Ruling party Sec Gen highlights Gov’t’s policy to regain Russian-occupied territories as “possible, realistic”

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday commented on the latest UN resolution regarding Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions, stating that the 2008 August War raised questions among the public that must be answered.

In his remarks, Kaladze noted that all individuals who had played a role in the loss of Georgian territories in 2008 “should be held accountable”.

“The 2008 war must be investigated. There are many questions within society about what happened and whose interests were served by the outcome. What did the 2008 war bring us? Lost territories, destroyed infrastructure, civilian casualties, and fallen soldiers. A large part of our territories remains occupied to this day, which is a major issue”, he said.

“Anyone who contributed to this outcome through political decisions and actions must be held accountable. There must be a proper response. We must speak the truth and clarify everything. The public has questions, and those questions deserve answers”, the official continued.

Kaladze further highlighted the United National Movement and the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili as a criminal group that “inflicted harm on the country”.

“It was essential to take political steps that would not harm the country and the Georgian people. The United National Movement and Mikheil Saakashvili were a criminal group whose political decisions damaged the country - countless people were killed, both civilians and heroic soldiers, and we lost territories. This is the real issue and must be addressed”, he noted.

“Our policy is pragmatic and based solely on national interests. I’m not talking about agents or traitors - I mean true patriots. For every patriot, the top priority is territorial integrity and reunification. Our goal is to restore the territories that are, regrettably, still under Russian occupation. That is the direction of our policy, and I truly believe it is both possible and realistic”, Kaladze said.

The official emphasised that the ruling party’s pragmatic policy - grounded in the interests of the Georgian people - has ensured peace in the country.

“Once again, I repeat: it doesn’t matter whether it was President Saakashvili or someone else - every individual, every politician should be held accountable for the consequences of their actions. We are in politics for one reason: to shield the country from danger”, he stressed.

“Imagine if we had made a mistake even a year ago - when we were being pressured to open a second front, to enter the war, when resolutions and sanctions were being pushed, when there were threats and blackmail. What if we hadn’t held our principled position? What if we had made the mistake of opening a second front and joining the sanctions? Do you think we’d be here today talking about important infrastructure projects? This is the reality, and it’s time to face it”, Kaladze concluded.