Mikheil Saakashvili:
I welcome the former Prime-Minister of Denmark and the current Secretary General of NATO. It is Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s fourth visit of to Georgia. Certainly, the fact that he has paid four visits is very important in itself, and it has an immense symbolic meaning for our country. Our country is preparing for NATO membership. Our country will become a NATO member. We will continue to implement the reforms; we will continue our fight towards freedom. Georgia will continue to move towards democracy, and on October 1st we will conduct the freest, the most transparent elections with the largest number of observers in Georgia’s history since its independence. I am convinced that the Georgian people will make the very choice which serves the continuation of Euro-Atlantic integration, strengthening of our freedom, the prevention of interference of foreign forces in the domestic affairs of Georgia and determination of Georgia’s choice. We will continue our quest through freedom, our quest towards the historic choice, our quest towards a free, prosperous, happier, wealthier, poverty free Georgia, where every Georgian family will see the benefit of this choice, every Georgian family will see more profit from what is happening, and no one will ever return Georgia to subordination. No one will ever be able to bring back corruption, criminals to Georgia, as well as the politics which did not bring any benefit to Georgia even during the 90s. That is why our relations with NATO are very important. It is very important that the Secretary General is here in Tbilisi. I do not know any other current world leader who has been to Georgia so many times, and it has been long that he deserves to be an honorary Georgian; he deserves to be an ordinary Georgian as well, without any honors, as being Georgian is already an honor. If it is possible for a Georgian to be a NATO Secretary General, then it indeed is Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and I would like to greatly thank him for arriving in Georgia once again. It is a gesture of huge support for us.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen:
Mr. President thank you very much for your kind words, I am very pleased to be in Georgia again, less than a year after you so generously hosted the entire North Atlantic Council. The frequencies of our high level contacts show the strengths of our relationship and I thank you very much for very positive and constructive meeting this afternoon. Georgia is a special partner for NATO, and model of commitment. You are making very significant contribution to our mission in Afghanistan indeed. This autumn you’ll become the largest non-Nato contributor. This is a remarkable achievement. We are deeply thankful for the courage, determination and professionalism that your troops show every day. Our ISAF mission will be completed by the end of 2014. But we will continue to support Afghanistan security forces beyond that date. We have already started to develop the new NATO mission and I’m very pleased that Georgia is committed to be in part of this. Of course Georgia wants to be more than an active NATO partner, you want to become a NATO member and our summit in Bucharest in 2008, and we decided that Georgia will become a member of NATO. In Chicago, in May this year, we make clear that we stand by that decision and we welcomed Georgia’s progress. NATO’s door is open to countries which show real and sustained efforts towards reform and integration. You have set out on a bold reform course and you have made tremendous progress. That hard work has brought you closer to NATO membership. Let me also commend you for Georgia’s commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and engagement with the people of your regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. At Chicago, we have reconfirmed NATO’s unwavering support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognized borders. We will also continue to support Georgia’s reforms and we are also looking to Georgia to keep the momentum of democratic reforms. The conduct and the run-up to parliamentary elections this October and presidential elections in 2013 will be a litmus test for Georgia democracy and I trust that all political actors in Georgia will play a responsible role in this process. The future is in your hands, but know this, that you have a friend in NATO and a future home in NATO.
Ketevan Bojgua, Georgian Public Broadcaster:
I would like to ask the Secretary General. We all well remember the statement of Dimitry Medvedev, the current Prime-Minister of Russia, when he stated that with the 2008 military campaign he had stopped the NATO enlargement. Not long ago, already the current president Vladimir Putin stated that the war with Georgia had been planned already back in 2006 and also that Russia was assisting the Tskhinvali troops in trainings. How do you assess these statements?
And one more question to the President of Georgia: where do the Georgian-Russian relations stand at the moment?
Anders Fogh Rasmussen:
Thank you very much, I missed a bit part of this, but if I understand your question correctly. If the intension of the 2008 conflict was to interfere with NATO decisions on our open door policy, NATO decisions of enlargement, I can assure you that it has failed, because no third country has any right to interfere with NATO decisions, it’s for NATO to decide on our open door policy and we have stated over and over again and reinterpreted in Chicago that our door remains open. We stick to the principle that it is for its individual nation to decide its alliance affiliation itself. And we hope Russia will respect this principle as well.
Irakli Metreveli, Agency “France-Presse”:
My first question is to Mr. Secretary General. We are witnessing tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. From here you are heading to Baku and we already know what kind of message you are going to deliver, but what you think, what does Azerbaijan leader should do?
My second question is for Mr. President. You have talked about the upcoming elections and I am interested in the assessment of the pre-election environment. It is about three weeks left until 1 October…I would like to remind you that one of the opponents has even made conditions for the results of the elections to be recognized. Do you happen to see a possibility that these elections will be followed by certain political tensions?
Anders Fogh Rasmussen:
First on Armenia Azerbaijan; I have made my position very clear. I am deeply concerned by Azerbaijan’s decision. That decision damages trust and it does not contribute to peace and reconciliation. This very terrible and tragic incident which happened 8 years ago was a crime and this sort of crime should not be glorified. NATO is not going to interfere in the Armenia Azerbaijani conflict over Kharabakh, but we support all the efforts to find a peaceful solution to this conflict. And you asked me what can Azerbaijani do and I think it is to contribute to finding a peaceful solution.
Mikheil Saakashvili:
As for the elections, elections will be held in a free environment. Georgian people will not allow any escalation and all the polls confirm this; Georgian people have confidence in the system. We will make sure that elections are held with maximum transparency and with the presence of the largest number of observers. Certainly, there have always been radicals of different levels in Georgia; similarly there have always been attempts to interfere from outside. We are not seeing anything new. But, no one should have an illusion of anything. I do not even have the slightest doubt and no one should have any worries. Elections will be held in conformity with all principles of democracy. Certainly, there will be manipulations, and all this everywhere, but all of this will be in vain. Certainly, there will always be someone who can be manipulated, given wrong information, or bought in Georgia, just as there will always be someone who can be bought in foreign countries as well, but Georgia will never be sold, the democratic world will never be sold. Likewise, the truth is never to be sold. In the end, Georgian people, the multiethnic society of Georgia, will make a completely right choice based on the democratic principles prescribed by the law. I am convinced in this and we as a government, and in this case I speak not as a leader of the party but as a President, I will make sure that the fundamental values of democracy, the right of each citizen, the right of every person regardless of the views he/she has, radical or non-radical, is realized and ensured. Common sense will always prevail in Georgia; I am convinced in this as it corresponds to our Euro-Atlantic aspirations. It is a fundamental element of all of this - the most unacceptable opinion should also be given consideration; even the most radical should have the freedom of expression, but in the end, truth and moderation will prevail in a democratic society. I am strongly convinced in this and this will be the case in Georgia as well.