President Margvelashvili visits Occupation Museum in eastern Georgia

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili attended a presentation of the ‘No to Occupation’ project in Georgia’s eastern region of Shida Kartli today.

Carried out by local organisation Bridge of Friendship Kartlosi, the project aims to raise awareness and promote general education among youth on Russia-Georgia relations, the Russian occupation, the annexation of Georgian territory, threats from Russia facing Georgia and the entire region and ways to deal with them.

The project is in part financed by the Presidential Reserve Fund.

President Margvelashvili opened ‘No to Occupation’ project at the Occupation Museum in Georgia's eastern region of Shida Kartli. Photo by President's press office

We are now at the Occupation Museum of Kaspi. It has been 23 years since this place has become a school, where new generations are brought up, but at the same time this place has not forgotten the past and it also houses a museum”, Margvelashvili addressed the audience.

He further noted that this museum reminds everyone "that our homeland and freedom have to be defended, our independence has to be maintained, and each step taken back will have disastrous consequences for dozens of our fellow citizens”.

25 years ago we began building our independent state and every citizen of Georgia is ready to guard this independence. I support your initiative, as I believe that freedom and defending one’s homeland are issues that should not be neglected", President Margvelashvili said.

The Occupation Museum will host discussions and informal meetings on security issues, negotiations between Georgia and Russia, guarantees of defending Georgia’s security, occupation, civic activism and Georgia-EU relations within the framework of the five-month project.