Saakashvili: Troops’ Pullout Strengthened Georgia’s Position

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili denied the allegations that his governement’s decision to withdraw Georgia’s extra troops from breakaway South Ossetian was a result of failure in the fighting that erupted in the conflict zone on August 12.

The South Ossetian side welcomed Tbilisi’s decision to pull out its troops; however they also described the move as “a retreat after a failed attempt to take over Tskhinvali [capital of the breakaway republic].”

Mikheil Saakashvili said in an interview with the Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 television on August 23 that the pullout of troops “strengthened Georgia’s position in its attempt to solve the conflict through peaceful means.”

President Saakashvili reiterated that Georgia is determined to solve the South Ossetian conflict peacefully. “Georgia needs no large-scale conflict..we need stability and strengthening [of the country],” he said.

“The western powers, and we, want to use all possible peaceful ways in order to solve the problem. And these possibilities still remain at the moment,” he added.