Georgian President pays tribute to fallen soldiers on 17th anniversary of Russia’s military aggression

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Friday honoured the memory of soldiers who died in the 2008 August war with Russia, laying a wreath at Mukhatgverdi Brothers' Cemetery.

In his remarks over the 17th anniversary of Russia’s military aggression against Georgia in August 2008, Kavelashvili stressed that it was precisely thanks to the heroic soldiers that Georgia had managed to stand on its feet.

“We are here today to pay tribute to our heroic soldiers, our national heroes, for giving the most precious thing for the freedom of our homeland. Honor and glory to their memory”, the President said.

“Georgia has always had heroic soldiers, has them now, and will have them in the future. It is thanks to our heroic people and our heroic soldiers and fighters that we have come this far. We bow our heads before them. We must always remember what kind of heroes Georgia has. At the same time, what our heroes have done, are doing, and will do is their duty. Our soldiers know what it means to defend their homeland and what it means to be a soldier and protector of the homeland”, Kavelashvili continued.

Georgian President added that a key responsibility of the state was to protect the country from danger and the threat of war.

“This is the obligation of the state. Therefore, these people [the opposition] should not hide behind the bravery and heroism of our heroic soldiers. Everyone had an obligation to prevent this war for the homeland, but it was not done”, he noted.

The President concluded by calling for patience regarding the investigation into the conflict's origins.

“Let's wait for the investigation. My personal opinion, not as President but as a citizen... I have often expressed my views on the actions of the then-Government, what it did and how it did it. But since we are a law-governed state, let's wait for the investigation”, he concluded.