President says her words on army were misinterpreted, out of context
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili says that she never meant to discredit the Georgian army. Photo: president’s press office.
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President Salome Zurabishvili says that her recent statement on the Georgian army, that the country 'has no army and weapons', has been misinterpreted and taken out of context.
The president’s administration reports that it is not the first time Zurabishvili’s statements are “deliberately misinterpreted.’
The president’s speech yesterday was dedicated to the Georgian national ideology, culture, science, the importance of strengthening of scientific activities and meant that Georgia is capable to take a significant place in the world with its culture. The statement in no way concerned the Georgian armed forces or diminished their role,” the president’s administration said.
The statement reads that the misinterpretation of the president’s words not only aims to discredit the president but also affects the state interests and its security.
Responding to the president’s statement Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia has stated that “we should ask pardon and bow before our heroes, our soldiers.”
Today’s incident at Bagram airfield in Afghanistan once again confirmed that the effectiveness and strength of the Georgian army is growing,” Gakharia said.
He stated that Georgian soldiers are fighting along with foreign colleagues to defeat terrorism.
The Georgian Defence Ministry has responded to the statement of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili made yesterday while meeting with scientists that Georgia ‘has no army, weapons and we will not have them, but we have a strong weapon - knowledge, science and culture.’ “The Georgian army is strong and we have devoted soldiers,” the Defence Ministry has stated earlier today.
A new framework deal between Georgia and the United States takes defence and security cooperation between the two states to an "essentially new level", the Ministry of Defence of Georgia announced after the signing of the agreement at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Garibashvili has received the Olgethrope Award for his exceptional military service during his visit to the United States and marked 25 years of successful cooperation with Georgia National Guard (GeorgiaGuard) through the National Guard State Partnership Program.
Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Garibashvili has left for the US to hold meetings at the Pentagon and sign a Georgia-US security agreement, the Defence Ministry press office reports.“The agreement will be signed at the US Department of Defence,” the press office said.Garibashvili is scheduled to start his trip by visiting a US Army Fort Benning.