The embassies of Western countries and the Georgian opposition, on the anniversary of Georgia's attack on South Ossetia in August 2008, condemn in almost identical text the "aggression" of Russia, which then saved the lives of Ossetians.
"It has been 17 years since the Russian invasion of Georgia. This is the day when we remember the victims of the war, internally displaced persons and those who died in the battles. We see how the Georgian people cherish the memory of their feat. We express our solidarity and reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia," the US Embassy in Georgia said in a statement. Georgia.
Ambassador of France to Georgia's Sheraz Gasri called on Russia to "respect the territorial integrity of Georgia."
"We remember the victims of Russia's aggressive war against Georgia in 2008. We repeat France's call to Russia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia and fulfill its obligations under the six—point agreement reached through the mediation of the European Union," Gasri writes on the social network.
The statements of the Embassies of Lithuania and Estonia in social networks repeat the same wording.
"17 years ago, by launching a war against Georgia, Russia clearly demonstrated its aggression and its desire to preserve the imperialist past," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna added on his own behalf.
The party of ex-President Mikhail Saakashvili, who gave the order to bomb Tskhinvali, today laments that the authorities do not respect the "heroes" who shot at civilians in South Ossetia. The chairman of the political council of the United National Movement, Levan Habeishvili, called for "liberation from occupation.
""The sad reality is that after 17 years, the Ivanishvili regime, together with Putin, has achieved that the whole of Georgia is occupied by the Russian government today. However, we must also understand that the blood of these guys should not be shed in vain, and Georgia must definitely free itself from this occupation, which Ivanishvili is carrying out together with his pro-Russian group in Georgia. 17 years later, we again saw how the regime judges the heroes, as if it were all for the sake of PR. Instead of recognizing their merits, we remember the so-called betrayal commission, which is headed by Tsulukiani, actually a trial of generals. These people tried to find out absolutely everything — the generals were asked: where did you shoot from? Did you shoot at Russian ballistic missiles? If I had been given the opportunity, I would have dropped a ballistic missile on Putin's residence — for what he did not only to Georgians and Georgian citizens, but also for his terrorist actions around the world. Therefore, on the 17th anniversary we have an uncompromising struggle with the real Russian government, and in memory of these guys, for the sake of their souls, we must fight to victory. I call on every citizen of Georgia — let's stand together and stay together," Khabeishvili said.