State Minister: We should not Yield to Russia’s Provocations

Temur Iakobashvili, the Georgian state minister for reintegration, accused Russia of “state terrorism” and said Moscow was trying to provoke Tbilisi’s response that would lead to military confrontation.

He said that shooting down of a Georgian policeman on January 16 close to the South Ossetian administrative border was “a clear demonstration of Russia’s state terrorism.”

“Russia is an occupying force, which is in effective control of these territories [breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia] and they bear responsibility for the actions of the Russian forces, as well as of the actions of [South Ossetian] gangs,” Iakobashvili told the Imedi TV on January 16.

“It is clear that Russia’s policy is to provoke us on a large-scale military confrontation; our attempt to resolve the conflict through military means will be used against us,” he continued. “Our position is firm: we are not intending to engage in any military confrontation with anyone… We are expecting more provocations, because as it seems Russia can’t do anything else except of staging provocations; Russia is undertaking provocations not only against Georgia, but in respect of Ukraine, Europe and in other places around the world.”

He said that the conflicts would only be resolved after the Russian troops withdrew from the breakaway regions.

“Unfortunately, we won’t be able to resolve this issue within a year, because currently the international situation is not favorable, as administration in the United States is in the transition and Europe is engaged in gas war with the Russian Federation,” Iakobashvili said.

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