Georgia pursues peaceful resolution policy to restore territorial integrity, no alternative to peace - PM
“Since the 2008 war, we have not seen any sanctions that were imposed on Russia. On the contrary, we saw that business continued as usual. Therefore, it was a very - let’s say - bad signal”, Garibashvili noted, stressing Russia’s occupation did not stop in 2008 and was ongoing. Photo via Government Administration
Tweet 
Share
Georgia has been pursuing a peaceful resolution policy to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity and there is no alternative to peace, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Saturday at the thematic panel discussion on Building Security in the South Caucasus, held within the scope of the Munich Security Conference, with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Pleased to participate in the historic session at @MunSecConf. Together w/ leaders of ???????? & ???????? discussed security environment in our region and efforts needed to ensure peace and stability in South Caucasus. ???????? is committed to play its pivotal role in securing regional peace. pic.twitter.com/Zy7Cxv3YAO
— Irakli Garibashvili (@GharibashviliGe) February 18, 2023
Garibashvili called the ongoing war in Ukraine “devastating” and said everything had to be done to stop this war, noting it was a “big challenge” for the Black Sea region, Europe and the world in general. Georgia has already “seen the effect” of the 2008 war with Russia, after which Georgia’s “historic territories” Abkhazia and Tskhivali (South Ossetia) have been occupied and since then the country has been facing “lots of problems and challenges”, as Russia still has its two military bases on the ground, he added.
Since the 2008 war, we have not seen any sanctions that were imposed on Russia. On the contrary, we saw that business continued as usual. Therefore, it was a very - let’s say - bad signal”, Garibashvili noted, stressing Russia’s occupation did not stop in 2008 and was ongoing.
After the ruling Georgian Dream party came to power in 2012, a “lot of efforts” have been made to de-escalate the tension, Garibashvili thanked the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Union and the United States, as well as other participants who have been actively involved in the mediation process between Georgia and Russia, while also highlighting the Geneva International Discussions as “the only platform” Georgia has with Russians.