Ruling party head: using military means to reclaim Russian-occupied regions ”absolutely ruled out”

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the question of the Government using military means to reclaim the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) was “absolutely ruled out”.

Kobakhidze said a conflict in the country over the territories would have “far more severe” humanitarian, political and economic consequences than in the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of the country, pointing a new war between Georgians, Abkhazians and Ossetians was “completely out of the question”.

When it comes to reclaiming Sokhumi [capital of Abkhazia] and Tskhinvali militarily - I would like to remind you that if such a thing happens in theory, then you will have to fight not only against the Russian occupation forces, but also against Abkhazians and Ossetians. We had such a thing 30 years ago. After 30 years, we cannot do the same,” the GD official said.

Kobakhidze said a repeat of the conflicts in the 1990s “would be a great crime against our history, the Georgian people and future generations”, and added some of the political opposition in the country, and the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, “may want it”, before ruling out the possibility of military means being used.