Former US President Bush: US will “never cease” to call on Russia to end occupation of Georgia
In his address, Bush stressed Georgian people knew “very well the threats” coming from the Kremlin. Photo: Reuters
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Former United States President George W. Bush on Monday addressed participants in the international conference Glory to Ukraine in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi by saying the US would “never cease to call on Russia to end its occupation of 20 percent of Georgia’s territory and to respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
In his address, Bush stressed Georgian people knew “very well the threats” coming from the Kremlin.
One thing has remained constant over the years: the desire and commitment of the Georgian people to live freely and to lead the country towards institutions such as NATO and the European Union”, he noted.
“We will never stop calling on Russia to end its occupation of 20 percent of your country's territory and to respect your country's sovereignty and territorial integrity”, he added.
Bush also spoke about “challenging times” on the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, but expressed his confidence that “freedom will prevail”. He also paid homage to the US, Georgian citizens and “brave fighters all over the world” in his remarks.
The Georgia-US relationship today is “as strong as ever", and our friendship is based on “shared values”, said Irakli Garibashvili, the Prime Minister of Georgia, on the celebration of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between two countries.
The sixth international conference Glory to Ukraine, featuring top-level leaders from Europe and the United States, opened on Monday in Tbilisi to discuss the new political and security reality created as a result of the war in the country, the threats facing modern democracy and the future of European security.
The Embassy of the United States to Georgia on Tuesday said the United States would not “turn its back” on its partners in Georgia and Ukraine no matter how much their independence might “annoy” Russia.
Political leaders in the United States, including President Biden, have made it clear that Georgia is an important partner for the country, US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan told Georgian press on Thursday.