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Saakashvili: Putin’s Goal was Capturing Tbilisi

President Saakashvili said on March 10 that the state should “definitely finalize the deeds” of those Georgian soldiers who have fallen in the August war.

“We want peace, but peace needs to be protected,” Saakashvili told widows of three soldiers, who have been killed in the August war, at a meeting in his residence. “Our task is to finalize their deeds. Georgia will never tolerate what our enemy has established in our territory. We have saved the capital; we, your husbands have saved the Georgian statehood and we all should defend and develop our country.” 

“The Russians were moving to Tbilisi,” he continued. “It was [Russian Prime Minister Vladimir] Putin’s initial plan; it was his strategy and an eventual goal. We have survived and are more protected now at the expense of lives of your husbands.”

A day earlier he visited a family of a military doctor, Leri Lagurashvili, who has also died in the war.   

“I told Leri’s family yesterday that it would have been a great honor for me to sacrifice my life instead of him. Any of our ministers or officials would say the same,” he said.

“This is a great privilege – to die for your home country,” Saakashvili added.
 
He said that the government would grant families of all 170 fallen soldiers with dwelling space in Tbilisi.

“Regardless of where fallen soldiers lived, in which particular region of Georgia, they saved Georgian capital and their families deserve to have an apartment in the Georgian capital,” Saakashvili said. “Everybody should know that those who sacrifice themselves for Georgia will have their families protected and that the state will take care of their children.”  

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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