Georgian President Mikheil President Saakashvili on Wednesday gave a lenghty interview to Rustavi 2 TV on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the war with Russia.
The Georgian News portal civil.ge reports that Saakashvili said that he had done everything possible trying to prevent war with Russia five years ago including through offering Moscow significant concessions, among them rejecting NATO aspiration, downscaling cooperation with the U.S. and a plan to carve-up Abkhazia. Saakashvili said that all of his efforts were fruitless as Russia was preparing for the war, which aimed at "complete destruction" of Georgia.
Commenting on Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev's remarks in an interview with Rustavi 2 TV, Saakashvili said it was a clear message that Georgia should reconcile with losing of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, reject NATO integration and become a member of Eurasian Union if it wants to normalize relations with Russia.
"The Georgian nation... now faces a concrete choice - if the Georgian nation wants to say no to significant part of its territory, if the Georgian nation wants to say no to future development - that is saying no to Euro-Atlantic space... if Georgia is ready to say no to [freedom] of choice in internal [affairs], because Eurasian Union means imposing their rules, then of course there are certain possibilities with Russia," he said.
He said that the only right option for Georgia is to continue "dignified, fast-track development without bowing a head" to Russia. "The solution is to run - that implies fast development," he said.
Saakashvili said that if "we continue deluding ourselves" and hoping that trying to appease Russia would yield result, "it will lead us to losing the Georgian statehood."
A full report of President Saakashvili's interview, available on the Georgian News portal civil ge, is available here
source: civil.ge and Rustavi2 Television
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