we knew and we saw it two days ago that they would use it for the provocation and for making the situation tenser.
We did, what many European countries wouldn't do. US Congressmen, German journalists, gave me a lot of questions. No one would stand it in Berlin and US and there they would try to normalize the situation.
We are people of different experience, different past, we are in the stage of development. We had made a decision, to let them have more than enough freedom of illegal actions. This can't be called anything but illegal. No matter how much they speak about peaceful protests no one would believe it. There is nothing peaceful in blocking the railway, in blocking the state institutes. Nobody holds demonstrations near the Police offices. This is absurd.
We closed eyes with only one aim - let everything be clear for everyone.
It is not freedom of speech what they call it. Only one freedom of speech is not allowed in a democratic country - this is freedom of planting hatred. There are certain sources of media in Georgia that have only one aim - not to inform the society but inform them how to hate each other.
In "1984" by George Orwell for 10 minutes running Goldshtain's image was shown and they said - you must hate him. If they could limit there area by Saakashvili only than there is no problem... But I want to make you believe that even my 13-year-old son laughs at thousand nonsense, which are shown on our TV stations. The new generation of democratic culture treats it quite calmly. When they say that nobody knows Majority Deputies and nobody has heard about them let them ask in those regions that they represent in the Parliament.
For example Guram Misabishvili - ask Senaki population about him, ask the Ministries where he goes every day to help each person and resolve their problems.
No one heard about Gia Arsenishvili in Telavi? Then why was he elected with such advantage during the elections?
So when you say something like this you not only insult the Parliament as an institute, but Senaki, Telavi, Martvili population. This means that famous people are those who were designer clothes and those people who fights every day to have a daily bred are not famous? Maybe these deputies are the last hope for them?
12-year-old girl wrote me a letter from Gldani. She writes that her mother is enabled, she can't work, they do not have even simple living conditions - they do not have running water, they do not have natural gas, they aren't able to pay utilities - so they don't have any perspective. This is a letter of despaired child.
12-year-old child can't work and you can't require from her to resolve her own problems. Whose interests should we defend - interests of this child or some Kukava, who lives 50 thousand better than this girl?
I have made a choice - I will stand by this 12-year-old girl and will never trade with some corrupted, egocentric and destructive elements.
Two weeks ago Vladimir Putin invited Russian political elite and required form them the cancellation of President's elections in Ukraine. He was brainstorming them for two hours. These politicians had enough brevity to spoil these plan.
Thanks God the President of Byelorussia didn't accepted this blackmailing. Lukashenko was never the friend of ours. There exist diverse political attitudes on political system, there are major values - these values are feeling of freedom, dignity and independence.
Some people try to create sense of instability and virtual destabilization in Georgia. These situations caused us to lose million US dollar investments. When we talk about how to develop our country - we have a very simple answer - there is only one war for Georgia and there is no other alternative to it - it is democracy, freedom and freedom of speech.
This is why we have never spoken about betrayal from the side of any representative of opposition. We have invited them to work in different entities not because we want them to show our cabinets, but because to utilize their power.
Today one radical representative of opposition stated that she is ready to work as the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs (she probably might become a Minister only in next life).
Despite the fact that some of our colleagues are shocked by this proposal, I will support it with pleasure.
When we require from someone to defend law, first of all our entities should defend it.
I have rebuked the Law Enforcement Agencies today - the rights of journalists must not be limited. We mustn't allow unserious actions to happen.
There was a clash recently, people are arrested, they must by administrative rule.
Every citizen should be defended.
Our aim is to maintain stability and calmness. Parliamentarians were bitten and humiliated. What can be more ironic - twice world champion in weight lifting was scolded violently and spitted at. I myself got a bit frightened when Asanidze raised his hand, but he stopped it in the air - good for you George.
When I hear complaints about arresting these children, I want to tell them - those who did it were 25-26 year old people. Such young people died last Summer - they didn't say not to let them join the Army.
I was 25 years old when I was Chairman of Legal Committee in Parliament. People must have responsibility from the early ages. Today in Georgia young people have the best chances. Last year we sent several hundreds of young people to study abroad.
Those who will be enlisted in the Universities and colleges this year we will send those students to 35 different schools. Our country sends them to study abroad in order to return their education back to our country.
They used to tell us - disperse us, disperse us - we didn't do it, then they came and attacked the police building. Today they held a demonstration at the police department and blocked the road. Nobody does it in the world. Are we Papuans?
We haven't closed their TV channels down - after "Imedi TV" events - today they closed their TV Channels themselves.
After many excuses Ministry of Internal Affairs returned their cameras back in order not to give them any basis for false information.
We are strong we don't need any limitations. You can't curse foreigners in such a manner. For several days running I hear how they curse the USA, France, England. As a rule the government has some pretensions to the foreigners.
Just guess that they don't have any pretensions against one man. These people need only one thing from us - to kneel us down and to make our state disappear.
We will become a modern, European state, we will become associated members of EU, we will work on our partnership with the US in reality. There were some talks about strategic partnership of Georgia with US - how can that happen? Kuwait is several times smaller country than Georgia. Because Kuwait was America's strategic partner the US defended its interest in all the ways.
We have many chances to become a successful country in this international cooperation - among them with Russia, but not by means of capitulation and not by means of rear door. The line that goes between stability and non-stability, between democracy and non-democracy is the line, which is drawn between our independence, freedom and slavery. We will not allow anyone to cross this line. Which Georgian businessman will put money to destroy Georgian economy. Better to pay money to poor instead of spending very big money for constructing 500 cages.
I am satisfied with meeting Levan Gachechiladze. He said he couldn't understand anything I told him - but I think he did understand everything well.
The previous meeting was held and provocations started. Now we held a meeting and there was some tense situation and clashes again.
Then there was an attack on the police and an attack on the MPs. We have to swallow it as well.
This doesn't mean that we must stop the dialogue. The Constitutional Commission must work. We have to offer them positions in the state agencies. One of them accepted this offer and if it is taken seriously, we will envisage it. We can do much more.
Local elections system, parliamentary elections system - the system, which is right and everyone, will recognize the results.
Gachechiladze states after the meeting - it is a provocation arranged by Saakashvili and Kachinsky. Several hundred officers fell dead for Poland's independence. Lekh Kachinsky whose father fought for Poland's independence raised this issue. A Georgian General was their Staff General - Poland was able to maintain their independence till World War I.
I handed an Order of Honor to one of this Georgian officers' wife in Warsaw. Unfortunately this lady died a month ago. She left her house and the land, which was eight million US dollar worth not to her family but to Georgia.
Lekh Kachinsky who came to Georgia during the war was told by Russians that his airplane wouldn't be able to land in Tbilisi, he gave the order of the Chief of Joint Staff of Poland to the pilot and despite Russian threat his plane landed in Tbilisi. He is a brave man. He wanted to see where the Russians stood in Akhalgori - I want to remind Gachechiladze that Akhalgori post is situated in the midst of the Georgian territory, near Tbilisi. How can the President of Georgia and the man who acted heroically last summer be provocateurs?
I saw Kachinsky who didn't bow his head when there were shootings. Let those people repeat what the Russian newspapers say if they wish. But if you want to love your country you must respect those people who risk everything for your country.
One more version - it was Saakashvili's provocation to start the war. No one has written anything like that, but one or two hired journalists who wrote something like that in the western newspapers.
All the corridors were opened for us to escape. Not only the government tried to escape - we didn't even blocked Kakheti direction, people didn't flee, there was no panic. During bombing hundreds of thousands of people stood in the center of Tbilisi. Nothing will defeat this society. We are in debt before them.
Georgia is a small but great country, we have maintained everything that we possess and by which the whole world is delighted.
Patriots always prevailed traitors. God and fortune was always with us.
Georgia returned to the world map and now there is an attempt to erase us.
Georgia, which return and is building an European state will return its territories and will find civilized forms for the dialogue.
Our aim is to tell everybody that there is no alternative to the dialogue and peace.
We wont allow chaos.
We need economy, development, democratic dialogue and people's participation in this dialogue.
Our obligation is to defend and strengthen the Georgian state and we will do it with you.
We have to adopt many laws and people are expecting it. We are now transferring to the new stage of reforms, which includes refinement of educational system, integration of our country into Europe, refinement of the constitution, independent court and press.
We have great plans and aims.
I want to thank you for unity, democracy, optimism.
Thank you very much!
Press Office
of the President of Georgia