I would like to address you on the aggressive steps taken Georgia and Georgian people during the last few days and hours. Several hours ago the Air Force of Russian Federation attacked the territory of Georgia, more specifically the conflict zone.
In Abkhazia, above village Ganmukhuri the air assault aircraft "MIG-29" owned by Russian Federation, which departed from Gudauta military base, where it was based illegally, executed an air assault on the unmanned aircraft owned by the Georgian police. Also executed several missile attacks targeting the same aircraft and Ganmukhuri territory. This is first of all the violation of UN doctrine and is an act of performing international aggression. This was a bombing of sovereign territory of state by other state and the violation of international law without the reason, any provocation or legal basis. This is not the first case of bombing us. We all remember well that in 1992-1993 Russian aviation was intensively bombing the territory of Abkhazia. Almost 500 000 people escaped Russian bombs and hired combatants which came from Russia, as well the special units of Russian Army. Ethnic cleansing of territory took place that time and new aggressive regime was established. When Georgia stated that Russians were bombing us, the Minister of Defense of Russia cynically stated that we painted our own helicopters and we were bombing our own territory. All of us remember it well.
Last year in March Russian assault aircrafts intensively bombed upper Abkhazia - Kodori and Chkhlata gorges and Chuberi. An international mission was created; they started to investigate this fact. We were not able to obtain wide material that time, but we obtained documental evidences - those helicopters ‘B-24"s flew down from Russia. The same year Russian Federation executed air assault on Kartli, village Tsiteliubani. An international committee on the basis of documents was able to determine that the very attack was also executed by Russia. After all these facts I want to say that the last incident is the first incident, when we have absolutely clear video material, where it is clearly shown that the assault aircrafts owned by Air Force of the Russian Federation bombed the Georgian territory, so it performed an aggressive action against the territorial integrity of Georgia, against the violation of Georgian borders and against the security of Georgian people. According to the international law this is an unfriendly and absolutely unacceptable act.
At the same time not less but more dangerous are those legal steps that Russia took in respect of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. First Russia lifted sanctions against Abkhazia and South Ossetia that were brought in during Yeltsin's Presidency and envisaged to close down economic sources and put legal responsibility of those who executed ethnic cleansing. Last week according to the task given by the President of Russia, Russian Federation adopted an act by which the De-facto anexion of very important part of Georgia was directly legalized. I want to stress on what is written in this act. It is written that Russian Federation no more recognizes the jurisdiction of the Georgian government on Abkhaz and South Ossetian territory and will have direct contact to the separatist leadership - with the executors of ethnic cleansing, with the authors of many criminal acts.
After the World War Two, this is an unprecedented challenge and an unprecedented fact of disobedience of the international law. Georgia is the victim of absolutely irresponsible, absolutely illegal and very aggressive act.
During these very difficult days we were contacting the leaders of different countries in the world. I had direct contact with the representatives of US Administration, I spoke to President Bush, I spoke to many European leaders and many leading parliamentarians. The US Administration, the European Union, the NATO made unprecedented statements and they not only express their concern about the actions undertaken by Russia but they require to annul this act immediately. After yesterday's assault I hade a long discussion with the President of Russia Vladimer Putin, this was not an easy conversation. I categorically demanded from the President of Russia to immediately annul this illegal act adopted by him. I categorically demanded from him to stop aggressive attacks against Georgia. I categorically demanded to take every single step that in Georgia and to relieve international tension across Georgia once and for all.
Georgia has unprecedented construction plan which was supported and liked by lead European states, NATO and United States.
My friends we went through such challenging years lately together. We all did miracles together - we built Georgian state from destroyed country. This is Georgian state that has security structures, has Army, has well functioned administration, that could secure our country and what's the most important we have fast growing economy; we have fast growing, free business environment.
Now Georgia doesn't need disorder and forcible scenario, and we definitely don't need what is going on in regards of our regions right now.
My fellow citizens, we must tell the whole world, that Georgia will never allow the detention of its territories and establishing the foreign domination in there. Georgian people fought during many years for independency and for these territories. This territory doesn't belong to any Georgian government, or to the President or today's generation. Some international organization or our neighbors did not give this territory to us.
This is the territory, which our ancestors left for us according to their will and for all of our citizens, despite of their ethnicity each meter of this territory is saint and impervious. The whole world should know that we wouldn't give up even one little piece of our land.
We want peace and development, we want honest and transparent relations with all our neighbors, we do not need problems and disorder and we will do everything to support farther development of our country. Today, we must maintain unity and stability, and must continue strengthening Georgia's international positions, integration into the international organizations consolidated. All these provocations are the responds to our strengthening - we are not punished for our will to get integrated in some international structures, but for our development and success. They try to stop this process, we are getting strong and they are trying to weaken us. We are achieving success and they try to create problems for us. We want to achieve success for our people only, for our future for our children and for our grandchildren. After all we need to respond with the peace initiative. The Foreign Minister of Georgia is in UN right now and delivers speeches to different levels. Our representatives are arranging tour across Europe; David Bakradze will meet the US State Secretary. We will continue our diplomacy in direction of getting warranties for territorial integrity of Georgia, these guarantees must be strong, we must declare that no one will allow breaching the territorial integrity of Georgia. We have to remember this forever. I believe in our people, in their strength and peacefulness.
I have hope in you, and you have to have hope for Georgian government, and me that we will be able to avoid threats and will fully maintain our country!
God bless our country!
Thank you very much!
Press Office
of the President of Georgia