Georgia is now the centre of world politics

President Mikheil Saakashvili has said at a televised meeting with farmers in Georgia's eastern Kaheti district that the Abkhazia and South Ossetia conflicts have now become a matter for the whole world:

"Despite Russia’s expectations, Georgia has not been left alone [internationally],” he said. “Russians prepared everything in advance: propaganda; clichés; who started [the war]; how to provide media coverage; [Russia] bribed politicians and journalists throughout the world; they have lots of many; but it was all thwarted.”

“These conflicts were forgotten and frozen; but today the entire world says that Georgia’s territorial integrity should be protected; today the entire world states that this is their issue and not just a matter between Georgia and Russia.”

“Georgia has turned into the center of the world politics,” he added.

“Various politicians’ popularity and matter of being elected or not elected is now judged based on their [views] on Georgia and it happens in huge and very important countries,” Saakashvili said without specifying those countries, but added “these are countries of decisive importance.”

He also said that “return of our territories” and “peaceful reunification of Georgia” was the major goal.

“I am convinced now as never before that Georgia’s territorial integrity will be restored. It will not be an easy process. This is now a matter between the furious Russia and rest of the world,” Saakashvili said.

Two or three months ago some European ambassadors, he said were saying: ‘we have no time for Georgia, we have at first to deal with Iraq, Afghanistan.’

“But just take a look what is happening now: both [presidential] candidates in the Unite States say that they have two major issues: terrorism and Georgia. It [situation in Georgia] is the major issue of internal politics in Europe, including in Britain, France; and that goes without saying that this is the case in our traditional allies in eastern Europe. And unfortunately this issue has triggered the governmental crisis in Ukraine."