Saakashvili Hails Reserve Troops, Calls for ‘Total Defense’

President Saakashvili said on August 10 that Georgia should be ready to use “all the measures of total defense” and mobilize “at least 100 000” people through its system of reserve troops in case of need.

“Each citizen under the age of 40 should be obliged to join the reserve troops for at least two weeks in order to get elementary skills. We should create all the conditions to enable everyone to be recruited into the reserve troops. These two weeks will give them a lot,” Saakashvili said.

“We should also know that under conditions when there are [forces] grinding their teeth against Georgia, we should be able to mobilize at least 100 000 persons within several months, if it becomes necessary; at least 100 000 people. We have rather small armed forces in comparison with other countries of the region. But at a decisive moment, Georgia should use all the measures of total defense. In each village, in each city there should be tens and hundreds of thousands of our citizens ready to defend their motherland,” he added.

President Saakashvili joined reserve troops on August 5, and is spending his ten-day vacation in a reservists’ training camp in the village of Osiauri.

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