PM Speaks of Reconciliation on Anniversary of ‘Tragic Day of Fall of Sokhumi’

Georgian PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili reiterated on September 27 that “rebuilding bridges” between Abkhazians and Georgians is the only way forwards towards peaceful unification of the country.

He made the remarks after attending a somber wreath-laying ceremony at a memorial of Georgian fallen soldiers at the Heroes Square in Tbilisi to mark the 23th anniversary of “fall of Sokhumi”, when the Georgian troops were forced out of the city on this day in 1993.

The same day in Abkhazia is marked as a celebration of “liberation of Sukhum”.

“The main thing that we all understand is that this war was against Georgians and Abkhazians and this war had no winners from the very beginning. Of course we pay tribute to all the fallen soldiers; they are heroes,” PM Kvirikashvili said.

“Today we should all think how to heal the wounds, how to unite the country, how to rebuild bridges between Abkhazians and Georgians, Ossetians and Georgia and to move step-by-step and only peacefully towards unification of the country. That’s necessary for the country to develop and to live in peace… together with Abkhazians and Ossetians in the united country in brotherhood and friendship. That’s our main goal today,” he said.
 
A day earlier, on September 26, the PM was in Ganmukhuri on the administrative boundary line with breakaway Abkhazia to attend presentation of a project to develop botanical garden and luxury hotel – billionaire ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili plans to allocate USD 20 million to fund development of the 100-hectare botanical garden and Georgia’s Co-Investment Fund in which Ivanishvili is the main investor will spend about USD 60 million for construction of the hotel. Ivanishvili said that he was ready to fund similar project in Abkhazia too.

Speaking at the presentation of the project in Ganmukhuri, PM Kvirikashvili said: “Timing of presenting this project is not a coincidence. Tomorrow, September 27, is the day of Fall of Sokhumi – a tragic date in Georgia’s history. This war was a tragedy for Georgians and Abkhazians, which we, unfortunately, failed to prevent. But time has come to think about future… Peace and friendship in our relationship has no alternative… [Ivanishvili’s] proposal [to develop a botanical garden and a luxury hotel in Abkhazia] is a concrete step towards restoration of brotherly relations between Georgians and Abkhazians… If this project is implemented, the profit received from it will go to the benefit of wellbeing of the local population and development of infrastructure. That’s really a unique proposal, which is fully in line with state’s peace and reconciliation policy.”

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