Greetings!
Today we fulfill a very important decision.
David Bakradze and I had intensive consultations during this week - what we could do for our heroes who fell dead during Russia-Georgian war and for their families.
Several days ago I went to encourage Leri Lagurashvili's family but it came out that I myself received so much encouragement from this family. I met Leri Lagurashvili's father - Mr. Tengiz, who established patriotic organization. The aim of this organization is to raise generations with patriotic aspirations. I met his brothers Lexo and Levan, who continue their service in Georgian Armed Forces. They were by their brother when he fell dead. I saw miss Dali, who encouraged me and whole Georgia so much. It is impossible not to recall nine brothers Kherkheulidzes when you see this family.
I want to say a few words about Vakhtang Gzirishvili. His father died during the war in Abkhazia, then 18-year-old Vakhtang recruited in Armed Forces of Georgia and he also fell dead near Tskhinvali. His mother founded a charity fund. His sister decided to serve in Armed Forces of Georgia instead of his brother. Father died, brother died, but sister still serves her own country.
Colonel David Elizbarashvili brought bombs to stop Russian company and he sacrificed himself this way. His wife Ketevan started to serve in the Armed Forces.
Romelashvilis' family was IDPs from Samachablo. Gela Romelashvili got involved in fight first, he first broke anti-tank barriers and fell dead. His daughter was born after his death. George Kirakozashvili's wife started to work at the Ministry of Defense of Georgia.
I had a chance to meet some of these people and express my gratitude towards them.
I have asked Mr. Tengiz Lagurashvili what sort of assistance they needed from the state and he answered they did not need anything.
So, we have decided to give these people apartments in Tbilisi. These people defended Tbilisi at the cost of their lives, 80 percent of these families are not from Tbilisi, but it is their merit that Tbilisi exists today.
We have made this decision together with the Ministry of Defense and the Parliament of Georgia. We are fulfilling this decision today.
The nation in undefeatable until it has heroes, like you have raised.
Georgia is a small country with a great number of heroes. This small country is still alive because we had many heroes who defeated this small land. These guys loved to live so much and of course it is a huge tragedy that their lives were sacrificed for our country.
I would with great pleasure take their place, it would be a great honor for me to sacrifice myself for my country.
We dared what no other country dared to do in the past. Those tanks, which rolled into Georgia, managed to occupy without much resistance Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Afghanistan and much bigger countries than Georgia. Until now many Europeans can not understand how Georgians could even think that it is possible to struggle for independence against 3,000 tanks, 200 planes, 80,000 invaders. But we have ability to fight and this is why we still exist today.
Today we are doing everything for peace. We are doing our best to ensure that nothing threatens peace. We know the value of internal and external peace better than others. We should understand that after that economic processes that have developed, we have much greater international support than we had before the August war; after the situation has changed completely both inside and outside Georgia, the probability of resumption of war has reduced; but there cannot be absolute guarantee in reality.
I know one thing - our ill-wisher knows for sure - a fortress can be broken within inside; it is impossible to make Georgia kneel down if Georgia is united and if Georgia is stable.
The enemy stopped because of the several reasons - when I was addressing Georgian population on August 11, I knew that all generals had the same order - to occupy Tbilisi. We didn't want to create panic.
The enemy would not stop if there was no such resistance of our heroes. Like 300 Aragvelies stopped the enemy, our Army did the same and Russians had ten times more power and equipment. The enemy stopped because they saw the devotion of our society, which despite of the threat of bombing stood in the center of the capital and showed their unity to the rest of the world; if not Georgian government, which compare to the government of 1921 did not run from the country, but stood to the end in front of the enemy.
Five European leaders came to Georgia and stood beside us. European Foreign Ministers asked to lay down tents on our bridges and airports for Russians to know that they were bombing European foreign ministers. If not the involvement of the European Union and if not the fact that the 6th Fleet of the United States moved towards Georgia, if not the U.S. President's direct, open, unprecedented warning - since 1961 there had been no such confrontation between Russia and the United States; if not all these, today Georgia would not be independent. This is an example for future. If we are stable and united against main ideas, I exclude the chance that anyone will ever be able to destroy this peace.
We want to cooperate with everyone.
The major honor we can pay to your heroes is that Georgia will become a successful European country, where our children will be raised in the best institutes, where there will be the same sense of freedom and democracy, like it is in Europe, where their future will be defended and guaranteed. Of course such country will resolve all main strategic missions. Nothing can threaten the unity of such country. This is our historic challenge.
We were able to overcome post war challenges, you know that many people predicted that Georgia would darken - but it didn't happen so. If we overcome this winter, Georgia will never darken any more.
We were able to maintain financial system and if compared to all countries in our neighborhood our currency is still stable. It means that pensions and salaries are given on time.
Of course there are some very complicated economic problems. There is no such tragedy when people are unemployed and do not know what to do.
We were developing before the war. Nothing could stop us - the embargo was declared, but we continue to develop. The wine market was closed, but we were able to do something better. Our citizens were kicked out of Russia, but Georgia continued moving forward. They tried to create internal destabilization inside Georgia, but we didn't allow them to do so and Georgian people passed an exam of democracy. They tried to close the borders, but other countries opened the borders for us and we still were able to establish relationships, and finally they started this war - but even the war couldn't destroy Georgia.
We must return to the way of successful development we had before the war. It needs patience, unity, dialogue, braveness and love of homeland. It needs all what your sons, husbands and fathers had. This is why we need to live for ourselves and for our children.
My dear people, challenges are huge, the Armed Forces of Georgia need the support of society like never before. We have many honorable officers. We have a small, but very strong Army. Our Army did what was impossible to do.
We are now transferring on the completely new stage of military relationship between the most successful armies around the world. Georgian Army will train ten times more, to insure peace in our country. We develop these relationships not for war, but to avoid war and chaos if anyone tries; not to stop the tempo of economic development but to keep our economy stable, to create new jobs by means of investments and to make this process irreversible.
We will fulfill our mission and the statehood of our country will be finally strengthened.
I want to thank you for your existence. So many people tried to make you say express complains against the Georgian government. None of you betrayed the memory of your family members and no one ever promised you anything in return. You kept your dignity that means that the heroism of your family members was not accidental. They are heroes, from heroic families. In this rapidly developed district you get apartments not instead of something, but in order to keep dignity of the Georgian state.
The major point of our dignity is to permanently care for your children, to give them good education and create better living conditions for them.
Once again I bow my head before our heroes, before people who dedicated their lives for Georgia, to save their country! They will always be in our memories!
Thank you very much!
Press Office
of the President of Georgia