The session of National Security Council was held today in President's Administration. The point of discussion was recent events that took place in Tskhinvali region. "We can call the arrestment of our soldiers nothing else but kidnapping by some illegal band formations. These bandits are using our patient against us. They are using against us our will to keep peace in our regions. They do not understand and they are mistaken that it is not 2004 any more, when our soldiers were publicly humiliated. We require their freedom without any delay. At the same time I task Ministry of Internal Affairs in case if local illegal formation will not release our soldiers, they will be released by Georgian Police. I task Ministry of Internal Affairs to start preparation for their release without any delay. I want to tell these bandits - we will not allow them to act so. If these people will not be released, than I worn them to prepare for our actions.
The U.S. Secretary of State's visit is also a support to Georgia's democratic course, democratic progress, which was recognized by the entire world after the two elections held in Georgia and the United States is actively supporting it. This visit is a serious foreign policy importance and a serious facilitator of development of our statehood.
This is support to our country, investments need to come in Georgia and we need to conclude our 50-months-program - we need to create new jobs, new opportunities must come into sight, we will all together achieve our main aim - Georgia without poverty.
When Georgia has great international support, when Georgia is involved in big processes, it supports our economic and social development, implementation of our 50-months program and our plan on overcoming poverty.
I think that the Secretary Rice's visit is an important part of this effort. Georgia spares no efforts to improve the relations with Russia and to find the way out of that gravest crisis, in which we have appeared due to Russia's moves against Georgia's territorial integrity.
I can not hide my concern on violence, attempts of escalation and explosions that take place in different regions of Georgia.
I want us to understand very well, who are interested in escalation of violence, including in these explosions. A summit of G8 was held in Japan today, where one of the major issues of discussion, as far as we know, was Georgia. The visit of Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. Secretary of State, is planned. Georgia is developing fast and this economic development needs calmness and stability and the only thing Georgia needs now the least is violence, explosions or unrests in any region. Behind these acts of violence there are people, who want to distract attention from the major issue - and this is Georgia's development - to hamper us in this development as much as possible, and the second, the major issue which is happening in this region - rough violation of Georgia's territorial integrity by the Russian Federation, full negligence of the principles of international law and the attempts of annexation of the most important parts of the Georgian territory. Mainly what happens by these provocations is that they try to distract attention from main subject. This is why we need to continue consultations with Russia. I task everyone to be vigilant.
But I also want to call on our western friends to increase diplomatic efforts ten-fold in order to prevent the attempts of annexation and illegal occupation of Georgian territory.
Today some Russian diplomats pretend not to have any links to what is happening there in Abkhazia and South Ossetia now. They try to portray that there are internal problems, clashes, explosions saying that we are here to make these people talk with each other. But just they are the key reason behind all the problems, especially within past several months.
We are ready to continue dialogue with any groups, with every citizen, with illegal formations, but the main issue is that we will not allow ignorance of our territorial integrity and we will also not allow any provocations or escalation. This all is a doubtful coincidence with big international events around Georgia.
I call on everybody to be organized, watchful and I am sure that nobody will be able to derail us from the way of peaceful development and peaceful restoration of our territorial integrity.
Communications Office
of the President of Georgia